Underground Street, Black Material Shop.
"Hm... your 'in a couple of days' really came fast."
"It seems we just met a few hours ago."
Old Kumu looked at the magic gold Tuck presented, his face beaming with joy.
Every time he saw the thick, heavy luster of the magic gold, Old Kumu always felt he had grown several years younger.
"Do you have a reliable alchemist?"
Tuck lowered his voice.
"The reliability depends on the amount of your magic gold." Feeling the business coming his way, Old Kumu was much invigorated.
"A second-rank alchemist robe with some damage, retaining the original shield attribute plus adding some Origin Energy recovery materials." Tuck slowly began, lost in thought.
"Re-forging and enhancing a second-rank transcendent equipment don't come cheap."
"Just the repair alone would cost no less than 10 magic gold."
"The materials, that's extra."
"15 magic gold for the Origin Energy recovery materials, a total of 25 magic gold." Tuck stated his acceptable range.
Although it's a bit expensive, it wins in safety.
"No problem!" Old Kumu agreed promptly.
Underground Street in Ramore Tower City-State, the spontaneously formed gray industry chain, of which Old Kumu was a part.
[Alchemist Robe]s are more for assisting with precision control of Origin Energy and for storing Origin Energy to form shields.
And the [Wizard's Robe]s are more about helping wizards speed up the absorption of Origin Energy and assisting them with the initial refinement of Origin Energy.
Is it possible to want both the shield and precision control of the alchemist robe, as well as the accelerated absorption and refinement of Origin Energy?
Of course, it is possible.
However, you'd have to pay extra!
And the more you pay, the better the effect.
Even in the Transcendent World.
"Money Capacity" still works!
Once the transaction was completed, Tuck was about to stand up and leave when Old Kumu called out to him.
"Tuck, have you heard about it?"
"What?" Tuck was taken aback.
"The Underground Demon King's Treasures! That's a big deal."
Old Kumu said excitedly.
"Everyone's talking about it now; you can't be unaware of it!"
"Although High Tower has locked down the news, it still got out."
"No idea which audacious tomb robber actually dug up to the Demon King's Tomb treasures."
"And they even made a huge hole in the Door of Seal at the Demon King's Tomb."
"Now, everyone is grouping together, intending to go to the underground Demon King Seal area."
"Even if they don't go to that breached Sealed Door, the other sealed doors are also quite appealing."
"You... aren't going?"
After some thought, Tuck said seriously,
"I'm not interested in treasures!"
Then he left without looking back, quite resolutely!
"Not interested in treasures?"
Old Kumu stroked his graying stubble.
"When did this kid change his ways?"
"Strange!"
…
The Dark Sun slowly rose higher.
The blood-red luster gradually thinned out.
But walking on the streets, it was still very cold.
Originally, Tuck planned to rush towards the outskirts of the High Tower Area.
But seeing those pointed, tall roofs exposed under the sunlight in the "Bunker Area"
Tuck decided to detour back the original road, perhaps he might discover something.
"It seems the affair has indeed been exposed, or rather, it was never going to be kept under wraps."
"Carlos must have been locked up by his sister by now."
"Otherwise... with his temperament, when the Dark Sun rose, he would definitely be at the Gryphon Cave Tavern gathering people for a new expedition."
"And... the Gryphon Cave Tavern is not guarded by High Tower personnel."
"At least, the kid and his sister didn't rat me out."
"They're still quite loyal."
"As for the Demon King Tomb Seal matter as long as I don't cause trouble, I am basically in the clear."
Putting the Demon King's Seal Tomb matter aside.
Tuck lifted his gaze to the high, twisted traces of the building's sharp eaves.
The original houses were not like this.
But when the Undercurrent came, many things came to life.
Or rather, the residual light of the Dark Sun subtly reshaped the world's ecology.
Apart from the ecology within the range of the transcendent Steam Cocoon emitted by the roaring Steam Tower which still falls within human understanding.
Everything deep within the Undercurrent is challenging humanity's perception.
And after the Undercurrent disperses.
This subtly twisted, yet exceptionally sturdy and unique architectural style has been preserved.
And this also formed a unique architectural style.
It also has a very nice name—Ash Gothic style!
In the Bunker Area, these buildings rising three to four stories high along with the bunker have been bought by many merchants.
They use them as stopover points for entering and exiting the High Tower City-State as well as warehouses.
The rumbling of carriage wheels is a constant sound on the broad streets.
Tuck, like a minstrel, walks under the blood-red sunlight, weaving through the clusters of Ash Gothic-style buildings.
Sometimes he stops to watch, sometimes he ponders, and at times he gains enlightenment.
Soon.
Tuck stops at a crossroads that symbolizes a meeting of fates.
"Clip-clop, clip-clop..."
A particularly majestic and sturdy Black Tooth Horse, as dark as thick ink throughout, pulls a very spacious four-wheeled carriage to a stop at the intersection.
Although the carriage body and curtains shrouded the inside thoroughly,
Tuck still had a clear view of the inside.
A middle-aged wizard at the peak of his vitality, experience, capabilities, and strength.
A young man about Tuck's age.
Also a wizard.
And moreover, a wizard with bloodline powers.
His Transcendent equipment alone might rival all of Tuck's attire, perhaps even more valuable.
"A Money-Powered Youngster from a Wizard Family!" Tuck mutters to himself.
There are no other carriages at the crossroads.
But the Black Tooth Horse has stopped nonetheless.
Seemingly waiting for something.
"Level 29, possessing astonishingly tough physique and plenty of stamina."
"If it were to become a sheep, becoming a black mountain goat would be best. In the deep wilderness, a goat is one of the best mounts."
Tuck's gaze rests on the Black Tooth Horse, seeing it all in vivid detail.
The horse seems to feel Tuck's appraisal.
The Black Tooth Horse looks back at Tuck.
"This is bad..." Tuck mutters under his breath, sensing trouble.
And sure enough,
the moment the Black Tooth Horse meets Tuck's gaze, it raises its head high, shakes its sleek black mane vigorously, and then snorts disdainfully.
"To think I've been looked down upon by a horse."
Tuck's face is lined with embarrassment.
As a carnivorous and ferocious breed, Black Tooth Horses possess the ability to discern levels through eye contact.
If your level is higher than the horse's, you are worthy of riding it.
But if your level is lower,
I'm sorry,
you can forget about riding it—in fact, you might even be subject to a level-based disdain.
Inside a building near the crossroads,
a plump girl with fair skin wearing a light yellow dress witnesses this scene and giggles, covering her mouth.
"How amusing, that wizard just got looked down upon by a horse."
"Oh dear... I was almost caught in a stare down with that Black Tooth Horse too."
"If it saw my level, I would have been looked down upon as well."
The girl hastens to block the view of the Black Tooth Horse at the crossroads with her slender palm.
She is a wizard too.
On the other side,
behind the attic window of a fortress's top floor,
a youth wearing a black Wizard Robe with a sullen face and a black Rune marked on his forehead,
stands as still as a statue, quietly watching all of this.
A wealthy young man from a Wizard Family.
An impoverished wizard who stands out on the roadside of the Bunker Area.
And that girl, with her surprising development.
All these scenes are perfectly captured in the mind of the youth.
And he, too, is a wizard.
Soon!
The clip-clop of hooves resounds again as the haughty Black Tooth Horse carries its master away.
The girl closes her curtain too.
The attic youth turns his attention elsewhere.
A small, unexpected gathering comes to a close with this.
Feeling that the insights, gazes, and perceptions have all departed from him,
Tuck rubs his forehead by the roadside.
But beneath his shielding hand lies the corner of Tuck's mouth, curled into a smile.
The blood-colored morning light filters through the gaps between his fingers, casting upon Tuck's pupils the very face he seeks.
"Hello, A Grade Genius!"
"Hmm... quite a nice encounter."
"I hope I've left a good impression on you!"