When the old man laughed his heart out after hearing that they had caught a Golden Orange Snakehead, Barry felt a surge of uncontrollable anger. However, he quickly suppressed it and shifted his thoughts elsewhere. He had spent a fortune on the Beast Space Dimensional Pockets, and almost all of them had been destroyed. Since that money was already gone, he thought they might as well earn some extra gold from this old man and suggested betting on whether they truly had the fish.
"Let's bet 10,000 gold," Barry declared. "If anyone else wants to join the bet, they're welcome. I have no problem with that."
Barry guessed that most of the people dining in the cook-house were adventurers or merchant businessmen. By calling them out, he might earn a few more gold coins. After all, who would refuse easy money?
"Kid, are you serious?" The old man's expression changed. He looked at Barry and then slowly shifted his gaze to Jasper, who stood slightly behind him. Soon a small smirk appeared on his face.
"Let's make it 20,000 gold," the old man said as he stood up from his chair, clearly amused. He turned toward the dining hall where many people were happily enjoying their meals.
Clap! Clap!
"Gentlemen, may I have your attention please. This young man here wants to make a bet on whether they have truly captured a Golden Orange Snakehead or not," the old man announced loudly.
Barry and Jasper were both stunned by the sudden declaration. Barry had proposed the bet earlier only to lure the old man—and perhaps a few others—into wagering against him. He had never expected the old man to announce it to the entire dining hall.
Yet at the same time, Barry felt uncontrollable excitement.
Hahahahaha!
The entire hall suddenly burst into laughter, as if someone had told a ridiculous joke. The old man smirked at Barry and cast another cunning glance toward Jasper.
Jasper, meanwhile, felt as if he were floating on cloud nine.
Twenty thousand gold coins.
When he realized he might receive at least ten thousand gold from the bet alone, he felt the urge to jump around and scream in excitement. After all, he knew they really had the fish, and if the old man agreed to the wager, they would certainly earn that money. He struggled to suppress the huge smile on his face, afraid the old man might withdraw if he noticed how happy Jasper looked.
"What? These kids claim they caught the legendary fish?"
"Not a legendary fish—more like a legendary rumor. No one has ever seen that fish except a few so-called legends who claimed they spotted it in Fessi Lake."
"You're an idiot if you believe those rumors."
"Well, who would refuse free money? Put 5,000 gold coins on the bet."
"Me too. 5,000 gold that these kids don't have the fish."
Once the laughter slowly faded, people began discussing the credibility of the rumor surrounding the Golden Orange Snakehead. Many of them eagerly agreed to participate in the bet. Nearly ninety percent of the people inside the cookhouse were willing to wager against the duo, convinced that the two young men had not captured the fish.
"So, a total of twenty-five people bet 5,000 gold, three people bet 10,000 gold, and two people bet 20,000 gold—one of them being me. The total comes to 195,000 gold," the old man announced after calculating the bets. "You know what, let's make it an even 200,000 gold. I will bet 25,000 gold myself."
Hearing the final amount, Jasper's palms began to sweat, and beads of perspiration formed on his forehead.
Barry quickly nodded his agreement.
"Now please show your betting money and reveal the Golden Orange Snakehead. Then all the gold will belong to you," the old man said with a mocking smile.
Suddenly Jasper's body stiffened.
Of course—in a bet, both sides had to present their stake before revealing the result. The other participants had already pooled their money together, but Jasper and Barry had nothing to show.
Who would casually carry 200,000 gold coins in their pockets?
Jasper had expected Barry to take the money out of his Dimensional Bracelet, since that was what he had been doing ever since Jasper met him. But instead of piles of gold coins, a small silver card appeared in Barry's hand.
"Here." Barry placed the silver card on the table.
"Oh, a Nen Silver Card." The old man raised an eyebrow. "What's your name, kid?"
Nen cards were issued by the Nen Vaults Company. Wealthy people could deposit their money there and carry the card while traveling. It was much safer than storing gold coins inside dimensional bracelets, which could easily be stolen.
"My name is Barry Heacock," Barry introduced himself.
"You're from the Heacock family. That explains the Nen Silver Card. Very well, that settles it," the old man said after hearing the family name.
However, Barry was suppressing his laughter inside.
The Nen Silver Card was almost empty.
The money his father had given him when he left home had already been spent traveling to different regions during the past six months. The small amount that remained had gone into purchasing those Beast Space Dimensional Pockets.
But none of that mattered now.
He would refill the card after this deal was finished. At the moment, he cared far more about earning his first Achievement Points—something he had been eager to obtain for months.
"Then let's proceed. Do you want to sign a contract?" the old man asked.
"Yes. Let's sign a contract before we proceed any further," Barry replied firmly.
He would never agree to such a bet without a proper contract. A signed contract was legally binding under the government. Anyone who violated its terms would be thrown into an underground dungeon.
The old man quickly prepared the contract and wrote down the clauses both sides had agreed upon. Barry carefully read the document several times to ensure nothing extra had been inserted.
Fortunately, everything looked correct.
"The Golden Orange Snakehead is about ten meters long and still alive," Barry said casually. "Where would you like it released? Also, please call the Tatemen Administrator to calculate the Achievement Points."
The old man's expression changed slightly when Barry's confidence did not waver even in the slightest. However, he quickly dismissed the thought and walked into a separate room inside the cook-house. A few moments later, he returned with another man.
Barry guessed the man accompanying him must be the administrator responsible for verifying the catch and assigning the Achievement Points.
The man was tall—at least six feet five inches—with a massive broadsword strapped across his back. His broad shoulders made him look like an immovable mountain. He walked directly in front of Barry and Jasper, forcing both of them to tilt their heads upward to meet his gaze.
"My name is Marek Bernhardt. I will act as the Tatemen Administrator since the one assigned to this branch is currently away," the giant man announced.
Standing so close to him, Jasper felt as if the air itself had grown heavier. The pressure emanating from the man made it difficult to breathe.
Barry and Jasper quickly nodded and followed Marek toward the back of the cookhouse. After exiting the building, they entered a descending stairway that led underground.
The old man walked in front while Marek followed behind him. The duo walked after them, and the rest of the gamblers trailed behind the group.
Soon they entered a vast underground chamber that resembled a man-made cavern.
Inside was a massive water reservoir roughly the size of a pond.
Barry and Jasper studied the water carefully. The pool looked large enough for the Golden Orange Snakehead to swim freely.
Once they were satisfied, they exchanged a brief glance and nodded.
"Should I release it here?" Barry asked Marek.
Marek, who stood beside him, nodded in confirmation.
Barry then pulled out the Beast Space Dimensional Pocket from his bracelet, preparing to release the fish.