After eating the delicious food, the two walked out of the restaurant contentedly, and Mike paid the bill in style. The sun shone on the busy streets, and the surroundings were still busy, with pedestrians coming and going, and the street vendors shouting one after another. Perry looked around and felt that this place was simply a small world completely different from the outside world.
The shops on both sides of the street were full of dazzling goods, each with its own unique characteristics. Some shops sold ordinary clothes and food, while others displayed extremely rare magical items. Many shops had huge signs hanging outside their doors, with names written in magical fonts, and the handwriting flashed faintly, such as "Magic Guide Shop", "Alchemy Grocery Shop", and several luxury shops with gorgeous carvings, specializing in jewelry and high-end items.
"Wow, the goods here are really varied." Perry couldn't help but sigh.
Mike smiled and patted his shoulder, saying, "It's rare to come here, let's go here and take a look." He casually pointed to a shop called "Comein Shop".
The store's appearance is low-key and exquisite. A magic lamp hangs at the door, and the soft silver light casts a warm and mysterious atmosphere around. As soon as Perry opened the door, he was immediately attracted by the store's furnishings. The counters and shelves are filled with all kinds of strange items, each of which flashes a unique light, as if they have some kind of vitality.
A small magic prop is displayed in front of the counter: a portable pot with magic runes engraved on it, marked as "Automatic heating pot-no fire source required"; next to it is a magic water bottle with a label that reads "Automatically purifies water source-suitable for outdoor adventures"; looking to the side, a peculiarly shaped wooden staff lies quietly in the display cabinet, marked as "Beginner Flame Staff-suitable for beginners".
"It really has everything." Perry exclaimed, and couldn't help but get closer to check the price. When his eyes fell on the label, he was instantly petrified.
"This knife costs 500 gold coins?! And a bottle of ordinary purified water costs 120 gold coins?!" Perry shouted, staring at Mike with wide eyes, his face full of disbelief.
Mike was amused by his reaction and almost couldn't stand. He covered his stomach and waved his hands and said, "My brother, this is Otonia after all. It is normal for the prices of goods to be higher. Of course, there are still cheap things."
Perry looked at a few more items unwillingly, but without exception, they were all marked with staggering prices. He muttered, "I thought many things would be cheaper."
Seeing this, Mike smiled and pushed him, saying, "Don't be discouraged. Although it's expensive, there are also many rare materials here that are hard to find in other places. For example, this." He said, pointing to a small box on the counter, which contained light golden powder and was marked as "Dragon Scale Spice-Suitable for advanced cooking or potion preparation."
Perry rolled his eyes when he saw the price: "5,000,000 gold coins? That's too outrageous!"
Mike shrugged: "You can't buy this kind of thing normally. It's great to see it here."
After the two left the store, they walked along the street for a few more laps. Perry had a deeper understanding of the prosperity of Otonia. The goods here are all incredibly expensive without exception. Even at the roadside snack stalls, a skewer of barbecue costs 30 gold coins. Perry wanted to try the normal barbecue, but gave up after taking a look at the price. After all, he doesn't have a job now and he doesn't want to use the gold coins he has now for unimportant things.
Just as he was complaining in his heart that this place was outrageous, Mike suddenly stopped in front of an inconspicuous stall. He bent down and looked through the items on the stall carefully, and whispered: "Perry, come and take a look at this."
Perry approached the stall and found some cheap-looking small items on it, such as worn-out bracelets, dull rings, and even a rusty badge. Mike picked out a small bottle, which contained a light blue liquid and was labeled "Basic Mana Restoration Agent - Suitable for Short-term Restoration".
"This is cheap, only 15 gold coins. Buy one bottle for backup." Mike said, taking out the gold coins and handing it to the stall owner. "Here, take it."
"Thank you." Perry took the small bottle, and when he left the stall, he couldn't help but look at the small bottle in his hand and muttered, "I really hope I can use this thing, otherwise these 15 gold coins will be wasted."
Mike smiled and patted him on the back: "What are you talking about, it's just a cheap thing."
The two continued to walk forward. The hustle and bustle on the street did not slow down their pace at all, but made Perry more curious about the city.
"Ah, did we forget Joyce?" Perry suddenly stopped and looked at Mike in astonishment.
"Oh, this one? "Mike looked up at the time on the clock tower in the distance, looking relaxed, "Don't worry, Joyce should have done his job."
"Huh? Joyce has something to do?" Perry frowned, thinking back to the past, "But he hasn't been here for so long, ah, did we forget to tell him where to gather, will he get lost and can't find us?"
Mike smiled and waved his hand: "Don't worry, that guy is the best at finding people. As for what he is going to do, of course he is going to get a permit to Mount Bidanea. This permit is not something that anyone can get casually, only Joyce's family with a business enterprise will have special treatment. "
"Is that so?" Perry was a little surprised. He didn't expect that he was quite reliable at such a critical moment.
Mike's eyes were attracted by a clothing store not far away. "Now, we still have some time, why not go in and take a look. "As he said that, he pulled Perry into the store.
The decoration of the store was extremely exquisite, and the bright magic lights sprinkled on the display cabinets, making all kinds of clothes look more dazzling. As soon as I entered the door, three beautiful shop assistants came to me. One of them was a human girl with big wavy hair and a sweet smile. She took the initiative to say: "Welcome, gentlemen, what do you want to choose?"
The other two clerks are twin cat orcs. They wear the same uniform, with a pair of fluffy cat ears on their heads, and their tails swing gently with their footsteps. They look particularly lively and cute. They also came forward enthusiastically, looking at Mike and Perry while smiling and entertaining them.
Perry immediately felt uncomfortable. Being stared at by three girls made him feel unnatural. There was even a faint blush on his face. He lowered his head, trying to hide his embarrassment, and said softly: "Well, let's just take a look..."
Mike, on the other hand, seemed calm and unhurried. He was already accustomed to this kind of enthusiasm. He even had a casual chat with the girl with wavy hair. Then he pointed to the display cabinet and said, "We need three warm coats."
"Oh?" Perry was stunned, raised his head and asked, "Why do you want to buy a coat all of a sudden? Is it cold on Mount Bidanea?"
Mike nodded with a very sure tone: "Yes, it's an extremely cold place there, especially in the high mountain areas, where the temperature will be even lower. Prepare warm clothes in advance, otherwise you won't be able to bear it."
"I see..." Perry looked thoughtfully at the coats hanging in the store, secretly thankful for Mike's attentiveness.
"Please follow me." The girl with wavy hair smiled slightly and led the two of them towards the display area. The twin cat orcs also introduced excitedly: "These are the latest coats this year. They are warm, lightweight, and made of waterproof magic fabric!"
"This is very suitable for hiking, and it can also resist the cold wind." One of the female cat beast clerks pointed to a dark blue coat, her voice was delicate and a little naughty.
"This one is not bad, the material is soft and very comfortable." Another cat girl pointed to a black coat and her tone was full of confidence.
Mike tried one of them on casually, then turned to look at Perry: "Just pick one, don't worry too much, it's for climbing after all, as long as it's warm enough."
Perry hesitated and finally chose a dark green coat. After trying it on, he found that the clothes were indeed very light and did not feel bulky when worn, and even had a slight warmth to them. He couldn't help but sigh: "How did you make this clothes? It's so thin, but it's so warm."
"This is made of magic fabric." One of the twins explained with a smile. "It is not only light and warm, but it can also automatically adjust the temperature in extremely cold environments."
"It sounds very high-end." Perry touched his sleeves and couldn't help but test it again, "But the price..."
Before he could finish speaking, Mike had already paid the money readily. He patted Perry on the shoulder: "Don't worry about so much, the task is the most important. Let's go directly. If you really want to thank me, you can help me find plants for free after you become a botanist."
"...Okay." Perry was still a little sad when he heard this, thinking about how he could let them know that he was going to be a chef without being disliked by them.
The clerks carefully packed the coats for the two of them and delivered them to the door. With professional smiles on their faces, they watched them leave. After walking out of the store, Perry couldn't help but look back at the unselected coats in the store and secretly marveled. Not only are these clothes beautifully designed, they are also highly functional and simply don't look like ordinary merchandise.
"There is really everything here, even the clothes are so amazing." He said with emotion, his tone full of admiration for the prosperity of Otonia.
Mike laughed loudly after hearing this, with a bit of pride in his eyes: "This is just the beginning! When you get to Mount Bidanea, you will find that everything we have prepared here is worth the money."
Perry nodded, feeling vaguely expectant and a little nervous. He was thinking about the next journey when he heard Mike say while packing the bags in his hands: "Okay, it's almost time to set off. Let's go directly to the vicinity of Mount Bidanea now. That guy Joyce is probably waiting for us there. "
As soon as he finished speaking, Mike handed the bag in his hand to Perry, pretending to be a matter of course: "Take these, I need to free my hands to find the teleportation phone booth."
Perry took the bag and followed Mike obediently to the other side of the street. He soon saw a familiar phone booth.
"This is it." After Mike stood still, he pushed open the door of the phone booth and pushed Perry inside. He followed closely behind, took out a small book and quickly flipped through a few pages, muttering in a low voice: "I found it, this is the code."
With a series of skilled dialing operations, the phone booth started up again. A dazzling light and a familiar buzzing sound sounded, and the surrounding scene distorted like water waves. After a while, they landed firmly in a brand new location. The cold wind hit his face, and Perry subconsciously wrapped the bag in his arms tightly, raised his head and looked around.
This is an open highland, and there is a biting chill in the air. The mountain peaks in the distance are towering, and the mountainside is covered with white snow. The cold scenery is awe-inspiring.
Mike quickly discovered the target and waved to a familiar figure not far away. Sure enough, Joyce was standing next to a boulder, and there were two people wearing deacon uniforms beside him, who seemed to be talking to him. He seemed to be in a good mood, and a smile appeared on his face after seeing Mike and Perry.
"You are finally here!" Joyce waved his hand, signaling the two to hurry over. The two deacons beside him bowed politely to Joyce, then turned and left, as if they had completed an important task.
Perry looked at the deacons' backs curiously, and whispered, "What is Joyce talking about with them? These people seem to be very important."
Joyce clapped his hands, looking nonchalant, "Don't worry about the details, the important thing is that I have already completed all the procedures! But what about you, why are you dawdling? As slow as a snail!"
"Go shopping." Mike shrugged, handed a dark blue coat to Joyce, and said in a relaxed tone, "Here, here is your coat. Just consider it as a thank you gift for your help."
Joyce raised his eyebrows, took the coat, shook it casually and put it on. "It looks good. You have a conscience."
The cold wind became more and more biting, and Perry quickly opened his bag and put on the coat he had just bought. A warm current instantly enveloped his body, and his shivering hands and feet immediately regained warmth. He couldn't help but look down at his collar and exclaimed, "It's amazing. I was freezing just now, but now I don't feel cold at all."
"This is the charm of magic cloth." Mike smiled and buttoned his clothes with a neat movement. He looked up at the towering Mount Bidanea with a bit of excitement, "Okay, everything is ready. Next, it's time to climb the mountain!"
Joyce didn't act immediately, but took out a small box from his arms, and he took out three sapphire bracelets from it. He handed them to Perry and Mike casually. Each bracelet was exquisitely carved and emitted a faint blue light, as if it could reflect the soul of the wearer.
"This is a positioning bracelet." Joyce explained, his tone calm but with a bit of caution, "In case we get separated, this bracelet can help us find each other's location. Even if there is an accident, it can ensure that we gather quickly."
Perry took the bracelet and looked at it carefully for a moment. When he put the bracelet on his wrist, he felt a slight coolness. This strange touch made him subconsciously take another look, but before he could speak, Joyce suddenly came close to him with a meaningful smile on his face.
"However," Joyce's eyes were teasing, but her tone seemed serious, "You'd better be careful, Henry. I hope you won't be entangled in any "bad luck" during this operation."
"Huh?" Perry was stunned for a moment, then frowned, "It shouldn't be..." Although he argued, he had to admit in his heart that he was indeed unlucky, which was an indisputable fact.
After putting on the bracelet, the three finally started to move. They walked along the man-made path at the foot of the mountain. Although this path was not too wide, every step was paved very firmly. The cold wind whistled in their ears, and the dampness in the air seemed to penetrate into the bone marrow as they went up, and the surrounding scenery became more and more desolate.
"Mount Bidanea is truly a cold place." Joyce couldn't help rubbing his hands. Although he was wearing a magic coat, he could still feel the chill penetrate his body through the seams of his clothes.
Mike walked in front and explained without looking back: "This cold is not due to the ordinary climate, but because there is an ice dragon sealed deep in this mountain. It is a powerful existence in ancient times. Although it has been suppressed for hundreds of years, its power still penetrates the mountains. Otherwise, how could it be so cold here just based on the altitude?"
Hearing this, Perry felt a chill running down his spine. He subconsciously looked into the depths of the mountain, where the clouds and fog were thicker, as if hiding unknown dangers. "Ice dragon?" There was a hint of nervousness in his voice, "Then we will go to find Moon Shadow Glass, will it not disturb the seal?"
"As long as we don't touch the seal array randomly, there will be no problem." Joyce said lightly, "But it is generally not so easy to be destroyed."
As they continued to move forward, thick fog began to gradually cover the mountains, and visibility dropped rapidly. Mike stopped, frowned slightly, and whispered: "This fog is wrong."
"What's wrong?" Perry asked hurriedly. He looked around, but could only see the blurry shadows of trees and rocks. There was also a damp chill in the fog, which made people feel inexplicably creepy.
"This fog came too fast." Mike lowered his voice, holding the dagger at his waist, and scanned the surroundings vigilantly, "And, something is approaching..."
As soon as the voice fell, a low roar came from the distance, the sound was deep and hoarse, as if it came from some huge beast. The sound echoed in the fog, making people's heartbeats accelerate.
"What is it?" Perry asked nervously, his hand involuntarily clenching the wand.
"Who knows." Joyce had a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes became sharp, "But it's better not to let it get too close to us."