Meanwhile, Oliver moved through the quiet, emptier streets of the central district of the Base of Alkarya.
'I have to make some purchases before I go back to level up. Now that I am level 5, I won't be able to grind levels efficiently without proper equipment.' Oliver thought as he stopped at a particular stall positioned at an intersection where five separate roads met.
The place was familiar.
It was a stall Oliver had visited many times in his first life.
He had even been great friends with the owner.
Reaching the counter, he rested one arm lightly on it and stared at the man behind it.
The man had orange hair, a handsome face, and a well-built body that gave him the appearance of someone more suited to battle than trading.
"Oh hey there, what problem can I solve for you today?" he asked with a friendly gesture.
For a moment Oliver let the question linger in the air.
Then he replied calmly,
"I would like to purchase ten Life points."
The man raised both eyebrows at Oliver's statement.
Ten lives was a lot to buy in one go.
Even old veterans in the Base of Alkarya rarely possessed ten lives at once.
'Is he trying to scam me?'
'Wait… black cloak… a Crow on his shoulder… this man is…'
"You are the Crow, aren't you?" the man asked in surprise.
Oliver nodded.
"And you are Jarvis Botswaner, the wealthiest merchant in all of the Game."
Jarvis smiled slightly at the remark.
"The Newbie Ranker that gained two achievements in one day and entered the top ten achievement holders in Alkarya. Right now you are the hottest topic in the Base."
Jarvis said as he snapped his fingers.
[Ding]
[Merchant Jarvis has made you an offer]
[10 Life Points — Cost: 100 Karma Points]
Oliver took his gaze off the system notification for a moment and looked toward Jarvis Botswaner.
The merchant was clearly studying his expression, trying to find even the slightest hesitation.
'It is practically impossible for anyone to gather such Karma points as a beginner, so I don't blame him for his doubt.'
[Paid]
[Transaction Completed]
Jarvis Botswaner's mouth slowly fell open as he saw the credit of one hundred Karma points appear in his system.
"How is that even possible?" he asked.
Oliver gave no reply.
'If not for the points I received from torturing Mukari, I would never have been able to spend this much on lives. Now I have a remaining balance of just one hundred and fifty Karma points from my… honest exploitations.'
For what Oliver had planned next, it was still not enough.
He turned back to Jarvis Botswaner and said,
"Let's make a trade. I sell you materials and you pay me back with two hundred Karma points and a few materials."
"Are you out of your mind?" Jarvis snapped, raising his voice slightly.
His eyes quickly turned left and right, scanning the empty surroundings.
"Have you come to rob me? Because no one is around? Do you take me for a weakling, the Almighty Jarvis Botswaner!"
Oliver shook his head calmly.
"No, I do not," he began slowly, easing the tension in the air. "Why would I mess with the great Jarvis? A man who, only a few years after being declared garbage for having the ability to clone himself endlessly, took over the entire game's market through brilliance and availability."
"Why would I think of scamming you when I am no better than you? A garbage declared worthless by my fellow Awakeners… a summoner no less. I might not have honour, but I believe we can help each other."
Jarvis Botswaner frowned at his statement.
He stared at Oliver for a long moment, carefully keeping his expression neutral.
Oliver remained calm.
He knew Jarvis well enough.
Alongside his present abilities at this moment.
While Jarvis currently had hundreds, maybe even thousands, of clones scattered across the entire Game, Oliver also remembered something else.
Jarvis had lost an eye.
And replaced it with the Eye of Discernment.
This was exactly what Jarvis was using now as he remained silent, trying to determine whether Oliver could be trusted.
After a while he sighed.
"You will have to convince me, Mr. Crow. I don't take being fooled lightly."
Just as Oliver expected.
'His curiosity is his biggest weakness… but also his greatest strength as a merchant.'
"I'll send you the deal," Oliver said as he summoned his system and tapped on it with a few precise commands.
A bright blue system window formed before Jarvis.
His face instantly grew pale.
His eyes widened so much they looked as if they might fall out of their sockets.
Jarvis checked the system again.
Then again.
Then a third time.
He stared at Oliver in disbelief.
"This isn't possible…" he whispered weakly, his gaze moving back and forth between the notification and Oliver.
"...what exactly did you encounter outside the walls Mr. Crow?"