Chapter 331 – Tinkerer
It was a design schematic for Magic Bombs!
Magic Bombs were divided into Junior, Intermediate, Advanced, and Specialist ranks. Intermediate Magic Bombs could be crafted by Advanced Tinkerers. Advanced Magic Bombs required Master or even Grandmaster Tinkerers. As for Specialist Magic Bombs, no one knew what rank was required.
Even the best Tinkerer in the previous timeline was only a Grandmaster. Tinkerer was one of the hardest crafting professions.
Nie Yan also recognized a design schematic for Goblin Muskets, which served the same purpose as bows and crossbows but had a longer range. They were by far the favourite tool for drawing aggro. There were other design schematics for things such as Goblin Golems and Goblin Shrinkers as well.
These marvels were created by goblin civilization with their splendid magitech.
Dela’s Magical Device Book was definitely a priceless treasure!
Today’s harvest far exceeded Nie Yan’s expectations and left him incredibly excited. He finally examined the first item he successfully pilfered from Phantom Princess Ina, the Ina’s Prayer Gloves.
Ina’s Prayer Gloves (Sub Legendary)
Requirements: 630 Intelligence
Properties: Defenses 520–532, Dexterity +30, Movement Speed +30, Balance +20, Radiant Flame Explosion (Rank 12), Scorching Holy Smite (Rank 12)
Restrictions: Holy Mage
Yao Yao immediately popped into Nie Yan’s mind. The Intelligence requirement for Ina’s Prayer Gloves were a bit steep, so she probably couldn’t equip them yet. But even if she wasn’t Xie Yao, he couldn’t think of a better owner for this item. Besides, equipment was meant to be worn.
Nie Yan teleported back to Calore and got into contact with Bird Leaves No Eggs.
「Boss, what’s up?」Bird was in the middle of concocting potions.
「Who are our top Tinkerers?」Nie Yan asked. He wanted a skilled Tinkerer to learn Dela’s Magical Device Book, so they could craft items exclusively for him.
Dela’s Magical Device Book was a Legendary item. He would only give it to a Tinkerer who was loyal and trustworthy.
「Tinkerer?」Bird blurted out in surprise, wondering what Nie Yan wanted with a Tinkerer.「The Starry Night Tinkerer Shop currently has over 60 contracted Tinkerers. Among them, there are 3 Advanced Tinkerers, 5 Intermediate Tinkerers, and the rest are Junior Tinkerers.」
「Who are the 3 Advanced Tinkerers?」
「Calm Root, Violet Mist, and Left Hand Attained the Dao,」Bird replied. Of the seven Advanced Tinkerers in Calore, three belonged to the Starry Night Tinkerer Shop! Nie Yan had personally sought out two of them while the third joined on their own accord.
Nie Yan’s heart shook. All three were famous Tinkerers worth well over ￥100,000,000 in the previous timeline. They were legendary existences that could rally tens of thousands with a single call. Even items casually crafted by them in their spare time would be fought over by countless players!
They were currently only Advanced Tinkerers. Even though they ranked among the top in their profession, their influence still wasn’t that great.
It would be impressive if you could recruit even one famous Tinkerer. These three represented almost half of the top Tinkerers in Calore.
「Let them know I’m looking for a personal Tinkerer. I naturally won’t be stingy with benefits. But everything they produce is for Asskickers United alone, and they’ll have to sign a contract,」Nie Yan said. Calm Root, Violet Smoke, and Left Hand, any one of them met his qualifications.
「Alright, I’ll go talk to them,」Bird replied. He quickly ran over to the adjacent Starry Night Tinkerer Shop.
Both the Starry Night Potion Shop and Starry Night Tinkerer Shop were managed by Bird.
Inside a workshop of the Starry Night Tinkerer Shop, Violet Mist, Calm Root, and Left Hand were busy at work.
Violet Mist was an 18-year-old lass with her hair tied back in a ponytail. She had an adorable face with soft and supple skin. If she were out walking in the streets, it would be hard to associate her with one of the top Tinkerers in Calore.
Calm Root had the appearance of a 23-year-old woman with a slim build. Her skin was fair and delicate. She possessed a unique charm, appearing elegant in her beige tinkerer coat.
Violet Mist and Calm Root were chatting while working.
A slightly cold-looking youth sat off in a corner, completely absorbed in crafting an item. He was Left Hand Attained the Dao.
At this moment, Bird walked into the workshop.
“Drop what you’re doing for now. I have an announcement. The boss is looking for a personal Tinkerer. Of course, you’ll be generously rewarded. This is the contract I just drafted up. Take a look.” Bird showed the contract to Violet Mist, Calm Root, and Left Hand.
Calm Root frowned. No matter how she looked at it, this contract was akin to a wealthy man lavishing gifts on a younger woman. The contract owner promised crafting materials and design schematics in return for everything the contractor produced. Nevertheless, the salary was quite decent at ￥20,000, with opportunity for raises in the future. These were generous terms for an Advanced Tinkerer.
Left Hand glanced at the contract with disinterest before returning to his work.
Violet Mist was tempted. ￥20,000 truly was generous. But it was precisely this generosity that made her wary.
Ever since they joined the Starry Night Tinkerer Shop, the identity of the owner remained a complete mystery, only knowing that he was low-key and never showed his face. They were curious about him, but that was about it. They figured he was probably an employee of some financial group.
Bird grew anxious after no one stepped forth. How could he face Nie Yan if he couldn’t even complete a trivial task like this!?
“Violet Mist, what about you? are you willing to become the boss’ personal Tinkerer?” Out of the three of them, Bird was the closest with Violet Mist. She was lively, energetic, and easy to get along with. Calm Root’s beauty made her difficult to approach, not to mention she was around the same age as him. His interactions with her were limited. As for Left Hand, this fellow was so engrossed with work that he barely talked to his own colleagues, let alone others.
“Big Brother Bird, who is our boss?” Violet Mist asked. She was worried the owner might have malicious intents.
“Our boss is Mad Rogue Nirvana Flame,” Bird revealed.
Violet Mist’s eyes widened in shock. She asked in a disbelieving tone, “Big Brother Bird, are you for real? Our boss is the guild leader of Asskickers United, Mad Rogue Nirvana Flame?”
Even though Violet Mist knew the Starry Night Potion Shop was collaborating with Asskickers United, never in her wildest dreams did she think their mysterious owner was actually Nirvana Flame!
The Starry Night Potion Shop was a flourishing business with branches in every city across the Viridian Empire. Asskickers United was the unshakable overlord of Calore.
Both of these entities were actually owned by the same person! What revelation could be more shocking than this!?
Even though they had their suspicions, they never dared to entertain the possibility.
Calm Root was reeling in shock. Left Hand, who had retreated back into his corner and was known for his indifference regardless of the situation, trembled and nearly dropped the metal component he was fiddling with.
It turned out the owner of the Starry Night Potion Shop was one of the most influential players in Conviction.
“Mad Rogue Nirvana Flame, he’s a legendary figure in Calore. Big Brother Bird, which financial group does he belong to?” Violet Mist asked. In her opinion, Nie Yan was definitely part of a financial group. How else could Asskickers United rise from obscurity to become the ruler of Calore in such a short time?
Calm Root was also curious. She awaited Bird’s response with anticipation. If it turned out Nirvana Flame had the backing of a financial group, there would be nothing to be suprised about.
“He doesn’t belong to any financial group. The boss started out from scratch. I first met him when he was still a solo player. He established the Starry Night Potion Shop first. Later on, he founded Asskickers United with several of his friends. Their rise to glory was nothing short of a miracle, always coming on top even when things looked grim!” Bird’s expression was filled with reverence. From starting out with nothing to contending for hegemony over the Viridian Empire, the story of his boss was extraordinary.
Kiln Fire Woods, Sinful Gorge, and the plains outside Glory City, every battle was a classic!
Nirvana Flame’s story would last for a long time to come, never to be forgotten by the countless players of Conviction!
Nirvana Flame was revered as a god!
“Big Brother Bird, I’ll go!” Violet Mist said. She was incredibly excited to meet such a legendary existence.
Calm Root and Left Hand were much more level-headed. Bird basically wanted them to enter into what amounted to a slave contract. Their freedom would be severely limited, and they might not even make as much as they currently did crafting and selling Tinkerer items every day.
“What I revealed to you guys today is confidential. Got it?” Bird solemnly said. He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Since he managed to convince Violet Mist, he wouldn’t have to go back to Nie Yan empty-handed.
“Yes.” Calm Root nodded in agreement. Nirvana Flame truly kept a low profile. Even up until now, players were still unaware he was the owner of the Starry Night Potion Shop.
Left Hand also nodded.
“Let’s go, Violet Mist.”
“Mhm!” Violet Mist vigorously nodded. Her cheeks were rosy red. She looked quite adorable.
Suddenly, Bird felt like he was a dirty uncle selling his young niece into slavery.
The two walked out of the workshop.