1st POV:
What's with the crowd?
"Young masters and misses, come and take a look at our bronze-rank armor! It has a Snow Wind pattern inscribed on it!"
I peeked for a second, just enough to hear the merchant's voice, then simply kept walking.
As I passed by a trio of kids — one of them a redhead — I muttered under my breath,
"Tch, just a bunch of clowns haggling over armor that costs as much as the entire orphanage."
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3rd POV:
As Aiden walked away to continue looking for materials,
what he didn't notice was that Nie Li had glanced at him briefly.
But in that short moment, Nie Li — a reincarnator and once a deity — although currently weak, sensed a faint power radiating from Aiden's soul.
It was too weak to approach him directly, so he gave up on approaching and simply tried to remember Aiden's face.
Being the predator he was, Nie Li turned his attention back to the noble boy, Shen Yue, while also feasting his eyes on the charm of Ye Zi Yun.
He really did love the taste of younglings.
---
Back to Aiden (1st Pov):
As I continued and ignores the commotion at the back, I again went through my list to buy.
I should buy more soul-enhancing pills.
Even if they cost 2000 DS Coins each, it's worth it for the grind.
As I continued walking through the busy streets, the air was filled with the voices of merchants shouting about their merchandise.
That's when I saw it.
A magnificent scythe, displayed proudly, with blood vein-like designs running along the handle — it looked alive. Dangerous. Perfect.
I stepped closer, hand reaching out to touch it...
SWAT!
My hand was slapped away by a mean-looking—witch?
"Boy, if you want to hold this item, buy it first! Your dirty hands might lower its price!" she snapped, her voice crackling like an old broomstick.
'Dirty hands… lower the price… huh?'
I smirked.
Without warning, I used my elite fingering skills and ran my hands all over the scythe — up, down, around the edges — to the point I could 'swear' I heard the weapon moan in my ear.
"BOY! What are you doing!? Give that back now!"
"Come and get it, mean-looking woman! Jahahaha!"
"GIVE IT TO ME!" she screeched, finally yanking the scythe out of my hands.
Then she yelled, "Don't ever do that again! And for your information, I'm a man! A bronze-rank! So watch yourself—BOY!"
He sat back down with a huff, muttering curses under his breath. But then he looked up… and to his horror, I was still standing there, arms crossed.
"What do you still want?" he barked.
"Are you not done yet?"
"I'll call the guards on you, boy!"
I didn't answer. I just kept staring at him… and at the scythe.
He noticed the look in my eyes, and after a long, tired sigh, he finally said:
"Name your price."
"10k," I said flatly, meeting his gaze without blinking.
"50k," the merchant snapped back.
"10.5k."
"48k."
"11k."
"47k."
"11.5k."
"12k!"
And on and on it went…
Until eventually — *I won*.
Final price? 20,000 DS Coins.
In the end, I bought a weapon that will surely help me later…
But with the money I spent on it, there's nothing left for the Soul Enhancing Pills.
Now, fast forward an hour, and here I am — face down at the orphanage, getting my ass spanked by the director for blowing such a huge amount on a weapon I "absolutely did not need."
Worth it.
---
Under that night sky and the noises of guards patrolling.
"Kekekeke… that foolish boy! That scythe he bought? It's just a piece of scrap I found lying around my house! Kekekeke!" says the mean looking witch.
In a dark alley the witch/merchant is now buying petroleum from a shady guy.
As he walks away sneakily he moans under his breath and blushing. "Ugahghhh smelling this liquid always brings me closer to the deities".
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A/N: Weird Chapter🤮