"Well… the luck's pretty good. I was just looking for a guide, and one showed up on his own…"
Raylin watched the group of white-robed blade-wielders, a faint blue glow flickering at the bottom of his eyes, then rose and walked away…
"What's wrong?"
The mage accompanying the blade-wielder froze, somewhat stunned, and asked.
"Nothing. I just felt something was off!" The blade-wielder's eyes were clouded with doubt, his right hand resting on his hilt as he scanned the surroundings, before he sat back down with a puzzled frown.
In that brief instant, he had felt a bone-chilling sensation, as though a life-or-death crisis loomed right before him, yet when he focused his senses carefully, he could find no trace of the danger's source.
"Maybe you're too nervous. This is a covert operation—there's no way the information could have leaked…"
Another figure in a black robe spoke in a low voice.
"Maybe so…"
The blade-wielder slowly settled back down, cradling his curved sword, but the gloomy furrows on his brow refused to smooth out.
……
Elsewhere, Raylin had already stepped out of the shop and was strolling along the crowded street.
"Decent perception—he actually sensed my 'malice.' Just for a heartbeat, but that's still impressive. He'll probably advance to Legendary within a few years, assuming he survives that long…"
"Honored guest from afar, take a look! Everything old Jeffa has is top-notch…"
Obviously, Raylin's noble attire, his rosy complexion, and the lavish ornaments on his person all screamed wealth, drawing an immediate swarm of eager street vendors.
In particular, an elderly white-haired man with pale golden curls thrust a dark-golden scepter before Raylin's eyes: "Look at this… the craftsmanship, the inlays—this is something old Jeffa dug out of an ancient ruin at the risk of his own life back in his adventuring days. Rumor has it the secrets of the primordial Sun Kingdom are hidden within. Only a hundred gold crowns, and it's yours…"
"The primordial Sun Kingdom?"
A mocking smile played on Raylin's lips, yet he stopped in his tracks. Seeing this, old Jeffa cried out in delight that he had a buyer and launched into his pitch with fervor.
"Indeed, indeed! Before the Western Wastes became a great desert, there was a mighty kingdom there. Legend says it had golden rivers flowing with honey and milk, and its ground was paved with gold. This scepter holds the secret treasure of the Sun Kingdom itself…"
"So your name is Jeffa, right?"
Raylin stopped in front of the small stall and studied the old man who was clearly not of desert stock. "Why did you settle down here?"
"Sigh… it was the old adventuring life, you see. That's how I met the mother of my children, and well, once that happened, there was no leaving…"
Old Jeffa laughed heartily. Though his face had an honest, guileless look to it, it couldn't quite conceal the cunning glint in his eyes.
"So, how about it? Out of fellow southerner luck, I can knock ten gold kro off the price for you — the Goddess of Fortune herself smiles upon you…"
"Let me take a look first…" Raylin's expression showed a hint of interest as he crouched down in front of the stall.
"Are these all from those ruins?" The old man had spread out all manner of golden trinkets on a greasy black cloth, some of them coated with a layer of rust and dirt — they really did look the part.
Unfortunately, ever since his talent had evolved and he'd gained Legendary-level Encyclopedic Knowledge, Raylin's Appraisal had long since reached its maximum level. Combined with Chip, his vast database, he spotted the flaws at a single glance.
Those so-called ancient relics were all counterfeits.
"Mm! They really do look quite nice. Perhaps I could hang them on my walls back home as decorations…"
Raylin picked up a golden mask carved in the shape of a cobra and offered a casual remark.
"Of course! Of course! A distinguished guest like yourself — how could your collection room possibly be without a proper piece from the ancient ruins?"
Old Jeffa's face crinkled into a beaming grin.
"This one… this one, and this one — I'll take them all…" Raylin was playing the part of a gullible noble to perfection. He picked out seven or eight items in quick succession, and Jeffa looked ready to split his face from grinning so wide.
"And these, these…"
Raylin's hands swept back and forth across the stall, selecting nearly every last item on display.
"Old Jeffa's hit the jackpot now…" The surrounding vendors all stared at Jeffa with envious eyes.
"I'll take all of these as well. Hmm… though carrying them all might be a bit troublesome…" A hint of difficulty crossed Raylin's face.
"No trouble at all! Not the slightest bit of trouble!"
Old Jeffa's hands moved with astonishing speed, swiftly removing the few items Raylin hadn't chosen with the dexterity of a seasoned high-level rogue. Then he gathered up the four corners of the cloth and tied everything into a large bundle in the blink of an eye. "How about that? See? Easy as anything. I can even have it delivered straight to your inn…"
Old Jeffa wore an ingratiating grin on his face: "One thousand three hundred and seventy-two gold croons in total — I've even rounded down the change for you..."
"These..." Raylin played the part of a wealthy mark perfectly. "Fine! Do you accept notes from the Temple of Wealth here, or should I take you to get the gold coins myself?"
……
The Lady of Wealth claimed to have established Temples of Wealth in every marketplace across the continent, and naturally she wouldn't overlook a market as vast as the Western Desert. There was even a dedicated temple in the small town specifically serving merchants.
After stepping out of the temple, Raylin quickly sent the profusely grateful Old Jeffa on his way, then ducked into a quiet corner of the street.
"Who would've thought those stall vendors actually had some genuinely good things on hand..."
Clatter! Clatter! Raylin flipped open the large bundle in his hands, and all the gilded fake relic pieces scattered across the ground like so much garbage.
"A legendary-grade magical beast hide — and it seems to have something else inscribed on it..."
At this moment, Raylin was staring intently at the black, greasy stall cloth in his hands, a flickering azure-blue glow dancing in his eyes.
Yes, what he truly valued was this very piece of cloth that the other party had been using as a table covering.
"I wonder how this beast hide ended up in his hands in the first place. Could it be that Jeffa really was an adventurer once?"
Raylin stroked his chin, though he didn't dwell on the matter. Since he'd already paid for it, the item was his. How Jeffa had obtained it was none of his concern.
"Hmm! Even the material of this hide alone is more than worth the price. As for the information hidden within it, I'll need the Chip to decrypt it..."
Raylin was well aware of the Western Desert's history.
In truth, this region had once been the heartland of the Arcane Magus Empire. During the era of Nether Arcane magic, it had been immeasurably prosperous, boasting beautiful and bountiful lands with a vast population.
Sadly, with the fall of the Nether Arcane Empire, followed by waves of prolonged warfare and even the intervention of the gods themselves, the Western Desert had been reduced to complete desolation.
Otherwise, why would that arcane magus performing an extradimensional leap have chosen to anchor his floating city here?
"Judging by the cipher-lock structure, it doesn't appear to be something left behind by an Arcane Magus, but it still carries traces of extraordinary power... it may even contain all the secrets of a lost civilization..."
Raylin's eyes grew ever brighter with excitement.
If Jeffa ever learned the secret of this beast hide, the man would probably be so wracked with regret that he'd smash his own head against a wall.
In any case, Raylin was in a splendid mood after obtaining his treasure. After stepping out of the corner, he took even more care in examining the items on display.
With his experience and knowledge, naturally nothing of value could escape his notice.
Unfortunately, the only truly excellent item was the one he had just found. Nothing else that followed managed to catch Raylin's eye.
……
"Woo... help us, someone please help us..."
At this moment, a burst of crying attracted Raylin's attention, drawing him forward. The flow of people ahead had abruptly formed a dense circle, with noisy clamor rising from its center. Intrigued, Raylin moved closer.
In the center of the crowd lay a collapsed adventurer, with a weeping little girl beside him.
The adventurer's face was weathered, suggesting he was no longer young. His lips were currently purplish-blue, clearly the result of a sudden illness.
"Uncle! Uncle, wake up..." The girl's cries seemed so helpless under the gaze of the surrounding onlookers.
"It must be poison. There are many venomous creatures near the desert..."
An experienced mercenary stepped forward, feeling the neck of the fallen adventurer, then checking his eyes. "I'm afraid I can't do anything about it unless there's a specific antidote. Do you know what poison he was afflicted with?"
"I... I don't know. Vivian is so useless, woo... Uncle..."
The little girl froze for a moment upon hearing this, then her crying grew even more sorrowful.
"Sigh... under these circumstances, unless a high-ranking priest happens to pass by and is willing to cast the [Advanced Antidote Technique], otherwise..."
The adventurer scanned the crowd. "Is any of you a high-ranking priest?"
The onlookers immediately backed away, clearly unwilling to involve themselves in any trouble.
If a death occurred, the guard patrol would arrive swiftly. Merely being summoned for questioning would consume considerable time, and they might even face extortion from those shameless jailers and officials. The crowd rapidly thinned, growing sparse.
Pedestrians bustled about, turning a blind eye to the adventurer barely clinging to life and the crying little girl on the ground. The air was thick with indifference.
"Little sister, we should think of another way... at the very least, find an inn or something..."
The mercenary's face also held a troubled expression. He had clearly noticed his companion's impatient urging, but his words trailed off as he realized no inn would take in a dying adventurer who would want to bring trouble upon themselves.
"Ugh..."
The mercenary's face was also bitter as he thought of this. He placed a small pouch of copper coins before the crying little girl. "Take this and give your uncle a proper burial!"
Then he turned and walked away quickly, as though he feared something.