Chapter 148: Chapter 146 - Everything Has a Price

Charcoal-grilled chicken...

Carrots, mushrooms, and corn...

Round bread shaped almost like a cake...

With a small silver knife beside it.

Medium-cooked lamb...

Its aroma unbearably delicious.

I smiled.

I was truly hungry after all that training.

An entire day had passed inside the cave...

Then I decided to meet the Ice Lord for dinner.

"I didn’t see you in the stands. Another task kept you away?"

The Ice Lord asked.

As he began his meal by cutting a piece of meat like a noble born into aristocracy.

"I was training."

I whispered.

Then...

I reached toward a piece of chicken.

Cut it with the knife...

And started eating.

"You missed some truly impressive matches."

The Ice Lord smiled.

"That’s why we’re here. Tell me about them."

I said.

At that moment...

The Ice Lord began speaking.

"The first match involved two Lords from the Five Guilds."

He whispered.

Then took another bite before continuing.

"The first one also controlled stone. He was called the Stubborn Rock Beast and belonged to the Running Horse Sect... while his opponent came from the Prairie Sect—"

"Your fellow sect member."

I interrupted.

"No."

The Ice Lord answered immediately.

Then continued his story.

"They call him the Lord of Whispering Winds."

"I’ve heard a lot about him."

"He’s a fourth-rank elite Lord with extremely refined wind control."

"When he entered the arena... he reminded me of you."

"Me?"

I whispered in surprise.

I didn’t look at him.

I was busy cutting bread.

"Yes."

He answered.

"I think he might be the hardest opponent for you."

"How will you fight someone who controls your own weapon?"

"You’ll have a difficult time... assuming you don’t lose outright."

"Forget the match outcome."

"Alright, alright."

The Ice Lord laughed softly.

He took another piece of chicken and continued.

"It was a powerful battle."

"They both started by trying to impose their own rhythm with different attacks."

"Solid rocks..."

"Soft rocks..."

"Mudstone..."

"Against them came wind cyclones."

"Wind blades."

"Massive tornadoes."

"Each attack stronger than the last."

Then...

"The Stubborn Rock Beast transformed into a massive stone monster stronger than Greater Catastrophe Beasts."

"All wind attacks failed against him."

"And just when everyone thought the battle was over—"

The Ice Lord paused briefly.

Then narrowed his eyes.

"The Lord of Whispering Winds’ final attack was unexpected."

"Numerous roots sprouted from inside the stone beast."

"They pinned it to the ground."

"And completely restrained its movement."

"After a while..."

"It couldn’t move anymore."

"His accumulation reached its lowest point."

"And then..."

"He surrendered without continuing."

My hand stopped moving for a moment.

I raised my eyes toward the Ice Lord.

"Roots?"

I whispered.

"Yes."

He answered.

"That’s why the battle was strange."

"Wind wasn’t his only ability."

My eyes slowly narrowed.

While my thoughts began moving again.

A Lord who controlled wind...

But whose decisive ability was roots.

That meant only one thing.

"His weapon and his properties are completely different."

I whispered internally.

I turned toward the Ice Lord and said:

"Almost every powerful Lord..."

"Possesses a hidden second card."

"Something they only reveal at the decisive moment."

"The Second Flame Lady... concealed her spear."

"The Lord of Seven Steps... concealed the secret of his steps."

"The Puppet Lord... hid his entire body underground."

"And this one... hid roots inside the wind itself."

I exhaled slowly.

"But there’s something different about this Lord."

I whispered.

The Ice Lord raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

I smiled faintly.

Then cut another piece of meat.

"Wind and plants are completely different."

"It’s normal for a Lord to possess multiple properties."

"For fourth-rank Lords... they can possess several traits alongside one ancient weapon."

I whispered.

"The Lord of Whispering Winds may have separate paths for each."

"Either the weapon is the plant... and wind control is his property."

"Or the opposite."

I said.

"That’s very possible."

The Ice Lord replied.

But his eyes remained unconvinced.

"But."

I whispered.

Interrupting his thoughts.

He looked toward me.

"You said his opening battle included cyclones, tornadoes, and blades."

"And it also involved blocking the stone Lord’s attacks."

"That means—"

I whispered.

Then paused briefly.

Before continuing.

"Those attacks must be his main weapon."

"But when you look at the attack that won him the match..."

"Defeating a monster stronger than a Greater Catastrophe Beast would undoubtedly require a weapon no lower than ancient grade."

Silence followed.

While the Ice Lord also thought deeply.

Then he spoke.

"Your analysis makes sense."

"That makes the matter truly strange."

"This Lord of Whispering Winds... is genuinely powerful."

I took a piece of bread.

Then dipped it into the hot meat broth.

"Or."

I whispered calmly.

The Ice Lord lifted his eyes toward me.

"Or what?"

I smiled lightly.

"Or..."

"He isn’t actually a wind Lord at all."

Silence filled the table.

Even the spoon in the Ice Lord’s hand paused briefly.

"What do you mean?"

He asked slowly.

"Everyone sees the wind."

I said.

"So they assume it’s the core."

"But what if it’s merely camouflage?"

I narrowed my eyes.

Then continued.

"Wind is excellent for concealment."

"Distracting vision."

"Obscuring sight."

"Covering sound."

"And even hiding something growing and moving within the storm."

Silence fell once more.

Then...

For the first time since the discussion began...

The Ice Lord smiled genuinely.

A real smile.

"Hah."

He laughed softly.

"Now I understand why they say you’re the most dangerous participant."

"You don’t look at the attack."

"You search for what the attack is hiding."

I didn’t answer.

I simply took another piece of meat.

While my thoughts quietly resumed.

All of them...

Were hiding something.

And because of that...

If I truly wanted to survive this tournament...

Then becoming stronger alone wouldn’t be enough.

I needed to become...

The hardest person to understand.

Our dinner continued.

The Ice Lord kept speaking about the remaining matches.

And our discussion moved from one battle to another.

Eventually...

We finished eating.

And dessert arrived.

That was when I whispered:

"I have something I want to ask."

The Ice Lord looked toward me.

"Go ahead."

He said.

"What do you know about a material called... Vibrational Dolphin Belly Fat?"

"Do you have it?"

The Ice Lord asked immediately.

"Yes."

"You strange man... did you—?"

The Ice Lord snorted.

His eyes widened in surprise.

Then quickly added:

"Is it from the beast we traded to you?"

I smiled.

"Yes."

"I was lucky enough to own suitable land for it... so it rewarded me."

"That quickly? It already produced something for you?"

He snorted again.

My laughter widened.

"Luck was on my side."

I said.

Then added:

"Tell me about the material."

"Alright."

He answered.

Quickly recovering from his shock.

"It’s an extremely rare material."

"And incredibly valuable."

"Yes, it doesn’t reach the value of the flowers... but some people would pay the same amount for it."

"Why is it so rare?"

"Because it’s used in crafting unique armors."

"Just a few grams can make armor extremely powerful."

"One kilogram... can produce armor capable of resisting fourth-rank Lord attacks."

The Ice Lord said.

I didn’t answer.

My eyes widened in complete shock.

"I have 460 kilograms."

I whispered internally like a madman.

For a moment...

I felt like laughing.

No...

Screaming.

All this time...

I had treated the substance like nothing more than a rare treasure.

But...

If the Ice Lord was telling the truth...

Then I didn’t merely possess something valuable.

I possessed...

A treasure large enough to arm an entire sect.

I barely managed to hide my expression.

I lifted my glass.

Took a calm sip.

"It seems like a decent material."

I said with deliberate indifference.

The Ice Lord looked at me suspiciously.

"How much do you have?"

He asked.

I smiled inwardly.

That question alone...

Was enough to reveal its true value.

"A little."

I answered calmly.

"A few kilograms."

The Ice Lord didn’t seem convinced.

But he didn’t push further.

Instead, he said:

"If you can keep its source secret... do it."

"This material alone is enough to make entire sects keep their eyes on you."

"Unique armor isn’t something that can be easily bought."

I slowly nodded.

But internally...

I was thinking about something entirely different.

Armor.

Capable of enduring fourth-rank attacks.

Combined with my wind property...

And the air shield I was developing...

And perhaps...

The Flame Art later on.

My eyes narrowed.

"So that’s how it is."

I whispered internally.

"Maybe... I don’t just need stronger attacks."

"Maybe I need to turn myself... into an unbreakable fortress."

"Then tell me..."

I said.

"How do I make armor from it?"

The Ice Lord smiled faintly.

"You can’t."

He whispered.

Then raised his drink to his lips.

Finished it quickly and added:

"There are Lords who specialize in this field."

"And unfortunately for you... nobody in this city specializes in it."

"What about the other city... Sunrise?"

I whispered.

"There’s nobody there either."

He answered.

"So then—"

"But."

The Ice Lord interrupted my sigh.

"I might be able to help you with something."

He smiled.

A sly smile.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You currently look like a cheap merchant."

I said mockingly.

The Ice Lord laughed softly.

"No."

"Like a man who understands the value of information."

Then leaned back in his seat and continued.

"Years ago..."

"A fifth-rank Lord visited our city."

"He specialized in crafting armor and weapons."

"He stayed here for several months."

"And during his stay..."

"He created several tools for different sects."

"Among them... armor."

His hand paused briefly.

Then he pointed toward me.

"And then he left."

I stared at him with complete focus.

"So?"

"But he left behind contact methods."

He answered.

"And of course, I won’t obtain those contacts for free."

I smiled sarcastically.

"Even in exchange, you won’t receive them."

The Ice Lord snorted with laughter.

Then added:

"However..."

He smiled again.

"In exchange... I can act as the intermediary to craft armor for you."

"Or even sell the material... without revealing your identity."

"So that’s it."

I whispered.

"And what’s the price?"

I asked him.

"For every amount used..."

"I receive the same amount."

He said calmly.

I fell silent.

My thoughts completely halted.

Then...

I suddenly laughed.

A short laugh.

But genuine.

"What kind of damned luck is this?"

I whispered.