[Total items: 43,960]
[Total estimated value: Over 600 million gold coins]
Hiss…!
Manager Harry couldn't stop himself from sharply drawing in a breath. Even though he had mentally prepared himself beforehand, the reality of the moment still utterly shook him.
He stared at the appraisal disc, blinking several times as if to confirm what he was seeing wasn't a hallucination.
"Your Highness Daniel," he murmured, voice full of awe, "you are… truly astonishing."
"If you hadn't chosen to trade with our League, I daresay the very instant you revealed these spoils, someone might have already tried to intercept you."
Daniel raised an eyebrow, somewhat confused by the statement.
Sensing his reaction, Harry immediately began to explain further.
"You see, Your Highness, what you may not know is that—despite how powerful they are—most high-ranking figures are constantly short on gold coins. Maintaining power is expensive, and many of them seek alternative means to increase their wealth."
Daniel nodded in understanding.
Harry was phrasing things diplomatically, but his point was clear.
Robbery.
Some of these so-called "high-ranking" powerhouses didn't hesitate to plunder others to stay afloat.
Daniel had been so focused on speed and strategy that he'd overlooked this simple, brutal reality of the world.
But Harry quickly shifted back to his more reassuring tone.
"Of course, rest assured," he said, "as long as your trades are conducted within the Multiracial Commerce League, no one will be able to spy on your transactions."
"Our warehouses are protected by formations engraved by demigod-ranked runemasters. Not even other demigods can pierce the security."
Daniel nodded again, unsurprised.
This was Castle Mington, one of the Twin Stars of the Capital, second only to the royal city itself. Naturally, any Multiracial Commerce League branch here would be fortified beyond reason.
"These items," Daniel said, "should be enough to purchase everything on my list, yes?"
"More than enough!" Harry nodded eagerly. "I've already dispatched teams to begin acquiring the materials you requested."
Daniel was pleased. Every minute saved meant faster progress—greater gains.
And as it turned out, Harry had been conservative in his estimates.
It hadn't even been twenty minutes, yet the majority of Daniel's shopping list had already been delivered.
The two most critical ingredients—The Slumber Spider's Web and Dream Fragments—were among the first to arrive.
Now, everything was ready.
Daniel didn't waste any time. He stored the materials into his spatial inventory, then pulled out his [God Rank Skill Compendium] and began the synthesis process.
God Rank Skill – Mist
[Synthesis: Initiated]
"Maximize infusion."
Moments later, a prompt appeared before his eyes.
[God Rank Skill: Mist]
Effect 1 – Fog of Obscurity: Upon activation, a thin, transparent mist forms around you. This mist is invisible to others and renders you undetectable. You will no longer register in the awareness of anyone around you, and all investigative or divinatory techniques will fail to uncover your presence, nature, or intentions.
Effect 2 – Counter-Scan Warning: Any attempt to investigate, scan, or spy on you will trigger a system notification.
Magnificent.
Daniel clenched his fists, eyes gleaming with excitement.
To most people, Mist might seem underwhelming. A stealth skill, with no direct combat utility? Useless, right?
But to him, it was exactly what he needed most right now.
The skill's description was crystal clear: no form of detection, magical or divine, could penetrate it.
Even gods themselves would be blocked from peering into his secrets.
Without hesitation, Daniel activated the skill.
At once, it felt as though the air around him shimmered—an ethereal fog brushing past reality.
But in the next breath, the sensation vanished.
Even Harry, who stood right beside him, showed no sign of noticing anything.
It was truly invisible.
Just then, a series of notification prompts appeared before Daniel's eyes:
[Notice: Jon, Head of Royal Bibliotheca (Demigod Rank), is currently attempting to investigate you. The attempt has been blocked by Mist.]
[Notice: Owen, Headmaster of Royal Academy (Demigod Rank), is currently attempting to investigate you. The attempt has been blocked by Mist.]
Daniel stared at the alerts, stunned.
He never expected so many powerful eyes to already be watching him.
Had he not acquired Mist just in time, the moment he stepped out of the Commerce League, his entire being would've been laid bare.
It would've been game over.
But now?
He was safe.
Relieved, Daniel calmly took out the next batch of loot—a collection of equipment—and offered it for sale.
Even these seemingly average items were worth over one hundred million gold coins collectively.
Harry, as he sorted through the pieces, suddenly froze.
At the bottom of the pile, half-buried under a stack of gauntlets, he spotted an enormous fossil.
His hands trembled slightly as he picked it up.
This was no ordinary relic. Fossils like this typically signaled the remnants of a demigod's bloodline or talent inheritance.
If this were placed at auction, wealthy nobles would fight to the death over it.
Even the royal family wouldn't sit idly by.
And yet… Daniel was selling it.
Voluntarily.
Harry dared not ask why.
What he didn't know was that Daniel already knew exactly what kind of talent was sealed inside the fossil—an SS-tier legacy, nothing more.
Trash.
He'd rather exchange it for coin.
"Your Highness Daniel," Harry said cautiously, "this transaction far exceeds my authorized limits. I will need to escalate it."
Daniel merely nodded.
No protest. No fuss.
Two minutes later, Harry returned, holding a pristine card forged from pure white celestial alloy—a rank badge made only for top-tier League partners.
"Your Highness," Harry said, bowing slightly, "here is our valuation: 2 billion gold coins."
"If this number is unsatisfactory, we can certainly renegotiate—"
Daniel waved his hand.
"No need," he said simply. "I'm not here to haggle over pennies."
He knew his own worth. And he knew the League wasn't foolish enough to try and lowball him.
Long-term cooperation was far more profitable than any single transaction.
Besides, based on his own mental estimates, the total value of his goods hovered around 1.8 to 1.9 billion.
Clearly, the League's offer was more than fair.
After all, he had only brought items he deemed worthless.
His truly precious treasures?
Still safely tucked away.
If he had included those, this metal card wouldn't be holding 2 billion, but hundreds of billions.
"I'm fine with the offer. Just deduct what I owe for the materials."
With that, Daniel turned to leave, uninterested in further discussion.
But before he could exit, Harry called out.
"Your Highness Daniel—wait just a moment, please."
He held out the white card with both hands.
"This card's value lies not only in its gold coin storage."
"It signifies that you are now among the top partners of the Multiracial Commerce League."
"From this day forward, you are entitled to purchase anything at cost price from any of our branches."
Top partner status.
Daniel glanced at the card with a raised brow.
Now that was more valuable than the coins.