Mysterious Fog World: Eldritch Nexus

As Drake conversed with Ivy, he noticed that the trio was leaving. Seeing them leaving like that he frowned slightly.

“Hey, old man. Where are you going? Isn't it a tad rude to abruptly walk away in the middle of our discussion” Drake asked.

Ding Lao Tian and the other two turned around hearing his voice. He had a slightly irritated face. But before he could say anything, Ding Bi Xue preempted him.

“Who do you think you are, talking to my grandfather like that? Ding Bi Xue berated angrily. She was fuming that someone dared to talk to her grandfather in that tone.

Wang Feng who got the opportunity to score more brownie points with Bi Xue also jumped in between.

“Hey man, what's your problem? Don't you think talking to your elders in that tone is rude?” Wang Feng asked.

He saw the system notification of a point increase in Bi Xue’s loyalty. Even Loa Tian looked at him with an approving gaze.

He gave a crooked smile that he thought was charming. Somehow, even Ding Bi Xue thought that was charming and blushed seeing his smile.

Ding Lao Tian strokes his long beard watching the antics of his granddaughter and disciple. He was completely in favor of that union. Watching them he even forgot about the irritation he got from Drake.

Drake was getting impatient watching them. It's not like he didn't mind watching a good live drama while eating popcorn. But, the problem was that the old man first ignored him and then decided to leave, leaving him in the middle of their discussion.

Moreover, that idiot protagonist was getting on his nerves. Did he think he was one of those brainless fools whom he could face-slap left and right?

“None of your business,” Drake said and then ignored Wang Feng.

“Old man, if you don't remember, let me remind you, we were in the middle of a transaction. Complete that before leaving,” Drake stated.

Wang Feng, like many protagonists, was an attention-seeking whore. Ignoring him was the worst humiliation for him.

“How dare you talk to my master like that?” Wang Feng bellowed as he clutched his sword, ready to strike anytime. He used that as an excuse to avenge his humiliation.

Even if he was angry, he was level-headed enough to know that if he attacked someone in the middle of the market, he would be surrounded by the guards and arrested the next second. So, even if he showed aggression, he didn't unsheathed his sword.

But Ding Bi Xue had no such reservations. She knew her grandfather’s strength. Not to mention the kingdom they were in, even if the entire territory attacked them, he could kill them all with ease.

She unsheathed her sword, pointed it at Drake, and said, “Apologize to my grandfather this instant, or be ready to die a painful death.” As she said that, she showed off her Rank 2, Extraordinary strength.

Everyone nearby, whether players or NPCs, was startled seeing the turn of events. And even more when Bi Xue revealed her strength.

“She is so young and she is an Extraordinary!”

“I don't think she is a Rank 1. I have seen Rank 1, their presence is not that strong.”

“She should be a rank 2.”

“I don't think she is much older than nineteen, did she take her first potion when she was nineteen.”

“Why does being nineteen have anything to do with taking a potion?”

“Nineteen is the minimum age before taking a potion. Taking before that is suicide.”

“I also want to become Extraordinary but I can't afford a potion. And I am too weak to look for it in the fog.”

“Looks like she belongs to a big family who has prepared potions for her to take when she comes of age.”

Ding Bi Xue enjoyed the gazes full of respect, awe, fear, envy, and worship towards her. She reveled in those gazes as they validated her and stroked her ego.

She was only nineteen and was at rank 2. That was the only reason for her low strength, otherwise, she would be at a much higher level. Her grandfather had potion formula till rank 6, peak. So, till then she did not need to search for potions. When she finally came of age, her grandfather had gifted her a rank 1, Martial Artist potion. She took only one month to digest it. After that, he gave her a rank 2 potion, that was already halfway digested in a month and should be completely digested within another month.

As Ding Bi Xue was enjoying herself, she saw Drake. She noticed that he looked almost bored. Moreover, his eyes were looking at her as if watching a dead person. As she came to that conclusion, she suddenly flinched and took a step back. But she felt both anger and humiliation that a Mortal man made her take a step back.

‘Does this bitch think she is her grandfather? I may not dare to do anything to him now, but I don't mind bombing you to oblivion even with your Rank 2 strength. I have more than enough points to do that,’ Drake thought as Ding Bi Xue pointed her sword at him.

With a bored expression, he turned back to Ding Lao Tian and looked at him as if asking about their transaction status.

Ding Lao Tian saw that the commotion was increasing, so he decided to step forward because he didn't want unnecessary attention.

“Kid, I don't want to sell anything anymore. You can leave,” Ding Lao Tian said. Since he had found his successor, he did not need to behave like a charlatan anymore.

Drake's gaze hardened hearing that. But he suddenly smiled and said in a slightly taunting voice, “Old man, that's not good business practice. You will not get any customers like that.”

Hearing Drake, Wang Feng jumped in between once again. “Who do you think you are to teach my master how to do business?”

Drake ignored him again and only watched Ding Lao Tian's reaction with a slightly teasing smile.

Wang Feng was losing it being ignored again and again. When he wanted to say something again, Ding Lao Tian signaled him to stop. Both Wang Feng and Ding Bi Xue glared at Drake like venomous snakes but didn't say anything.

“Like my disciple said, you are not qualified to teach me how to do business. I no longer want to sell you anything, you can leave,” Ding Lao Tian said in a voice that suggested that he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Drake laughed slightly hearing him. The trio got irritated even more hearing his laughter.

“Old man, whatever you say, but rejecting a customer who wanted to buy all your martial arts after the deal was finalized, does not exhibit peak business acumen,” Drake taunted.

Ding Bi Xue's face changed when she heard that. Wang Feng didn't know what it meant by buying all her grandfather’s martial arts but she knew their real price. And if Drake was not lying about buying them, that implied that he had enough Fog Coins to buy them. Her eyes changed slightly as she reached that conclusion.

Ding Lao Tian's face fell. His irritation was turning to anger. No one has ever disrespected him like that even when he sold the martial arts as everyone knew his strength and those who thought they were too smart paid for their mistakes by death.

“Kid, I am telling you for the last time, I will not sell you anything. I am in a good mood as I got a worthy disciple so don't ruin my good mood and scram, otherwise, I don't mind killing you,” Ding Lao Tian threatened.

He had no qualms against killing a chosen one, unlike the Faulrum family. He was strong enough to dismiss their supposed immortality. He didn't think that they would ever reach his height. Moreover, with his disciple’s talent, he would soon surpass the annoying and disrespectful trash in front of him. He could see that Drake's talent was mediocre at best and had no way to surpass his disciple.

Wang Feng who heard Ding Lao Tian call him a worthy disciple had a smug smile on his face.

Drake laughed loudly hearing Ding Lao Tian's threats. “Fine old man, have it your way,” Drake said, turned around, and left while still laughing.

‘Old man, you better make sure we don't meet again in the future,’ Drake thought with an evil smile.

Ding Lao Tian felt Drake's laughter grating in his ears. But he let go and left with his granddaughter and disciple.

He had not realized that he would regret his actions in the future. He would regret not dealing with Drake that day. As long as he wanted he could have let some knowledge flow out of his fingers and countless people and even chosen ones would hunt Drake like hyenas. But he let him go, thinking of him merely as a little nuisance. But that little nuisance would turn his life upside down and become his life’s biggest nightmare.

Everyone left seeing that the drama was over. But some opportunists silently followed both the parties, unaware that their sneaky actions were known to both parties.

There was another figure watching what was happening.

“System, is he another protagonist or villain?” the mysterious figure asked.

[Negative host. He is just a side character or at best just a minor villain who doesn't last more than two chapters. Not worthy of the host's interest.]

“Hmm,” he acknowledged as he turned back to Wang Feng, the man who ruined him in his previous life and annihilated his family.

He wanted to take his opportunity to reduce his luck and become Ding Lao Tian's disciple. But, he awakened his memories too late and Wang Feng became his disciple. But he was not worried. He knew many opportunities acquired by him and would snatch them all.

He would not even spare the women Wang Feng got in his previous life and would snatch them all. As for Ding Bi Xue, he had no interest in taking her and would kill her whenever the opportunity presented itself. As she ruthlessly killed his parents on Wang Feng’s order.

“Soon, Wang Feng, soon,” he said cryptically towards the back of Wang Feng who was leaving with his new master and senior sister.

—------------

[He thinks you are just a side character or a minor villain.]

‘Much better than being considered a protagonist or fellow destiny villain by him. Too much hassle.’

Ivy had informed Drake before that a villain was watching his confrontation with the trio.

After he left, he asked Ivy about him. He took a sigh of relief hearing he was not on his radar.

He then remembered his argument with Ding Lao Tian. He simply left because arguing was not worth it for those potion formulas. He merely wanted them because they were too cheap. Even if didn't get them, he could still purchase them from his system.

As for the old man, he knew that that was not their last meeting. Because he knew that most protagonists had a disease. That disease made them kill anyone who dared look down on them or ignored them.

Wang Feng's ego was hurt when he ignored him, so he was sure that he would take revenge against him whenever an opportunity presented itself.

Since it was not a fantasy or xianxia setting, but a game setting, he might not be as crazy as those protagonists, but one could never be too sure. Many VRMMORPG protagonists killed fellow players at small issues whenever they saw them, sometimes going as far as to kill them permanently.

As long as Wang Feng stayed within his limits, he wouldn't mind playing with him. But, if he crossed them, he wouldn't mind finding him in the real world and killing him.

Likewise, for all other protagonists and villains.