CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8

In the Mercantile District of the city, among the colorful stalls and crowded shops, stood an imposing building with an ancient charm. Its walls were weathered by time, but the hanging sign with the symbol of a red dragon engraved on a shield gave the place a mysterious and fascinating air.

Inside the building, among shaky shelves and goods of all kinds, stood the figure of an elderly man. His gray hair and neatly trimmed beard gave his appearance a certain aura of wisdom. He wore a long white robe adorned with red stripes and a dragon emblem on the left breast, a distinctive sign of his profession. This man was Frim, a native of the city and a veteran of many experiences in his long career.

Frim stood behind the counter as he went about his daily work, when his mind raced back to a day when he had encountered an unusual young man.

Throughout his long career, he had seen and met all sorts of people. From the wealthiest merchants and nobles to the poorest adventurers.

But only a few of them had left a lasting impression on him. One of these was a boy he had met some time ago.

That day, as he went about his work, he saw a bizarre boy enter. The boy didn't seem older than 16. He had a disheveled appearance, with tattered clothes, and he held in his hand what seemed to be a snake with green scales.

The snake was barely alive, covered in wounds. The most evident one was to its head, if it could still be called that. Frim suspected that it had been killed by repeated blows to the head.

He was stunned for a moment by the scene before him. He wondered who this boy was and why he was walking around with a snake in hand. The boy approached him and said:

"How much will you give me for this?" he said as he placed the snake on the counter.

Old Frim didn't know how to respond for a moment. He looked at the bloodied snake, which was beginning to stain the table, before turning his attention back to the boy.

"I don't think you can sell this anywhere" he said, still somewhat perplexed by this bizarre situation.

The green-scaled snake was a fairly common monster to find in the Spirit Forest, and although it was problematic for an ordinary person to deal with them, with the right means and strategy, it wasn't difficult to capture one.

Their skin was perfect for decorating some objects, and their venom also sold quite well. But in this case, the snake's skin was completely ruined, not to mention its crushed head. The venom of snakes was contained in special glands, which were located on the underside of the snake's head. There was no way to extract the venom with the head reduced in this condition.

"I understand " said the boy before taking the snake from the table and walking towards the exit, leaving Frim to wonder about the strange situation.

He decided to forget about the odd boy and resume his work, not expecting the boy to return after a few hours with another beast in hand.

This situation repeated itself three more times in the following days, until finally, Frim decided to buy his prey for a small sum in exchange.

The boy evoked pity in him, but more importantly, he reminded him of himself when he was young. Having left his home at a young age, in search of glory, Frim had faced his fair share of adversity in life.

He knew how cruel this world could be to the weak, so he decided to accept the boy's prey, even though almost none of it was worth much.

He also gave him some advice, so that in the future, he would know what to take from the beasts and what not to. He didn't want him to continue wandering around with animal carcasses in hand every time.

"It's been a while since he's been here. I wonder if he's okay" he muttered, as he continued to do what he was doing.

At that moment, he was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of the bell at the door. He raised his gaze to greet the customer who had just entered.

In his eyes reflected the figure of a young man, a little thin and unkempt, holding a brown, faded bag in his right hand.

When the boy saw him, he said with a smile:

"Hey there, old man, did you miss me?"

The customer was none other than Reily.

Frim was somewhat relieved to see that he was well, but he immediately noticed that there was something different about him today. He didn't know what, but he seemed to have improved compared to before. He could see in his eyes the flame of determination, which was much more intense than before.

He felt that something in him had changed.

***

After dining under the night sky of the Spirit Forest, Reily had returned home. The next morning, he got up and got ready to go to the Mercantile District of the city of Andris.

He took a cloth bag and put his hand in it, depositing inside it the fur of the 5 horned beasts, as well as their horns and skeletons. He intended to go to the innermost part of the city to sell his harvest from yesterday.

Leaving his hut, he walked through the alley until he turned a corner and reached the main street, which ran straight through the entire city of Andris.

From there, he began to walk towards the center of the city.

The city of Andris, with its bustling streets and various architectures, was a place rich in contrasts and life. Divided into three distinctive parts, each zone had its role in the community.

Starting from the outskirts, there was the district of the poor, a place where dilapidated houses and dusty streets bore witness to the harsh life of the less fortunate. Here, those who did not have a home sought refuge in shacks or dark alleys, struggling every day to survive.

At the center of the city, shone the Mercantile District, a vibrant place of commercial activity and exchange. Here, there were merchants of all kinds, noisy taverns, and colorful stalls selling everything from exotic spices to magical artifacts. It was the pulsating heart of Andris, where sounds and scents mingled in a whirlwind of frenetic activity.

And, finally, between the two was the residential area, which housed most of the city's population.

Among the bustling streets and majestic buildings, two buildings stood out in particular. One was the Adventurer's Guild building, a place where Reily couldn't wait to enter sooner or later.

The other was a building with ancient and fascinating features, with the sign above the door in the center, written in large, golden letters: the Crimson Dragon Emporium.

It was a building that had 3 floors.

The ground floor of the Emporium was accessible to everyone, a place where merchants and adventurers met to trade and share stories.

The second and third floors, on the other hand, were restricted access. To enter, certain requirements had to be met. Being a place where high-quality materials were sold, one could only expect this. Reily knew he was still far from being able to go up to these floors.

With his cloth bag full of the remains of his hunted creatures, he entered the emporium, which was still relatively empty.

Reily liked to come at this time of day, as there were fewer people around; after all, it was early morning, and at this

 time most people were going to work.

To sell at the Crimson Dragon Emporium, one needed to possess an Emporium card, obtainable at the cost of 50 copper coins. This card, available in three levels: copper, silver, and gold. Each one conferred different benefits and privileges to its owners. Without it, it was not possible to make transactions with the merchants of the Emporium.

Reily had only become aware of this fact after many failed attempts to sell in the first week since he transmigrated. If it hadn't been for Old Frim, who had decided to turn a blind eye to this rule, Reily might not have sold even the little he did.

Reily hurried to the buying and selling counter, where the attendant who had just glanced at him was waiting for him with a smile.

Once there, he greeted old Frim in the usual tone:

"Hey there, old man, did you miss me?"