NPC into Player: Let's Wreck This Game

"Compared to the value and rarity of my products this price seems reasonable."

Bloom wasn't fazed by the shout of the mayor who glanced at him in vigilance like eyeing a deadly enemy.

"I can't accept this price," the mayor said, "even ten thousand gold coins are considered too much for such an ancient piece of rock and dirt."

"Then leave," Bloom returned to eat his meal as if the mayor wasn't sitting opposite to him, "I can't lower my price to this low level. My goods are all high quality and extremely rare."

"Scales in themselves are useless," the mayor said as he added, "but if you added some bones then I wouldn't reject this price."

Bloom realized the real reason this antique addicted mayor came to see him. He had all of the dragon skeleton, or at least most of it.

"Bones are even rarer," he didn't hurry to show off his goods.

"Don't tell me you got scales without getting the skeleton," the mayor's eyes shone brighter, "having a dragon skeleton inside my town would make it look more beautiful."

"And more secure," Bloom took another bite of the meat while getting through the real benefits of having a dragon skeleton in any town, "and it will make the tickets to here skyrocket even more."

The mayor glanced in suspicion towards him. "It reached my ears some weird news," he said and Bloom didn't even stop eating or give any heed to his saying, "a town, a weak and forsaken town in some nameless kingdom managed to get their hands over a dragon skull and horn. Do you know anything about it?"

Bloom realized the news of the Swor city new acquisition spread faster than he even imagined. "What about it?" Bloom shrugged, "I can't see any relevance to our deal here."

"C'mon, a town had a dragon skull and all of sudden a player showed up in front of me trying to sell me dragon scales at the same time… the two are related!"

"I'm not talking about that town," Bloom continued to eat while adding, "I'm talking about its relevance to our little deal here."

"Well…" the mayor paused, "I don't want to get into trouble with that town's mayor. He might tarnish my reputation saying I stole these from him!"

"It's a she," Bloom said.

"Sorry, didn't get what you mean," the mayor seemed puzzled.

"It's a she, the mayor of that town is a lady not a dude."

"What's that related to what I just said? Both are the same to me!"

"Exactly the same as your saying to our deal here."

The mayor kept glancing at Bloom while the latter continued his meal with cold nerves. "So you already were there," the mayor said, "or were you the one who gave her that skull?"

Bloom didn't speak and kept eating.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"You make me disappointed," Bloom raised his eyes to the mayor, "I came here to make a deal about scales, not to sell free information."

"Free information?" the mayor looked funny, "c'mon, it's very crucial information to this deal. Without it how can I even sleep at night while suspecting the scales I acquired?"

"If this will make you feel better, then she bought the skull from me," Bloom lied yet he didn't flinch while doing that.

"And from where did you get that skull and scales?"

"From a dragon grave of course."

"…"

The mayor was speechless for a moment before sighing.

"Why is it so hard to deal with you?"

"Because you ask irrelevant questions," Bloom said before stopping his meal and glanced deeply to the mayor, "and expecting to get free answers in return."

"Then can I pay for these answers then?"

"You can only pay for the scales."

"…"

The mayor took a deep breath while his body trembled faintly, "alright, I'll pay only fifty thousand per scale. That's too much for these useless dirt and ores," he said in his final offer before adding, "on one condition."

"Tell," Bloom leaned back to his seat while calculating the total sum of the coins he would get from this deal if he sold the entire stock he had of scales.

"I want the skeleton as well."

"I can't give you what I don't have," Bloom shook his head, "or what you can't afford."

The mayor's corner of the eyes twitched. "I can afford anything kid, don't belittle me."

"It's apparent that you can afford this," Bloom smirked, "even one hundred thousand as a price was too much for you."

"It's too much for the scales! They are useless."

"C'mon, take a look around," Bloom waved both hands before pointing towards one statue that was over the top of the adjacent building, "don't tell me decorating such ugly statues with my amazing scales won't add more life and elegance to your town."

"Yet they are useless," the mayor didn't change his stance, "unless you give me a skeleton then they can be used to decorate it."

"And then I will stop my business? That's not a yes for me," Bloom calmly shook his head before leaning forward as if he was about to say something so serious, "can you imagine how many towns out there are willing to pay everything they have inside their precious vaults just to lay their hands over a single dragon bone?"

"I said I can afford it," the mayor's face was really funny.

"Pay with coins for all the bones?" Bloom faked a laugh, "c'mon, the skeleton contains hundreds of bones… it can't be possible for a single town to monopolize these priceless relics."

"Don't play these games with me," the mayor said in a domineering tone, "name your price and I'll match it for all the bones you have."

"Let's see what you can do for a single bone then," Bloom sneered before raising a single finger in the face of the agitated mayor.

"One hundred thousand gold coins for one bone? That's nothing for me," the mayor sneered back but Bloom shook his head. "One million… that's too expensive."

Yet Bloom shook his head again and the mayor glanced at him with a gloomy look, "don't tell me you want ten million gold coins for one bone!"

"Indeed that's the right price for a single bone," Bloom returned to his meal, "after all that girl didn't hesitate to pay this price without even bargaining about it."

"Do you compare me, the mighty Roan king, to some nameless town mayor? And a lady as well?"

"At least she had the courage to take this step," Bloom smiled, "and now her town is heading towards prosperity… Can you even imagine how much resources were wasted over the subsequent monster tides? How much will she garnish from the tickets alone?"

"Humph, my town was the pricest in the entire world and I didn't get much out of it," the mayor sneered.

"Indeed that's true for now," Bloom said before casually adding, "but what about six months from now? Can you be this sure about such outcome even after the mainstream of players exceed level fifty and even a hundred? Do you even know how many players are there playing and leveling like crazy?"

"That doesn't explain the extravagant price for just one bone," the mayor said, "especially when I dunno if this bone could really scare the monsters away or not."

"This one will do," Bloom confidently said and his tone made the mayor curious.

"What bone is it?"

"It's… a very long and majestic piece of bone," Bloom mysteriously said, "and that bone I planned to sell for double that price but for you I can make an exception."

"How generous of you," the mayor sarcastically said, "may I know the reason for this humble act of you?"

"I liked your town," Bloom calmly said, "and I loved your meat much more."

He returned to eat while the mayor glanced at him with doubt and disbelief. "At least tell me what that piece is," he said, "or else how can I accept a trade I know nothing about?"

"Quite a fair request indeed," Bloom muttered before pausing for long minutes.

"And?"

"Let me enjoy this meal first," Bloom calmly said, "I'm not in a hurry to sell this precious bone to you."

"…"

Bloom kept eating with extreme calmness while the mayor was on the edge sitting opposite to him while watching him finish his meal.

"This is without doubt the best meal I've ever eaten," he said in admiration.

"Now tell me what this bone is?" The mayor was already impatient.

"Can't you guess it?" Bloom kept toying with him and the mayor glanced deeply at him while trying to control his temper.

"Just say it… is it so hard for you to spill out information?"

"It's…" Bloom paused, "the tail."

The eyes of the mayor widened for a moment before he regained his control over his joy and shock. "Don't tell me a tail is formed of a single bone," the mayor said, trying to get more info about these goods.

"A dragon can't have one bone in its tail," Bloom laughed, "but the bones of the tail are special. I can't dissect or separate them or else the total value of the tail will be spoiled."

"Then how long is it?"

"Enough."

"Like how many meters?" the mayor was already deeply hooked, "or is it only one meter?" he paused while glancing in doubt towards the sly player sitting in front of him.

"It's quite tall," Bloom recalled the scene where he took the tail, "at least twenty to thirty meters tall."

"This…" the mayor couldn't control himself to stand, "I can put it in many places in town… wait, I can build a tower at the main gate and put it there."

The eyes of the mayor were shimmering with many dreams and plans he got for this tail and that made Bloom wholeheartedly laugh.

He knew he succeeded in hunting this fat cat, and now all he needed to do was to squeeze it dry off its wealth.