Chapter Forty-Eight: The Earthen Jar

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“Sir Dragon, there’s no need to hide it here. This item is the weapon of our Lady—Remilia Scarlet—Gungnir’s Spear. With it, there’s a chance we can summon her. So, would you be willing to let me have it?” The head maid drew a deep breath, steeling herself to speak.

Hao Ren’s reaction was not as strong as she had anticipated; he spun the divine spear in his hand as if it were a pen.

“So, you know how to activate its powers?” Hao Ren suddenly asked.

“Yes,” the head maid nodded.

“Well… then it’s yours.” Hao Ren tossed the divine spear to her without hesitation.

“Are you sure?” The head maid stared in disbelief at the item she’d dreamed of holding.

“It’s fine. I wouldn’t use it anyway, can’t see its attributes, might as well use it as a keychain—what a waste.” Hao Ren was completely indifferent.

“You make this difficult for me, Sir Dragon.” The head maid, who’d been prepared for a hefty exchange, now felt a bit guilty for having achieved her goal so easily.

“What’s so difficult about it? You got it for free, shouldn’t you be happy?” Hao Ren was baffled by her reasoning.

“At least let me make a request, Sir Dragon. Otherwise, it’s unfair to you.” The head maid was persistent, likely not wanting to owe Hao Ren a favor.

“Well… alright, then. Kiss me.” Hao Ren shamelessly declared his request.

The space around the head maid rippled; her emotions were clearly stirred.

“I was joking! Don’t take it seriously!” Hao Ren instantly leapt back defensively.

“If a single kiss can grant me hope of seeing our Lady, I’m already getting a great deal.” The head maid put away the dagger she’d just drawn, and looked Hao Ren straight in the eyes.

“Wait, wait. You’re going to do it for real!” Hao Ren was startled—her favors were not gained so easily; he only dared to make such requests in jest.

“Please close your eyes.” The head maid drew closer, while Hao Ren kept retreating.

Suddenly, Hao Ren couldn’t move; he tried to shout, but no sound came out.

Darkness enveloped him, and a soft sensation touched his lips.

In the next instant, light returned and his body was his own again.

Before him stood the head maid, her cheeks flushed.

“Actually, I just meant a kiss on the cheek would suffice,” Hao Ren muttered, touching his lips.

Steam suddenly burst from the head maid’s head; with a wave of her hand, Hao Ren vanished.

He fell in a spread-eagle pose from twenty meters above, landing in front of the game center.

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“Well, at least it was a pleasant sight,” Hao Ren dusted off his clothes, turned, and entered the game center to look for the mysterious shop Bobby had mentioned.

Following Bobby’s earlier directions, Hao Ren found himself at a small shop with a fortune-teller vibe.

Incidentally, it was quite crowded.

“Welcome! I’m Claypot. All the good stuff’s inside!” The owner was tall and thin, with a clay pot perched atop his head.

Mainframe, do you play those brainless warriors and Disconnected City games too?

Rows of clay pots were neatly arranged on the shelves, each with a price tag beneath. Oddly, the required payment was bizarrely specific.

Red-spotted pot: three vampire fangs.

Blue-and-white striped pot: a pair of blue-and-white striped panties worn by a maiden for less than an hour.

Golden pot: a suit of Gilgamesh’s armor.

Black pot: 1 LP.

Crystal pot: ???

All the prices were strange and unusual. It seemed less like a shop and more like a quest hub.

The other buyers were in the same state as those at the capsule machines earlier.

“How do you sell these question-mark pots?” Hao Ren pointed to the crystal pot.

“Depends on my mood.” The expression on Claypot’s head changed to a cool, smug look—quite amusing.

“How about paying with this raw fish?” Hao Ren produced a small magical beast fish, likely just caught soon after hatching.

“Deal!” Claypot snatched the fish from Hao Ren at lightning speed and shoved the crystal pot into Hao Ren’s hands.

“Wait, you haven’t told me what it does yet?” Hao Ren hadn’t expected the fish to be so coveted.

“It’s a gamble—random outcome, but the stakes are higher. Of course, the odds of getting something good are also greater.” Claypot explained as he dropped the fish into the pot’s opening.

A clean fish skeleton was promptly spat out from the pot’s mouth.

How marvelous!

Hao Ren pulled the stopper from the crystal pot.

With a bang, the pot shattered, turning into a tiny crystal skull figurine.

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Item: “Crystal Substitute”—transform into a designated humanoid target; base attributes match the target, but cannot mimic skills. The chosen target can remotely control the substitute and input simple settings. Once destroyed, it cannot be repaired.

Hmmmmm…

Hao Ren’s expression grew complicated; upon seeing the item, his first thought was to use it to attend classes in his stead.

But since he’d already used a wad of cash to smack the principal’s face, there was no longer any need for such tactics.

He put it away, and watching the other players’ laments, Hao Ren felt an inexplicable delight.

“How about these two?” Hao Ren pointed to two dark green pots with question-mark prices.

“Depends on my mood,” came the same reply.

“How about paying with this raw fish?” Hao Ren tried his luck again, producing another magical beast fish.

“Do you think that’s possible?” Claypot was less friendly this time.

“Then, how about two fish?”

“Take them,” Claypot conceded.

Looking at his two new pots, Hao Ren was genuinely curious about Claypot’s thought processes.

After Hao Ren’s success, other players hurried back to the real world. Soon, the fortune-teller-like shop turned into a seafood market reeking of fish.

Seeing this, Hao Ren quickly made his escape.

Checking the time, he realized it was nearly time to meet Bobby, so he stashed the two pots in his inventory without opening them.

After exchanging words with the girls in “Hawaii,” Hao Ren went out to meet Bobby and the others.

At the game center entrance, Hao Ren spotted Bobby, the head maid, the sleeveless shrine maiden number two, and a sleepy Hong Meiling.

Time reset.

“It’s best to confirm our location first.” Now calm, Hao Ren surveyed his surroundings.

Smoke filled the air like a battlefield, and Hao Ren saw three Gundams—“Storm,” “Duel,” and “Blitz”—fly overhead.

They were witnessing the ZAFT raid on Orb to steal the G weapons—the very scene from that storyline!