Grand Voyage : Surviving on a Ghost Ship

Chapter 129 - Trade – part 1

The Collector’s true body was hidden somewhere deep in the sea. How deep, no one knew.

But even just the puppet in front of him moved with unbelievable speed.

Yang Yi had seriously considered eliminating or escaping the Collector, maybe by severing the strings and fleeing by boat.

However, that plan involved too many variables.

Until the situation spiralled out of control, Yang Yi had no intention of taking that risk.

“Given the circumstances, trade is the only option left.” Yang Yi thought to himself.

He began to examine what he had on hand that could be used in a trade.

Shell coins were definitely out, as the Collector only accepted items in barter.

Yang Yi also didn’t have many items valuable enough to exchange for a top-tier artifact, if not for the flintlock. 

Then there were the mysterious white shards of unknown grade, and the Stone of Truth.

He wasn’t in a rush to trade. Instead, he carefully reviewed the hint text in the activity log again.

It clearly stated that different Collectors had different preferences and catering to those preferences would be the most important factor.

Also, the Collector hadn’t shown any signs of aggression, at least not yet. It behaved like a polite, patient merchant eager to trade, showing no signs of rushing the process.

Yang Yi kept a calm expression as he attempted to privately message Song Yingwen.

“Got any intel on the Collector?”

The other party was still awake and replied quickly.

“You ran into a Collector?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know much. But someone once tried to sell me a special item… something called a Collector’s Pact Object, or something like that. No one bought it, and later that guy… deleted his account.” Song Yingwen replied.

Yang Yi narrowed his eyes slightly. He now understood what that pact object was.

The guy had probably tried to sell it so desperately because it couldn’t be discarded, maybe it even forced itself into use…

But given the system’s requirement for fair and transparent trades, there was no way to just randomly throw it at someone else. What eventually happened to that guy was anyone’s guess.

Yang Yi recalled that eerie item… it had been a withered human head.

So, to the Collector, human bodies or organs probably counted as trade goods. If he encountered that kind of Collector… things would likely get very ugly.

Seeing there was no relevant intel, Yang Yi was about to end the conversation with Song Yingwen when another message popped up.

“Remember to take photos! I’ll pay a high price. That’s the headline for this week’s issue!”

Yang Yi was speechless. The dude seriously had no sense of urgency.

But then again, it wasn’t him in danger, it was Yang Yi. Only he truly understood how dangerous this Collector really was.

So, taking photos was the last thing on his mind, at least not until the threat was resolved.

After a few seconds of thought, Yang Yi decided to test the waters first.

He imitated the Collector and squatted down to sit on the deck, holding the flintlock in his left hand while reaching into his clothes with his right.

In reality, most of his attention was focused on the Collector.

After confirming there was no reaction, Yang Yi finally began to consider what to offer in trade.

Most of his important items were stored in the Worm Ring — taking them out would only take a second. He was just pretending to dig through his clothes to buy time.

Soon, Yang Yi pulled out the Sea Serpent’s Fang.

It was one of the most valuable items he had on him, a rare treasure-grade dagger.

He placed it on the ground.

The Collector picked up the dagger, stared at it through the emptiness of its hood for a few seconds… then shook its head.

?The Collector is not interested in this item. Remaining trade attempts: 9?

Yang Yi received a log notification, and the dagger was returned to him.

Though the trade failed, the log message was important.

The Collector wasn't interested in the Sea Serpent’s Fang!

It likely evaluated items based on personal preference!

Yang Yi continued testing. He took out a white shard and placed it on the ground.

It was an egg-sized ice pod, with the shard itself nestled inside.

The Collector didn’t even reach for it, just gave it a glance and started shaking its head.

?The Collector rejected this item. Remaining trade attempts: 8?

“Rejected?”

Yang Yi was a bit surprised.

Although the Collector didn’t speak, judging by its unwillingness to even touch the item and the speed of its response, it clearly recognised the shard and absolutely didn’t want it.

Yang Yi put the ice pod away. After a moment’s hesitation, he took out the blood-red Stone of Truth.

That time, the Collector reacted.

As soon as Yang Yi pulled it out, the Collector snatched the Stone of Truth with such speed that Yang Yi couldn’t even react.

By the time he understood what had happened, all he could do was raise the barrel of the flintlock, but he didn’t shoot right away.

The Collector held the Stone of Truth and examined it for a while. Then Yang Yi felt the boat rocking.

But it wasn’t actually the boat, it was the sea itself, trembling as if some immense being were stirring beneath the surface, causing waves to rise all around them.

It lasted for about half a minute before the waters finally calmed.

Cold sweat beaded on Yang Yi’s forehead, he was beginning to understand what kind of creature this Collector really was.

Its body beneath the sea might be as large as the nearby island… maybe even larger…

It was likely using a puppet to trade because its true form was so massive that it would terrify any potential trader.

Once the disturbance subsided, the Collector handed the Stone of Truth back, and Yang Yi received a system message:

?The Collector greatly desires this item, but cannot offer anything of equivalent value in exchange. Remaining trade attempts: 8?

Yang Yi raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised, it wasn’t the result he had expected.

This Collector actually followed rules.

At least, it respected the rules while the trade attempts were still in effect.

Yang Yi put away the Stone of Truth and began forming a clearer picture of the Collector’s preferences.

Since it showed interest in the Stone of Truth, it would also be interested in another category of item — potions!

Yang Yi pulled out a bottle of Appetite Potion and placed it on the deck. The Collector quickly picked it up.

Then the log updated:

?The Collector is interested in this item, but its value is still insufficient to complete the trade. Remaining trade attempts: 7?

“Just as I thought!” Yang Yi’s eyes lit up.

It seemed the Collector really was fond of potions!

He quickly pulled out another bottle of Appetite Potion but this time, the Collector rejected it.

Apparently, it didn’t like duplicate items. The trade count dropped to 6.

By then, Yang Yi had more or less figured out the rules of trading with the Collector.

The player had ten chances to offer items. If the Collector was satisfied, it would accept the item. If not, it would reject it.

After all, ten attempts were used up, if no trade was completed, the Collector would take what it wanted forcing a trade.

And at that point, it would be a straight-up shake-down. There was no telling what would happen.

Yang Yi took a deep breath and pulled out an orange potion.

He hadn’t drunk it before, so its name was still unknown — Unknown Potion.

The Collector accepted it, examined it briefly, and nodded repeatedly, looking even more satisfied than before.

?The Collector is very pleased with this item. The trade can now be completed. Remaining trade attempts: 6?

?You may continue trading and offer more items, or complete the trade. The Collector will reward you with items of corresponding value. ?

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