Chapter 53 Hidden Master!

| Myriad Treasure Pavilion! |

"So this the place where Appraisers gather?" Jack gazed at what looked like the ancient version of a Mall approvingly.

He had come here for one and one reason only: to unlock his Fate abilities. The sooner he did it, the better he'd feel! He wouldn't rest before he at least got a lead!

This place was bustling with people yet had a mystical feel to it. Countless strange objects would find their way here, Mages haggling over them.

Some were very intriguing, to say the least…

"Is that an owl skeleton?… in a jar?!"

"Not just any owl skeleton, Customer! It was blessed by an avian god before its demise and contains traces of a wind spirit. Place it in your house for fresh airflow!"

Then next to it, there was a long scepter that seemed heavier than the largest of maces. "What about this thing? It looks a bit too heavy, doesn't it?"

"Oh, you have a discerning eye, Customer. This is a relic of the past. Back then, people were a little less... refined. This one is a Mystical Staff of Great Bashing!"

From weird armaments to artifacts to long-lost historical treasures, they had it all. Each item would have its own sticker slapped on it, showing the item prices.

It was akin to a bazaar, with most of the items being obscure and not necessarily that practical. There was also something else to note: each shop had its appraisers.

At times, competing shops could be seen arguing.

"You priced this at 34 gold? It's worth at least 35, you blind bastard!"

"Scoff, that's only because you don't know shit! 35 is far too much, 1 whole gold too much! Are you trying to cheat your customers?! I swear I'll report you to the Guards!"

Jack looked at it all happened with a wry smile. Was there really a need to fight over such little difference? Apparently, yes, and all the appraisers agreed.

He started looking at all the stalls as he activated his Fate Seeing-Eye. "C'mon, give me a clue." He was using his ability in a bid to improve that very same ability.

As for the results? They were pretty bad.

No matter where he looked, he'd mostly see a sea of bronze auras. Heck, even the most popular shops had Appraisers that looked amazing but barely glowed in his eyes.

Was this a situation of people using marketing to cover for lack of personal skills? He couldn't blame them as he had done the very same with his Divination Tent.

But just as he was about to give up, he finally noticed a shop that looked different from all the others. It stood alone in a corner and could only be called shady.

There was dust on all the shelves, and the owner wasn't even attending the counter. No, he was taking a nap behind it, his snores so loud that it made his stall neighbors frown.

As Jack approached, a bystander amicably spoke to him.

"Young man, you're wasting your time. This guy is the laziest shop owner ever. All he ever does is sleep all day, and he won't even answer customers. Still, that's not even the worst!"

The latter chuckled as he pointed at a Green Buddha statue, as dusty as the surroundings. On it was a price tag that read < Emblem of Fortune: 2337 Gold! > So expensive?!

Yet, this simply intrigued Jack even further.

He approached the thing, inspecting it from all angles. No matter how he looked, it was a worthless piece of Jade. At best, it had some aesthetic attributes.

As for his Fate vision? It revealed nothing at all, the shop not containing even a single item with even a bronze glow. How was this even possible?

​ Either those were actually great treasures… or maybe they were straight-up fakes? The signs nearby seemed to point to the whole thing being a scam for sure.

< You touch it, you buy it!>, < No return! I don't care!>, and < Any complaint? Get out of my shop!> It was a leading example of how to turn away customers!

The same customer from before chuckled as he read the signs too.

"He lost everything but this shop that belongs to him. He now lives here, not giving a hoot about anything else. After all, that's where his son used to—"

That's when a slipper landed straight on the man's face. The sleeping man had thrown it, only to return to sleep right after! What kind of skill was this?!

It seemed the gossiper was used to it, as he was already leaving the way he had come from, leaving Jack to wonder if he should address the sleeping owner.

"Kid, this guy's useless. There's no need to bother with him." The Old Ghost lowly remarked. But just as he was about to continue, the sleeping owner opened his eyes!

As he glanced at Jack, he seemed perplexed for a second, his gaze finally landing on the arm with which he carried the Ghost's Picture Book.

"So that's what it is? Young man, you should throw this vile thing away before it takes over your soul." He simply remarked before turning back into a sleeping position.

W-what?! What kind of bomb had this guy dropped on them?! Was he speaking out of past experiences, or had he somehow heard the Ghost and was just mad?!

Either way… how had he known?!

"Mister, could you please elaborate?" Jack earnestly asked. Except he was simply met with snores, the latter utterly disregarding him.

"Kid, he's obviously trying to mess with you. I bet it's all a plan for him to buy my vessel from you. He must have sensed how extraordinary I am!" The Old Ghost clamored.

Perhaps, but that still took skill! After all, to everyone else, it was nothing else than a mere Picture Book. He definitely needed to talk to this guy!

"Mister? Could we talk just a moment?" But every attempt was met with a cold shoulder. Not only that, but his time was also running out, and he was about to return to baby form.

Yet, the more Jack was ignored, the more his instinct screamed at him: "Hidden Master!" he wouldn't leave this guy alone!

Still, this would do for today. He now had a lead, at least! As for the ominous warning… he wouldn't let doubt poison his mind for now.

"Kid, are we good? You trust me, right?" The Ghost nervously asked.

"Trust? I know you're hiding plenty from me, and I also know the day you turn against me is the day you die. Other than that, yes, we're good!"

That's when the Old Ghost started laughing, impressed by his pupil's cool and collected attitude. "So, what are your plans now? The Fate thingy seems to be a dead end for now."

"Let's train magic some more, but that's not all. I think it's time I start training my body…."