Chapter 9: “Hunting materials I ”

"Hunting materials"

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"Sebastian, Lexi, and I will head to the Open bazaar for some material gathering", Aunt Nora said as we exited Le Palais de Lune.

"Then I will young lady and others to a crafts shop for some additional accessories", Hearing Uncle Sebastian's words Ari and Layla's faces lit up.

"That Sounds good Sebastian, Then take these two kittens with you as well"

'Kittens…hehe..,.Seems like we all have the same brain cells

Even Uncle Sebastian was chuckling slightly, while the two Kittens in question were confused. Parting our ways, Aunt Nora led me towards the elevators as we descended down.

"Lexi, I'm sure you have noticed something different here"

Nodding, I asked, "Um Aunt Nora something up with the way I hear and feel when you introduce the manager of the restaurant and The Manager of The Bazaar and even this place… why is that so?"

I could see her lips slightly curving upwards, trying to hide her grin.

"Well, That's because once you reach a certain strength… no better word will be level or mastery...your work starts defining you and the WORLD itself bestows a presence, a title to them.."

Pausing slightly Aunt Nora tried to build dramatic vibes, but well it rarely ever worked.

"That so goes both ways Lexi, a heinous criminal like the one which caused millions of lives causing the incursion and which eventually led to the invasion of the Kark-url race, you remember ?"\

"Yeah, that incident rendered almost all of Africa to go dark, I don't remember the name of that criminal but wasn't he called Defector …"

'A similar feeling welled up'

Seeing my face, Aunt Nora chuckled and continued,

" Once you reach a certain realm the natural lifespan increases enough to live forever, but almost all die in battles. With the swathes of time, everything is forgotten but the title and the deed live on"

"Titles are a way of remembering but famous or infamous deeds"

"They hold powers, vast powers but those are way far off the line… you shouldn't even be able to tell the difference but that's where EXIRA helps… just be wary of anyone or anything that has a title "

"And Lexi here," Aunt Nora gave me a pendant, noticing my confusion and curiosity she clarified.

"That's a stealth-type artifact of a set I'm making for you just attune it for now don't probe it that will take too much time"

"Ohh A set for me! Aww, thank you, Aunt Nora. You are the best "

I gave her a sincere smile and looked at the pendant. Silver-like material, just a simple chain and dragon idol attached to it.

'Hehe! Well let's attune'

I put on the pendant, feeling a chill as the cold material touched my skin.

'Huuu'

Clearing and focusing my mind with a deep breath I willed EXIRA as an ethereal presence well up, with the intent to pair up with the pendant.

Remembering Aunt Nora's words, I didn't enter pseudo-attuned state since I wasn't appraising the artifact but attuning it still conveyed my will and tried to read the intent coming of the artifact.

' hide… stealth … not quite disguise..yes Camufla '

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Shaking my head as I remembered I entered a pseudo-attune state, My task was to attune not to realize the intentions and functioning of the artifact.

As EXIRA continued channeling it created a link between me and the gear, Attaching it to my origin.

' Stealth, disguise, and protection I guess, but the name ….Wow... Really..'

Opening my eyes and looking at her.

"What Lexi, I put a lot of effort into making it and it's even a part of a set series you know"

Seeing her playful tone, I rolled my eyes.

"Really, but what with the name huh? Aunt Nora's blessed pendant for dumb Lexi ", I questioned.

"Then what's the series name Dumb Lexi gears or something?"

Aunt Nora looked surprised, and asked "How did you know Lexi?"

'God damn it!... she is playing with me …'

And Right on cue, the elevator reached its destination as the gate opened blinding us momentarily with the bright light of the sun. Shaking my head, asking about it later as the sight returned as we stepped out. The sheer energy of the place hit me like a gust of wind. It was alive—a much stronger vibe than anything I'd experienced in The Bazaar till now.

The air was thick with the sounds, the hum of voices rising and falling in a chaotic symphony.

Aunt Nora grabbed my shoulder, "Now Lexi go on and buy whatever you would, we will be making artifacts out of them later."

"Uhmm Alone?"

"Yes Lexi consider this a test and a little alone time the pendant has disguising powers, so until you reveal your identity no one will realize it"

"Now go one message me when you got all the things all things you want..go"

Aunt Nora waved her hand and it almost felt like she was shooing me like a puppy.

'Cough'

'Umm let's unwind a little bit… huuu … the last couple of days were chaotic..'

Looking at the pale pinkish-white wavy line on my wrist, reminded me of how much I have to learn and grow and wear extra protection and armour in spar.

'Well that's for tomorrow me to worry'

Entering The open bazaar as it was called was vast and had no big stores but several stalls encircling the lake that was in the middle. Looking up was the normal sky with the sun shining brightly yet the temperature was neither hot nor cold.

'Yeah totally not weird at all'

Sounds of merchants shouting, waving their hands as they hawk their wares, trying to outdo one another in both volume and charm of all sorts of things: foods, materials, monster parts, armor, weapons…

"Fresh fish! Caught just this morning! You won't find a better deal anywhere!"

"Spices! The finest from across the seas, guaranteed to make your meals unforgettable!"

Everywhere I looked, stalls were overflowing with goods—jewelry, fruits, fabrics in every color, weapons littered around the stalls. A nearby vendor was holding up bright blue silk, letting it ripple in the breeze, while a crowd gathered to admire the shimmering fabric.

'Hmm that's probably a monster's item drop'

Heading towards the stall, I had a thought and channeled EXIRA, letting it flow around my eyes. I could feel the difference but it was hard to interpret.

'Maybe I need to have some parameters or instructions of what I need to achieve using my EXIRA '

'Fuuu'

Taking a breath I imagined the vividness of the magical materials, focusing on their intents. I could feel myself entering a state similar to a pseudo-attuning state as the intents rushed at me.

'Fuu'

Taking another breath I focus my mind to mute the sensations and intents only enough for me to feel the material. Opening my eyes, the world surrounding me has lost a little bit of vibrancy as tiny motes of lights pulsed.

Looking back at the vendor selling the silk fabric, the material was pulsing with light. I approached the stall, The vendor's eyes flicked toward me, clearly noticing my interest.

"Ah, you've got an eye for quality," he said, holding up the blue silk again, letting it dance in the breeze.

'Hmm, the disguise is working perfectly. The artifact would have been awesome if not for the name..'

"This here is no ordinary fabric, my friend. It's made from the thread of a rare creature found deep within the Silklands Rifts. Its silk can enhance the flow of magical energy, perfect for enchanting"

I narrowed my eyes, focusing on the pulse of the material. The material was soft and velvety to touch, though I doubted it was as rare as he claimed.

"How much?" I asked, keeping my voice steady, surprised it was deeper than usual. Aunt Nora is a master in craft after all.

'Ok Let's not get ripped off,... but me being the prince, I have more than enough money so I just buy it or try to haggle ....'

The vendor smiled, his teeth a little too white. "For you, noble sir, I'd say 1000 Drakens. A steal."

I crossed my arms, making sure to keep my expression neutral.

'Hmm, that's a rip-off for sure. For only 2 meters of fabric'

"1000 Drakens for a piece of silk? You must think I'm a fool. This isn't worth more than 500 Drakens, and that's me being generous."

The vendor's smile faltered for a second, but he quickly recovered. "500 Drakens? No, no, sir, you wound me! Look at the quality, the magic it holds! 800 Drakens is the lowest I can go, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a better deal."

I raised an eyebrow, letting the silence hang between us for a moment. Then I took a slow step closer, keeping my gaze fixed on the fabric.

"700 gold," I said firmly, "and I won't argue further and I may be interested in buying some more things from your stall"

He hesitated, clearly weighing his options. I could see the calculations flickering behind his eyes—wondering if I was bluffing, considering if he could push for more.

Finally, with a sigh, he nodded, "700 Drakens it is, then,"

I almost brought out my House card to pay, which would have been troublesome. I mentally looked through my spatial storage and brought out the Black Gold card of Infini Industries, Aunt Nora's company well she is the CEO but it is our house subsidy but Aunt Nora is also part of our house...

As soon as the merchant's eyes landed on the Black gold card, I could see his eyes widen as he straightened his posture and with a silly smile, He carefully folded the silk, wrapping it in a protective cloth bag before handing it over to me.

"This Humble merchant's name is Smitty, good sir!, What else would you like to buy I can assure you I have it if then I will arrange it"

'Woah his attitude flipped 180 degrees and that it's only a black gold card. I wonder how he would have reacted if I brought out my House card. Hehe, though that would lead me into a lot of trouble but would be fun to see.'

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