As he passed by a stall, he quickly bought an E-map, as he didn't remember each and every corner of the market.
No... it was right to say the whole market wasn't as detailed as it was now; in the game, only a few background shops, stalls, and important buildings existed, which would influence the plot.
But now everyone had their own consciousness.
He wandered through the market ahead, trying to find the building he wanted to go to, but his attention was caught by a small booth where an assortment of glass vials gleamed continuously.
One vial in particular held a dark, swirling fluid that shimmered with a hint of crimson.
"Ah! You've got a good eye, kid! The demon remnant container," said a middle-aged woman, her eyes glinting with enthusiasm.
"What's the deal with this?" Zuxe asked, lifting the vial to inspect it; somehow, he felt a familiar sensation holding it.
"Looks like something I'd find in a horror movie."
The woman chuckled, leaning in. "This bottle contains the residual essence of an exorcised demon.
When you devour this, it boosts your physical and soul essence level by letting you absorb remnants of their power."
'Hmm... so it's basically a portable EXP container, which I can use to level up anytime. This wasn't in the game... but it could be pretty useful,' Zuxe pondered as he continued to speak, grinning.
"Cool! So it's basically like demon juice for power, right?"
He peeked, placing his hand underneath his chin.
"But why hasn't anyone bought it yet... no, why are you even selling it? From its use, it sounds like it can be found anywhere, no?"
Her smile faded slightly as she replied, "Well... it can be, but not this one... this is different."
Locking her eyes with Zuxe, she continued, "Look, during an exorcism, demon hunters extract a portion of a demon's essence when it's forced out. Then that essence is stored in containers for selling or saving it for emergencies.
But... this one is from a higher demon."
A faint chill ran down Zuxe's spine hearing those words, as even in the game, Cyrus, at the age of sixteen, was only able to go toe-to-toe with a higher demon and kill it with desperate efforts.
"And you may know we, the demon hunters, currently don't have any techniques to completely exorcise a higher demon or more, although they are partially exorcised.
The essence which is extracted from a partially exorcised demon, not to mention of a higher demon, is not completely purified, unlike those who are completely exorcised.
The normal ones don't have any negative effects... but this one... it comes with life-threatening risks."
Zuxe gulped down his throat, interrogating, "...like what?"
Her tone grew serious, the air thick with tension.
"This essence is volatile; there is a 99 percent chance that your body will reject it. You're looking at full-on seizures, violent energy surges, or worse—permanent damage to your core, leaving you incapable of using soul essence for your whole life.
The few who used this essence reported hallucinations, where they started seeing demons' memories; almost all of them ended up trying to claw their eyes out.
So yeah, it comes with a price."
She concluded, but to lighten the mood, the woman said, "You're just a child; your soul essence is still shifting to its true nature. Give it a try if you don't care about your life much."
Zuxe also smirked. "Perfect. So it's either a one-way ticket to the death hospital or power—just what I needed: chaos in my already fucked-up life."
"Six hundred thousand Aether," the woman said, snapping two of her fingers outwards.
Zuxe leaned on the counter, speaking. "Six hundred thousand coins? For something that might fry my brain and leave me seeing demons, killing me later. You've got to be kidding, old woman."
The woman chuckled dryly. "This is actually a low price compared to what you will get from others."
The Arcane clan had no lack of wealth and resources, but that was not the case for Zuxe.
As he received whatever money he wanted from Mira because he wasn't allowed a budget by the clan elders responsible for managing the finance department.
Also, the amount he was asked was not an amount everyone could easily pay.
They had to be rich.
Filthy rich.
"Look, I am already halfway to losing my mind on a good day. I'll give you two hundred fifty thousand."
Zuxe shot back, flashing a grin.
"That won't even cover the cost of the container; I already knew how could a kid like you buy something so expensive," she argued.
Now it was a matter of his ego; he didn't like when she called him penniless indirectly.
The one who experienced luxury in his previous life, and in this world as well, but a bit differently.
"Fine, four hundred thousand. Give or take, but if I start talking to walls in public, I'm sending the bill your way."
He said, scanning what seemed like a QR code on the woman's phone, sending her the amount.
Grabbing the vial, he threw it in his space ring provided by Mira and walked away, completely satisfied with the purchase.
But he wasn't an idiot.
That essence was a last resort, meant only for moments when life and death hung in the air.
In such a situation, he would instantly use it, but until then it would be better if it remained in the space ring.
Opening the E-map, he looked for the location, which was also the main reason he came here.
Fortunately, he found another product worth his time and money.
The one he needed the most of all people in the world, according to him.
Walking straight for a while, he took a turn, revealing a narrow alleyway connecting to the other side of the market.
Crossing the alley, he scanned his surroundings, only to be surprised; his mouth left agape.
Unlike the previous side or area of the market, which was all messed up, shady traders, and bustling streets, that area was quite well maintained.
Massive, sleek buildings lined either side of the market, cobblestone roads, their facades polished and imposing, reflecting their wealth and power.
Stalls were organized neatly, the pathways were spotless, with careful greenery adding a touch of nature.
"HEY...." A VOICE CALLED OUT TO HIM.
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Guys, leave a review; it gives me motivation to think of something out of the blue, and yeah... ahmm... handle them nicely...