Lunari Trade Group.
The night-shift front desk staff, not one dared to doze off as they usually might, striving to sit up straight and look diligently at work, fearing to provoke their currently furious boss.
"Damn it! Those people from Lanqi Artifacts actually managed to get a third-tier spell scroll. Where the hell did they get it from??"
"Lord Azno, I, I've heard rumors that a commoner genius emerged from the Royal Academy, discovered by Lanqi's people. That third-tier spell scroll was provided by that commoner student to Lanqi Artifacts."
"Genius? A commoner!? How did those people stumble upon such dumb luck!"
Azno, the leader of the trade group, had a strong frown on his face, which conveyed intimidation.
Their trade group had recently acquired a batch of decent merchandise and was planning to do business in the royal city. Now, Lanqi's auction tonight had stolen all their thunder.
When the quality of everyone's goods is more or less the same, a competitor unveiling an attention-grabbing gimmick means subsequent market share and sales will inevitably suppress theirs.
As Azno was stewing in frustration, the chime of a bell rang from the entrance of the trade group's store as a trio entered, walking into the shop.
The front desk staff, fearing reprimand from the boss, hurriedly approached to greet them.
"Good evening, sir. Welcome to the House of Lunari. How may I assist you today?"
"I have some items I'd like to pawn for cash" Reji stated bluntly.
"No problem sir. Please hand over the pawn items along with any related documents for identification, and our professional appraisers from Lunari Trade Group will evaluate them. You'll need to return to the House of Lunari about a day later for our valuation and to discuss final payment. If you're dissatisfied with our evaluation, you can also apply..."
Thud.
Before the staff could finish, Reji placed a crystal-clear amber gem on the counter, one of the many items prepared for him by Eileen during the rift chaos.
"No documents, on-the-spot assessment, on-the-spot transaction," Reji cut to the chase.
"Sir, this, this is against our policy, we..."
As the staff member was flustered, Azno emerged from the back of the shop. He waved his hand, signaling the other employees to step back and took it upon himself to handle Reji's case.
"What is your name, sir?"
Reji did not respond.
Seeing Reji's silence, Azno, as if accustomed to such situations, chuckled and did not press further. He carefully examined the amber gem Reji had placed on the counter, continuing, "If you're unwilling to reveal your name or provide documents, then I must assume this gem is illicit goods. But rest assured, our Lunari Trade Group always welcomes rare treasures, no matter their origin. We can pawn it for you, but the price... will have to be based on the market for illicit goods."
After giving Reji a heads-up, Azno didn't wait for the appraisal to come through.
As the boss of the trade group, he had a keen eye for value, which is why the more he examined the amber gemstone, the more astonished he felt deep inside.
Because of its color, texture, and the almost imperceptible level of impurities, the essence of this amber gemstone was unparalleled. The older an amber gemstone, the better its luster and texture, and the more stable its structure. Azno had once acquired a three-hundred-year-old amber gemstone, which he sold at auction for a staggering few hundred thousand gold coins.
After all, ancient amber gemstones are not just for decoration; they are precious materials for magic as well.
And now, the piece of amber in his hands, just by touching it, Azno could feel warm currents as if seeping into his body through his fingertips, nourishing his internal magic power. The impeccable quality was unprecedented, surely even older than the three-hundred-year piece he once had. 'I must get this gemstone!'
Azno suppressed the surprise and excitement in his heart, maintaining a composed exterior while attempting to gauge Reji's intentions. Unexpectedly, Reji, as if finding the process tedious, took out three or four more pieces of jade and crystal and placed them on the counter.
At this sight, even the seasoned Azno couldn't maintain his composure.
His eyes widened at the sight of these invaluable treasures, and the instant greed and desire in his gaze became impossible to conceal.
"Sir, your transaction volume is quite large, but rest assured, our Lunari Trade Group can handle it. However, please wait a moment while I go to prepare and consult in the back."
"You all, hurry up, prepare our best tea for the gentlemen!"
About ten minutes later, Azno hurried back, apologizing to Reji for the wait, then bowed and respectfully led Reji and his two companions away from the storefront to a secluded, high-end VIP room in the back for negotiations.
Reji said nothing, merely following Azno.
They exited through the back door of the shop, winding through a few turns, until they reached a quiet, deserted alley. Suddenly, Azno's figure flashed and disappeared around a corner.
Then, from all directions in the alley, about a dozen armed thugs quickly surrounded Reji and his companions.
Once Reji and the others were completely encircled and escape seemed impossible, Azno reappeared from a distance, this time accompanied by a young man dressed in a robe emblazoned with a sunflower pattern with a face full of arrogance.
"Lord Bru, look, this is it!"
Azno, in a sycophantic manner, presented the amber gemstone that Reji had brought for appraisal to the young mage.
Initially, Bru seemed annoyed by the late-night disturbance, yawning and displeased.
But upon seeing the clear amber gemstone, the young mage's demeanor changed instantly, mirroring Azno's initial surprise and greed.
"How about it, Lord Bru? I didn't lie to you, did I? And such treasures, these people have many more on them! I suspect they must be hiding even more, otherwise, they wouldn't have brought them out so readily and casually!"
Hearing Azno's words, Bru's eyes burned with even greater fervor.
He hummed lightly, his arrogant face finally turning towards Reji, and then, in a tone accustomed to unquestioned superiority, he gave Reji and his companions two options with a five-second time limit for consideration:
"First, disclose everything you know about these gemstones. Second, die."
If there's one thing that hasn't changed over a millennium, it's human nature. This scenario was all too familiar.
Reji's judgment was that the password was correct.
So, as a reward for correctness, " Sherman, have you secured our surroundings?"
'Sherman?'
'Who was he talking to?'
'Did he really think such a bluff would deceive me?'
Not just the young mage, but the surrounding thugs seemed almost amused by Reji's words.
Unfortunately, their laughter didn't last a second.
To their horror, they discovered that the smiles they wore froze on their faces, their twitching muscles turned to stone, their bodies seized by a peculiar stiffness, leaving only their eyes, wide with terror, darting about in panic.
That's when they observed that the alley had become completely covered with dark shadows.
Beneath their feet, behind them, pools of shadow as if coming to life, began to rapidly converge towards the center, eventually taking the form of a cloaked figure, kneeling before the young leader.
Reji had brought three apostles with him.
Though it seemed he was only accompanied by the Wisdom Demon and Sorcery Demon from the beginning, the Shadow Demon Sherman was also always there, merely hidden within the shadows, serving as his secret guard.
Sherman nodded to Reji, indicating that the surroundings were secure.
With that confirmation, Reji wasted no more words.
"Proceed"
The moment the command was issued, from behind the thugs and the mage named Bru, their own shadows transformed into sharp spikes that, in the next instant, thrust directly towards their hearts.
*Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!*
The quiet alley was simultaneously filled with the sounds of flesh being pierced, followed by the bodies, impaled from behind by shadow spikes, thudding to the ground.
A few thugs below level ten and a mage at level fifteen indeed couldn't even make a "battle scene" happen.