We darted between stalls, picking up some other items. A trinket and a pair of shoes with a faint brown aura. Daniel didn't want to stop and test it though, so we kept moving, heading toward a nearby stall where a ring pulsed with vibrant blue energy.
"That one," I said, pointing to the small object to signal Daniel.
He placed a bid, and we waited. As I'd expected, someone eventually showed up, someone with very clear intentions.
"What's the current price on the ring?" the servant asked.
"He's got seven on it right now."
"Eight, then."
And so it began.
"Nine," Daniel said, unfazed.
"Ten," the brown-robed bidder countered without hesitation.
Another man joined the fray, followed by a young woman. Neither wore sect robes. Before long, a small crowd of six had gathered around the stall, not including us.
"Eleven," Daniel called after a short pause, visibly thrown by how fast the crowd had formed.
The woman raised it again without batting an eye. Then someone else did. And again. But no one was bidding against each other, just against Daniel.
I leaned toward Synthia. "Looks like you're about to get some real acting practice."
"What?" she asked, caught off guard.
The bidding war raged on behind us, Daniel's frustration rising with each jump in price, his dreams of easy profit rapidly slipping away.
"You don't think it's odd they're only targeting Daniel?" I said quietly. "Maybe not all of them, but some are definitely working together."
I wasn't sure if that kind of behavior broke any sect or town rules, but if they kept it subtle, it'd be nearly impossible to prove. A big crowd naturally invited attention, and even more people started to gather, offering even higher prices.
Synthia's eyes flicked across the group. As realization dawned, her expression shifted.
"Oh... So what do we do?"
I gave her a sideways glance, voice thick with sarcasm. "Same thing we always do. Find 'greeeeat' treasures for me."
She smirked. "Let's have some fun, then."
She smirked. "Let's have some fun then."
"Twenty!" a young girl suddenly shouted, loud and proud.
Daniel stiffened. I could practically feel the heat radiating off him.
"Come on, man," I said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "There's plenty of other stalls."
"Yeah, bu—" he started, eyes still locked on the bidding war.
"We'll make plenty more in the future. No harm in a few losses, right?" I kept my tone light, trying to steer him away from the rising tension. As we turned away, the crowd, now our uninvited entourage, trailed close behind.
"Goddamn Brogo must've sent these pests," Daniel muttered under his breath.
"Hey, it's no problem," I said with a grin. "Let's just mess around a bit."
"There!" Synthia suddenly pointed to a stall, her voice full of performative excitement. Her finger landed on an unassuming wooden flute. I glanced at it, there was some energy, a faint golden hue, but nothing impressive.
Easing into her role, huh?
Daniel jumped in to bid, but just like before, the second he opened his mouth, someone else outbid him. Then another. The pattern repeated, again and again.
And so the game began. Fun for two of us, miserable for one.
Daniel kept losing. Over and over. But Synthia? She started to escalate. It began with the flute. Then a small hammer that looked better suited for fixing a loose shelf than anything combat-related.
Each time, someone would cheer after winning. The joy of outbidding a Core Disciple, even if it wasn't their money on the line, seemed to be a reward all its own.
Daniel's frustration simmered beneath the surface, rising steadily. But as long as he didn't explode in public, I figured we were fine.
The next item, a beat-up old iron pot, was won by a brown-robed girl who squealed with excitement and bounced in place before hurrying off. She handed a small pouch to another man as she left, probably out of funds but a couple crystals.
I started to feel a little bad for these people. They were clearly excited. Hopefully, they didn't get punished later for Brogo's idiocy.
Then came the crown jewel of ridiculousness.
"Master," Synthia said, voice full of reverence, "this is perhaps the most valuable item I've seen."
She was staring at a rusted, dented helmet. One so pockmarked with holes it looked like it had fought a war... and lost. The way she gazed at it, though, you'd think it radiated holy light.
Even Daniel gave her a look. "Are you sure? It—it's got holes. Lots of them."
Synthia nodded with exaggerated seriousness.
"Daniel…" I began.
He raised a hand to stop me. "Don't worry. I'm winning this. No matter what."
'What a moron,' Luna muttered.
I didn't want to agree with her but seriously? No way he should've been buying this act. Even the bidders weren't even checking the items. They were just taking our word for it.
Even the stall owner looked baffled when Daniel made the first offer. "Uh… I'm sorry, you mean this?" He pointed to a shiny silver ring next to the helmet.
"No," Daniel sighed. "That. The helmet."
"Uh… One? I guess?"
"Then one," Daniel confirmed.
"Two!" someone from the crowd shouted.
"You guys aren't messing with me?" the vendor asked, glancing between us with visible confusion.
I decided to throw a little fuel on the fire. "Fifteen."
A breeze passed through as the silence stretched. The vendor stared at me like I was both a saint and a lunatic.
"Si—sixteen!" someone stammered.
The bidding war continued until someone blurted out "Thirty!" and Daniel finally stepped back, defeated. The group huddled together, pooled their money, and handed over several pouches before taking their glorious prize and vanishing.
But Daniel didn't seem upset. If anything, he looked… satisfied. A thin smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Good riddance," he said. "Let's see Brogo try bothering us again after blowing all his crystals."
"When'd you figure it out?" I'd assumed Daniel was just tunnel-visioned, chasing his dream of getting rich.
He shrugged. "I mean… who buys that rust bucket and calls it treasure for fifteen crystals?"
Fair point. So my bet spilled the beans.
The stall owner didn't wait around for questions. He scrambled to pack everything into a cloth bundle and bolted, probably afraid someone might come asking for a refund.
"Well, let's head back," I said, stretching. "We can always shop more tomorrow."
I still needed to meet with Ramus, and I was curious about the books Daniel had mentioned. Plus, if I could get anything useful out of Synthia regarding elements, that'd be a bonus.
They both nodded, and we started jogging back. Not quite a sprint, but definitely faster than the casual stroll we'd taken earlier. Between the pace and the comfortable silence, we made it to the Core Disciple housing in no time.
We stopped at the edge of the row of homes.
"This one's mine," Daniel said, pointing to a modest building.
"Oh! We're neighbors then." Maybe he was pretty new to the sect too.
"Give me a sec, I'll grab the books," he said, heading inside.
A few moments later, he returned with three thin manuals in hand. "Here."
I accepted them with a nod. "Thanks." I reached into my pocket, ready to pay him back for all the earlier purchases, but he stopped me with a raised hand.
"We can settle up later. Let's just meet tomorrow and make some real money." His eyes sparkled... almost literally. You could practically see the Force Crystals in their reflection. "I've got a few things to handle first, but I'll fill you both in later."
With that, he waved and jogged off down the mountain.
I turned to Synthia. "Want to look through these together?"
She blinked, surprised. "You did all the work to get them… You sure you want to share?"
I chuckled lightly. "Of course. Think of it as your reward for playing your part today." Sliding the door open, I stepped inside. "Come on."
I sat cross-legged in the center of the room and laid the three books out in a fan in front of me. Synthia settled in beside me.
'Anything in there look good for me?' Luna asked.
'I'll check. Just hold on. How's the purification going?'
She paused, then glowed a soft, pulsing yellow. 'Pretty good! I can feel my body absorbing World Force faster and more efficiently now. I think I'll be done soon.'
'Good. Keep focusing on that while I handle the long-term power stuff.'
'Understood!'
"You talking to that thing?" Synthia asked, eyeing me curiously.
I smirked and held up my wrist. "This is Luna. My partner in crime. We help each other out."
She leaned in for a closer look. "Wow… So, that's why you kept acting weird?"
"You mean the interruptions? Yeah. That's all her."
Turning back to the books, I scanned the titles. Thankfully straightforward and not drenched in dramatic flair.
"Pillar Formation. Spiritual Root Formation. Pathway Formation," I read aloud. Each cover was marked with a rough diagram, hollow human silhouettes etched with different lines.
The Pillar Formation showed a long, solid vertical channel from the crown down through the Nexus then to the base. Almost like a simplified Grand Channel.
Spiritual Root Formation matched what I'd seen when examining myself in Kazriel's body.
And Pathway Formation looked nearly identical to what I called the Circuit System. Though honestly, Circuit Formation was the better name in my opinion.
"I'll take this one," I said, reaching for the Spiritual Root Formation. The pillar method seemed basic, and I already had a manual for the circuit system waiting.
"Sure," Synthia said, then added with a hint of smugness, "but I could just explain it to you… if you want."