“They do look pretty feminine to me,” Menchi interjects with a smirk. “Not something I’d wear myself, but hey, I’m not against you trying to look a bit cuter. If she really wants them, why not give them to her? Your taste in jewelry is more feminine than mine! I’ll even buy you a new matching pair if you want to keep playing dress-up, darling.”
“I’m not giving them away!” Alex says firmly, glaring at Menchi. Internally, though, his thoughts are racing. What is this weird situation? This is the first time an NPC has requested an item. Should I consider giving it away? Maybe I’ll get something equally valuable—or even better—in return?
But then he reminds himself of the earring’s perks: HP regeneration, poison affinity for my attacks, resistance to poison, and the poison detection function. Nope, there's no way I’m giving that up.
Still, curiosity gets the better of him. “Just for the sake of discussion… What are you offering?”
“How about 100,000 Jenny?” Darius offers.
“Idiot! It’s easily worth a billion Jenny, probably way more! You’re wasting my time!” Alex complains, annoyed.
“Sigh. Sorry, I don’t know much about these feminine things. I didn’t think you were such an expert in this field,” Darius says with an apologetic tone, though his words carry an unintended jab.
“Now you’re just pissing me off on purpose, huh?” Alex growls, while Menchi bursts out laughing, clearly enjoying the situation.
Darius, looking genuinely confused, replies, “I’m not trying to upset you. But how about this instead: a bet? If I win our fight, you give me the earrings. If you win, I’ll give you something in return.”
“That doesn’t sound fair, considering you just tried to lowball me with a pathetic 100,000 Jenny offer. Do you even understand their value? You lack common sense!” Alex questions, raising an eyebrow.
“I’ve been told I lack common sense a couple of times,” Darius admits sheepishly. “But let me ask you this: do you know about my hammer?”
“It’s a friggin’ hammer. What’s there to know? Don’t tell me it’s got some sacred backstory or cultural significance or something,” Alex says, unimpressed.
“As a matter of fact, it does.” Darius nods. “I’m originally from a tribe of mountain warriors. We moved to the city centuries ago, but some traditions never change. Whenever we lose a battle, we surrender our weapon and start anew with a different one. I haven’t lost a single fight since becoming a Floor Master.”
“So, I’m betting my hammer. If you manage to defeat me, it’s yours. I won’t need it anymore if I lose. And, honestly, winning your earrings for my daughter will give me extra motivation.”
Darius lifts the massive hammer and hands it to Alex.
Alex hesitates but grabs it anyway, his curiosity piqued. “I’m not interested. I don’t need a hammer,” he says dismissively. Still, he instinctively checks its stats, and his eyes widen in shock.
For the first time ever, Alex sees a Deep Purple-ranked weapon!
[Shockwave Hammer]
World: Hunter x Hunter
Quality: Deep Purple
Type: Hammer (Warhammer)
Required Stats: STR - 20, PHY - 16
Durability: 198/200
Damage: 30-120
Effect 1: Inner shock - Increases the chance of damaging the opponent's defenses and organs when landing a hit.
Effect 2: Impact - Increases impact damage and knockback if the attack is blocked.
Effect 3: Shockwave - 25% chance to create a shockwave on impact, knocking back opponents and dealing 25 damage in a 5 meter radius.
Holy shit, this thing is insane! Alex thinks, his eyes scanning the stats. 200 durability? Up to 120 damage? And the effects—Inner Shock, Impact, and Shockwave? These will make every hit devastating! I definitely need to avoid getting hit by this monster weapon.
He recalls how the system enhances certain items, turning them into treasures. This is just like [Mr. 5’s .44 Caliber 6-Shot Revolver]
, where the system took part of his natural abilities and embedded them into the weapon. If Darius drops this in a chest after I beat him… assuming I’m lucky… this hammer could easily be worth over 100,000 FC. Maybe even more. Damn, this is so tempting![Secret Quest Offered:
Mission: Beat Darius in a fight and become a floor master
Reward: ???, [Shockwave Hammer]
Penalty:[Sacred Emerald Copper Earring]]
Menchi, watching Alex’s conflicted expression, smirks and says, “Even if you lose, I’ll just buy you a new earring. Or, you know, I can lend you some of my clothes—if you’re into this kind of stuff!”
“The fuck? No, I’m not!” Alex snaps, but he can’t shake his thoughts. What should I do?
Menchi grins mischievously. “I’m not so sure about that. We can try it out later… but seriously,” she adds, her tone softening, “how about this? If you become a Floor Master, nobody will be able to dispute that you’re a talented Nen user and a strong Hunter overall. And…” she hesitates, her face turning slightly red, “I’ll give you a very special graduation gift if you pull it off.
“Don’t back off from this challenge, Alex. This was your goal in the first place, so don’t even think about losing now!” Menchi finishes, looking both embarrassed and completely serious.
Alex exhales and smiles faintly. “Thanks, Menchi… for that last part, at least! I guess it’d be pathetic to think about losing now. Fine, Darius. I accept your challenge—on one condition.”
“What’s that?” Darius asks, raising an eyebrow.
Alex glares at him. “If you lose, you stop spoiling your brat of a daughter. Calling me a sissy? Insulting my armor? That annoying, spoiled girl? How about you stop being a sissy yourself, Darius, and teach her some responsibility! Let’s schedule the fight within two weeks—I’ll need to leave by then.”
[Secret Quest Accepted:
Mission: Beat Darius in a fight and become a floor master
Reward: ???, [Shockwave Hammer]
Penalty:[Sacred Emerald Copper Earring]]
“I still don’t get why you’re so attached to that earring,” Darius says, shaking his head, “but you’re not too different from my daughter in that regard. I don’t understand either of your tastes, but at least you’re manning up for this challenge.”
Darius stands and grips his hammer tightly. “The game is on. I’ll talk to the staff and make sure the fight is scheduled within two weeks. I’ll see you in the ring, Alex.”