Because of the Alien Eye, Jon was brought to this world and was forced to leave his family behind.
During Angor’s childhood, he would occasionally see his teacher waking up crying after having bad dreams. By buying the Dream Weaver, he also wanted to ease Jon’s mental stress even if just a little.
The trader meeting was still going, and people were slowly warming up to each other.
Angor also noticed that each time a newcomer spoke, the others would grow more interested because it was relatively easy to “scam” information out of them. People hoped that they could find another idiot who would reveal the secret of an energy stabilizer.
Currently, one such “newcomer” was speaking his offer.
Viking from Valley of Breeze.
Many magazines had placed his bizarre story in their main sections, so even if he tried to conceal his identity, this man without legs would be easy to recognize. Anyone who ever heard about the garden challenge would know his name.
“I didn’t come here to tell knowledge. I heard that one of you is a Karabit,” Viking said while looking around the meeting hall.
Karabits usually looked very similar to ordinary humans, so it wasn’t easy to tell by their looks. When Viking saw no clues among the participants, he continued, “I wish to negotiate a trade with you so that I can hopefully buy a pair of legs I can use. As for my price... trust me, contact me first and I’ll give you something satisfying.”
With that, Viking sat down and remained quiet.
Lantis didn’t look happy when someone openly used the meeting for real money trading. Even so, something told him that Viking was not someone to be messed with, so he chose to stay still.
Angor carefully watched and saw more than one individual operating their transmitter. It seemed that there were many Karabits that were attending the meeting today.
There were few Karabits in the southern wizarding region, while the majority of this race was scattered all over other faraway planes. Karabits were known to be fond of performing biological researches and body modifications. This was why Viking anxiously wanted to come here as soon as he received clues that a Karabit was attending the Astute Guild meeting.
Instead of choosing a place outside, Viking joined several men in black robes and went inside a private compartment.
As more people found their customers and went into the private rooms, the number of people inside the main meeting hall was quickly decreasing. Angor intentionally chose to sit near the end of the queue, but it seemed his turn came earlier than he expected.
“I need a coil of Abyss Wyvern Veins. If you have it for trade, tell me your price and I’ll see if I can accept it.”
As soon as he sat down, he saw “Room 17” showing up on his transmitter. At the same time, a figure left their seat and headed to the said room while Angor quickly followed behind.
This room was also enhanced by an expansion rune, so it appeared bigger on the inside. Apart from seats and tables, there were two cups of hot tea that was still releasing white vapor into the room.
Angor carefully examined the woman who closed the door behind them.
The woman had clean, short red hair, and a leather overcoat. Angor couldn’t see her face because of a strange mask that looked like a smiling monster.
After tending to the door, she walked to the center of the room on swift steps. She then unfolded something on her leg, which looked like a whip, and slapped it on the table.
“Abyss Wyvern Vein. Check it,” she said briefly and in clear words, which fit well with her adequate, trained body shape.
“You’re not worried that I’ll take it and duck?” Angor picked up the object.
“Nah. I don’t think the famous Mister Padt will do that,” the woman said. She sat on a bench as if she couldn’t care less about what happened next.
Angor wasn’t surprised that the woman revealed his name. Lantis could have told others about him. Yet he felt rather comfortable when someone addressed him as “Mister Padt” and not “Sunders’ student”.
Angor finished his examination soon. “Good, a fine specimen.”
Without retrieving the item, the woman asked from where she was sitting, “So, shall we talk about the price?”
“Sure. What do you need?”
The woman chuckled and moved closer to Angor’s ear. “I need you to craft something for me...”
...
A moment later, the woman left the private room while Angor remained behind as he looked at the Abyss Wyvern Vein and a trimmed scroll placed on the table.
He tried unfolding the scroll just a little and immediately saw something blood-red contained inside.
Then he scrolled it up again. The woman told him NOT to open the scroll in public. Even though he didn’t know why, he would follow the rules they agreed upon.
After placing both items inside his bracelet, he slowly stepped out of the room. In that instant, he accidentally bumped into someone who just came out of the neighboring room.
“Excuse me,” he apologized out of instinct.
The other man left without saying anything.
The person who was still inside the neighboring room heard Angor’s voice and quickly rushed outside. However, he did not see Angor.
Was that...?
“Did you change your mind, Viking? Do you want to take Volta’s ‘leg’? Come on, that snake tail looks so awful.” Another strange voice could be heard from inside the compartment.
It was Viking who just heard Angor’s voice. A Karabit named Volta offered him the tail of a great serpent, which looked pretty powerful. Despite that, if he chose to use it, it would render his Bloodline spells useless. After some consideration, Viking rejected the offer and continued to talk to the last Karabit in the room.
It was then that he recognized the voice of the young man who was speaking right in front of the door. It sounded the same as the one who saved him in the purification garden.
Angor said he was “a stranger”. Yet to Viking, he was a god-send lifesaver. Naturally, Viking was surprised to find his savior at this strange meeting.
“Are you with me or not, Viking? Get in here!” the impatient Karabit yelled again.
Viking looked for a little longer and still couldn’t see anyone. He assumed that whoever was using a room to the left of the current one was recorded by Astute Alchemy Guild, and he had a chance to ask about it later.
Angor prepared to leave the building since he no longer had anything else to do here. Lantis came to him and invited him to join their alchemy group, but Angor didn’t mind him.
He wanted to leave as fast as possible because he always felt as if someone were staring at his back with a cruel intention.
...
Inside an underground cave beneath Astute Alchemy Guild, a woman in a shiny, gold-rimmed priestess robe knelt in front of a lump of swirling black substance that looked like a black hole.
One would find nothing more than mysterious evil when looking at the strange presence.
“Is that young one good enough, Master?” The woman’s voice sounded sharp and unpleasant to the ears.
A single, blood-red eye emerged from the “black hole”, while a distant voice directly traveled inside the woman’s brain:
“Leave him... he’s already been marked.”
In order to maintain its mighty image, the black hole did not tell its servant that the mark on Angor’s soul was beyond terrifying.
...
Angor headed to Fingernail next.
From a distance, he saw the shop still brightly lit, and the same sandalwood puppet was diligently doing its guard job by standing there like a dead tree.
Without getting registered by the shop, Angor thought he needed to answer some questions again, which did not happen—the puppet guard moved aside and welcomed him inside.
Puzzled, Angor entered through the door and noticed that there was only Granny Fingernail alone in the shop—probably because most alchemists were attending the meeting.
“Good evening, ma’am. Did you remove the entry quiz?”
“No, of course,” the old woman answered as she looked up.
“Then—”
“I told the puppet to remember you,” Granny Fingernail said. When she saw Angor still confused, she chuckled. “Just to make it convenient for you. Besides, you seem like a lovely shopper, boy.”
Angor’s lips twitched, but he didn’t say anything.
“Do you need more materials?”
Angor shook his head. “I told someone to meet up with me here. May I?”
“Oh ho... it means you found something good at the meeting? Sure, as long as whoever that accepted your invitation passes the quiz.”
While waiting, Angor sat at a sofa and readied his paper and quill. He was working on a magic formula for Disintegrate, about which he almost completed.
By the time he had completely figured out the correct cantrip model, the door of the shop was pushed open.