Ethan looked at the shimmering golden card in his inventory with excitement.
[Replication Realm (Gold Grade): One-time use. You can replicate a professional with up to 80% of their stats. Duration: 5 minutes. Usable only on targets below Three Rotations (Level 60).]
Eighty percent of a Level 60 professional?
That was insane.
Even if the item could only be used once, it was still powerful. If it had been reusable, it would've been classified as platinum-grade or higher.
Ethan smiled to himself. "This thing's strong. Even if it's one-time-use, I'm more than satisfied."
It had now become one of Ethan's trump cards. Just like the Gold Copy Pendant he got earlier, this item would be his secret weapon if things ever got out of hand.
There was only one thing left to do—check out the skill book he had received.
> [Skill: Vine Entangling (Green)]
Effect: Summons vines to bind enemies. Number of vines scales with Spirit stat.
Even though it was just a green-grade skill, Ethan immediately liked it.
Why?
Because its effectiveness depended on his mental strength—and right now, his Spirit stat was his greatest advantage. Just like how his Sand Vortex skill functioned similarly to the "Sand Waterfall Burial" of legend, this one reminded him of "Tree World's Birth."
While green-grade skills weren't flashy or overwhelming on their own, Ethan's sky-high Spirit stat made them powerful tools. And if he ever got his hands on a skill upgrade item, these techniques might evolve into something even greater.
Without hesitation, Ethan learned it immediately.
---
With that done, he decided it was time to sell the old gear and maybe buy some new materials. He got off the bus at a familiar place—Darunhua, the massive trading center for professionals like him.
As soon as he walked in, a familiar face greeted him—the same shopping guide from before.
Old Liu, the employee, was thrilled to see Ethan again. He led him straight to the VIP reception room with a wide grin. Watching this from the corner, the store manager nudged his assistant and whispered, "Old Liu's been working his tail off lately. Guy deserves a bonus."
It turned out, after Ethan's last visit, Old Liu had been working with incredible enthusiasm. He didn't want to miss the opportunity if Ethan ever returned. Day after day, he had worked harder than anyone else in the building.
The manager even joked aloud, "What's gotten into Liu? Trying for a second kid or something?"
Old Liu chuckled, replying cryptically, "Let's just say… I'm planning for a better future."
In truth, he was hoping that if even one of Ethan's purchases went through him—or if Ethan brought friends—it could change his entire career. One big sale could mean freedom from future struggle.
---
Inside the reception room, Old Liu poured premium tea—out of his own pocket—and the fragrance filled the space.
"Are we buying or selling today?" he asked with a smile.
Ethan got right to the point. He laid out a pile of silver-level equipment on the table.
Even the Guardian Suit given to him earlier by the principal of Ravenshade's No. 3 Academy was part of it. He figured someone else, maybe a junior student, could make use of it better.
In total, he laid out 20 pieces of equipment.
Old Liu's eyes widened with excitement. He immediately handed Ethan a tablet to browse while he fetched the identification tools.
"Take your time. Browse or enjoy your tea while I get this appraised," he said professionally.
Ethan had barely finished a few sips before Liu returned.
His hands trembled slightly as he announced the total.
"Two million, four hundred thousand credits."
Even Old Liu could hardly believe it. This was the biggest sale he had ever processed. Not even some of the floor managers handled clients like this.
And this was just the equipment. Ethan hadn't even sold the rare materials yet.
In fact, if Ethan had included the rare drops and materials from the dungeon, the total would've easily passed eight million.
With skill books and rare items factored in, Ethan had easily earned over ten million credits in the past few days alone.
"Not bad for my first week after changing classes," Ethan mused.
---
He started browsing the materials section on the tablet, checking to see if anything was useful for Anti-Bone Boy or his Queen Ant summon.
The dungeon he had just cleared had dropped a lot of insect-related and earth-related materials, which would be perfect for upgrades.
As he flipped through the listings, he didn't find anything immediately useful.
But then, something caught his eye.
> [Gold-Grade Material: Blade of the Great Sword Mantis]
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"Hmm?"
His first thought was: This might be a perfect fit for Anti-Bone Boy.
Then, within a second, he realized something else—and turned to Liu excitedly.
"Do you actually sell the Great Sword Mantis here?"
Liu blinked, confused. "You mean the material?"
Ethan shook his head. "No. I mean the summoned beast. Do you have the egg of a Great Sword Mantis?"
Liu scratched his head. He had never heard of it.
Just to keep up with Ethan's needs, Liu had recently studied tons of reference materials on equipment and monsters. But this one was new to him.
"It must've just arrived this morning," Liu admitted. "I haven't even had time to research it."
"The data was probably added recently. I've never even seen that monster species before."
Ethan frowned slightly.
Liu quickly added, "But I can use the company's channels to check the origin for you—maybe even find the summoning egg."
Ethan was surprised. He'd originally planned to research it on his own, but information on rare Zerg-type monsters was always scattered or unreliable online.
Liu's offer to use Darunhua's internal sources was a game-changer.
Ethan gave a small nod of approval.
This shopping guide was actually very dependable.
From now on, every time he came to Darunhua, he'd ask for Liu.
---
After that, Ethan went straight to the gold-level equipment section. It was time to get a real weapon.
He had been using a staff that was barely better than a walking stick. Now that he had the money, it was time to upgrade.
At the gold tier, staffs began to feature magical abilities and unique effects.
He scrolled through page after page, checking stats and traits. Finally, a staff caught his attention.
Its base stats were excellent, and it also had an ability that synergized with his Spirit-heavy build.
This was it. The weapon that would complete his current loadout.
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