Chapter 297 Don't Even Think About It, Let Alone Try
After a bit, as Elbert and Elizabeth strolled along, putting some space between them, Enrique sidled up to Elbert and whispered, "Hey, that snuff bottle of yours, any chance you'd sell it to me? I'll pay double."
Whether he used it now or handed it to Brenda later, having that thing would totally mess with bad luck. He was ready to drop serious cash on it.
Elbert just stared at him, deadpan. "Not for sale," he shot back.
Enrique had been a total jerk to Elizabeth, so Elbert couldn't give a damn about him. The guy had it coming and shouldn't think he could just throw money at his problems to make them disappear.Enrique frowned. "Then name your price."
Elbert glared at him. "Doesn't matter what you offer, I'm not selling."
That snuff bottle was a protective charm he bought for his dad, blowing all his savings on it. After Elizabeth mentioned how good it was to always have it on, selling it, especially to a jerk like Enrique, was a no-go.
He added, "I'd rather chuck it than sell it to you."
Enrique fell silent, pondering what he had done to deserve this. It seemed like everyone in Elizabeth's circle despised him. He couldn't fathom why they all had such a strong dislike for him.He pouted. "Fine, if you won't sell it, whatever." He was bummed, but what could he do?
Meanwhile, Elizabeth snagged a sapphire ring loaded with Karma. She also got a set of Rune stones with a nasty vibe, perfect for using with seals for better results.
Thanks to her tips, those in Elizabeth's inner circle also scored some good stuff. Maybe not as awesome as Elbert's, but still decent.
Seeing this, Enrique nudged Kevin. "Why don't you ask her to help you pick something, or buy that sapphire ring off her?"
If Kevin found something cool like Elbert did, Enrique could borrow it. Or just buy it from Elizabeth.
Kevin looked at him. "I know better than you." Elizabeth wouldn't help him pick or sell it to him. No point even trying.
"Enrique, if you want something or Elizabeth's ring, ask her yourself. Don't drag me into it," Kevin said.
They'd been bros for years, and Kevin saw through Enrique's little games. Enrique had been hanging with Brenda too much and picked up her tricks.
Enrique rolled his eyes. "She won't even bother with you, let alone me."
Kevin was fed up. "Why don't you ask Zachary for help?"
Enrique thought for a sec. "Good idea."
So he walked up to Zachary. "Hey Zachary, can you help us out?"
Zachary gave him a cold look. "Are we that close?" Meaning, "we're not even friends; how dare you ask?"
Enrique paused, wondering why they were all so stuck-up.
Then he said awkwardly, "I wouldn't ask for free. If you find something to mess with bad luck, I'll reward you."
Zachary raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like I need your reward?" Then he flat-out refused, "Nope. Don't bother me."
Enrique felt hurt but didn't dare piss off a divination master like Zachary. So he just said, "Fine, I won't buy anything."
After Zachary walked off, Kevin came up to Enrique. "Enrique, noticed a problem?"
Enrique was confused. "What problem?"
Kevin said, "Your social skills suck. If you keep being so stubborn, no one will want to deal with you."
Enrique was speechless, then asked, "How am I being stubborn?"
Kevin replied, "Think about it."
Enrique stayed quiet, thinking he wasn't being stubborn. It was these folks who, even though they were all on the same show, couldn't get along and were icing him out.
The crew walked to the end of the street but didn't find any more Karma-infused items.
Elizabeth stopped by a wall at the end of the street, checking out some oil paintings hanging there.
The vendor, an old dude with white hair, saw Elizabeth eyeing the paintings and smiled. "What do you think of these?"
Elizabeth snapped out of her thoughts, "They're really well done, great technique and a lot of charm."
The old man grinned, "Of course, Mr. Murphy's paintings are top-notch."
Elizabeth was surprised. "These are Zachary's paintings?"
The old man nodded, speaking with respec. "Yep, Mr. Murphy's paintings can even help divination masters level up if they get the right chance."
Elizabeth moved closer to get a better look.
After a bit, she said, "These paintings seem pretty old."
The old man was a bit surprised but then smiled. "These are Mr. Murphy's early works. I heard the canvases were preserved for hundreds of years, so they look old."
Elizabeth nodded. "That explains it. If you hadn't told me, I'd have thought these were at least a hundred years old."
The old man chuckled, "It's the aged canvases that make them look old. Easy mistake to make."
Elizabeth laughed too. "Makes sense."
Her eyes landed on an oil painting of Aevum City's scenery, and she got lost in it. It felt like she was standing among the clouds, looking down at the world, feeling both proud and lonely.
Suddenly, a clear voice snapped her out of it, "Admiring my painting?"
Elizabeth turned to see Zachary. "Yeah, your skills are amazing. I was totally absorbed."
She'd been stuck at the bottleneck between intermediate and advanced levels, but after seeing the painting, she felt the bottleneck start to loosen. Just one more push, and she could hit the highest level of divination mastery. She was super impressed by Zachary's skills.
She was now sure he had definitely reached the advanced level of divination mastery. He might even be just one step away from the third stage of the advanced level.
The harmony between heaven and humanity progressed through three stages: first, second, and third. Each stage not only enhanced your strength but also prolonged your lifespan. Upon reaching the third stage, rumors even spoke of achieving immortality.But Elizabeth had seen a world where everyone was a divination master and knew immortality was a stretch. But with good care, living for several hundred years was totally doable. In fact, once you hit the advanced level, as long as you didn't get hurt or suffer backlash, living for three hundred years was a breeze.
Elizabeth smiled. "Zachary, with your skills, are you already above Mr. Henderson?"
Zachary smiled back. "I haven't compared, so I can't say."
Elizabeth knew he was dodging the question and didn't push. She smiled. "Zachary, let's catch up sometime."
Zachary nodded. "Sure thing."
Then he asked, "Wanna keep browsing?"
Elizabeth replied, "Nah, I'm good."
Zachary smiled. "How about another round? You might find more surprises."
Elizabeth shook her head. "Nope, today's haul is enough. Can't be too greedy."
The set of Rune stones was a rare find, and she really liked them. Plus, she found a ring with Karma, so today's market trip was a win.
As for more surprises, she didn't need them. They might turn out to be shocks instead.
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