Chapter 209

Chapter 209

We approach the desert village and my eyes widen as I take in the view.

This place looks so alive...

There are kids playing and villagers buying and selling goods in the streets.

Mana crystals, potions, food, handmade clothing, and all kinds of other magical items fill the tables and tents that line the streets.

As soon as we approach, an older man greets us. He's no more than 160cm tall, wearing a pale red robe, and sporting a wide smile across his wrinkled face.

I use Inspect and Appraisal as he gets closer.

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[Lv. 271]

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Active Items:

[Robe of Protection] +100 Defense

[Enchanted Silver Ring] +40% Mental Strength

[Enchanted Salamander Leather Boots] +30% Speed +50% Fire Resistance

Active Skills:

Appraisal

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Once I see his Appraisal skill, I activate conceal to hide the majority of my abilities and rare items.

The man speaks up.

"Welcome outsiders. Please, do state your business."

With a kind look remaining on his face after the initial greeting, the old man's gaze scans over each of us. I watch his left eye twitch, but he keeps a cool and collected expression even after seeing some of my teammate's gear.

The man doesn't seem overly impressed. He is a pretty high level, after all, maybe he was a hunter in his younger years.

Arie speaks up.

"I'm a native, from a village right outside Solara. Just a few days from here by foot. These 3 are from outside the walls, but they're with me. We're just stopping by for the night on our way to visit my hometown. If you'll allow it, of course."

The dark-haired archer bows slightly, and the old man nods while clasping his hands together.

"Very well. If you're from inside the walls, you know the rules. Whatever trouble you make is on you."

He points off to one of the larger buildings in the town and continues to speak.

"I'm sure the mercenary guild has a few rooms available for you if need be. A hot meal too. If you can't afford it, there's work available for hunters of your caliber."

Arie raises his head and thanks the old man. Maria, Abby, and I walk by giving him polite nods, but not saying a word.

I whisper under my breath as we get further away.

"That went well..."

I look to my left and right, seeing the vendors at closer range.

There are all kinds of E and D class gear lining the tables and shelves of the wooden, fabric, and stone stalls. It looks like excellent quality.

There are large mana crystals glimmering bright pink out on wooden tables, and the rings, potions, and unique-looking artifacts are polished to look as good as new. It doesn't exactly match the rugged handmade quality of the town around us.

What's even more concerning is the lack of people buying this premium gear. The sellers all eye us as we walk by.

I speak up louder, so Arie can hear.

"Hey- where do all these items come from? Are there dungeons out here? Or special trade routes...? All this gear looks brand new, it's nicer than some of the stuff in the capital!"

My gaze finally leaves the pile of papers pinned to the wall when the bright flaming magic enters my field of view.

I swiftly turn my body around and hear the raspy voice of an arrogant-sounding desert rogue.

"How about this old man! Another one in the books, hand over the 27 silver haha! It only took me a few hours to take that beast down. A good day's work indeed."

A tall hunter with black slicked-back hair, a tight white shirt, golden jewelry, and very tan skin turns to show the room a toothy grin while he holds up a flickering Firestone in his right hand.

I use Inspect and Appraisal on him and the item in his hand.

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[Lv. 326]

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Active Items:

[Element Stone][Fire Aspect]

[Enchanted Boots] +35% Speed

[Enchanted Gold Ring] +50% Mental Strength

[Gold Necklace of Protection] +45% Defense

[Enchanted Gold Bracelet] +45% Mental Strength

Active Skills:

Combat Magic [Fire Summoning]

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An old white-haired man at the long wooden counter in the back of the guild room quickly rummages through items on the floor until he takes out a small humming containment tray.

The rugged hunter drops the flaming stone into the tray and It rattles, throwing sparks up in the air. The tray is clearly an old one and isn't doing a perfect job of keeping all the element-imbued mana contained.

I activate my All-Seeing Eye to watch large amounts of blood-red magic seep out.

The man at the back table begins to count out silver coins with his head down, not making eye contact with the rude hunter.

The moment he stops counting, the fire user grabs the coins and turns around to leave.

"Thanks, I'll be back to clear the highest bounty tomorrow too. Hopefully, there's another request for those fire stones, they're easy pickings. A great workout too!"

With a confident look across his face, the man puffs out his chest and starts walking through the crowd of wondering eyes.

A thin, younger looking light blond-haired man speaks up.

I can feel the tension in the room as he raises a hand and jumps in front of the large fire-wielding rogue's path.

"H-Hey sir, how much would it cost for you to clear the break? Y-You seem to be strong enough to do so, our village, a small one off to the east about 1km has been-"

He cuts off the frail man.

"Not for sale. This break is a cash cow! Haha!"

He smirks, pushing the scrawny man out of the way as he passes paying him no mind.

"I have 50, no 100 silver. Everything I have, think of the children in-"

The fire user swings open the guild's wooden doors and leaves without hearing another word.

There's an awkward silence in the air for a moment.

The blond-haired man looks down at the ground with a frown across his face. I feel bad for the guy for a moment, but the mood in the room quickly changes.

The chatter and laughter of other rogues and mercenaries starts to pick up again. I watch the older white-haired man at the front of the room wiping his forehead of sweat, then he puts on a smile.

The 4 of us take advantage of the situation and continue our walk through the guild. Now, with much less attention on us after that debacle.