Chapter 161 (1/2)

Chapter 161: Monetary Incentive (Part 4)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Fire Star Thorium

Quality: EpicMetal Summary: Fire Star Thorium is the perfect alloy consisting of thorium

and fire elements which act as a superconductor for Mana. It has a very stable structure that makes it ideal as a component for eternal magic seals. It is especially effective for fire element spells!

(Note: It can only be found in Tybo Volcano at the Yabba Mountain Range.)

Not only was there no other place in the world to get Fire Star Thorium, it was also a type of metal that could not be created artificially. It was precisely for this reason that the metal was inconceivably expensive. In the world of humans, only most of the users of the metal were high-level Magicians, and it was rarely available in the mass market.

The metal was priced at 2840 gold coins per ounce in the Magician’s District in Springs City, and it was one of the very few precious metals that was worth more than a thousand gold coins per ounce. Almost no one else other than the high-level Magicians could afford or had any use for such a ridiculously priced item.

What reason would Elin have for bringing out a lump of Fire Star Thorium that was as big as a baby’s fist? Thorium was an extremely dense metal, only a cubic foot of the metal would weigh close to a ton, so that lump of Fire Star Thorium Elin had there must weigh more than two pounds!

At that moment even the ever calm Link was flabbergasted. This lump of Fire Star Thorium must cost at least around a hundred thousand gold coins! Even the annual income of the royal Abel family was only 130,000 gold coins! It was just a gift that was too precious and too expensive for Link to accept in good conscience.

“No, I can’t accept this,” Link said.

This wasn’t just about the gift being too precious. There was no free lunch in the world, so he knew that he would be under some kind of obligation if he received this gift. Although Link wanted the Fire Star Thorium more than anything, he was afraid that he might have to spend all his life to pay for this debt of gratitude.

Nothing could prepare him for the way Elin reacted to his refusal, though.

Elin had been smiling and laughing just moments ago, yet the second she heard Link, her expression changed. She silently put the Fire Star Thorium back in her pouch, then tugged at Link’s sleeve and looked up at him with those pair of eyes that were brimming with tears.

“Why don’t you want my gifts?” she said with a pout. “You despise me, don’t you?”

“…” Link just couldn’t wrap his head around this little dwarf’s moods. One minute she was happy and joking around, and next minute she was crying and throwing tantrums. How would he deal with this girl?

“That’s not… I didn’t mean it that way…” Link tried to explain.

“Yes you did!” Elin then exploded into a loud wail. “Aaahhh…I know you despise me! You must think that I’m too short and I’m too small and that’s why you don’t like me!” Elin’s voice was very loud now, and she’d attracted the wrong attention from everyone around and causing them to misunderstand the situation.

Several Magicians who just happened to pass by had heard Elin’s words and they suddenly gave Link and Elin a peculiar kind of gaze that showed their confusion of the kind of drama going on between the two.

Can humans and dwarves have that kind of relationship? Some people thought. But the size is just wrong…

Isn’t that the famous Link who’s in the limelight recently? How did he attract a dwarf girl?

Morality is dead! That was the idea that came into the head of an old-fashioned gentleman Magician passing by.

Although none of these Magicians had voiced their thoughts, their gazes were enough to express what they were thinking in their heads. Link never thought that he would be caught in such an embarrassing situation, even less so with a powerful Level-6 Master Magician – all because he’d refused her gift!

For a time, Link was so confused that he could neither stand still nor walk away. Once Elin saw how her actions had produced an effect on Link, she smiled mischievously and stopped her crying for a while.

“So, are you going to accept it now?” she said as she leaned forward. “If you still refuse then I’ll keep on making so much noise you’ll be the talk of the town tomorrow.”

“…give it here then,” said Link as he massaged his temple with his fingers. He was considerably shocked at how adept Elin was at getting her way.

Link’s words had just left his lips when he felt something warm touching his hand. He turned to look at it and realized that Elin had slid the lump of priceless Fire Star Thorium into his palm.

The Fire Star Thorium was naturally warm, yet now Link somehow felt as if it was a lump of hot coal and he just wanted to throw it away as far as he could. But then he turned around and saw Elin’s doe-eyed face. Even though he knew that she had faked her crying, he still couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She had looked genuinely miserable with the tears streaming from those innocent blue eyes, not to mention how childlike she looked when she sniffled with her pert, little nose. She looked nothing like someone who’d just put an act on.

This sight had reminded Link of the tragic history of the Yabba race in the game. He then thought of the fate of this young dwarf who was also the mighty and wise Lady Fortuna, and he could instantly understand the despair she must be keeping hidden behind her tantrums and jibes.

This little girl is a prophet, so she must’ve seen a vision of the future, Link thought. She must’ve seen the unspeakable suffering she must go through, not to mention the catastrophe that would befall her people. What she is doing now is probably her way to find a reliable ally for the Yabba race… But why did she choose me?

The moment this question occurred in his mind Link was reminded of Elin’s strange reactions when she picked out the Tarot cards earlier.

I got it now, that prophecy earlier must’ve proven that I really am the God of Light’s Chosen One. Elin had to conceal the details of the prophecy because she feared the knowledge would disrupt the path of destiny that dictates the events of the future.

When he thought of it this way, all of Elin’s actions before this now seemed logical.

She indicated that she would help me set up a team immediately and created an opportunity for us to be alone to give me this invaluable Fire Star Thorium. Even though she verbally denied my identity as the Chosen One, her actions were more than enough proof that she supports me.

Link sighed as he realized Elin’s true motives. He was reminded of that fire in his soul he felt when he received Lady Fortuna’s blessings from her soul in the game when he completed the last task that she set out for the player.

I must defeat the Lord of the Deep, Nozama!

That was what he thought then. With that strong conviction, he marched forward in the game and eventually led his comrades to successfully defeat Nozama before he descended upon the Realm of Light.

Now that he really was in this world, Link wondered if he would shirk away from such a terrifying mission? No, he would not. It was too late for that now.

That being the case, what reason would he have to refuse the Yabba people’s offer of alliance? Hadn’t his principle in doing things always been to gather as many available helpful forces as possible anyway?

With this thought in mind, Link became calm and the fog in his mind completely cleared away.

He then placed the warm lump of Fire Star Thorium inside his storage pendant. His mood was now back to normal. He even managed to smile a little as he patted Elin’s head gently.