Chapter 130: Purple Star VIP Card

At this moment, looking at the tray in the middle-aged man’s hands, Rod’s lips curled into a slight smile. He felt a hint of excitement, especially regarding that chest guard—the Black Flame Armor seemed even neater now, and that was the greatest temptation for him!
As for this legendary set of armor that could even move someone like Sognar, Rod naturally wondered what it would be like once completed. He believed it would be no less impressive than the Dark Dragon’s armor.
“Hmm, this is said to be my Magical Beast Core. Please take a look!” Seeing the middle-aged man place the item on his desk, Rod politely took out the Magical Beast Core he had prepared earlier and handed it to him.
“Hmm, just right. Esteemed guest, if you’re interested, feel free to visit our trading hall more often. This is our VIP card—please keep it safe. With it, you’ll be a VIP at our hall, able to purchase what you need at the best prices, as well as enjoy some exclusive services and get first-hand information! You can learn about other benefits by entering your personal information onto this card!” After receiving the Magical Beast Core, the middle-aged man took out a purple magic card from his pocket and handed it to Rod politely.
“VIP? I…”
“Hehe, thank you very much for recognizing me. It’s an honor to become a VIP at your trading hall!” Before Rod could express his confusion or refuse, Lucy quickly snatched the VIP card and spoke up.
“Hmm, then I hope our esteemed VIP has a pleasant time in Dark Moon City. Wishing you success in obtaining whatever you need at our trading hall. I won’t disturb you two any longer!” With a satisfied smile and a meaningful glance at Lucy, the middle-aged man left slowly.
Once again, only Rod and Lucy were left in the room. Rod looked at Lucy and the purple VIP card in confusion. “What’s going on? Why did you take it?” In Rod’s mind, nothing was given for free. Taking this item might require something in return. Moreover, from Lucy’s nervous expression, he sensed something was amiss!

“You’re really lucky, a Purple Star VIP! I don’t even know what to say. Let me tell you, the VIPs in this trade fair are divided into three tiers: the first tier is Gold Star VIPs, the second tier is Purple Star VIPs, and the third tier is Silver Star VIPs. You’re already at the second tier, you know? It’s said that only the five major families and the highest clan leaders of the demon race, along with a few top powerhouses from the Dark Source, can be Gold Star VIPs—no more than ten in total. Purple Star VIPs are second-tier members, such as the clan leaders of the Black Dragons and Fire Dragons under the dragon clans, as well as some elders from the major families, plus the super-powerhouses from the Dark Source. Even the clan leader of the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagles is said to be a Purple Star VIP! There aren’t more than twenty people at this level either! You can imagine—being promoted to this level must mean you’re incredibly lucky!”

“Silver Star VIPs are usually clan leaders of smaller families with decent strength or key members of the major families—about thirty people in total. Even many clan leaders of smaller families can’t earn this title. The entire Dark Source has so few of them—less than sixty in all! Just think about it! I really doubt they gave it to the right person; it seems like you don’t even qualify to be a Purple Star VIP!”

Looking at Rod, Lucy said with longing and excitement in her eyes, holding up the card. “Is that so? What’s the use?” Rod also sensed something was off—he indeed seemed unqualified for this status. This wasn’t simple.

“Do you see these private rooms? Only VIPs or people of high status can access them. So, from now on, you won’t have to worry about not having a seat at the trade fair, and you’ll get the best service. You can buy these items at the lowest prices, and even in auctions, you’ll enjoy a 10% discount! That means if you bid ten Divine Tier Initial Core coins for something, you can get it for just nine!”

“You’ll also get a lot of information, like recent events or what’s happening among various clans. More importantly, whatever news you need, you can get it from here. This trade fair was founded by the four major families and the demon race, covering the entire Dark Source—so the information flow is incredible. Silver Star members can buy the news they need using Core coins, while Purple Star members can get news below three stars for free, with discounts on one-star and two-star news! How about that? Isn’t that powerful?” Lucy was even more excited, gesturing wildly.

Hearing this, Rod’s eyes also lit up. This was great—having one’s own information organization meant it would help him accomplish many things and save a lot of time. At the thought of this, Rod was delighted.

“And there’s more. The most crucial point is that once you become a VIP, you’re under the protection of the trading club, which in turn means protection from the four major families and the demons! As a Silver Star VIP, once confirmed, as long as you don’t commit any forbidden acts, the club can help you deal with enemies—turning big problems into small ones or resolving them with money to save your life. Of course, the amount of money isn’t much and is definitely within bearable limits. Purple Star and Gold Star members can enjoy unconditional protection—even if they’ve committed the worst crimes—they’ll still be protected, with the worst-case scenario being the revocation of their VIP card!

Additionally, as a member, the trading club won’t issue any missions to hunt down VIPs. How about that? Powerful enough, right?”

One shocking piece of information after another—Rod felt almost overwhelmed! It was truly insane! With all these benefits, it seemed he had found an organization and a strong backing. “Does the trading club also issue missions?”

“Of course. What do you think? The trading club isn’t just for trading goods. It issues hunting missions, various other tasks, and even purchases different items—everything is covered. You’ll understand gradually. Well, now that you know the benefits, I envy you. What about a Purple Star member? But why do they regard you so highly? Why give you this? Do you know them?” Lucy asked, looking at Rod in confusion.

He was well aware of the trading club’s membership system—rarely granted even once every ten years. How could it happen so suddenly? He also began to doubt Rod’s identity greatly!

“You don’t understand, and I don’t either! Who knows what’s going on!” After calming down, Rod said helplessly. He didn’t understand either. He really wondered if they had given this to the wrong person—he didn’t meet any of the requirements at all! Could it be sheer luck? Or a sudden burst of good fortune? Unlikely!

There must be something wrong here. Rod’s excitement quickly subsided as he stared at the purple VIP card in confusion. Could there be some conspiracy?

“Never mind. Keep it. It won’t hurt you. Lucky guy. I’ll rely on you from now on. I envy you, a Purple Star member!” Lucy said with a wry smile as she handed the card to Rod.

The purple magic crystal card was quite heavy. Following Lucy’s instructions, Rod infused combat energy into it, and after a moment, all his information—name, age, etc.—appeared, just like a computer. This amazed Rod greatly.
“Don’t lose this card, or you’ll regret it! It’s made from extremely precious materials—so valuable that the cost of just the materials is likely worth at least five divine-level advanced magic beast cores! You’ve really made a fortune this time! Once your information is entered, it will be automatically transmitted to the trading hall, meaning you’ll officially become a member. Keep it safe!”
Lucy stared at Rod with envy, her words tinged with strong jealousy.
“Never mind. It’s fate—whether good or bad, you can’t avoid it. Anyway, since it’s harmless, that’s fine!” With a smile, Rod shook his head and put the card away. He kept thinking that one day, when he was in need, he might use it to become rich again. Five divine-level advanced magic beast cores—what a huge fortune!
If Lucy or anyone else knew about this idea, they would be furious! The materials might be worth that much, but the value and significance of the card far exceeded that price by hundreds or even thousands of times. Otherwise, wouldn’t those families try every means to get more of them?
With the Purple Star VIP Card put away, things seemed temporarily settled. Rod put the items on the table into his arms and wore a satisfied smile—he had made a good profit. But he couldn’t show too much in front of Lucy. Of course, he couldn’t let her know about the Black Flame Armor. It seemed she really didn’t know either; otherwise, she wouldn’t have reacted with such dissatisfaction when he paid such a high price for the chest guard.
“Here, this is for you as a thank you for your help these past two days,” Rod said with a smile as he handed the last bracelet to Lucy. If he wasn’t mistaken, she was a fire-type magician, and this bracelet would be perfect for her!
Hearing Rod’s words, Lucy was stunned. Although she liked the bracelet before, she hadn’t dared say anything when she saw how much Rod offered. Besides, she had no magic beast cores on her and couldn’t afford it. She had thought it was just something Rod bought to give to someone else, not that he would buy it for her. She was naturally very surprised. This somewhat made up for her earlier jealousy and dissatisfaction.

“For me?” Lucy still asked doubtfully, looking at Rod.
“What? Don’t like it?” Rod smiled, satisfied with Lucy’s reaction. This item might be valuable to ordinary people, but for someone with Lucy’s strong background, it wasn’t much. Rod was actually worried she might reject it!
“No… no… Hehe, it would be silly not to take it! Well, at least you have a conscience!” Fearing Rod might change his mind and take it back, Lucy quickly grabbed it and held it in her hands, excitedly speaking with a joyful smile on her face. This unexpected gift made her feel that following Rod was the right choice after all.
Although it wasn’t her first time receiving a gift, and she had received many better ones before, this gift was undoubtedly her favorite. Her gaze toward Rod changed again instantly.
Seeing Lucy’s reaction, Rod also breathed a sigh of relief—worth the cost.
“Alright, we should go!” Rod continued before Lucy could finish celebrating.
“Where to?”
“Hmm… let’s leave this place first. I still have some things to do!” Rod said after a moment of thought. He wanted to get familiar with the town first, and he didn’t want to stay here any longer. Those two women, from the Purple-Winged Thunder Eagle clan, were troublesome enemies.
“That’s true. It’s better to leave now, so those guys won’t cause trouble!” Lucy muttered unhappily upon hearing Rod’s words. Looking outside, seeing no one around, she grew anxious and almost forgot the most important thing.
With that, the two quickly packed up and headed for the door. The empty hall felt unsettling! They looked around and hurried outside.
“Elder Two, it’s Miss Lucy. They’ve left. Should we…?” At the exact moment Rod and the others left the room, a middle-aged man’s voice came from a room across from them.
“Follow them. Act according to the situation. That dragon boy doesn’t seem hostile toward Miss Lucy. Don’t act rashly!” Followed by an old man’s voice. If anyone had been there, they would have been shocked—Rod would surely be surprised too. Weren’t these people members of the Black Phoenix clan? From their words, it seemed they knew Lucy well. To be more precise, Lucy should be a member of the Black Phoenix clan.

“Eh, sister… isn’t that person…?” Meanwhile, as Rod and Lucy reached the first floor and prepared to leave the trading hall, in the room next to theirs, a girl saw Rod and Lucy about to leave through the window. Her expression turned cold as she spoke to another girl beside her. These two were Aida and Eileen, the same people Rod had met by the lake that day.

Hearing Eileen’s words, Aida’s charming expression instantly changed. Ignoring the stares of those around her, she looked down at the first floor. Rod and Lucy’s figures, about to disappear, came into view. Her eyes narrowed sharply: “It’s really him!”

“Sister…” Eileen, now convinced, looked at Aida anxiously, eager to see what she would do.

“Sember, keep an eye on him. Find out his identity without taking any rash actions, and don’t let him notice. Report to me as soon as you get any information!” The woman said decisively, frowning slightly.

The old man beside her nodded slightly before vanishing from the room like a ghost.

“Sister, is that it? Why not…?”

“Enough. Follow my instructions. Remember, don’t mention this to anyone else. And you two—watch carefully too!” Aida stopped Eileen from speaking further with a cold tone, then turned and walked outside.

Although dissatisfied with her sister’s sudden change, Eileen could do nothing about it. Her confusion grew even more. She was sure there must be some connection between that man and her sister; otherwise, her sister wouldn’t have reacted like that. If there really was no connection, she wouldn’t have given up chasing him so easily last time, nor would she make such a decision now! There definitely had to be a relationship between them, which made her even more interested in Rod.

“It seems they were the ones who bought the two scrolls, that armor, and that magic accessory!” After thinking for a moment, Eileen remembered the bidding earlier. The magic accessory she wanted had been snatched away by that guy.

“Is that so? I understand!” Aida paused, glanced back at Eileen, then turned to continue walking. Her expression remained cold, but inside, her heart was tumultuous.

It’s him, no doubt about it—definitely him. He’s really come here. How has his strength become so great? Even surpassing mine? After all, I’ve gone through my family’s bloodline awakening and inheritance. What about him? I’m sure he hasn’t returned to that place yet, so he can’t have received any inheritance. Could he have reached this level on his own? No matter how talented one is, it shouldn’t be this extreme. It’s hard to believe. If he really achieved this on his own, the only word that fits is “monstrous.” If that’s the case, just imagine how high he could grow and what kind of being he would become. Aida didn’t dare think any further. But one thing was certain—he had returned. That event might really be about to start. Perhaps it was time for her to have a serious talk with her father as well.
……
Rod was completely unaware of what was happening behind him. He had no idea he had already been targeted. Still, he strolled leisurely down the street with Lucy, feeling extremely happy. Having gotten what he wanted, he was naturally pleased.
“Young master, he’s out. I’ve checked it out. That guy’s name is Sognar. This time he bought fire magic scrolls, space magic scrolls, and a chestplate from an ancient relic. He must be from a prominent family and is quite wealthy! The identity of that girl remains unknown!” From a distant corner of the street, a pair of cold eyes watched Rod and Lucy, who were enjoying themselves. Hearing what the old man beside him said, their expressions turned dark.
“He can’t be from one of the four great families. They don’t have members who transform at such a young age. If they did, it would have been well-known. The Black Phoenix clan does have one, but it’s a woman, so it can’t be her. The rest aren’t a concern. Even if he’s from my demon clan, what’s the problem? There’s no one in Dark Moon City I can’t handle! Follow me. I’ll go get some help. Since he’s come to me, I can’t blame him. Everyone will benefit once this is done!” After a moment of contemplation, a fierce look flashed in the man’s eyes as he spoke coldly.
“Young master…”
“That’s it. This is how we’ll do it. Nothing can take away what I, Usopp, have set my sights on. Among the demon nobles, I’ve never seen anyone like him. He’s probably just a declining figure. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything!” Waving his hand to stop the old man from continuing, the man spoke impatiently before turning and leaving to find help for the operation.
For a while, Rod’s seemingly ordinary life was actually filled with hidden turmoil. Three groups were targeting him, especially that young man, who already had murderous intent. The situation was not optimistic at all.