NOVEL WEB Chapter 31: The Top Task
Kent's eyes flashed with surprise—this was the task? That was truly unexpected.
He had heard from Elder Jia that this task had been at the top of the list for nearly a year, with no one successfully completing it. It was said that at least twenty to thirty Beastmasters had attempted it. Even Ye Yan, the master, had refrained from taking it, afraid of tarnishing his reputation.
"Elder Jia's suggestion is to hatch a Heavenly Grade monster egg?" Kent asked.
"Correct. This egg is defective by nature, with most of its essence missing. The chances of successful hatching are less than one percent. However, this is the egg of a Firewing Dragon, which is rare and precious. If it hatches, the person who does it will immediately be named the chief spirit pharmacist of the three major black markets in Microglow City, and there's a reward of three million credits."
Three million credits?
Kent was immediately tempted. That was enough to buy a luxury apartment—and even more for a potential wife.
If his high school classmates knew he owned an apartment, they might even consider having his children.
Not only was the three million credit reward, but there was also a full set of B-grade battle equipment as a bonus.
Battle equipment includes items such as combat suits, armor, helmets, boots, shields, and swords, ranging from E-grade to SSS-grade.
Most mercenaries aim to gather a complete E-grade set, but even the lowest grade equipment costs around two hundred thousand credits.
D-grade requires five hundred thousand credits.
C-grade costs one million credits.
B-grade is worth two million credits.
A-grade is divided into three sub-levels, priced at five million, four million, and three million credits respectively.
As for S-grade, the cheapest starts at ten million credits.
"Mr. Eight God, do you know who posted this task? It was a high-ranking figure from the Longxiao Group. The reason he offered such a high price to hatch this Firewing Dragon egg is that he wants to give it as a gift to his daughter for her eighteenth birthday. The price has been raised multiple times, and now it's three million credits and a B-grade battle set. I've received word that if it's not completed soon, the task will be taken down because the girl's birthday is fast approaching," Elder Jia added, seeing Kent hesitate.
"I..." Kent pondered for a moment, unable to resist the enormous temptation. Finally, he said, "I can give it a try. If it doesn't work, then so be it."
"Good," Elder Jia smiled. "Since the reward is so high, even if you're an external guest, you need to pay a deposit of fifty thousand credits. So, you should transfer thirty-five thousand credits to me first. I'll give you the item now, but until you pay it all off, please don't leave the black market. We offer accommodation and meals for guests."
Kent's lips twitched. This old man probably had his eye on that five thousand credits. He was likely trying to make a quick profit. He chuckled inwardly. Let's see how it plays out.
Kent transferred thirty-five thousand credits, which he had earned from his previous task involving the Bloodhand Tyrannosaurus, and with a sigh, watched the money disappear.
Elder Jia handed over a white-gray stone to him, and then from a spatial pouch, he pulled out a meat egg, about the size of a water basin, with a dull grayish-blue color. Kent couldn't resist poking it with his finger. It had a bouncy texture, almost like poking at pork. A faint life force flowed through his fingertips—so weak, it was barely perceptible, but it was still there, a sign of life.
Activating his system's scanning ability, the egg's data immediately appeared in front of his eyes.
Ding!
System prompt: A Firewing Dragon egg has been detected. It is naturally flawed, with severely depleted essence and a life force of less than two percent. To hatch it, the following materials are required—
A fifty-year-old Fulong GrassFive hundred milliliters of 56-degree pure ethanolOne pound of Liquid Gold Fire SandOne pound of the host's blood (Beastmaster's blood cannot be substituted)
Kent's face darkened. The conditions for hatching were indeed incredibly difficult. Thirteen rare materials were required.
After some consideration, he had no other choice. He turned to Elder Jia and said, "I do have a way to hatch it, but I'll need some special materials."
"Materials? That's no problem. The employer has already stated that the expenses must be under one million credits. Just provide the invoices, and you can get reimbursed," Elder Jia waved his hand.
"Alright, I'll write them down."
Kent grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down the thirteen materials. For the last one, he substituted his own blood with ten pounds of gold-tier Earth Dragon blood. He wasn't going to give up his blood for nothing, so he figured this was a fair trade. Plus, he could feed the Earth Dragon blood to Garfield later to make up for it. That silly cat would probably hold a grudge otherwise.
Elder Jia glanced at the list and showed a hint of surprise. The materials weren't extremely precious, but they were certainly unusual.
After Kent finished writing, he didn't put the pen down. Suddenly, he thought, "Why not go for it? I might need special materials for this stone egg as well." Without further hesitation, he began scanning the white-gray stone.
Ding!
System prompt: A gold-tier life form is curled up inside the stone egg, possessing high potential and intelligence. It can be contracted. To hatch, the following materials are required—
Ten pounds of banana juiceTen pounds of apple juiceTen pounds of coconut juiceTen pounds of watermelon juiceTen pounds of dragon fruit juice...
What the hell?
Kent blinked in disbelief, his face filled with a look of horror. Over twenty types of fruit juices—each requiring ten pounds! System, are you serious?
He forced a smile, glanced at Elder Jia, and then shakily wrote down the list.
"These materials should be about right. How long will it take to prepare?" Kent asked.
Elder Jia glanced at the list, his expression flickering with an odd light. He cleared his throat and said, "I'll have someone prepare everything properly. It should be ready by tomorrow morning."
Kent nodded and then excused himself, heading back to his room through the back passage.
There were many books on the shelf, so he picked one up and started reading to pass the time.
After the auction ended, Xiao Wei was sent to attend to him. The two of them had dinner together, and afterward, Kent stretched with a yawn, saying, "I'm so tired... Ah, my back is sore too."
A moment of silence.
Xiao Wei looked at him with a faint sigh before finally rolling her eyes and softly saying, "Mr. Eight God, let me give you a massage."
Kent's eyes lit up immediately. "Sure! A massage would really help relieve the fatigue. But I feel bad for you, Xiao Wei."
Xiao Wei gave him an exasperated look and said, "It's fine. This is our job."
Soon, the room was filled with Kent's moaning sounds as Xiao Wei began the massage.