Endless Evolution: Last Star

Chapter 1398: Tarnished Coins

When Adam was at the Forgotten Mills, after talking to Gareyna, he knew immediately who his opponent would be — Ureyn. Then, everything happened exactly as it should have: he fought Ureyn, took his energy, and fulfilled one of the conditions for the Second Grand Star.

But… with the Hybrids, the situation was not so simple. Nothing was ever simple with them.

“Fight Club…?” Adam was puzzled. “Are you saying that I can go to some arena at Izardo, face a Hybrid there, and immediately get the Dark Heart?”

The plan sounded simple and effective. Adam couldn’t help but like it as his eyes lit up with a bright flame.

“Alright, let’s do it right now!” He jumped up from the couch.

“Hold on.” Helasa stopped him. “I suggested going to the fight club to fight, but I didn’t say that you could get the Dark Heart there.”

“What? Then why the hell should I go there?” Adam spread his arms wide and fell back onto the seat.

Helasa grinned and glanced at Reyla, a silent gesture.

“Yes!” Reyla exclaimed. “At Izardo, fighting clubs are quite popular. They are arenas where anyone can fight, and spectators watch the fight and place bets. Many people come to fighting clubs both to train and test their strength and to gain fame, make connections, and attract the attention of the right people.”

Helasa nodded deeply, confirming Reyla’s words.

“Also, it’s a great way to make money. You don’t have any money, and you probably ordered something at the bar, right?”

After a short pause, Adam glanced at Reyla. “Yeah, coffee with milk and honey. It’s true, I don’t really have anything to pay with, and I doubt that Citadel money is worth anything here.”

“Hahaha.” Helasa laughed at his assumption. “Of course not. That’s your currency that only works in the Citadel and Bastions. Here, at Izardo, or rather in all of the Tarnished Lands, there’s only one currency that has value.”

Helasa walked over to a drawer, took something out, and returned to the table. She tossed something to Adam as he caught it.

“Hmm?” Adam raised an eyebrow as he looked at the gray coin with frayed edges and a single red vertical line in the center. “What is this? Is this the currency of Izardo?”

“Almost. It’s the Tarnished Coin. These coins are accepted everywhere, in every city of the Tarnished Lands. Sure, there are merchants and deals where other things are used as currency, like energy crystals or artifacts, but those are rare.”

“And? What can you buy with one of these coins?” Adam asked, examining the unusual coin that looked both new and old at the same time.

Helasa. “Not much. One Tarnished Coin might buy you some candy or a simple bun, but nothing special. For your information, the coffee you ordered costs 5 coins.”

“What? That’s a lot!” Adam frowned.

“Ha! You haven’t seen the prices in other places!” Helasa mocked him.

She was about to say something, but Adam interrupted her, pointing to the tarnished coin.

“Wait. Let’s say some monster wants to buy something expensive. For example, some artifact, or equipment, or even just a very large steak or wine. It will cost hundreds or thousands of coins. How can they carry them all with them?”

In response, Helasa pointed to the red line on the coin.

“See this line? We call it a scar. A coin with two scars is worth ten coins with one scar, and so on. So, if you have enough money, you don’t need to carry a bag full of coins with you, a pouch or even a small guest will suffice.

“What about more expensive purchases like buildings and land? Well, at Izardo there are banks as well. Maybe we don’t have such advanced technology as in the Citadel, but we understand how the economy works, what loans, checks, interest, and so on are. So, such purchases are made through banks.”

Reyla puffed out her cheeks in displeasure. “Tsk. Those banks charge too much interest! As an ordinary worker, you’ll never be able to buy yourself a mansion or a castle! I want a castle!”

Helasa and Adam exchanged glances as they both understood that Reyla’s desire was unrealistic.

“Well…” Helasa coughed. “Izardo is a city that is constantly changing, but I can’t say that it is actively growing. Almost all of the housing was sold several hundred years ago, so yeah… If you want to buy yourself even a modest house, Reyla, you should think about how to become stronger and earn more money.”

“Pfffft!” Reyla snorted as she flexed her biceps. “I’m strong enough! If I want to, after a few workouts, I’ll be as strong as a Lord!”

Unlike the Citadel, where almost any building could be bought if a person had enough money, Izardo operated under slightly different rules.

A monster had to possess not only wealth but also sufficient strength. Thus, even if an Elder had a lot of money, he could not buy himself a mansion where the Lords lived because he was not strong enough to hold that land.

Obviously, the same rules applied at the Raven Beak, which showed that the owner of this tavern had a fairly high level of power in addition to her wealth.

“Hmm. So, I can earn money in the fight club, but what about my goal? If I can’t meet the Hybrids there, then it will just be a waste of time for me, won’t it?” ” Adam asked.

Helasa shook her head.

“I only said that you won’t be able to get the Dark Heart there, but what do you think will happen when Izardo finds out that a Phantom is fighting in one of the arenas? It will attract a lot of attention, and when they find out that it’s Adam Vinter, everyone will want to see you in action.”

With a sly gleam in her eye, she continued:

“What’s more, if you know anything about Hybrids, you should know that they just love to fight. That way, you’ll earn money and attract the attention of the Hybrids. Then, you’ll challenge them to fight you, and someone is bound to accept.”

Helasa grinned and raised her glass.

“What do you think? I think it’s a great plan.”

Adam thought for a moment, then smiled.

“Yeah. That way, I can accomplish several things at once. Great, I’m in!”