"Lightstones for sale!"
"We have swords! We have shields!"
"Twenty-year-old ginseng herbs for sale!"
Inside the bustling market of Yolan village, the cacophony of merchants and traders filled the air, making it difficult to concentrate on anything. It was extremely rowdy, which made sense, as Yolan village served as the central hub of an otherwise desolate region.
"Interesting," Cious said with a smile as he surveyed the various shops. There were many materials that would suit his needs for the time being. Having understood the situation of Yi Mountain and Malvorrak, Cious had decided to conquer the entire area and bring it under their rule. He had been worshipped as a god in his past life and planned to replicate that here with the help of his newfound companions.
The first step was to accumulate resources, and who better to assist than the greedy, treasure-loving Malvorrak?
"There!" Cious's gaze landed a few meters away at a shop with a massive sign that read "I Can Buy Everything."
It was quite a boisterous claim, as if the owner could afford anything under the heavens. People like this rarely lasted long; their arrogance and ignorance were a terrible combination. However, it also meant the owner of this shop was probably quite wealthy.
"Hello there!" Cious approached the shop and called out to an attendant standing behind the main booth.
It was a Kiajin, humanoid in shape, with cat-like features. The Kiajin were an elite race beneath Yi Mountain, not unlike the lizardmen in their capacity for immense power.
"Hm?" The Kiajin attendant, who had been staring into the distance, seemed to snap out of a daze as he looked up.
-__-
Immediately after, he froze. A giant lizard monster was standing right in front of him. What the hell was this? Wasn't this Malvorrak, the notorious creature that had been terrorizing the region for decades? How—
The Kiajin was terrified at the sight of Malvorrak, but with a snap of his fingers, Cious drew the attendant's attention back to himself.
"Don't look at him; look at me. I'm the one doing business here," Cious called out, causing the attendant to focus down on the white lizard standing before him.
"How can I help you?" the Kiajin female attendant asked, a bead of sweat slowly sliding down her forehead and onto the table.
Kiajin rarely sweated, but this was a particularly stressful situation.
"Can you appraise this beast core for me? It's at least level 3," Cious said, pulling out a spherical orb and placing it on the table.
Beasts and beast cores were categorized into different tiers and levels, corresponding to their power and rarity. For the average creature, they were considered level 1 beasts, or common beasts.
For elite fighters like the guards of Yolan village, who were tasked with protecting the region's hub, they usually hovered around level 2 (lesser beasts). This was already extremely rare, as a single lesser beast could easily dispatch dozens of common beasts. But far stronger creatures existed.
A clear example would be Malvorrak or Urgar. These creatures had been shaped by nature into forces of nature. Greater beasts were so strong that they made the earth tremble simply by existing.
Their cores were the most precious materials in the subterranean world of Yi Mountain; their value surpassed that of gold.
"Yeah right, and my left foot is made of gold," the Kiajin female scoffed at Cious's words. A greater beast core could be sold off so easily? She wished.
"I don't care for your opinions, young lady. Get me your boss right now!" Cious spat out the words with a venomous tone. Of course, this was just an act; he knew how unbelievable this scene appeared.
*This little guy,* Malvorrak mused as he observed Cious haggling with the shop attendant. Spending time around the little creature made him realize several things he didn't know how to process.
He had seen the shell from which Cious emerged, yet right off the bat, the white lizard was showing wisdom and intelligence that had taken Malvorrak decades to acquire. Cious had claimed to be a god-eater with a mysterious past, and Malvorrak had begun to believe him—at least regarding the mysterious background. It wouldn't be the first time something miraculous had occurred before him in his lifetime.
As Cious haggled with the attendant, Malvorrak caught a familiar, ethereal scent drifting through the air from the center of the village.
On the balcony of the town hall, a young lizard lady looked down at the villagers going about their daily lives and sighed.
There was a lot weighing on her heart lately; being forced into submission by a group of human savages didn't sit well with her at all, but she had no choice but to bow her head.
It was frustrating.
Of course, nothing could be more frustrating than what was about to happen next.
"Don't bother my mother; I can handle the beast myself!" The young master of the Yolan family, Yolan Qarc, said to the commander of the city guard before mounting his reptilian horse.
He had just received news that the brutish Malvorrak had dared to set foot in Yolan village. As the next in line for leadership, he had to deal with it.
Maybe then his mother would see him in a new light and finally respect him. But first, he needed to take Malvorrak's head as a trophy.