"Still, your talent isn't bad," said the vendor as he examined Ronan's two Cleansing runes. His eyes flicked up at Ronan. "So, what now? Planning to sell these to me?"
"You buying or not?" Ronan crossed his arms, impatient.
"Of course, I'm buying," the vendor replied with a chuckle. "Two Cleansing runes—I'll give you one and a half low-grade magic stones."
"Wait, isn't it supposed to be two magic stones?" Ronan frowned.
"That's the selling price. This is a buyback." The vendor smirked. "You think you can sell just two runes here in the market? Nobody buys one or two runes off the street. If they want something like that, they go to an official rune shop."
"Then why do you have a stall?" Ronan countered, clearly suspicious.
The vendor gave a helpless sigh. "My stall is mainly for collecting things. Can't have an empty stand, right?"
"Ah..." Ronan finally understood.
"If you think my price is too low, feel free to try your luck at a proper rune shop." The vendor tossed the two runes back to him. "Just so you know, the closest rune shop is in the Dwarven Market. The entrance fee alone is a full magic stone. And considering you're a stranger with just two basic runes, they might not even take them."
Ronan hesitated. He weighed his options before nodding in reluctant agreement. "Fine. One and a half magic stones it is."
The deal was done. The vendor handed Ronan a full low-grade magic stone and fifty magic shards. Before Ronan could leave, he spent fifty shards on ten more blank rune stones. To his surprise, the vendor threw in another ten for free.
"Take it from me, kid," said the vendor, patting Ronan's shoulder. "Don't think you'll start making big money just because you've entered the rune trade. This is only the beginning. The real expenses come later. Be careful."
Ronan knew the vendor had a point. Most beginner rune scribes had abysmal success rates—usually one success in ten attempts. But Ronan's progress was different. Thanks to his mysterious status panel, each attempt brought improvement. His success rate far surpassed that of an ordinary scribe.
Once the vendor's stall was behind him, Ronan pulled out the newly acquired low-grade magic stone. It was roughly the size of a pigeon egg, smooth and black, with a cool surface. He could feel the energy particles coursing within.
"I can't keep coming to this stall," Ronan thought as he carefully tucked the magic stone into his pouch. "If I keep succeeding at this rate, my talent might raise too many questions."
His plan was clear—save up some magic stones and eventually start selling to proper rune shops. It might cost a magic stone to enter the Dwarven Market, but the risk of exposure here was far more dangerous.
Feeling more confident with money in his pocket, Ronan decided to explore the market further. His steps were lighter now, and he wasn't afraid to linger at various stalls.
"Fifty magic stones for a low-tier magic artifact? Ridiculous," Ronan muttered as he strolled past a stall, ignoring the vendor who kept lowering the price behind him.
After some wandering, his gaze fell on a stand filled with black leather-bound books. The stall's owner, a man in his thirties wearing sturdy leather armor, greeted him warmly.
"Take your time," the man said. "I've got spellbooks for anything below high-tier zero-level spells."
Ronan felt the man's overwhelming spiritual power and knew he was dealing with a far more experienced sorcerer apprentice. He nodded politely and began flipping through the books. As promised, they were mostly collections of elemental spells—fire, ice, and lightning.
"How much for this one?" Ronan held up an [Intermediate Lightning Spells] book.
The price made him wince.
The vendor chuckled. "What are you really looking for, kid?"
Ronan hesitated before replying, "I'm actually interested in a decent knight's body-training method."
"Ah, I figured." The vendor nodded knowingly. "Your body's probably already showing signs of energy particle erosion, right? You need to strengthen it."
Ronan flushed slightly but nodded again.
"You've come to the right place." The vendor rummaged through a pile behind him and pulled out several old manuals. They were far less polished than the spellbooks—more like worn notes than official publications.
"Take a look," the vendor said. "I've got the [Lionheart Body Forging Technique], passed down from the legendary Lionheart Duke of the Southern Kingdom... or maybe this one, the [Silver Cross Body Method]."
Ronan skimmed through a few. They seemed impressive—if even a fraction of the described results were true, it was exactly what he needed.
But when he heard the price, his jaw nearly dropped. "Why are these so expensive? They're just mundane body-training techniques!"
"These aren't just any techniques," the vendor explained with a smirk. "These are top-tier knight inheritances. Fully mastered, they can rival high-level sorcerer apprentices."
"Who's going to train to that level?" Ronan scoffed. "I just want to get stronger. I don't need anything fancy. Got anything cheaper?"
The vendor's attitude cooled instantly. He pulled a dusty booklet from the bottom of the pile and tossed it onto the counter.
"This one's the cheapest. No sword techniques, no breathing methods—just a few ancient tempering postures. Some say they're from the old ascetic monks."
The vendor paused before adding, "But if you just want to strengthen your body, this will do."
Ronan flipped through it quickly. "How much for this one?"