Chapter 78: Windfall
Wade rolled up his sleeves and began unloading everything from his inventory, one shimmering pulse of light at a time.
Coins, stones, daggers, and gears materialized across the tabletop until it was so cluttered that there was barely room to rest his elbows.
"Alright," he murmured, surveying the mess with a half-smile. "Let’s see what we’ve got."
He started with the obvious, the coins.
He stacked the small metal chests neatly, pried them open, and began counting.
The satisfying sound of gold coins clinking filled the room.
His hands moved methodically, tallying each pile before transferring the total to the mental ledger in his head.
When he was done, he leaned back, letting out a soft whistle.
"Thirty-five thousand coins," he muttered, impressed despite himself.
He smiled faintly. That was more than enough to cover his weekly payment to Viscount Fairchild, with ten thousand to spare.
That gave him breathing room. A little cushion between survival and ruin.
He separated the boxes, pushing the payment amount to one side of the table, setting the rest aside for later.
"Alright," he said to himself, rubbing his hands. "Next."
He turned to the glittering cluster of skill stones, each one glowing faintly with inner light. He ran his fingers across them, feeling the hum of mana beneath the surface.
The first batch was the Stone Skin skill stones he’d collected during his run.
There were four of them in total, each one swirling faintly with a grayish shimmer, as though containing powdered rock.
He picked one up, rolling it between his fingers. The texture was strange. It was cool, smooth, but almost alive, like something watching him from inside the crystal.
"Let’s start with you," he said softly.
He crushed the stone in his hand.
It broke apart with a soft crack, releasing a faint flash of light that flowed up his arm and sank into his chest.
The familiar warmth spread through him as the system registered the new addition.
[New Skill Acquired: Stone Skin!]
A grin spread across his face. "Perfect."
It wasn’t flashy, but it was solid, literally and figuratively.
Stone Skin would give him a buffer during close combat, and paired with the Dragon Plate and Steel Skin skill he already had, he’d be nearly impervious to blunt force for short bursts.
He glanced at the remaining three stones, their gray light flickering across the table.
Selling them would hurt a little, he was starting to like the idea of a full rock-solid theme, but he needed the money more.
He stacked them neatly in a corner. "Three for sale," he said aloud, as if confirming it to himself.
Each Stone Skin stone could easily fetch 30,000 coins on the market, if not more, especially since it was a mid-tier defensive skill.
That was 90,000 coins right there.
He leaned back, tapping the table with a grin. "We’re already talking real profit now."
Next were the Bone Wings skill stones.
Two of them sat nestled in the pile. They looked almost elegant, like something sacred.
He turned one over in his palm, studying it. The faint outline of skeletal wings shimmered within the crystal’s depths, eerie and beautiful at once.
"Flight," he murmured.
Mobility in three dimensions was something most monsters couldn’t counter easily. It’ll also give him unparalleled mobility in the battlefield.
He didn’t have the necessary stats to use it, but that could be easily solved.
Since he was now level 7, he could spend 80 stat points, 20 for each level up.
Added to the 20 stat points he’d assigned in the dungeon, it wouldn’t be hard to raise his stats to the requirements.
He grinned. "Guess it’s time to invest."
Then, he pressed the Bone Wings skill stone to his chest.
It broke like glass. Light enveloped him, washing through his body.
For a moment, he felt weightless. A strange sensation like the air itself had become part of him.
Then the light faded.
[New Skill Acquired: Bone Wings!]
He glanced at the second Bone Wings stone, still gleaming faintly on the table.
He picked it up, twirling it between his fingers. "You’re going up for sale."
This one would be valuable, possibly worth as much as 50,000 coins or more to the right buyer.
Most adventurers dreamed of mobility-based skills, and those who could afford one would pay a premium for it.
Since it was also a unique skill, there was a possibility that he could drive the price up to 80,000 coins, but that would be getting ahead of himself.
He set it aside next to the others.
Then, his gaze shifted to the pair of Venom Fang Daggers.
Two short blades, their curved fangs glinting with faint green light, rested on the edge of the table. Even sheathed, they exuded danger.
Wade drew one partially out, the metal shimmered faintly with poison.
"Pretty," he admitted. "But not for me."
He’d been tempted initially. They were deadly and lightweight, perfect for assassins or agile fighters.
But Wade was more comfortable with a sword. He needed reach, control, and leverage, not two short weapons meant for close-in slashing.
He slid the blade back into its sheath.
"They’ll fetch a good price, though."
Based on the gears he’d bought, they should be worth roughly 30,000 coins each, maybe more.
Poison weapons were always in demand. That was another 60,000 coins easy.
Wade sat back, surveying the organized chaos across the table.
35,000 coins in cash.
90,000 coins from Stone Skin stones.
50,000 from the Bone Wings stone.
60,000 from the Venom Fang Daggers.
In total, roughly 235,000 coins in potential profit, not counting his personal upgrades.
He leaned back in his chair, smiling wide. "That’s more than a profit. That’s a windfall."
He took a moment to savor it all.
All the pain.
All the close calls.
The nights of planning, the careful negotiations, the exhaustion, the constant paranoia about debt and death.
It was all starting to pay off.
He’d cleared one dungeon, alone, and was walking away not only alive, but richer, stronger, and more experienced than he’d been when he’d gone in.
He chuckled softly, tapping his fingers on the table. "Guess I’m not doing too bad for a guy in debt to a Viscount."
And with that, he moved on to the remaining loot.