After a few successful deals and a few failed transactions, the atmosphere of the gathering settled back into calm. The candlelight flickered gently, and everyone waited patiently for the next person to speak.
Miao Miao sat quietly, observing everything. Just then, a voice spoke up,
"This time, I've only brought a Beyonder weapon."
Miao Miao's gaze immediately went to the speaker.
"These are fifty bullets with various effects. Twenty of them are engraved with the Sun's label and symbols, which together form a complete charm. They can be used to purify ghost-related monsters. Their effect is strongest on spirits and shadows—thus, they are called Purification Bullets."
He paused briefly, then continued,
"The other twenty bullets are made for corrupted creatures, known as Monster-Hunting Bullets. The remaining ten are effective against vicious types of monsters—they're called Ghost Bullets. Their effects can last for eighteen months or longer."
A soft murmur ran through the room.
The man went on,
"The fifty bullets cost 500 pounds. Alternatively, I'm willing to accept a Barbarian potion formula in exchange, along with a revolver of the same caliber."
Miao Miao listened attentively to the details of the bullets. After a moment, a spark of thought appeared behind her eyes.
"Ah… exactly as I expected," she thought to herself.
"I read in a novel that crafting such special bullets requires complex rituals and symbols. They can't be made as easily as ordinary Beyonder weapons. This will definitely be very advantageous for Klein in the future."
She quietly stared at the box placed on the table under the candlelight.
"Fifty bullets… each with a different effect. It must take a lot of time and materials to make a complete set."
"In this age, the revolver is the most practical firearm," she thought to herself.
"Easy to load, easy to carry, and convenient for using Beyonder bullets. That's why many Beyonders prefer it."
Miao Miao slowly scanned the room, observing everyone's reactions.
"Seeing these with my own eyes… it really is a unique feeling," she whispered mentally.
Just then, Klein's voice was heard. Without giving anyone else a chance, he calmly said,
"I already have the Barbarian potion formula."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Miao Miao's lips.
"Just as I expected…" she thought.
At that moment, a rather tall man raised his offer.
"550 pounds."
The room's atmosphere grew slightly tense. Then, a hidden lady's voice was heard, with an unmistakable hint of delight:
"Sir, I'm sorry. I prefer my Barbarian formula."
The tall man raised the price again,
"600 pounds."
But the lady shook her head,
"No, it's not about the money."
She then looked directly at Klein and said,
"Deal! But please send the formula to Old Mister Eye of Wisdom for notarization."
Miao Miao silently observed everything.
"Hmm… very cautious procedures," she thought.
"No one here trusts anyone easily."
From the middle of the gathering, Klein calmly folded the paper and handed it to the attendant.
The attendant took the paper and approached the Eye of Wisdom. The elderly man slowly extended his hand, removed the small diamond-studded ring on his finger, and closed his eyes, concentrating for several seconds. The ring glittered faintly in the candlelight.
Miao Miao noticed that he was actually using a Beyonder's power imitation for notaries, ensuring that the formula was authentic.
After a moment, the elderly man opened his eyes and announced in a rough voice,
"The formula is valid."
Upon hearing this, the lady seemed to exhale in relief. She took a square, palm-sized iron box from her bag.
After the attendant handed her the formula, she quickly opened the paper and began reading, paying close attention as if she wanted to memorize it as fast as possible.
Meanwhile, Klein calmly pulled the iron box toward himself. He opened it and carefully inspected the contents.
After a few moments of silence, Klein spoke again,
"I need powerful purification items, like Sun Sacred Water and Sun Sacred Symbols."
Miao Miao listened attentively. She knew these items were very effective against dark or evil entities.
Klein continued calmly,
"I can buy these with gold, or exchange formulas—like the next sequence of the Barbarian, Bribar."
Several people in the room exchanged glances. Sequence formulas were always valuable.
Klein paused and added,
"Of course, if you have questions about mysticism or the strange world, I can try to answer them. But I cannot guarantee that I will have the answer."
Upon hearing this, the lady—who had just purchased the Barbarian formula a short while ago—couldn't contain herself any longer. She almost spoke in her natural voice,
"I don't have what you need, but I can give you cash… eight hundred pounds!"
A soft murmur swept through the room again.
Klein calmly shook his head and said,
"I'm only accepting exchanges for now."
He then slowly added,
"I will probably return for the next gathering. You can try to find the relevant items before then if you wish."
"Just for now…"—upon hearing this, the lady fell silent for a moment, seemingly calculating in her mind.
After a few seconds, she nodded slowly,"All right."
Miao Miao silently observed the entire conversation.
As the gathering neared its end, Miao Miao composed herself, closed her eyes, and thought—should she now propose the Black Widow Spider Silk Gland, or should she take more time to determine its value?
At that exact moment, the man in the iron mask suddenly pinched his hand and spoke in a deep baritone,
"I need an adult Black Widow Spider Silk Gland."
"For that, I'll need 1,500 pounds," Miao Miao said, intentionally thickening her voice, speaking in a masculine tone, though a faint feminine hint could still be heard.
This strategy of presenting herself as a male in the second transfer worked perfectly. If Miao Miao had spoken in her normal voice, Klein would have easily recognized her.
Directly after her offer, everyone around looked at her strangely. In an instant, the entire attention of the gathering focused completely on her.
Klein listened carefully to the words. Calculations quickly began running through his mind.
"An adult Black Widow Spider Silk Gland… that's the main ingredient for 'Pleasure,' the Sequence 6 of the Demoness pathway," he thought to himself.
He slightly turned his head and glanced around the room, as if casually observing the situation.
"Hmm… interesting," Klein's thoughts deepened.
"Both the buyer and the seller are men."
His analytical mind quickly began arranging the possibilities.
"The buyer probably won't use it himself… rather, he's buying it for someone. Perhaps he's helping a Witch… or maybe he's a subordinate of one."
Then his attention shifted to the seller.
"And the seller… that voice is a little strange. No, he's deliberately speaking in a thick tone, a faint feminine voice occasionally slips out."
A spark of thought flashed behind Klein's eyes.
"Could it be a Witch trying to hide her identity?"
Outwardly, he remained calm, but inwardly he observed the situation with great interest.
The man didn't hesitate for long. After thinking for a moment, he briefly said,
"Deal."
Miao Miao nodded calmly. From the outside she appeared completely steady, but inside she remained cautious. She secretly touched her space ring. The next moment, a small sealed container appeared in her hand—inside it was the silk gland of an adult Black Widow Spider.
She didn't hand it forward directly. Following the rules of the gathering, she passed the container to the attendant while remaining seated.
The attendant quickly took it and walked to the other side.
A few moments later, he returned. This time, he held a thick bundle of paper notes in his hand.
Miao Miao took them and quickly counted them once. Then she casually slipped them into her coat. In reality, however, she secretly stored the notes inside her space ring again.
During this entire time, several people in the room had their eyes fixed on her. In their gazes there was curiosity, calculation—and even a faint hint of greed.
Meanwhile, Klein silently observed the scene.
"As an ancient secret organization, the Demoness Sect shouldn't lack related ingredients," he analyzed in his mind.
"According to their nature, using the Beyonder characteristics left behind by former members to create potions would also be normal…"
His gaze lingered on the buyer for a moment.
"So… has the Witch behind this buyer lost her connection with the organization?" Klein wondered silently.
(Should I continue like this?)