Luck walked through the automatic doors of the shop, surprised at how spacious it was inside compared to what could be seen from the outside.
(Must be spatial magic.) Luck thought as he scanned the area for any runes. Of course, he couldn't find any since it would have been hidden for aesthetic purposes.
Walking through rows and rows of shelves containing various items, Luck eventually found himself in front of a counter.
Behind that counter was a man. A man with the size and physique of a bear. In fact, if not for the horns on his head, Luck would have mistaken him for a bear-kin demi-human.
(A minotaur?) Luck quickly shook his head. (No, a bull-kin)
The bull-kin smiled warmly as soon as he saw him. "Welcome to Tomes and Trinkets. My name's Bertam. What can I do for you today?"
Luck smiled faintly in return. I would like to sell some materials I acquired during my travels.
Bertam nodded. "Okay, bring them out so I can inspect them. Then will discuss an appropriate price."
Luck nodded as he activated his Shadow Inventory. Apophite expanded and wriggled under him, causing the shopkeeper to raise a brow in curiosity.
That curiosity soon turned to shock, as a literal hill of corpses and materials rose out of it.
"Are you a merchant?" Bertam asked, clearly bewildered by the number of corpses he was seeing. This was what was sold to big companies, not small shops like his.
Luck could understand what he was feeling, but he didn't care. He wanted to be rid of these things as soon as possible, as they were taking up too much space in his shadow.
He would rather be rid of all these things right now than start looking for different shops where he could sell all these. Bit by bit.
Luck shook his head. "Nah, these are what I killed on my way to the city. The reason why it's this big is 'cause it's been three months.
(Still, how many did you kill per day for it to reach this level?) Bertam thought as he stared at Luck incredulously. He shook his head, chasing the useless thoughts away, as he flashed a professional smile. "Okay, let me appraise all these."
Luck's brows raised in surprise as he watched the bull-kin vault over the counter, as if he were a ballerina. Not a hulking mass of muscle and pounds.
Bertam caught the look on Luck's face, making a smile lightly. "Don't mind me. I used to be an adventurer, so my movements are always like that. But now, I'm a shopkeeper, so think of me like a big 'ol teddy."
"If teddy bears are as muscular as you, sure." Luck responded dryly, making the bull-kin chuckle.
Without another word, he got to work, separating all the corpses from the materials, then further separating the materials into different categories.
"Let's see, you have a hundred and twelve goblin corpses. Goblins like these are only useful for making Common rank items. At the same time, their blood and skin fetch a slightly higher price from alchemists due to them being key ingredients in making Basic aphrodisiacs. For everything, at 10 bronze per goblin, I'll give you 12 silver coins with an additional 2 silver for their weapons, which are actually Unranked items.
The hobgoblins are basically just a higher quality, with the 20 you have, I should be able to give you 4 silver coins, with an additional 6 silver for their weapons and light armor.
The shamans are a bit trickier, since their bodies aren't of higher quality than hobgoblins, but their magic makes up for that. I can give 3 silver and 50 bronze coins, coupled with an additional 3 silver coins, for all 10 of their staff.
And for the chief goblin is the hardest nut to crack of them all. It's a Variant monster, so it's significantly worth more than its normal kind. Coupled with its regenerative blood and its Rare-grade battle axe, I'll say I'd give you 10 silver for it.
Your total comes to 40 silver and 50 bronze coins."
Luck almost couldn't hold back his grin, hearing the amount of money that was going to be handed over to him. Like his father before him, he had a 'thing' about getting rich. In fact, his parents were borderline robbers and used to loot the stronghold they had conquered.
Of course, all these were from enemy nations. Most of the time.
Of course, Luck had killed more than just goblins on the way here, but those had been used to trade for food, or had become food.
"Do you have an account so I can convert it into Sols.
Luck shook his head. "Just pay me in real money right now."
Sols were another form of currency that formed when carrying coins became too inconvenient, making civilization return to a quasi-cashless society.
Bertam nodded as a ring on his finger glowed subtly, allowing him to surprisingly reach inside and retrieve the amount he now owed Luck.
(Spatial rings are pretty nifty, huh?) Luck thought to himself as he observed Bertam. (Might have bought one myself if it wasn't for Shadow Inventory.)
The shopkeeper handed Luck the coins, which he immediately stored in his shadow. Seeing there was nothing left to do here, Luck bid farewell to Bertam, who smiled warmly in return.
His smile waned almost immediately as Luck left, looking at the piles before him with bewilderment.
"How many spatial rings am I going to use just to move these things. But seriously, this kid's got a huge grudge against goblins. Did he wipe out an entire village or something?"
If only Bertam knew how right he was. Then this confusion would have immediately morphed into borderline shock.
Even during his adventuring days, he didn't think he had killed so much in just a few months.
Luck made his way through the market feeling light as a feather. Making money was really good for one's health, you know?
He suddenly veered left, making his way towards his next stop: the bank
He had been putting it off for a while, but he needed an account, now more than ever, as he was in a city that was more technologically advanced than any village.
His plan was simple: open an account, then convert his cash directly into Sols, leaving just enough for small payments.
Luck entered the seemingly fortified storey building that was the bank, as he instantly reeled back in annoyance at what he saw.
There was another reason why he did not like the bank. The majority of the jobs had been taken over by machinery, and even numerous stalls were being manned by robots, with just a few having 'living' attendants.
Sure, it was efficient and all, but Luck had a problem with it. Machinery couldn't be haggled, it couldn't be bribed, and worst of all, a detail that still tore holes in his heart to date, they couldn't be scammed. They were just too damn efficient
How was he supposed to enjoy making an honest living when the bank was literally robbing you with their exorbitant rates and prices?
Luck scoured the area, eventually finding a counter manned by a human. Best of all, it looked like she was currently free. It seemed most people preferred the effectiveness that machines came with.
Luck suddenly caught movement at the corner of his eye. At the other end of the room, a cloaked figure stood, also eyeing the counter with the desire to acquire its services.
(A fellow believer. No.) Luck's eyes narrowed. (A competitor.)
They both eyed themselves, observing each other as the people passed by, wondering if they were fully sane.
*Whoosh*
Then, as if by some signal only known to them both, their bodies flickered, reappearing a dozen meters ahead in an instant, and still gaining speed.
T(She's faster than me.) Luck observed. It wasn't blatant, but with the way things were going, she would definitely reach there before him, meaning he would have... to stand in line.
He made a face of disgust, making it clear how discontented he was with the situation as he thought of ways to increase his speed.
His mana flared, turning green with gravity, instantly making him feel significantly lighter. With the evolution of his Gravity Manipulation to Gravity Control, the speed increase it brought was way more potent.
His speed skyrocketed, allowing him to blitz ahead, unhindered.
The figure must have noticed the mana surrounding him as its own mana flared, and it leaned in, crossing more distance.
Luck suddenly flashed a smirk. (You're not the only one with tricks!)
He suddenly disappeared, reappearing several meters ahead.
Which was exactly where the counter stood.
He grinned. "It seems that you lost!"
The figure did not respond. Or rather, it couldn't, as it tried to no avail to stop itself.
It failed miserably
*Bam*
The figure crashed face-first into Luck, flonging them several meters across the room before landing.
Luck suddenly felt something soft envelope his lips, causing his eyes to immediately widen as he quickly pushed the figure off him.
In the process it's hood fell, revealing a face that made Luck look in shock.
"You're a girl?!"