What item could be not just important, but sacred to two people? A shared painting, perhaps? Or the paired medallions often exchanged between military men?
Well, all of those things were possible, but something was so famous that even kids, especially girls dreamed of it.
It was the very thing Ethan was looking at now.
Above the white disk, floated a gold ring with exquisite engraving and an inlaid square blood ruby in a platinum socket. The ring was not fancy, but it showed that only a very important person was worthy of such a thing. Even the most skilled craftsman would take a long time to create this masterpiece.
[Cursed Ring of Holy Blessing]
Once you take the ring, you will have exactly seven days to find someone who will accept it. It must be someone with a pure enough heart and true desires. Otherwise, you will be cursed]
'Hm... There are no conditions on who will offer the ring as a gift, right? Well... Considering the letter, I think I should take the risk. Moreover, seven days, that's a whole week. It's quite possible I won't even make it that long in this chaos.' Ethan pondered for a moment before taking the ring from the disk.
Considering the price of the ring, Ethan didn't spend anything, on the contrary, he gained +1 point. Then, he looked to his right, at the item that had managed to catch his attention.
Forty minutes had passed since the gate had opened, and in that time Ethan had already examined most of the items. No one was bothering him, since he was the only one on the very last row. That wasn't surprising, considering the prices here.
Hovering over the red disk was a long black coat, with scarlet edges and metal rivets instead of buttons. The coat had a high collar, enough to hide part of the face, leaving only the eyes visible.
The coat couldn't fit Ethan, since it was about twice as big as he was, but that was easily fixed.
[Shadow Hermit Coat
An exquisite work by an unknown craftsman owned by a mysterious hermit. This coat could have attracted the attention of an astonished public, but instead, it was always in the shadows with its owner.
If desired, the wielder can activate this coat's ability [Shadow Step] to quickly move from one point to another.
A drop of blood will be enough to create a bond with the new master. The coat will take a suitable form].
The description was as appealing as the price of 8,500 points was discouraging. It was practically all Ethan had and without hesitation, he pulled the knife from his belt and left a thin cut on his palm.
A few drops of blood turned into trickles running down his palm, then he extended his hand, letting the drops fall onto the coat's sleeve.
At the same moment, his card shone brightly, with it disappearing almost the entire amount, then, the coat moved forward, soaring over Ethan.
For a while, the coat swayed from side to side, as if pondering something, just like a living person. Then, the coat shuddered, shrinking rapidly and covering Ethan.
Ethan slipped his hands into the sleeves, adjusted the collar, and grinned.
"Perfect. If I didn't know about its special feature, I'd think this coat was made especially for me." Ethan said contentedly.
[Attention!]
[Dimensional Market will be closed in 5 minutes! Everyone, please come to the arch! The gate will open in one minute!]
"Well, looks like the break is over, though something tells me that was just the beginning." Ethan looked up.
There was no sun in the Dimensional Market, just clouds and blue sky, but it was as bright as the middle of the day. However, in the real world, the sun had already gone down.
As soon as the voice sounded in people's heads, they immediately rushed to the arch, in droves. This place was no longer safe, so they wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
Ethan headed leisurely toward the front rows, and about halfway through he spotted Alisa. She was with a complicated expression, trying to choose between two rather similar objects, they were amulets. One was on a golden disk, the other on a white one.
"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Ethan asked without stopping his stride.
"Wait!" Alisa exclaimed, "Help me choose!"
"Hmm?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, "You don't have much time, you know?"
"Yes! Just speak your mind! This amulet is for protection!" Alisa pointed at the white disk, then she pointed her hand at the golden disk, "This one is for healing!"
Ethan nodded, "Take the protective one."
"Because it's better, right?" Alisa suggested in a thoughtful tone.
"I don't know which one is better." Ethan shrugged, then his gaze turned cold, "However if you're going to support the Angels, you'd better not expect anything from me. You'll only get the opposite."
Alisa flinched. It wasn't a threat, more like a warning, but it was enough to leave only one option left for Alisa.
She quickly took the amulet from the white disk, following Ethan.
The gate was already open, and people were coming through the passage at a rapid pace, pushing and even knocking each other down.
Ethan decided to take his time and just wait for the most fearful to get out. He was pretty sure the gate wouldn't close before the timer expired. It was against the rules.
"Well, well, I'm afraid to even ask how much that coat cost." Magnus smirked, walking over to Ethan. On his shoulder, he held a hammer, with a black hilt and red metal.
Ethan glanced at Magnus's new weapon and replied, "I could say the same about you. Apparently, this hammer was worth quite a bit."
Magnus showed a smirk, not saying anything else.
"You know... Earning points wasn't so easy." Another voice rang out. Magnus and Ethan turned around, meeting Maris's gaze.
It seemed that she didn't bother to spend her 5,000 points, but there was a triangular amulet hanging around her neck and two scarlet rings on her right hand. Obviously, not from this world.
"Oh, has Mrs. Famous One, decided to approach us?" Magnus arrogantly said.
"Enough of these silly jokes. You know I didn't choose this title. It's not my fault other people like me so much." Maris replied calmly.
Magnus leaned over, holding his chin with a predatory gaze, "Though I have to admit. Outwardly, you are actually perfect. At least to me."
Maris didn't react in any way to such a comment, she just looked at Ethan, "One opinion I've already gotten. What about you? Care to share? I'd be interested."
Ethan waved his hand, "You're perfect, there's no such thing. If your reputation and actions are flawless, then there's something fucked up going on in your head, and one day it's going to come out."
"What about the real perfection?" Magnus asked, raising his head.
"Well... Being perfect is a curse because you can't progress further... That's all I can say." Ethan sighed, heading towards the gate. Alisa and Magnus soon followed him, leaving Maris alone.
"So you think I'm crazy, right?" Maris muttered, staring at Ethan's retreating back, "Ironic to hear it from someone who cut off Angel's wings with an axe, someone who looks so much like us humans... Lying Monster."