First Customer

It was morning. Just as the sky lit up, while the other parts of Tempest Town were still hidden in the darkness before dawn…

"Thud!" 

A young boy jumped down from the top of the bunk bed he shared with his younger brother and swiftly put his clothes on. All of these were done within three seconds.

At this time, most of his classmates and other residents of the town were sleeping but how could Wren dare to sleep? Even his sleep at night was not peaceful but disturbed by frightful dreams.

This young person was Wren Blake. He was about 15 years old with a slim boy and a childish face. His face was not that of a celebrity but he was still good-looking. However, those normally clear blue eyes were filled with desperation like that of a cornered wolf. 

This was one of the best days of every fifteen-year-old but it looked like it was going to be one of Wren's worst days and yes it was because of a girl.

The girl's name was Iris. Iris was the most beautiful girl in Wren's class. She had suitors from every year and every class.

Some people were born knowing their place, where they stand in the matters of the world and Wren was one of those people. 

His mother worked very hard just to raise him and his brother. They were not rich nor was he overly talented. He was just slightly above average. He had applied to an ordinary high school in Sein City for admission.

With the knowledge of this, leave chasing Iris, he did not even dare look twice at her. He had ignored her at every junction and yet…. he gritted his teeth …. and yet that girl had put him in such a position on the Common Entrance day.

If fatty John had not called him to tell him yesterday night, he would have thought that Iris had dug a huge pit for him. Who didn't know that Chris Salvatore was crazy about Iris? Why did she drag him into their matter? He had not spoken a single word to her, so how on earth were they dating?

He did not even want to imagine what Chris would do to him today. He was in the middle stage of the Dao Imbibition realm and Chris was already in the Advanced stage. They were an entire small stage apart. 

If this was a normal situation, he would endure it but Wusha High School's entrance exam was in twelve days, he could not afford to be injured, after all even if it was an ordinary high school, it was still a city high school.

"Wren, come quick and have some food!" Lily Blake called out from the kitchen as Wren tried to leave the house.

"I will eat later." Wren said as he left the house carrying his life savings of 2000 credits. 

About an hour, Wren was getting anxious. He could not afford the protective gears of the equipment stores and the talisman stores did not have protective talismans, so it was too late to custom order one. What should he do?

"Eh! This young boy, do you want to buy a demon beast?" Old Ben asked, narrowing his eyes at the boy who has been standing in front of his store for about five minutes.

Wren shook his head, he could not afford armour, how could he afford a demon beast?

Old Ben swore, he was not even a customer, "Then shoo! You are blocking the view. What are you doing here if you don't want to buy something?"

"I wanted to buy a talisman but…" Wren began to protest; he did not know he was blocking the old man's store. This day was not going well.

Old Ben laughed, "Haha! I am really favoured by the heavens. Young man, did you say you want to buy a talisman?"

Wren stepped back. Memories of what he had heard of this side of the market square when he was young flashed in his mind, His nerves tensed and he stared at the old man.

Old Ben noticed his apprehension and his eyes dimmed, "If you want a good talisman store, just turn right and go down. Tell him, Old Ben sent you."

He shut the windows of his store and decided to go back to sleep.

Wren looked at the dark alleyway, he was told to enter. He clenched his fist and took a step.

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Raizel threw the takeout plate into the nearby trash can. This was another great invention of the mundane. The delicious meal seemed to have brightened up the day as he stood to open his shop, turning the tag from closed to open. He carried out his plaque, Colin's Talisman Shop.

He whispered a cleaning spell and the shop remained spotless and dust-free. Raizel brought out a chair from inside and sat down. It was too early to go inside the store. 

He leaned on the chair, contently bathing under the warm sunlight. There were very few passersby in the street but Raizel watched them all the same. This newfound laziness was addicting. 

"Excuse me, Sir." The voice was soft but clear.

Raizel opened his eyes and raised his head. It was a young boy dressed in a white shirt and blue trousers. A student. Was he a customer?

Raizel sat upright, he felt a slight shame to be caught in such an improper position by a customer. No, better put, he felt ashamed that he was caught unaware. 

When was the last time he had put his guard down like this? What if this was an enemy and not a child? No, even children can be dangerous; he remembers how Lydia died.

Forcing back his thoughts, he sat up and asked the young boy, "Are you here to buy a talisman?"

Wren nodded morosely, trying to ignore the nervousness he was feeling since he stepped into this alleyway, 'Yes, Sir. Do you have any protective talisman?"

"No." Raizel answered. He had not seen any protective talismans in the nearby store so he had not bothered to craft one.

Wren's eyes dimmed, he clenched his fist so tight that they almost drew blood. He also heard that Chris had a blue middle-grade sword, he hardly ever uses it. 

For some reason, he could see his dream school fly even farther, he turned to the shopkeeper, "So, you don't have any. Okay, bye." He turned to leave.

How could Raizel let his first customer leave like that? It took him 2 weeks to get one, when again next would he get another customer?

"I don't have one now. I will craft one for you."

Wren was filled with joy but his smile faded when he finished thinking things true. He had wasted a lot of time searching through stores. In another 50 minutes, the common entrance exam, the written section would begin. 

He cannot miss it, he needed a 40 cut off mark in that exam to even think of graduating. Another thing was that he didn't even have enough money for a customer order.

Wren was an honest kid so he poured his woes onto Raizel. "There is not enough time, the exam is starting in 50 minutes and I have 2000 credits."

Raizel thought for a while, 2000 credits were almost two meals at Old Lin. " I will be done in 50 minutes. Come in and wait a while."

Wren was still filled with hesitation and little suspicion, he sent his location to John and entered after Raizel. The moment Wren walked through the door of the shop, it was as if he left the town behind. The noise and bustling he was so used to faded away.

Everywhere was so silent, he could hear the sound of his own breathing. In different cases were rows of talismans of different colours. Wren watched them with fascination.

"What is your innate Dao Seed?" Raizel called back his attention.

"Stone." Wren said, his voice a bit low. He had never liked his innate Dao seed. It was not an abstract one or a highly sought after one, there were also few stone sword Dao skills in school and few stone cultivation techniques. He couldn't wait to get enlightened on another Dao.

"Good." Raizel said as he started bringing out materials for the Talisman he had in mind.

The word, 'Good' kept on reverberating in Wren's mind. He had never put the word, 'Good' and his Dao seed together.

"Why did you say that it is good?"

Raizel looked at the boy that was brimming with excitement, "It is good for Defense."

Raizel's head was bowed as he controlled the brush's tip to flick, dot, hook, stroke and whirl with sharp and precise force, The Stone armour was a tier-2 talisman that prioritized defence, it forms an external stone armour around the body of the activator for 3 minutes. 

Raizel had experimented with this talisman before, turning it into a semi offensive, a defensive talisman. It was worth much more than 16 spirit stones, he looked at the young boy who was sitting silently on the chair. This was his first customer.

After he finished drawing the last stroke, he put down his brush and introduced the talisman, "Contact Stone Armour talisman, tier-2 talisman."