Diary of a Dead Wizard-Chapter 240: Selling the Mask

The Shadow Leopard could speak human language. Although its intelligence was only on par with a five- or six-year-old child, it could still barely be considered a sentient creature.

If it had been a higher-tier Phantom Leopard, it would have been capable of conversing like an adult, but that sort of creature couldn’t be bought at this price.

The apprentice seemed a little hesitant, but when no one else placed a bid, he gritted his teeth and agreed.

Of course, this was just a preliminary agreement. The real haggling would take place after the exchange meeting. After all, no one wanted the details of their trades getting out.

Then, after a few more turns, it was Saul’s.

“I don't have any needs right now,” Saul said. He hadn’t planned on finding anything from these other apprentices and intended to skip his turn.

But at that moment, Lokai encouraged him, “Even if you’re not looking to buy, you can still sell something you don’t use. There are quite a few rich folks here.”

Saul hadn’t intended to part with any of his possessions, everything he owned was top-notch.

But after thinking it over, he realized there was indeed one item he hadn’t used in a long time, sealed away in his storage, so troublesome he didn’t even dare open it.

It was a mask made from the skin of a young girl's thigh. a Absolute Mask of Pure Maiden.

Back when he was still a newcomer, he’d been tricked by a Second Rank senior sister into entering his first corpse chamber, and nearly ended up possessed by a wraith. In a desperate attempt to save himself, he accidentally created this mask.

Unfortunately, because he had added extreme filth during the process, the mask constantly gave off an unbearable stench that couldn't be removed. It wasn’t wearable at all. Just holding it would cause the stench to cling to one's body and linger for days.

As a result, Saul had shelved the mask and nearly forgotten about it.

Its main function was to prevent possession by wraiths.

But Saul didn’t fear ordinary wraiths anymore.

At this point, it was more likely he’d eat them than the other way around.

And if it came to higher-level wraiths, the mask wouldn’t be effective anyway—he was better off fighting them himself.

“I’ve got a mask that can prevent possession by ordinary wraiths. Even if you do get possessed, it has some ability to expel the wraith. If anyone’s interested, feel free to make an offer.”

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Saul had never traded at these exchange meetings and wasn’t familiar with the pricing, so he figured it was better to let these rich types offer what they thought it was worth.

He didn’t expect that as soon as he finished speaking, someone would show interest.

“What level of wraith can it deal with?” The first to ask was Kujin.

“I haven’t tested it in detail, but it did manage to drive out a wraith that a Second Rank apprentice couldn’t handle.”

“How long did it take?” This time it was the female apprentice who had previously mocked Mentor Kaz.

“Not long—just a few seconds, I think.” Since Saul had been the one possessed at the time, his sense of time was a little fuzzy, but he remembered it wasn’t very long. He couldn’t say exactly how many seconds, though.

The female apprentice’s eyes lit up.

But before she could speak, Wright suddenly shook the maid girl on his lap. In the motion, the girl’s neck joint was exposed—it turned out she was a lifelike doll.

The motion of the doll caused a soft creaking of joints, cutting off the female apprentice's words.

“I’ll take the mask,” Wright declared directly.

The female apprentice immediately glared at him. “Wright, didn’t you hear we were still asking questions?”

Wright chuckled. “I heard. Ask all you want—I’m buying the mask.”

He was determined to get that mask no matter what.

“His performance today was very eye-catching. It seems that he is one of the people who returned with a lot of things that Lokai mentioned.” Saul muttered, resting his chin on his hand.

He wasn’t in a rush to name a price.

Apprentices who often took on field missions seemed especially interested in items that could ward off wraiths.

In the end, after a brief contest between three interested buyers, Wright came out on top.

He’d just sold his old mount for a hefty sum, and was feeling flush with cash.

But just as he secured the deal and looked smugly at Saul, his smile froze, and he awkwardly ducked behind the maid doll again.

The exchange meeting only facilitated information-sharing and initial agreements. Actual transactions would be handled privately afterward.

As for any mishaps along the way—Lokai and the mutual aid group weren’t responsible for that.

Next up was the Third Rank apprentice, Jero.

“Hmm, I don’t have anything to sell, but I did take on an external mission. It’s not particularly dangerous, just a long trip. I need to travel to Byton Academy for an exchange. Since everyone here is a standout in the Wizard Tower, if anyone’s interested, you’re welcome to come along—we might even earn some extra along the way.”

While saying this, Jero’s eyes were fixed on Saul. He was clearly trying to recruit him.

But Saul wasn’t moved in the slightest.

For one, he already had a packed schedule. More importantly, he didn’t know Jero well.

His last trip with Bill had been a disaster. Traveling with someone who might trip you up at any moment? Saul would rather go solo.

Though Saul gave no reply, quite a few Third Rank apprentices were tempted.

And since the task didn’t sound too dangerous, even some Second Rank apprentices expressed interest.

Jero smiled the entire time and agreed with everyone.

After that, one by one, each apprentice had news, tasks, or items to sell or trade.

The most outrageous was Wright—he was selling the lifelike doll on his lap.

The doll looked startlingly human. Aside from a few key joints, the rest of her was wrapped in synthetic skin. She even simulated heartbeat and breath.

“Your tastes have evolved from real maids to fake ones?” someone who knew Wright teased with a grin.

Wright raised an eyebrow. “The outer shell might not be much, but what’s inside is pretty special.”

As he spoke, he turned the doll around to show her back.

The back of her outfit was specially made—barely more than a few pieces of cloth. He parted her hair to reveal a large expanse of pale skin.

In the middle of that lifelike back was a slit held together by lacing.

Wright undid the laces, reached in, and pulled out—a pulsating green heart.

A soft tube still connected the heart to the doll’s body.

“This is one of the new living dolls recently put up by the Land Drifters. It’s powered by a mix of wraith fragments and plant spores. Once you activate it with a magic crystal, it can act almost like a real person.”

“What’s the point of that?” a female apprentice asked with a frown.

“Plenty of uses—scouting, disguise, ambushes... depends how well your brain works.”

She sneered, “I meant, what’s the point of making it a maid?”

Wright rolled his eyes. “That’s just my personal preference. Anyway, I’m not selling her, just the info. If you want to buy, I can put you in touch.”

Hearing that, Saul leaned forward slightly. “What’s the production volume of these dolls? Unit price?”

Wright’s eyes lit up at the interest, but when he saw it was Saul asking, he quickly put on a serious face. “They’re all custom-made. Fastest is ten days, the longest is three months, depending on requirements.”

“How long does one last?” Surprisingly, it was Heywood who asked next.

No one expected the first two people to inquire would be Saul and Heywood.

Suddenly, everyone started wondering if they had missed some hidden use for these seemingly useless dolls.

More people began considering whether they should order a few to experiment with.

Wright, sensing business, couldn’t help rubbing his hands together. “If it’s just basic interaction or low-effort tasks, like mine, one heart can last half a year. But if it sees combat, ten days max. And if it uses mental power—just a few hours.”

“I’ll take ten.”

Just as Saul was still considering, Heywood didn’t even ask the price—he placed an order for ten on the spot.

The entire room broke out in an uproar.

No one knew—what would a shut-in like Heywood want with that many dolls?

[End of Chapter]