“Chapter 420
Gray Green and Gold Coin
“Eivass, someone is coming.”
Suddenly, Viness, standing on Eivass’s shoulder, spoke up, “There’s no hostility.”
Her voice was as soft as a lullaby. The crow gently pecked at Eivass’s temple hair, causing him to reach up and smooth down his slightly itchy hair.
“Is it someone looking for me?”
Eivass asked casually.
Although he asked, he had already trusted Viness’s warning.
So Eivass tightened his collar, adjusted his scarf to cover it, and buttoned his coat more snugly to conceal the fresh bloodstains at the collar.
The smell of blood in the air probably couldn’t be removed. But maintaining cleanliness was a form of politeness when meeting guests.
As for who would come looking for him—there weren’t many who knew Eivass was at the Lloyd Society at this time, dared to find him, had no hostile intentions, and could also know he was on the seventeenth floor treating his wounds.
If the range were further limited to where Eivass couldn’t hear footsteps, then there was only one person.
So when the office door was gently knocked on from the outside, Eivass directly said, “Please come in, Madam Gray Green.”
The person who opened the door was a woman who appeared unremarkable in both her attire and appearance.
She looked like an ordinary housewife from the roadside, around forty years old, with a slightly hunched back. She had slightly coarse, split brown curly hair and cloudy, gray-green pupils like a wolf’s.
The woman seemed quite gentle, even a bit timid. As she walked into the office, she even instinctively fiddled with the hem of her clothes with both hands—like a simple farmer, suddenly called into the school office by their child’s homeroom teacher, utterly lost.
If Eivass hadn’t absolutely not heard her footsteps, he might have truly mistaken her for an ordinary person.
And undoubtedly, this very simple flaw was something she deliberately revealed for Eivass to see. If she had deliberately concealed her identity, Eivass would never have discovered it.
“Minister Moriarty…”
The woman responded in a low, respectful voice.
Eivass simply nodded gently, “Please, sit.”
Eivass’s attitude, however, surprised Gray Green.
Eivass’s attitude was so friendly that all the prepared arguments she had made to persuade him became ineffective.
“Do… you know me?”
Madam “Gray Green” asked, sitting down slowly with a hint of surprise.
“Of course.”
Eivass nodded and smiled, “The ‘Gray Green’ of the Lloyd Society, the leader of Avalon’s largest assassin organization, isn’t she?”
She was still a mentor for the Assassin profession in version 1.0. And she was also the only BOSS in the Lloyd Society, a third-rate organization, qualified to enter the dungeon.
Even though “Avalon’s Assassin” was actually a rather ridiculous phrase… but among the short, she was the tallest. This unimpressive middle-aged woman was indeed Avalon’s strongest assassin.
In the original timeline, it was Gray Green who accepted Minister Dross’s commission and sent assassins to assassinate Lily and her mother; eventually, Tommy Lloyd, the leader of the Lloyd Society, also died at Gray Green’s hands, after which she became the new leader of the Lloyd Society.
Initially, Eivass’s prepared disguise identity for Lily during her Ascension Ritual, “Gray,” was set to be Madam Gray Green’s apprentice.
And Tommy, before being adopted by Lloyd, was also an assassin apprentice trained alongside Gray Green by their “mother.” It was just because Tommy lacked talent in this area that he was eventually eliminated and taken away by the previous generation’s President Lloyd.
Gray Green’s profession was Blade Dancer, commonly known as “Poison Sting.”
She was an assassin specializing in various poison assassination techniques and a profession mentor favored by players. When she later entered the dungeon, she very kindly dropped the level 50 graduation gear for the Poison Sting profession.
Her reputation, from life to death, was exceptionally high. Therefore, when Eivass was preparing Lily’s identity, he subconsciously thought of her.
Compared to Shadow Assassins who built their skill system around stealth like “Earth Tunneling,” and “Sharpshooters” who launched long-range ambushes like snipers after stealth, “Poison Sting,” who mastered poison and fierce sneak attacks, was more in line with the operating habits of assassin players from other games.
This was undoubtedly the assassin that best fit Avalon’s characteristics.
Because assassins skilled in invisibility and stealth could easily be exposed by the Law Masters and Priests prevalent everywhere in Avalon with a flashbang; and gunners skilled in firearms posed little threat to the physically strong Tin Cans.
To assassinate knights, who were covered in armor and often accompanied by retainers and butlers, in Avalon, which was full of healers… one had to be sufficiently capable.
One had to be able to deal massive damage in a short period, have continuous control capabilities, and ideally, the damage should ignore armor.
— Except for Blade Dancers, other assassin inheritance systems simply couldn’t survive in Avalon.
Even elite assassins like Miss Chloe, who could assassinate extraordinary beings of the same level in the Iris Flower, would find it nearly impossible to assassinate even an Arbitrator of the same level in Avalon.
Because knights of the Fourth Tier and above had too strong life force; she might use all her skills and still not kill them, and reinforcements would arrive. Director Gordon, who had fought Chloe before, was hit by a volley of attacks from a Deformed at point-blank range, yet didn’t even suffer a fracture, which was proof.
If an assassin couldn’t even assassinate an opponent of the same level, they would essentially be half-crippled.
Gray Green, however, was the complete opposite.
Her profession didn’t emphasize stealth but had exceptionally strong burst damage.
Instead of being called an assassin, she was more like an agile warrior with high mobility, momentary invisibility, and built-in physical-to-poison damage.
Madam “Gray Green” had many identities. She was mainly responsible for the Lloyd Society’s gray area businesses. For example, collecting debts, mediating disputes between subordinate gangs, and operating casinos and nightclubs. In addition, she was also a street vendor selling lamb offal soup.
When players were not in the “Satiated” state after eating food, they could receive a bowl of lamb offal soup from her for free every day after talking to her.
Although the attributes were ordinary, as long as food was eaten, there was a faint “Extraordinary Skill Experience Bonus.”
For players who were unwilling to spend money on food buffs in the early game, this kind old lady was of great help.
Eivass had not personally experienced that era, but he had seen similar accounts on forums—when players followed the plotline and accepted quests for casinos and nightclubs, they saw that the behind-the-scenes bosses of various establishments all looked like the lamb offal soup lady…
Players thought Nameless God Studio was too lazy to create new models.
Although some players joked that these were all the lady’s properties, or “this is the lady’s clone army,” no one took it seriously.
— Little did they know, it was actually her.
Although in a sense, she was also related to the death of Lily’s mother, Eivass had already told Lily who exactly had made the move back then, and Lily had always been clear about settling scores.
“An assassin is just a tool of the employer. What truly killed my mother was my father’s killing intent. Even without someone like ‘Gray Green,’ a rusty knife of that color would have taken her life.”
This was Lily’s attitude towards Madam Gray Green.
Both assassins, both following the Path Adaptation, she could understand Gray Green. Perhaps it was also because she saw herself as Eivass’s tool.
Because of this, Eivass didn’t seek trouble with Gray Green when the Lloyd Society was later purged.
If Lily, the party involved, clearly stated she didn’t want revenge on Gray Green, then Eivass wouldn’t go out of his way.
After all, Gray Green genuinely wished to manage the various gangs in the Lloyd District well.
If Gray Green were also imprisoned, the leaderless Lloyd District would fall into chaos. Instead of supporting a new proxy later, it would be better to use Gray Green.
Furthermore, Lily lacked professional guidance as a qualified assassin… Madam Gray Green was precisely the mentor for the Assassin profession in version 1.0.
Although Lily would likely switch to become a Shadow Assassin, learning close-combat skills was never a bad thing.
Gray Green coming to him proactively at this time was exactly what Eivass wanted.
Without her even speaking, Eivass knew her purpose.
“You want me to help you unify the Lloyd Society?” Eivass asked.
This was Madam “Gray Green’s” obsession in the game.
Now that Tommy was dead and Boka was imprisoned, the factions they belonged to had been investigated.
The only surviving faction in the Lloyd Society was Madam Gray Green’s.
“No,” Gray Green shook her head and denied, “I wish… for you to take over the Lloyd Society.”
She said sincerely.
This surprised Eivass somewhat, “I thought you had been waiting for this day for a long time.”
Unlike Tommy Lloyd who had designs on Queen Isabel and intended to usurp the throne, and unlike Vice President Boka who was involved with Noble Red.
“Gray Green” was extremely pure; a pure gangster who worked solely for the gangs of the Lloyd Society.
— Extremely pure.
She didn’t care about Noble Red, Prince Lloyd, spies, or the invasion of Star Antimony people… this uneducated, barely literate gangster granny simply wanted to unify the underground gangs of Glass Island and bring about a new underground order.
“You… can actually see even this.”
Gray Green looked at Eivass with a hint of awe, “I have long heard that Minister Moriarty possesses devilish, wicked intelligence… Ah, forgive me. This is a saying that circulates in Avalon’s underworld… it’s a compliment.”
This was not an exaggeration.
As an “Adapter,” she was very skilled in the art of silence.
The Power of the Path of Adaptation was related to secrets, and she had never revealed these heart-felt secrets to anyone.
“I know what you are thinking,” Eivass said slowly, “You wish for the Lloyd District to be less chaotic, filled with less blood and sin. You want to rectify the Lloyd District.
“But at the same time, you don’t want those gang members, who have mostly committed crimes and have no skills, to die or lose their jobs.
“Because you grew up here. The ‘decent citizens’ in the alleys and streets of the Lloyd District, whose hands are stained with a little bit of crime more or less, are your uncles and elder brothers. They are also your neighbors who grew up with you.
“You merely want to protect the Lloyd Society. Or, more narrowly speaking, to protect the Lloyd District, right?”
Eivass said softly.
Gray Green looked at Eivass with almost horror.
Her eyes flickered with admiration that bordered on submission, “Yes… you are right.”
Gray Green was indeed not a good person. But she wasn’t that fanatical and could be negotiated with.
She was a typical gangster—uneducated and vulgar, never caring about human lives, easily harming others, unable to save money and impatient to earn it, despising the law but valuing loyalty.
But she was different from other gangsters… she knew clearly that these jobs wouldn’t last long and would inevitably lead to disaster. Therefore, she had been working to legitimize these gangsters.
Unfortunately, the Lloyd Society was almost in the hands of Noble Red. She alone couldn’t decide.
Because Noble Red, and the Rose Cross, and the Star Antimony people didn’t want the gangsters controlled by the Lloyd Society to have a chance to go straight. And she didn’t have the intelligence to fight them… so she could only choose silence.
Lurk, disguise, wait for an opportunity. Strike like a viper, fatally.
— Eivass didn’t actually know why she suddenly killed Tommy Lloyd.
But he could guess… as a half-giant, Tommy was too close to Noble Red. And Gray Green didn’t want the Lloyd Society to become a tool in foreigners’ hands, nor did she want it to be merely a consumable and stepping stone for President Lloyd to acquire materials.
Or, more precisely, not the Lloyd Society—but the gangs controlled by the Lloyd Society.
So when Avalon’s capital was completely under the control of the Star Antimony people, those gangs still resisted the Star Antimony people for much longer than the regular army. Just like Haina, who had become the leader of the “Hyena Gang” at the time.
She couldn’t trust others.
Because those people would only use the lower-level gang members she cared about as consumables.
“…But you wish for me to control the Lloyd Society.”
Eivass said softly, reaching out to stroke the crow on his shoulder, without looking back at Gray Green. “May I interpret it this way, Madam Gray Green—you believe I will give the lower-level gangs a chance. A chance you cannot give them.”
“Yes, Minister…”
“You guessed correctly. I can.”
Eivass turned back and looked at Gray Green.
Leaning against the office window, Eivass’s face was backlit. But his pupils flickered with a deep, enchanting purple glow.
“Then, what can you… offer Avalon?”
Eivass asked slowly, word by word.
Gray Green, however, seemed prepared. She answered without hesitation, “Of course, the opportunity to completely change Avalon’s outdated society!”
“Oh?”
Under Eivass’s curious gaze, Gray Green raised her voice, “Allow me to introduce… Mr. ‘Gold Coin’!”
As she finished speaking, someone knocked on the door.
Eivass also didn’t hear his footsteps—but since the Night Demon hadn’t warned him, it meant he wasn’t an enemy. So after receiving Eivass’s permission, that “Mr. Gold Coin” entered.
— This was a guest completely beyond Eivass’s expectations.
A distinguished guest who shouldn’t have appeared in Avalon at this time made Eivass’s eyes widen slightly.
The gentleman had dark green skin and was only half the height of an average person.
His expression was ferocious, with fangs exposed, making him look quite hideous. He also carried a dangerous madness, like a spirited gambler.
But unlike his appearance, he wore a high-class suit and a black, round top hat. He looked polite, and his demeanor was calm and collected, completely opposite to the dangerous and frenzied aura he exuded.
A Goblin.
In his hand, he held a pocket watch—a supernatural item capable of concealing one’s aura.
“Caw! Caw!”
The crow on Eivass’s shoulder suddenly let out a cry.
The Night Demon’s voice echoed in Eivass’s mind, “Be careful, Master. That is a Fourth Tier powerhouse.”
“…It’s alright, I know him.”
Eivass replied mentally.
He stared at the Goblin merchant and asked, “Are you… Mr. Grandet?”
“How surprising, the esteemed Minister Moriarty.”
The hideous and frenzied Goblin, however, spoke with a calm, polite tone completely unlike his appearance. It was the most standard Avalon language, even with a Glass Island accent.
To describe it, it was like the elegant and calm uncle voice that appears in anime, “You, who have never left Avalon, actually know my name.
“—Even Madam ‘Gray Green’ doesn’t know my real name.”
“I have some friends overseas,”
Eivass replied ambiguously, “The reputation of ‘Dragon Merchant’ Grandet, I believe, is quite significant.”
As his title suggested.
This “Grandet” was the mount and pet merchant in the game.
He was generally active in the southern continent and was a powerful extraordinary being following the Path of Wisdom. Rational, selfish, and cunning, one could even say… he was as rich as a nation.
To put it nicely, he was engaged in “overseas biological trade.”
To put it bluntly, he was a human trafficker.
The Trolls of the southern continent had strong reproductive capabilities, extremely resilient life force, and great strength, coupled with low intelligence.
Therefore, Goblins established plantations in the southern continent, where Trolls performed labor. They then sold the tamed Trolls to other countries as slaves.
A Troll eats the food of ten people but can do the heavy work of twenty, and doesn’t ask for wages.
Many pioneer regions relied on Trolls for their development.
Eivass suspected this had something to do with the triangular trade.
It could even be said that Avalon didn’t seize the initiative in the wave of pioneering and colonization because the influence of Giants made Avalonians extremely xenophobic.
Whether it was Trolls or Goblins… as long as they weren’t Elves, Avalonians were very repulsed. This directly led to them being unable to compete with other countries that had tools like Trolls.
Both Iris Flower and Star Antimony people dealt with Goblin merchants. Iris Flower was recently engaged in activities to abolish the monarchy, so they couldn’t openly sell Trolls there… but Star Antimony needed a large amount of heavy labor, ritual materials, experimental subjects, and corpses.
In fact… Star Antimony’s rapid technological development was inextricably linked to the “Troll” race.
Besides Trolls, Grandet also sold rare items.
For example, rare wild animals, rare extraordinary materials… and living extraordinary beings.
He sold “Fairies” of the Path of Love, and of course, he sold Children of the Moon. He sold Fey of the Path of Beauty and Gryphons of the Path of Authority. The reason he could sell these things without being hunted and wanted was that he didn’t obtain them through capture… but through legitimate “contracts” to gain ownership.
Perhaps by helping them solve a problem, such as rescuing someone; or perhaps by making them gamble their own freedom—although legally it might not be permissible in various countries to “stake one’s own freedom,” it was allowed in the extraordinary realm. Just as transcendent beings of the Transcendent Path could self-sacrifice.
Unlike other human traffickers, Grandet’s focus was on legal and formal procedures. When capital was abundant enough, he only needed to move resources back and forth to make them continuously appreciate. And his assets grew like this.
His trade was more like entertainment, to complete his “Path mission” and level up.
And among the many extraordinary creatures Grandet sold, one item earned him his fame.
That was the Dragon.
— Yes, he sold a genuine, pure-blooded dragon that willingly sold itself.
“It’s good that you recognize me…”
The Goblin merchant said slowly, his voice deep and magnetic, “To put it bluntly, I want to do business with you.”
“With me?”
Eivass raised an eyebrow and retorted, “Or… with Avalon?”
“Both.”
Grandet smiled slightly, and that calm, collected demeanor gave his incredibly ugly face and dwarf-like physique an unusual demonic charm. “Let’s start with what concerns you most first—
“Queen Isabel has ascended the throne… should Avalon’s xenophobic and isolationist policy end?”
A combined chapter of six thousand words, mew~
