20 Ravenwood's Shop

Leaving the shop, Aiden continued pondering the dwarf's unusual reaction when dealing with Maelis. 

It seemed strange to him, but as long as it didn't negatively affect him, he chose not to dwell on it too much.

After exchanging the core obtained from the boss monster, Aiden now had 1000 Credits, which he intended to use to purchase a dagger and possibly some light armor for protection.

"Ready? Let's go to Ravenwood's shop," said Maelis, her attitude, once again, being positive and not aggressive at all.

She seemed to be the sweetest person that could exist, but Aiden knew that wasn't the case anymore. 

He knows that he needs to be careful around her, not wanting to get on her bad side.

Although his concerns were useless, as Maelis merely wanted to recruit him into her family, he remained unaware of her true intentions.

"Sure, I'll follow you," Aiden responded as he started following her.

While going to the Ravenwood's shop, Maelis was telling Aiden what he should avoid when inside that shop.

"Aiden, when we arrive there, just keep in mind that I won't be able to do the same thing as I did with the dwarf. The Ravenwood family is too powerful for someone like me to challenge," said Maelis, dead serious.

Curious to learn more about her background, Aiden inquired, "Can I know what family you're part of? Honestly, at some point, I thought you were part of a founding family."

Maelis revealed her identity, saying, "I'm from a medium-level family. It's called the Everheart, and perhaps I shouldn't tell you this, but... I'm the matriarch of that family."

Aiden was taken aback. "A matriarch at the seventh trial? W-Wait, you're a matriarch of a family? How?"

Maelis smiled and explained, "Well, I'm actually older than I appear, so don't be deceived by my looks."

"Moreover, I'm significantly more powerful than someone on the seventh trial," she stated plainly.

"Currently, I'm on the 26th trial of the Otherworld, which is one of the highest trial levels attained by a medium-level family," she said calmly.

Feeling deceived, Aiden muttered, "So, you lied to me too...huh?" realizing that deception was not uncommon in this world.

"Yeah, I lied to you, but it's not for any bad reasons, don't worry," Maelis assured, her tone earnest and sincere. "The answer I gave about helping you is true and wasn't a lie."

"But I can't tell you much more about why I'm helping you," she continued, keeping some elements of mystery about her from Aiden.

"And the medium-level families, how do they compare to the founding families?" asked Aiden, wanting to know more about the difference in strength between the families.

"Well, it's kinda complicated. Just keep in mind that we are inferior to them and by a large margin. To them, because of all the special techniques, they have decided to keep to themselves."

Aiden further probed, "What type of techniques have they developed over the years?"

"Each family has its strengths and weaknesses, and all of them have different techniques which not many know anything about, even me. 

I don't even know their techniques. They are kept secret at all costs," said Maelis, emphasizing the fact that no one knows about them except a select few.

"So, even someone with your power doesn't know much about the founding families," murmured Aiden, thinking out loud.

"Now that you know a little more about me," Maelis began, her tone serious, "I want to tell you to be careful and not show any hostility inside their shop. 

Her expression was earnest as she continued, "Or we would probably have some difficulty getting out of there alive."

Aiden agreed, saying, "Alright, I won't take any chances. I'll let you do the talking. I'll just pick the dagger I want, and I'll let you deal with them. Is that good for you?"

"Sure, that works," said Maelis, happy that Aiden wasn't someone who would be stubborn about things like this.

The more she learned about Aiden, the more she was captivated by him. She was sure that he would be the perfect choice as a new recruit for her family.

***

As they continued through the bustling streets filled with various shops, Aiden could see many types of shops, some of them looked abandoned while others were at the cutting edge of technology with people entering and exiting.

The UOS (Underground Otherworld Shop) was truly a one-of-a-kind place being able to welcome that many awakeners at the same time without any problem whatsoever.

After observing the various shops while walking through the bustling streets, Aiden and Maelis eventually arrived at Ravenwood's shop.

It stood tall and imposing, unlike the other stores.

This towering structure seemed capable of accommodating thousands of people simultaneously, although the weird thing was that you could only spot the tower when you got close enough to the shop.

Once they stepped inside, Aiden and Maelis were in one big circular hallway with weapons behind clear glass on both sides. 

All the people on this floor seemed to be completely silent, which was weird.

As Aiden scrutinized the weapons on display, he was taken aback by the prices. The first weapon he looked at was priced at a whopping 100,000 Credits, and the next was no less expensive at 75,000 Credits.

How the hell would he be able to buy anything here?

Seeing this, he decided to silently ask Maelis: how he would be able to buy anything here.

Didn't she say that they had all types of prices?

"Umm... I can't buy those weapons.

I told you I only have the 1000 Credits we just traded," Aiden whispered in her ear, not wanting to disrupt the people surrounding them.

Maelis reassured him, "Don't worry. We won't be buying those weapons. Follow me. We need to go up." She pointed upward and began making her way toward a set of circular stairs that spiraled into the heights of the shop.

Aiden, eyeing the seemingly endless staircase, couldn't help but ask, "How long do we have to climb?"

The number of stairs ahead of him just seemed overwhelming.

Maelis responded, attempting to soothe his concerns, "It won't take long, don't worry."

However, this statement was far from the truth, as the ascent was going to be a long and excruciating one.