Seeing the items piling higher and higher on the counter, the man's lips trembled slightly as he said, word by word, “My Lady, are you sure you didn't come here to rob our Crafters' Association?”
“Huh...? I just wanted to exchange them for some money.” Celia was left utterly bewildered by his question.
How strange. Weren't these just a baron's collectibles? You can't even afford this much...? The Crafters' Association is way too poor!
Once he confirmed she really only wanted to exchange them for money, the man wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He quickly squeezed out a smile and said with forced composure, “My Lady, to tell you the truth, we really cannot produce this much cash right now. How about you exchange a portion first? I will consult with our headquarters in the Northern Territory, and once they authorize the funds, I will pay you the remainder. What do you think?”
“Mhm, what do you have here?” Celia asked.
“We have a selection of finely crafted tools and enchanted weapons...”
As he spoke, he turned around solemnly, used a key to unlock a heavy oak chest, and pulled out a pickaxe and a longsword.
“For instance, this Mithril Pickaxe, which greatly improves mining efficiency, and this Blazing Longsword, which comes with a burning effect. Both were forged by our well-known local craftsmen and are exceptionally durable.”
What would she even do with these things?
A miner Saintess? A combat Saintess? No matter how she thought about it, it just didn't sound right!
Seeing the look on Celia's face, he hurriedly reached deeper into the chest and pulled out a dark-gold mechanical hand crossbow.
“This hand crossbow fires bolts that can trigger explosions. Its power is enough to pierce the armor of an ordinary knight, and it is compact and easily concealed—perfect for a lady like you to protect yourself,” he explained.
This one is actually not bad. I can use it to ambush people from the shadows, and it works for self-defense, Celia thought.
“How effective is it against Beyonders?” Celia asked.
“It is highly effective against Beyonders who lack defensive measures, though it might be weaker against those with armor or physical enhancements. For instance, once a Beyonder of the Knight pathway activates their 'Iron Body,' the bolts will only leave scorch marks on their skin.”
“Alright, I'll take this one. Do you have any other good things?”
Hearing this, the man let out a sigh of relief. He retrieved a wooden box from under the counter and introduced, “Inside this box are some sigils. We have Crafter's Sigils, Protection Sigils, Petrification Sigils...”
“What are their effects?”
Taking the sigils out of the wooden box, the man lined them up and patiently explained:
“As for the Crafter's Sigil, placing it on an object can block an attack from a Rank One Beyonder, but it requires ten minutes to stabilize.”
“The Protection Sigil can make one's skin as hard as metal and stone, making it difficult to pierce with swords. It takes effect immediately once applied to yourself and lasts for three minutes.”
“The Petrification Sigil, when applied to an opponent, can petrify them for a short time and restrict their movement. The duration of the restraint varies depending on the target's strength or rank. While they are petrified, it is very difficult to break through that layer of stone casing without a highly destructive weapon.”
“Alright, then give me a few of each!” Celia's eyes lit up, her voice filled with anticipation and eagerness.
She figured that if she had enough Petrification Sigils, she could keep an enemy pinned down indefinitely while she sat nearby drinking milk.
Just thinking about that scene made her feel wonderful!
Just then, the man slid a piece of parchment in front of her, pointed to the blank space at the bottom, and said, “We will deliver the remaining money from your purchase within the next two days. Could you please write down the delivery location here?”
“Oh, oh, alright,” Celia replied instinctively.
A delivery location... Come to think of it, she didn't really have a suitable place. Sending it directly to her residence was definitely out of the question—what if she got discovered?
Well, she might as well have it delivered to that divination shop in the black market. That kind owner probably wouldn't mind too much!
...
When she stepped out of the shop, dawn was just breaking. Estimating that the time for morning prayers was fast approaching, Celia silently quickened her pace.
Passing through a long, narrow back alley, she arrived at a dark, gloomy street. The street was empty, with almost no one in sight.
This long street was called Lightless Street. It rarely received any sunlight and was barely under the jurisdiction of either the Knight Guard or the Church, but it was the only route connecting Amber Alley to the cathedral.
After walking along this street for about seven or eight minutes, Celia felt something was off.
How strange. I've been walking for so long, so why haven't I seen a single soul?
There were clearly plenty of people on the street when I came earlier, so why are they all gone now?
Did they go to morning prayers?
As she pondered, Celia looked around.
The buildings on both sides huddled together in a chaotic jumble of varying heights. Strangely, they blocked out the daylight perfectly, casting a gloomy gray shroud over the entire street.
Only a few scattered houses around still had faint lights burning, resembling eyes peeping from the shadows. It felt eerie and frightening, causing Celia to tighten her grip on her black robe.
Drip... drop...
Just then, a dripping sound echoed from out of nowhere, spreading through the empty, wide street.
She instinctively stopped and listened closely. The sound seemed to come from far away, yet it also felt like it was right next to her.
Drip... drop...
Another dripping sound echoed, rippling outward and lingering around Celia's ears, growing clearer and clearer...
At the same time, she suddenly sensed a gaze staring at her from behind.
Hiss... I'd better get out of here quickly.
Celia did not linger. She pulled the newly purchased hand crossbow from her black robe and walked forward without looking back.
However, after only a few steps, she noticed something was wrong again.
Looking ahead, the path seemed to grow darker and longer, as if it were endless...
Just then, a bizarre nursery rhyme suddenly echoed from the dimly lit houses around her:
“Peel the tongue, feed the shadow!”
“Gouge the eyes, return them to the mirror!”
“He said not to make a sound, for someone is sleeping in the wall to listen!”
“Shh, someone is listening!”
What on earth is that! A chill ran down Celia's spine.
However, the nursery rhyme came and went quickly, as if it were sung solely to scare her. This allowed her to breathe a small sigh of relief.
Yet shortly after she relaxed, the sound of footsteps suddenly rang out behind her. Coming from a distance, they were gradually drawing closer!
“Thud, thud!”
Celia's body stiffened, her muscles tensing once more. She whipped around to look...
But there was no one behind her, only a thick, boundless darkness...
What's going on? Was someone following me just now?
With one hand, Celia tightly gripped her newly bought hand crossbow, while her other hand had already stealthily slapped the Protection Sigil onto herself.
Celia was fully on guard, ready to fire a bolt at any second.
But the footsteps seemed to have vanished. Even after what felt like a very long time, Celia did not hear them again.
Was it just my imagination? Was there actually no one there?
She turned back around and continued forward, instinctively quickening her pace.
“Thud, thud!”
Before she had gone far, the footsteps behind her rang out once more, and they were even closer than before!
There is definitely someone behind me!
Who on earth are they?
Come to think of it, to be able to hide their presence and appear in such a bizarre and eerie manner, could they be a Beyonder? If so, which pathway do they belong to?
And how did they spot me? I'm clearly wearing the concealment black robe!
Whatever. No matter what, let's test the waters first!
She deliberately stopped, pretending to catch her breath.
“Thud, thud, thud!”
Right at that moment, the footsteps sounded again, this time right behind her back!
She whipped around and instantly fired a bolt, which traced an arc through the air.
Boom! An explosion instantly erupted on the ground.
A miss... Cold sweat broke out on Celia's forehead.
To be able to hide their presence, see through my concealment, and quickly dodge my attack... is it some kind of stealth ability?
This hiding ability seems somewhat similar to my black robe. Could there be a connection?
The Notes of Destiny mentioned before that the concealment black robe is a spiritual item from the Silent Order. Could the other party be from the Silent Order? It's hard to say.
But even if they can hide their presence, they can't completely vanish.
Since I can't hit them on this wide street, what if I duck into a narrow alley...?
That would restrict their space to move.
With this thought, she feigned raising her crossbow to aim forward again, while actually using her peripheral vision to scan the surroundings. About thirty paces to her right was the entrance to a narrow alley.
She took a deep breath, preparing to sprint toward that shadow with all her might. Yet after only a few steps, the footsteps behind her gradually grew distant, fading bit by bit until they vanished completely...
They didn't pursue? Why?
Did they guess my intentions?
She pressed a hand to her rising and falling chest, trying to calm her heart.
Just then, she realized that the street, which should have been dark, had returned to its normal, clear state.
Rate on N.U.
