The academy district didn't sleep early.
Even after the sun had completely set, the streets outside Jianghe Academy remained lively as small shops lit their lanterns, food stalls released clouds of fragrant steam into the night air, and groups of students wandered through the streets in relaxed conversation.
After spending some time studying his status panel, Lin Yi eventually left the dormitory. There was a simple reason: his inventory was starting to fill up. The Stoneback Bear armor plates and monster cores he had obtained earlier weren't things he planned to keep forever; for beginners, turning monster materials into money was one of the fastest ways to improve their equipment. And in a city like Jianghe, there was no better place for that than the Hunter's Night Market.
The market was located three streets away from the academy, right near the inner section of the city wall. By the time Lin Yi arrived, the area was already crowded. Lanterns hung above narrow stone roads while merchants stood behind wooden counters displaying monster bones, scales, weapons, and strange glowing crystals. Hunters in leather armor drank loudly at outdoor tables while discussing their recent expeditions, the entire place smelling of roasted meat and metal oil.
Lin Yi walked slowly through the crowd, not in any particular hurry. This wasn't actually his first time visiting the hunter market since arriving in this world, he already did that with Wang Hao, as they prepared for the wilderness expedition before.
Lin Yi glanced around thoughtfully, noting that the place was basically an RPG marketplace. A stall to his left displayed monster fangs arranged in neat rows, another shop sold potions inside glowing glass bottles, and further down the street, a blacksmith hammered a blade while sparks scattered into the air.
Lin Yi eventually stopped in front of a larger shop with a wooden sign hanging above the entrance:
Iron Mountain Trading House.
Unlike the street stalls outside, this store looked more professional, its shelves neatly organized with monster materials, armor pieces, and weapon parts. A middle-aged man with a thick beard and muscular arms stood behind the counter, looking up as Lin Yi entered. "Young hunter?"
Lin Yi nodded slightly. "I'm looking to sell some materials."
The shopkeeper crossed his arms. "Let's see them."
Lin Yi opened his inventory, and with a small flicker of light, several Stoneback Bear armor plates appeared on the counter. The shopkeeper's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Stoneback Bear?" He picked up one of the plates and examined it carefully; the surface was thick and heavy, with a faint gray shine under the lantern light. After a moment, he whistled softly. "Clean extraction. You're not the one who cut this, are you?"
Lin Yi shrugged. "Does it matter?"
The shopkeeper chuckled. "Fair enough." He placed the armor plate back down and continued inspecting the rest. "These are good pieces. Could be forged into shoulder armor or shields. I'll give you 3,000 copper coins each."
Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. "That low?" He didn't know the exact market price, but he knew bargaining was universal. Lin Yi crossed his arms calmly. "Five thousand."
The shopkeeper laughed. "Young man, you're confident. Four thousand."
Lin Yi remained silent, and the shopkeeper finally sighed. "…Fine. Four thousand five hundred each."
Lin Yi nodded. "Deal." The man pulled out a small handheld device and transferred the payment. A soft beep confirmed the transaction: 18,000 copper coins received. Lin Yi glanced at the number briefly—it was not bad for a single hunt.
The shopkeeper then noticed something else. "What about the monster cores?"
Lin Yi placed two low-grade cores on the counter. The man examined them quickly. "Two thousand each." Lin Yi didn't bother negotiating this time and simply said, "Done."
Another transfer beeped: 4,000 copper coins received.
Then—
Ding!
[22,000 copper coins received!]
[100X Amplification Triggered.]
[New Reward: 2,200,000 copper coins.]
"Rich, I'm rich," Lin Yi muttered to himself.
Then, Lin Yi mind reeled.
I got reward amplification from selling monster parts? So the system amplify any reward related to monster hunting. That seems accurate.
The shopkeeper leaned back slightly, unaware of the massive multiplier. "You did well today."
Lin Yi simply smiled as his attention returned to the man. "Something like that."
As Lin Yi turned to leave, the shopkeeper suddenly spoke again. "You're from Jianghe Academy, right?"
Lin Yi paused. "Yes."
The man scratched his beard thoughtfully. "Then I'll give you a small piece of advice. Two days from now, the academy tournament."
Lin Yi blinked, he already knew about the upcoming academy tournament, it was scheduled to be held in the coming days.
The shopkeeper chuckled. "Young hunters love that event. The prize pool is good."
"How good?" Lin Yi asked, but he was already aware of most of such details.
The shopkeeper smiled. "Top three winners get equipment from the city's central armory."
Lin Yi's interest increased slightly; equipment from the armory wasn't cheap, especially not beginner-level gear suitable for academy students. The shopkeeper continued, "And rumor says the champion might even receive a rare weapon blueprint this year."
Now that was interesting. Lin Yi nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
As he stepped back into the busy night market street, the cool air brushed against his face. Wang Hao suddenly appeared from a side alley carrying two skewers of grilled meat. "Brother Lin!"
Lin Yi looked surprised. "You were here too?"
Wang Hao handed him one skewer. "I also came to sell monster parts" He took a big bite from his own food before asking casually, "So… did you sell yours?"
Lin Yi nodded. "Yeah."
Wang Hao swallowed and asked, "How much did you get?"
Lin Yi answered simply, "Twenty-two thousand."
"That's a good bargain," Wang Hao said.
Then, both of them headed back to the dormitory, but as they did, Lin Yi mind reeled again.
To receive more than two million coppers coins from selling low level monster parts? Such luck on my side!
Truly with this amplification, I don't need to worry about money ever again.