But when Tarkan read what was written on there, he was very shocked.
Because on it were the prices one had to pay for the duration they wanted to stay in the city.
Even though Tarkan had money, he was still shocked by the exaggerated prices written on the wall.
3000 gold coins for 1 week
60,000 gold coins for 1 month / 1 feral core
700,000 gold...
Wasn't this price too exaggerated just for a gate fee? Tarkan was truly shocked.
Tarkan turned toward Rose and told her to ask the pig how he was going to make the payment. She did as Tarkan said and asked the ogre, whose hand was mid-pointing to the machine that Tarkan could use to pay. But the ogre suddenly stopped and looked at Rose with surprise. Realizing that she was a human, it became shocked and started making weird noises, which soon became clear to Tarkan.
He immediately felt lightheaded.
[Eyes of Comprehension has succeeded.]
[Congratulations on obtaining Talent: Lingua Translation (C-Rank)]
[Description: Allows the user to understand and speak all common languages at a basic level. Translation is not always perfect, especially with rare or ancient dialects, but it's enough to hold everyday conversations and read simple texts. Complex writing or fast speech may cause confusion.]
Tarkan obviously knew how to make the payment but wanted Rose to activate her talent so he could comprehend it. It only took a minute or two before he was able to comprehend it without the use of his timer, which had immediately drained him. He could feel C-rank was the limit he could comprehend at the moment, and if he didn't have the timer, he was sure he wouldn't be able to use the talent for close to a week because of how taxing it was.
Rose, none the wiser, kept talking to the ogre, who was visibly in a good mood.
Tarkan activated the talent to hear what was taking her so long to translate back.
"Trust me, the Lord of the city will be willing to reward you handsomely if you work for him," the ogre said.
"Ok, I will think about it," Rose replied.
"Please do. And you don't have to worry about the pass fee. Take this card to any inn in the city, you wouldn't need to pay a dime for anything. Just enjoy and see the city. We will get back to you in three days for your feedback," the ogre said.
"Ok," Rose said, not declining the golden card with some kind of inscription.
"Can I use this card with him?" Rose suddenly asked.
The ogre shook his head to say no. "The card is only meant for you. He would still have to pay for the gate fee," the ogre replied, before returning to its work.
Tarkan deactivated the talent, greatly satisfied with the talent.
Rose finally turned to Tarkan and said, "The ogre said you can scan with your bracelet on that machine to pay."
Tarkan, not the least bothered, went and paid for a week's stay in the city.
"A... and he..." Rose was finding it difficult to say something to Tarkan, but Tarkan cut her off.
"I think you should accept the ogre's offer."
Rose, who was cut off mid-talk, had a shocked expression on her face and thought, How did he know? Can he understand the ogre?
Tarkan, seeing her expression, couldn't help shaking his head.
"Why are you so surprised? Just by judging from the ogre's expression, and its facial movement and the card he gave to you, anyone can guess what he's offering, he's offering you a job right. With your talent, they could complete a lot of business."
"And as I said before, I'm not looking for a follower. And even if I was, no matter how bitter it may sound to you, you would not be qualified to be with me. Because you are too weak, and you would only be a burden to me."
Rose nodded her head in understanding, not the least bit sad, because she knew Tarkan was saying the truth.
She evolved to the Second Dimension with only her feral points maxed out. Plus, her talent wasn't built for battle.
And the reason she risked her life and came into the Second Dimension was because she needed money for treatment for her mom. No one was willing to put her in a hunting group because of how weak she was, and how insignificant her talent was in real battle.
She had painstakingly maxed out her feral points, and with nobody willing to party and put her in a group in the First Dimension, she was unable to hunt or kill an awakened-tier creature.
In desperation, trying to find money for her mom's treatment, she underwent evolution and ascended to the Second Dimension. Because of her rash decision, even though she couldn't remember what had happened to her to get her to the pig-human village, she knew she was supposed to be dead.
She clearly remembered the face of one of the roasted human heads displayed by the pigs, there was despair, agony, and pain on his face before he died, which chilled her.
She knew if not for Tarkan, she would probably be dead by now.
"Ok," she meekly said. "Can we at least add each other?" Rose added, finally giving up on wanting to be Tarkan's follower.
"Sure," Tarkan said, seeing nothing wrong with it, and added her to his contact.
"If you need anything, as long as I can help, do not hesitate to ask me," Rose said meekly, holding the edge of her clothes with nervousness.
"Will sure do." Tarkan didn't laugh at her, but he didn't take her words seriously either.
He waved his hand and departed into the city.
Tarkan didn't bother admiring the city. He asked some people for directions to a trade hall, which he immediately found.
Going into the building, Tarkan found the receptionist and told him he wanted to sell a creature corpse.
But instead of answering, the ogre pointed at something on the table for Tarkan.
Tarkan glanced at it and saw different weird letters on the desk, and surprisingly, just like the wall from earlier, he understood them.
Written on it were simple words like:
Corpse
Core
Potion
Weapon
…and so on.
Judging by how it was written, he guessed if he wanted to sell something, he just had to point to it.
But Tarkan completely ignored it and activated the talent he had comprehended from Rose.
"I want to sell a corpse," Tarkan said again.
The ogre was instantly shocked that Tarkan could speak its language and tried to poach him, offering a card. But Tarkan declined it.
After several tries and seeing Tarkan decline so decisively, it finally gave up.
"You can submit the corpse," the ogre said.
But Tarkan asked if they could complete the transaction in a private area.
The ogre glanced at Tarkan from head to toe. Even though Tarkan's clothes looked like rags, it knew this was normal for Ascenders after hunting. The ogre had seen a lot of Tarkan's race, and knew Tarkan looked too young, even though he wore a mask.
Still hoping to win him over, the ogre finally nodded and motioned for Tarkan to follow.
...
..
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