Victor did a rough calculation in his mind, and the result made him pause for a moment. In just one hour, he had earned around thirty thousand dollars.
No wonder the hunters in this world were all wealthy. The profession was dangerous, but the rewards were beyond anything an ordinary person could imagine.
He went to the federation trading zone and sold thirty cores for nine thousand dollars without much difficulty. The transaction was smooth, almost routine, which further confirmed how valuable dungeon resources were in this society.
After that, he returned to the shop. He wanted to give a surprise to Rudi.
However, as he approached the entrance, he heard raised voices coming from inside. The tone was aggressive, filled with impatience and thinly veiled hostility.
"What do you mean you won't buy the materials? Are you taking us for fools?"
"Sir, please try to understand," Rudi replied, clearly struggling to maintain composure. "Our shop is new. We cannot afford the price you are asking for. If we buy at that price, we will not be able to make any profit."
Victor stepped inside and quickly assessed the situation. Five strong-looking men and women stood in front of the counter. Their posture, expressions, and tone made it obvious that they were not here for a fair trade. They were trying to pressure Rudi.
"What is going on?" Victor asked calmly.
The moment Rudi saw him, relief washed over his face. It was as if a man dying of thirst had suddenly found water in the middle of a desert.
"These gentlemen want to sell their items, but they are asking for a price higher than the normal market value," Rudi said, his voice carrying a trace of frustration.
"What is with that tone?" one of the men snapped. "You two pieces of trash from the Walker family. Do not think we do not know who you are. One is simply trash, and the other is even worse. Give us the money, or we will destroy this puny shop of yours."
Victor let out a quiet sigh.
So that was the situation. They were not here to negotiate. They were here to extort money. They had probably assumed that even though Victor and Rudi had been thrown out, they were still connected to the strongest family in the city and must have access to funds.
Victor smiled faintly.
He had just killed hundreds of goblins not long ago. Compared to that, these F-rank troublemakers were nothing more than cannon fodder.
"Guess what," Victor said as he took a step forward.
"What? You want to fight, trash?" the burly man sneered. "Do not blame us for being cruel then."
Victor raised one finger. A fireball appeared at the tip of it, burning steadily without any chant or incantation.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
"What? How is this possible?" the mage standing behind the burly man said, clearly shaken. "You awakened only a month ago. It is impossible for you to conjure a spell without chanting, even if you have comprehended it."
Victor's expression remained calm.
"I can do more than conjure a spell," he said lightly. "I am giving you a chance. Leave immediately, or I cannot guarantee what will happen next."
Rudi was equally shocked.
When did he comprehend his spell? Why did he not tell me?
Questions flooded his mind, but he did not voice them. The situation in front of him was far too tense.
"Punk, do not overestimate yourself," the leader said coldly. "Even if you are a genius, so what? You are still a thrown-out bastard. Even if we kill you here, nothing will happen to us."
Victor understood something clearly at that moment.
If he fought inside the shop, the damage would cost him money. And right now, every resource mattered.
So instead of using magic, he suddenly moved.
His speed was so fast that the burly man could not react in time. Victor's hand struck his cheek with a loud, sharp sound that echoed through the shop.
The man staggered, his mind blank, unable to process what had just happened.
Before the others could respond, Victor followed up immediately. Using the combat techniques he had mastered, he pummeled the remaining four with precise and efficient strikes. Each movement was controlled, direct, and devastating.
Then, without waiting for their reaction, he turned and ran out of the shop.
His intention was clear. He wanted to provoke them and lure them outside.
And it worked perfectly.
As soon as they regained their senses, rage consumed them.
"I will kill you, you son of a bitch!"
They rushed out after him, their anger clouding their judgment.
The moment they stepped outside, they made a fatal mistake.
Victor stopped, turned around, and without hesitation threw a fireball directly at the group.
Boom.
The explosion was loud and forceful.
The apprentice-rank mage among them tried to erect a barrier, but it was far too weak. It shattered instantly under the impact.
Victor's combat prowess had already surpassed that of ordinary apprentice-level warriors and mages.
"Ah…"
The fireball struck them directly. One by one, they collapsed, losing consciousness almost instantly.
Victor walked toward them, his expression unchanged. He raised his hand and used his healing water spell, ensuring that none of them would die from the injuries.
He had no intention of killing them. At least not now.
At that moment, Rudi came out of the shop, still trying to understand what had just happened.
"Hahahah. Brother, please send these punks away from my shop," Victor said casually before turning back inside.
Rudi stood there, completely confused.
What just happened? How did they lose consciousness so quickly?
He shook his head and quickly called an ambulance. After making sure the unconscious group was taken away, he returned to the shop.
Inside, Victor was already sitting on the main chair, looking completely relaxed.
Rudi opened his mouth to ask something, but before he could speak, Victor placed his hunter card, a bag full of cores, and a sword on the table.
Rudi's words got stuck in his throat.
"What have you been doing?" he finally managed to ask after calming himself.
"Well, this is the haul from my first dungeon run," Victor said. "I will be going again soon. You should focus on finding ways to increase sales. There will be no shortage of materials. Your responsibility is to handle the business side."
He paused briefly before continuing in a colder tone.
"And let me tell you something. Buy another shop under my name, one that the family will have no control over."
He already knew what would happen once news of his success spread. The family would come, and they would demand a share. He had no intention of allowing that.
Rudi nodded repeatedly, like a chicken pecking at grains. He did not argue. He did not question. He simply accepted.
Victor then went to his room.
He wanted to try the new spell he had obtained.
More importantly, he needed to plan his next moves carefully.
After entering the room, he closed the door and took out the spell book. He read through its properties and method of usage with focused attention.
[Ding! Unparalleled Comprehension is activated. You have comprehended the spell, Body Strengthening Spell.]
Victor closed his eyes.
The usage of the spell was straightforward. One needed to channel mana through specific routes described in the book. Once the mana circulated throughout the entire body, one complete cycle would be achieved.
By repeating this process one thousand times, the user's physique would increase by ten points. After that, the spell would no longer provide further benefits.
For those with higher mana reserves, such as novice mages, completing these cycles would be relatively easy. However, for apprentices, even completing a single cycle could be extremely difficult due to their limited mana flow.
"Limited mana? Never heard of that," Victor thought with a faint smirk.
He closed his eyes again.
He intended to complete all one thousand cycles in one continuous effort.
"Ahh…"
The moment he began channeling mana along the prescribed route, an intense pain spread throughout his body. It felt as though his muscles were being torn apart from within.
He gritted his teeth and forced himself to complete the first cycle. The pain was sharp and relentless, like someone pulling his hair with extreme force.
Without hesitation, he cast the healing water spell on himself to reduce the damage.
Then he continued.
After each cycle, he healed himself and pushed forward again.
The process was slow, painful, and exhausting.
But he did not stop.
The next day.
Victor slowly opened his eyes and stood up.
[Physique: 20]