Chapter 25

"Alright, Mr. 'Not Human.' Give me a thousand gold coins, and I'll give you my guarantee." Zhao Mai's vocabulary wasn't extensive, so he could only express his meaning with such simple sentences.

Compared to the overall profit from salt production, a thousand gold coins were not enough to exchange for the "secret formula." If marketed properly, the large bag of salt on Zhao Mai's back could sell for that much money.

However, one shouldn't be blinded by gold coins and lose sight of the true value of something. Learning to filter with fine fabric, adsorb with charcoal, and then boil took Zhao Mai only three minutes of reading. How much could that be worth? Moreover, Zhao Mai wasn't promising exclusive rights to the dwarves but selling a "copy" of the formula. By the time the dwarves learned and started production, Zhao Mai might have found ten more merchants willing to pay the price.

In Zhao Mai's mind, the best approach was to drive a taxi along the road, selling a copy of the formula in every village. It wouldn't take much, just a hundred or two hundred gold coins, and if he encountered a lord, he'd sell it for five hundred. When everyone cherished their own secrets, Zhao Mai would have already sold the "formula" a thousand times. He wouldn't even have to get his hands dirty to make a huge profit.

And in the end, everyone would be able to afford salt, and even if the elves wanted to hold him accountable, it would be too late.

Ranger Karl calculated in his mind and thought a thousand gold coins wasn't expensive. He lived a simple, self-sufficient life and wasn't particularly sensitive to money, or rather, earning money never occupied his mind. But this didn't mean he lacked the ability to discern right from wrong and make judgments. The dwarf's demand had already infringed on his authority as the local lord, like an invasion of his territory. However, if the matter could be resolved with Mike's proposal, he would respect Mike's idea.

But the dwarf didn't think so. He didn't have a thousand gold coins and was even less willing to pay. "No, you can only leave if you leave the formula as a guarantee. There's no other way."

Zhao Mai only understood the word "no," and Karl took a step forward, his left hand hidden behind his back, gripping the hilt of the short sword at his waist. The animals near the big tree where the ranger stood all became alert, their eyes fierce as they gathered around the dwarf. Dog Meat silently began to circle behind the dwarf, while the python climbed the branches, hanging by its tail above the dwarf and slowly descending.

"This is my territory, and you can't restrict his freedom," Ranger Karl warned the dwarf. "You'd better clear the way, or this could get out of hand."

Wow, is this going to turn into a fight? Zhao Mai was more excited than anyone else, standing beside Karl, ready to defend his interests with the ranger's help. Unfortunately, the dwarf wasn't a fool. After a moment's thought, he recognized the situation and coldly stepped aside, clearing the path.

This was not in Zhao Mai's favor. He hoped the dwarf would lose his mind and start a fight at the slightest provocation, so he could use the ranger's strength to solve this problem. Since he had chosen to be a bandit, he should stick to it. What did it mean to step aside? A promising career had been ruined, leaving him in a difficult position, unable to advance or retreat, and unable to resolve the issue. How frustrating!

Now, going into the forest would inevitably involve risks, and the dwarf might not let it go. But if he turned back and hid in a tree hole with his food supplies, Zhao Mai felt he would be losing face. If he stopped halfway, wouldn't he be just like the dwarf?

The path is forged by walking, and obstacles are overcome by stepping on them. Being timid and hesitant is not the way of a man. Zhao Mai picked up the still noisy food supplies, tucked it under his armpit, and walked past the dwarf, flipping him the middle finger.

The dwarf seemed to ignore it, but his fingers on his side lightly tapped, as if there were tiny flashes of light. The food supplies bared its teeth at the dwarf and growled lowly. Zhao Mai patted its head and whispered to comfort it.

"Don't worry, it's all part of my plan."

He walked into the forest with a swagger and then began to accelerate. The imitation forest step, though somewhat tiring, definitely increased his speed. The dwarf's short legs would be less efficient in the forest.

As he ran, Zhao Mai pondered his strategy. From their brief encounter, he had already analyzed many things. The dwarf wore no armor, only a light shirt, and had no visible muscles. The most likely possibility was that he was a spellcaster. Since he used a wand rather than a holy symbol, he could be either a wizard or a sorcerer, each with a 50% chance. If he knew whether the dwarf carried a spellbook, Zhao Mai could determine his class.

Dwarves were most likely to become illusionists. Although this didn't guarantee that the dwarf was an illusionist, Zhao Mai needed to be on high alert. Illusions come in many forms, including sensory illusions, mental illusions, phantasm illusions, and shadow illusions. Sensory illusions affect the five senses, mental illusions directly project signals to the brain, phantasm illusions go deeper by influencing the subconscious to "fill in" the details, and shadow illusions use energy to create semi-real objects to simulate real-world sensations.

However, phantasm and shadow illusions are more complex and can only be mastered by more experienced spellcasters. If the dwarf could cast such high-level spells, Zhao Mai would immediately surrender.

In fact, Zhao Mai didn't want to lose his life over a salt production method. If the dwarf could fly or cast fireballs, he would immediately surrender and offer the salt production method. Perhaps during their "friendly" discussion of a three-year plan for the salt industry, new opportunities would arise.

However, such a crisis was unlikely. Although Zhao Mai lacked practical experience, he was extremely familiar with the various chaotic settings of the fantasy world. So far, whether it was the old ranger or the half-orcs, their displayed abilities were within Zhao Mai's expectations, and no phenomena he couldn't explain had occurred. As long as this situation continued, Zhao Mai was confident he could counterattack.

First, he needed to choose a familiar environment and memorize every detail to avoid being deceived by illusions. In reality, illusions often have flaws, and if one remains calm, they can usually be detected, though the conditions for calmness are rare. The best battlefield would be near the taxi, where he would be absolutely safe inside the car. Unfortunately, it would take at least a day to return to the lake, and he wouldn't make it before dark.

From the moment he left, Ranger Karl could hold the dwarf for at least two to three hours, after which a pursuit might begin. Before parting, the dwarf must have cast a tracking spell on him, so he couldn't rely on the dwarf not finding him.

The most suitable travel spell in the current environment was undoubtedly a flight spell, which meant adopting a feigned surrender tactic. If he believed his luck wasn't that bad and the dwarf couldn't fly, he would definitely summon a mount to travel.

Horses can't run in the jungle, but riding dogs are no problem, and the dwarf's small size made him a perfect fit for a dog. This turned the pursuit into a math problem: A starts first, moving at speed XX; B follows in the same direction, moving faster by YY. When will they meet?

Zhao Mai calculated the result and then began the task of finding a place to set up the battlefield.