Mirrorshift brooch

"Are you really sure about this, kid?" The dwarf's confusion still lingered as he questioned Kuber's actions. Yet, he couldn't exactly turn him down if he wanted to sell his weapon.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Take this and give me a fair price," Kuber responded, carefully passing the aurablade into the dwarf's hands.

The dwarf inspected the blade closely, while Kuber waited. "This blade looks like it's never seen a fight. I can give you 420 stone credits. What do you think?"

Kuber's mind wandered a bit, 'Hmm, 420 stone credits? I remember it being priced at 400 stone credits back in the dimensional shop, and I got it for free from the trial rewards. Well, it's still a pretty good deal.'

With a slight nod, Kuber agreed, "Sounds like a good offer to me." He didn't really have a reason to turn down the dwarf's proposition, especially since it exceeded his expectations.

"It's a deal then. By the way, you're pretty lucky, kid. Not everyone walks away with an aurablade as a reward. Most end up with basic-level swords or something similar."

The dwarf's remark highlighted the randomness of the basic-level equipment players receive after the trial. Some might snag a fantastic reward like an aurablade, while others could wind up with a less impressive basic-level sword.

"I know, but what's the actual difference between a basic-level aurablade and a basic-level sword?" Kuber's voice took on an inquisitive edge, curiosity clear in his tone.

"Let me break it down for you. A basic sword and an aurablade are worlds apart. Aura energy flows freely within an aurablade, unlike regular weapons. This means you can only enhance the power of common weapons with aura, but with an aurablade, you can boost its destructive force and even add an external layer of aura to heighten its sharpness or durability."

The dwarf's tone shifted to one of seriousness, devoid of any levity. As he elucidated the distinctions to Kuber, it became evident that aura weapons and common weapons were in entirely different leagues.

On the market, a standard aurablade fetched around 480 stone credits, and its production cost hovered around 400 stone credits. This meant the dwarf was striking a good deal with Kuber, as selling the aurablade at a decent price wouldn't be an easy feat for him.

"I get it, but how do I actually receive my payment?" Kuber inquired.

"What do you mean? Don't you have a credit tablet?" The dwarf's voice carried genuine surprise.

"No, I don't. I only have a credit coin," Kuber admitted.

The dwarf let out a sigh, his hand rising to gently tap his forehead in an expression of mild disappointment.

These details, like credit tablets, weren't covered in the introductory guidebook since it was typically the guide's role to explain them. However, Darryl had skipped over these details with Kuber, assuming he wasn't all that curious about the workings of this world.

"I can set you up with a credit tablet for 20 stone credits. Does that work for you?" The dwarf stroked his beard thoughtfully while retrieving a spare credit tablet from a drawer.

Agreeing to the offer, Kuber received 400 stone credits from the dwarf after deducting 20 for the credit tablet. His merchant ID was also registered for identity verification.

"Alright then, I'll take my leave." With the exchange complete, Kuber had no reason to linger at the shop.

"Feel free to swing by anytime you need to buy or sell a weapon," the dwarf offered with a friendly grin. Kuber nodded in agreement before exiting the store.

"Now, time for the main event," Kuber muttered under his breath with a grin spreading across his face. At this moment, a devious plan was taking shape within Kuber's mind.

In the next moment, Kuber summoned the dimensional shop menu and began scrolling through the options, searching for something specific.

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[Mirrorshift Brooch] – The "MirrorShift Brooch" allows the wearer to assume the appearance of another for 30 minutes. However, it can be detected by those with sensory perception abilities. One-time use only.

[Rank] – D

[Price] – 350 stone credits

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"Hmm... this should work. It's at least a way to fool those guys, I hope," Kuber mused to himself, excitement sparking in his eyes as he stared at the item's details on the screen.

With his focus regained, Kuber made the purchase, parting with 350 stone credits to obtain the "Mirrorshift Brooch."

"Hey, old-timer! Where's the hideout of the Shadowfang Syndicate?" Kuber queried, approaching an elderly man who happened to be passing by.

Upon hearing Kuber's question and taking in his vampiric appearance, the elderly man's eyes widened in shock. A vampire inquiring about a criminal organization's location didn't exactly paint a picture of a virtuous individual.

"Uhm... it's just down the corner on the third street," the elderly man stammered, pointing a trembling hand towards the specified street.

With a nod of gratitude, Kuber thanked the man and turned to head towards the indicated location. Meanwhile, the elderly man, overwhelmed by fear, fainted on the spot in response to the encounter.

A short while later, Kuber found himself in front of a building situated at the end of the third street. Unlike the other structures in the vicinity, this one seemed to have escaped abandonment.

"Guess everyone's cleared out due to these guys," Kuber muttered in annoyance. After all, this was the territory of that ruthless behemoth.

Not one to dawdle, Kuber invoked the brooch's power, adopting the appearance of Eldric Throneborne, right down to the bones, skin, hair, and attire. Like the phenomenon with Leona, reality itself twisted to mold his form.

Knock, knock!

"Anyone in there?" Kuber called out, rapping lightly on the door. Even his voice had shifted, now matching Eldric's timbre.

The door creaked open, revealing a wiry beastman with brown fur and feline ears, his expression weary.

"Why are you here so soon, Squad Leader Eldric? We handed you the payoff just a week ago," the beast-man inquired, his features a blend of puzzlement and surprise. He couldn't fathom why Eldric would visit the hideout when he had already collected his bribe a mere week ago.

"I'm here to discuss another matter with your leader, not for the bribe this time," Kuber retorted with a confident stance, his chest puffed out and posture unyielding.

Given Eldric's penchant for accepting bribes, it was hardly a shock to Kuber that this group was on his list of beneficiaries. Grednar's audacity to parade openly in the streets despite his criminal background seemed to fit the picture.

"Is that so? Please step inside then."

The beastman shot Kuber a lingering look of doubt before relenting and allowing him entry.

As they ventured inside, the wooden floor let out a series of creaks underfoot. The interior resembled a scene from an old Western movie: rugged-looking individuals congregated at the bar, some nursing drinks while others busied themselves honing or cleaning weapons.

"Stay put for now. I'll go speak with the leader," the beastman instructed Kuber, halting him in front of the counter before passing through a gate adjacent to it.

"Why's he here? Back for another round of bribes?" A man in the corner, engrossed in sword-cleaning, whispered to his companion.

"Who knows? Maybe he's getting greedy again," another man replied sotto voce.

Though hushed, their gossip wasn't hushed enough to escape Kuber's ears.