Hudson was glad that he had chosen to wear his shawl and headscarf when he left his house to go meet his next client. Even after having lived in this world for more than two decades, Hudson still found it difficult at times to adjust to Tal'Qamar's scorching desert sun. Life would have been so much more pleasant had he been reborn in a lovely tropical paradise instead.
Hudson's eyes darted in vigilance as he walked through the Spicebloom Bazaar on his way to Sunstone Heights. It wasn't uncommon for [Thieves] to stalk the streets leading from the district where the spice merchants sold their goods to the district where Tal'Qamar's wealthiest residents lived. After all, anyone who could afford to pay the fees to enter the Sunstone Heights made for a good target for pickpockets despite the higher risks involved.
However, it wasn't only criminals that he had to worry about. In particular, Hudson made sure to keep an eye out for the ornate white robes worn by the clergy from the temple of Suhail. They wouldn't hesitate to harass and extort him if given the chance, but he was relieved to see that they were nowhere in sight.
I guess the sand-worshiping bastards aren't going to ruin my day for once, Hudson thought with a smirk.
With his mood lifted, Hudson hummed a tune as he kept an eye out at the various stalls for anything interesting. The city was as bustling as ever, with traders from all over the region passing through the largest oasis cities in the harsh Qahtani Desert. Tal'Qamar alone held access to the narrow valley that led the Eldamir Empire, thus allowing it to control access to any trade passing through the Qahtani Desert.
Spices were the most important trading goods that passed through Tal'Qamar, thus why the bazaar was named what it was, but there were plenty of other goods which Hudson might be interested in.
Along the streets, vibrant stalls lined with colorful awnings provide shade to the merchants and customers. Hudson could smell the aroma of exotic spices, while the sounds of haggling and conversations filled his ear. Various goods from textiles and pottery to expensive enchanted trinkets and jewelry were on display, many of them coming from distant lands that Hudson had only heard about in tales.
As much as he might hate the heat, Hudson knew that there were many places out there much worse than Tal'Qamar. The city was quite prosperous thanks to its location and was also unusually tolerant toward people of different species. That last part was particularly helpful given that humans were by no means the majority in the city.
There were humans native to the Qahtani Desert of course, but the Desharin weren't seen in Tal'Qamar all that often. Instead, they tended to live like nomads, with the small settlement on the outskirts of the city being the closest thing they had to an urban dwelling.
Hudson found his attention being drawn to a lizardkin selling some foreign fruits and decided to indulge himself by trying a few. They were a tad expensive given the distance involved, meaning that the merchant needed to use a high-level Skill to prevent spoilage, but what was the point of living if you didn't treat yourself every once in a while? Besides, business had been surprisingly good recently.
The merchant obviously tried to scam him for as high of a price as possible, but Hudson had spent most of his second life growing up in the slums of Tal'Qamar. He was well acquainted with the tricks and tactics used by people trying to scam him out of his money.
"This is a Sabellian Peach, human! Not only is it delicious but there are even some who've received a point in Spirit after eating them," the lizardkin boasted as he tried to justify his exorbitant prices. "Fifteen silver for one of these is practically a steal!"
"Then why is nobody buying them?" Hudson asked bluntly, raising an eyebrow. Fifteen silver was more than most skilled laborers made in a week. "I don't mean to be rude, but it's clear that you tried to sell these to one of the nobles before the deal fell through. You won't find many people in this part of the city willing to pay fifteen silver for a fruit. How about five silver instead?"
The lizardkin hissed angrily at him, but Hudson knew that he was right and that the merchant didn't have much leverage. Sure enough, they eventually agreed on a price and the lizardkin reluctantly handed over the fruit for seven silver coins.
With the transaction complete, he took a bite of the fruit as he continued along his way. It was quite delicious and tasted something like a blend of an apple and a mango with a hint of something exotic Hudson couldn't quite place. As he ate the fruit, Hudson decided to pull on that strange, eldritch presence in his mind connecting him to his Status. He wanted to see if his Spirit had actually risen after ingesting the fruit.
Name: Hudson
Class: Cultist Level 18
Stats:
Active Skills:
Passive Skills:
Strength: 16
Corrode Flesh
Magic Perception
Vitality: 18
Deaden Nerves
Flesh Perception
Agility: 16
Flesh Manipulation
Cerebon's Boon
Spirit: 24
Minor Purify Flesh
Aesthetic Intuition
Willpower: 22
Ritual of Offering
Veterinary Knowledge
Control: 22
Nope. Spirit is still the same, Hudson thought as he turned his attention away from his Status.
He wasn't particularly disappointed because it was obvious from the start that the merchant was just trying to get a better price for his wares. There probably was someone who improved their Spirit by eating the fruit, but the stat must have already been on the verge of an increase.
Stats weren't so easily raised.
Before he made it to the Sunstone Heights, Hudson made sure to dispose of the fruit core and make himself presentable. His business relied almost entirely on word of mouth, which meant that aristocrats would be much less likely to hire him if he looked like a common street rat. Hudson made his way over to an ogre merchant who was selling mirrors and handed the muscular nine-foot-tall humanoid a copper coin in exchange for allowing him to use one.