Unholy Player-Chapter 86: Heading to the market

"I’m only a Rank 1 practitioner at the moment. I’m afraid I’d be more of a burden than a help," Adyr said, leaning back comfortably in his chair.

He knew his own limits. Even though he couldn’t measure Malrik’s exact strength, he could sense it. Thanks to his high [Sense] and [Will] stats, he could read subtle cues in movement and presence. Malrik was clearly powerful—stronger than him by a large margin. As an Astra path practitioner, Malrik’s [Physique] stat was likely at least three times greater than the total of Adyr’s combined stats. ƒreewebɳovel.com

This was one of the drawbacks of having multiple stats. While most practitioners focused on one or two stats and specialized, Adyr had four to manage. It made him less of a master in any one area and more of a jack-of-all-trades.

"That may be true for now," Malrik replied, his pale green eyes seeming to see straight through him, "but you’re still young. I can sense the life energy inside you. You’re no older than twenty, yet you’ve already captured Rank 2 Sparks. I’d wager you have at least one level 3 talent registered. That alone makes you a prodigy—even among practitioners."

A practitioner’s power—and their future potential—was often defined by their talents. The more mentally agile and talent-prone someone was, the greater their chance of becoming powerful.

And the fact that Adyr had reached this level of strength at such a young age only proved how many talents he had already learned and registered.

So practitioners and players really are the same. Adyr thought to himself, the idea settling more clearly in his mind.

This was his first real conversation with a native practitioner, and everything Malrik said confirmed it. Terms like "talent register" weren’t just familiar—they were identical to the mechanics he had seen in his own system.

Of course, Adyr avoided asking anything that might make him seem like an alien to this world. If anyone here found out that someone like him had invaded their world, it would only bring trouble. He could appear mysterious, even ignorant, but never like a stranger.

Seeing Adyr deep in thought, Malrik didn’t press him. He knew this wasn’t a decision to be rushed. Instead, he shifted his gaze toward the Aqualith lying quietly nearby and asked, "What do you plan to do with this Spark? If you’d like, I can help you sell it."

Adyr’s interest immediately sparked. He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that would actually be great."

This was one of the main reasons he had wanted to meet a local practitioner and build the right connections.

Malrik stood and walked over to the Spark, studying it with interest. "There’s a market not far from here. Practitioners from all nearby regions and paths visit it regularly. If you sell it there, you can probably get around 100 level 2 energy crystals."

"I thought it would be more," Adyr chuckled. He had assumed the Spark’s ability to greatly boost movement speed would make it highly valuable, especially since he had already collected more than a hundred energy crystals just from killing the minions that came with it.

Malrik gave a slight nod. "Its ability is definitely useful among Ignis path practitioners. But the real problem is keeping it fed."

He gave the Spark one last glance, then turned and walked back to the table, his tone easing as he continued.

"Aqualiths feed on water. But not just any water—flowing water. Gallons of it. To keep one properly, you’d need to build a stream or even a waterfall inside your sanctuary. It’s costly and takes up a lot of space. Most Rank 2 practitioners don’t find it worth the effort."

"I see," Adyr said, nodding to show he understood. This was something he already knew. His other two Sparks also seemed to be growing weaker with each passing day, nearly starving. It only reinforced how important proper feeding was for keeping them alive.

"How far is this market?" Adyr asked. He wanted to find a solution for the Sparks in his possession—preferably before they died. The ones he didn’t need, he planned to sell.

"If we use my Frost Wyvern, it’ll take an hour at most," Malrik said. He raised his hand, and a creature even larger than the Aqualith appeared beside them.

"This is a Rank 2 Spark. Its frost breath ability isn’t particularly useful to me, but I use it as a mount during travel. It’s fast. If you’d like, we can head out right away."

So Sparks can be used in this way, too. Adyr considered the idea with mild satisfaction. Something like this could be useful.

He had wings of his own, but for long distances, they were too exhausting—and not particularly fast.

Adyr thought over the offer and checked his mental clock. He still had a little over six hours before logoff for dinner.

"Alright. Thanks for helping me," he said.

Malrik smiled, then turned to King Vale. "Vale, thanks for the hospitality. I’ll visit the palace when I have the time."

"Of course, Lord Malrik. Our doors are always open to you," Vale replied warmly.

Adyr bid Vesha farewell. He caught the flicker of disappointment on her face when she realized she wouldn’t be joining them, but chose to ignore it and followed Malrik outside.

After finishing his task, Adyr would return to the mansion anyway—there was no safer place to leave his body during logout.

In the mansion’s large garden, Malrik summoned his Spark once again.

Doesn’t seem like summoning and recalling a Spark requires extra energy, Adyr thought. It made sense. Just like energy crystals, a Spark’s body was composed of pure energy. Once subdued and sent to the Sanctuary, summoning them back didn’t appear to consume anything additional.

Adyr examined the Frost Wyvern up close. Its body was about the size of a car, but its wingspan stretched even wider. Pale blue, scale-like skin shimmered faintly under the light. A row of long, sharp spines ran along its spine, jutting outward and continuing down toward its extended tail. A narrow black slit ran vertically through each of its yellow eyes, giving it a sharp, almost reptilian focus. Overall, it resembled the dragons he had read about in books, though in form and movement, it felt closer to a dinosaur.

"Climb on—but be careful. It’s a rougher ride than it looks," Malrik said, landing on the wyvern’s back in a single effortless leap, settling onto its hard, scaly surface.

His physique stat must be ridiculously high, Adyr thought, watching how easily and casually he moved.

Adyr followed, using the strength granted by his own stats—20 in [Physique], 15 in [Will]. While not as flawless, he managed to vault onto the wyvern’s back in one jump, settling cross-legged a bit behind Malrik. He gripped one of the creature’s spines to steady himself.

"Are you ready?" Malrik asked, casting one last glance over his shoulder. When he saw Adyr nod, he added, "Hold tight."

With a single powerful beat of its wings, the wyvern launched into the air. The force ripped grass and flowers from the ground, sending them flying as the creature soared hundreds of meters upward in an instant.

King Vale and the others watched in silence, awed by the creature’s sheer power and beauty. The only thought running through Vesha’s mind, however, was the ruined garden.