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  ...

  "Take me to the weapons shop!"

  Leylin followed the little boy to where the bcksmith's smithy was.

  "Hey! Big-bearded old man, I brought you some business!" The little boy shouted the moment they stepped into the forge.

  "I'll be right there!"

  The shop owner had a thick, bushy beard. Though not tall, his muscur arms radiated strength.

  "Greetings, esteemed guest! I am the owner of this smithy. Please call me Bck Hammer!"

  "Show me some cross bdes."

  Leylin wanted them for a new research project he had been working on.

  "A cross bde, huh? Follow me."

  Bck Hammer unfastened the wine fgon from his waist and took a deep sip, the scent of alcohol wafting through the air.

  "Oh! Haven't I told you to tone down your drinking?" The little boy pinched his nose in disapproval.

  "Hiccup... Edgar, you are still a child and cannot appreciate the absolute bliss of fine wine!" Bck Hammer shook his head, leading Leylin to a wooden shelf.

  "My shop's finished cross bdes are all here. Please take your pick. Of course, if nothing suits you, I can craft one to your specifications. As for the price..."

  When he mentioned pricing, his words were sharp and precise—completely sober.

  Leylin scanned the cross bdes on the shelf. Their silver sheen carried an almost tangible bloodthirsty aura.

  He picked one up. The craftsmanship was intricate yet solid, its weight tingling in his palm.

  "A finely smithed steel bde. It even has a metallic star smelted onto it. The hilt is wrapped in bck silk to prevent slipping."

  Leylin pced it back and examined another. This one had a darkened exterior, exuding a sense of reliability.

  "A bde made of alloy. It has been modified to resist corrosion and fmes!"

  "Oh?" Leylin's interest piqued. "Can it deflect a Magus' spell?"

  "Of course not!" Bck Hammer immediately shook his head. "To resist magic, it must have runes inscribed and be compounded with alchemical materials. Such a bde would be cssified as a magic artifact—something not casually dispyed for sale."

  "My apologies." Leylin shook his head but smiled faintly.

  'It can't be made into a magic artifact, but a semi-artifact is possible. If I inscribe a rune on its bde, it could function as a one-time-use item—not as powerful as a real artifact but an affordable commodity for Level 1 or 2 Acolytes. They can't acquire true magic artifacts, nor can they afford them, but my magic weapons would be accessible. And since they are disposable, demand would always exceed supply.'

  Leylin scratched his chin. 'The Magus world is full of geniuses; I'm not the first to think of this. But rune crafting is a rare and difficult skill. Those who master it are immediately recruited by powerful families, uninterested in such small-scale ventures. Modifying runes requires extensive knowledge—only skilled Level 3 Acolytes with alchemy heritage or official Magi can do it.'

  He put the bck bde down. "I want twenty."

  "What!? I mean... Alright, the price is—"

  Bck Hammer's eyes gleamed. He set aside his wine.

  When Leylin left the shop, he tied the cross bdes together and dragged them behind him. In the Magus market, such items were unremarkable, not enough to attract greed—even from Level 1 Acolytes— especially when the carrier was a Level 2 Acolyte.

  Leylin tossed a magic crystal to the little boy.

  "This is your payment for today."

  "Alright! Have a good day!" The boy grinned and tucked the crystal away before trotting off.

  Leylin watched until the boy disappeared, then turned back toward the market stalls.

  After browsing for a while, Leylin visited several wooden shops in the central area before finally entering an alchemy shop.

  Shelves dispyed runes, potions, and other mystical items. The shimmering potions radiated a spectrum of colors.

  "This shop's goods seem better than Woox's," Leylin muttered approvingly.

  "I need feathers of a Westke Eagle, a carver made with bone of merman, Maroon Ink, and Durian Rock Powder..."

  Leylin listed his ingredients. Though he had most of them, he still cked stock of a few.

  The staff listened quietly before bowing. "My apologies, but may I ask if you are a rune master?"

  "Just a student running errands."

  With his hood concealing his features, the staff couldn't discern his expression.

  "Our Walker family wholeheartedly invites you to join us. The terms we offer are the best among Magus families of equal ranking..." The staff bowed even deeper.

  Leylin expected this. It was precisely why he concealed his identity.

  Potion masters, rune crafters, and alchemists were rare professionals. Magi families always sought to recruit them, offering generous remuneration.

  However, potion masters were in the highest demand—Magi needed potions the most. Rune crafters were valuable but not as urgently sought after unless highly accomplished.

  Leylin remained silent, not wanting unnecessary trouble.

  "Do you have the ingredients I listed?"

  "We do..."

  The staff accepted Leylin's unspoken refusal. His job was merely to extend the offer.

  "I want all of them. Name your price."

  "That will be 76 magic crystals."

  Leylin retrieved a small box from his robes and opened it, revealing several runes.

  "Basic Reinforcement Rune and Strength Rune."

  These were foundational runes, often crafted first by alchemy Acolytes.

  The staff's excitement dimmed.

  Still, he inspected the runes carefully.

  "Fifteen Basic Reinforcement Runes and fifteen Strength Runes... I can offer you 90 magic crystals."

  Leylin approved. If he sold these at Woox's, he would've earned only 80 crystals. Prices were higher here—but so was the risk.

  "Alright."

  The staff handed over 14 magic crystals.

  "Bring me the materials I ordered."

  "One moment!"

  The staff swiftly disappeared into the back.

  After a dozen minutes, he returned with a small wooden chest, pcing it before Leylin.

  "These are the goods you requested. Please inspect them."

  Leylin examined the items before leaving.

  He wandered the market for an hour, ensuring he wasn't being followed, then made his way toward a secluded cave.

  Bang!

  Leylin stacked a few boxes to form a makeshift experiment table. He pced his rune crafting materials and a sword on top.

  "I couldn't find any Great Knight sves here... I'll have to visit a rger market."

  He sighed, preparing for his experiment.