Chapter 169 - 2-11

Chapter 2

"I'm a moron," Randon muttered exhaustedly in defeat. He had gone high and low to search for jobs and couldn't even find someone who would consider giving him a chance, let alone actually hiring him for a salary. And of course, they were not as well mannered as the first establishment. He had had the guards called on him more than once and had many other close calls. Thankfully, he didn't provoke any cultivators, otherwise, he would not have gotten off as lightly.

However, he wasn't entirely out of luck. One of the merchants he begged had enough pity to give him a couple of large coppers, which was enough for him to buy a decent meal before dusk. With his thrifty and fox-like skills, he managed to get a nice, nutritious meal for just a single large copper. He wouldn't have been able to do it if he didn't convince a retiring stall owner to sell his expiring goods for the cheap.

After the whole ordeal, Randon managed to annoy an innkeeper enough to let him sleep in an empty stable. Once he was there, he laid down, temporarily defeated but not without hope. His hard work wasn't without its fruits. As long as he continued to save up, he could someday afford some decent enough clothing and a trip to the local bathhouse. With good enough luck and planning, he could finally stake a claim in this world, just like his old one.

"Now, I just have to make sure that I find a safe space to hide this copper," he murmured under his breath.

Thanks to his predecessor's memories, he was aware just how dangerous it was to keep money on his person. There were always people more desperate than him that would not hesitate to corner him and rob him. After all, he was just a thirteen year old boy living in the slums, and not a very strong one at that. Given his average height and not so nourished body, he would be easy to bully if it came down to that.

Once he hid the coin under a nearby hay bale, he finally relaxed fully. After being yelled at and having to deal with lots of stressful situations, he was glad to finally get away from everything. Although he laid on some uncomfortable hay stalks, it didn't take long for the tiredness to take him in the darkness regardless.

However, instead of waking up the next day after a dreamless sleep, Randon found himself in a strange, surreal dream. After looking around, he realized that he wasn't anywhere he remembered. In fact, the surroundings were purely stars and empty void.

I'm definitely dreaming, Randon pondered as he looked around him. This kind of dreaming isn't normal, is it? I can actually tell that I'm dreaming, which is unusual already. Not only that, but-

Randon's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden explosion of light. Once the light faded away, he spotted a strange bowl in the center of the former singularity. However, it was not an ordinary bowl at all. It seemed very ancient, and also strange at the same time. Not only were there strange depictions on the bowl, but there were shapes that almost seemed like runes of a sort.

As he was pondering what the treasure was and why it was there, the bowl suddenly brightened once more. With a quick flash, it returned back to normal, but Randon wasn't paying attention to it anymore. Instead, he was digesting the instructions the artifact suddenly passed onto him.

After he reviewed the memories, his lips curved into a strange smile. So I guess this artifact can duplicate things!? What the actual fuck!? Wait… this is my golden finger, isn't it? Ahhh, so it's like those novels I read a few years back! HAHAHAHAHA!

Randon allowed himself to celebrate in a chaotic dance in the starry void for a few moments. After he had his little moment, he calmed down and started parsing through the instructions a little more.

According to the artifact, it could manifest it into reality at his will. Its power was infinite, so he could duplicate anything inside the bowl as many times as he wanted. No matter what was put into it, the items inside would duplicate.

All in all, the artifact sounded utterly overpowered. However, the artifact wasn't all powerful, and there were some limitations to its use.

First of all, it could only duplicate things within its parameters. If something inside would stack higher than what the bowl could hold, then the excess would not duplicate. The bowl also couldn't change size, and was only about six inches tall. If Randon was to guess, he'd think the bowl had around a foot of cubic space inside.

There was also the fact that the bowl only had one charge per day. Because it had just bonded with him that day, it had one charge, and would gain another before the sun rose the next morning.

Still, Randon knew that these limitations weren't that big of a deal. He could store a lot of coins inside, so he at least knew that he'd never go hungry, have shelter, or have any problems with money whatsoever. In fact, now that he thought about it, he didn't need to work at all!

Fuck yesssss, I hate working! It'd be pretty damn nice to just watch my money double every day, huh? But, I can't get over my head about this. If anyone figures out the secrets to my resource duplication artifact, I'll most certainly have a lot of problems, if I'm not instakilled. I can't just let this boon ruin me.

With a deep breath, Randon cleared his head. He knew that even with such a powerful artifact, he couldn't squander it. It would take many days until he built enough wealth to live comfortably, and even with such wealth, he couldn't just spend it at will. If he turned from a beggar on the street into a tycoon, people would surely notice.

Thinking this, he quietly formed a plan. After a few minutes of brainstorming, he had an idea on how he could get away with his newfound wealth scott free.

Since I'm from Frasse and I'm currently in Turin, I'll have to move to a place where nobody has ever seen me. The only place that I think will work is Shad. Not only is it an actual city, but it also has an academy for cultivators. As long as I have the money, I can test myself to see if I have the necessary talent for cultivation. There is also the benefit of tight security, which is perfect for someone like me. At least there, nobody will think of making moves if I'm careful.

After thinking about his plans for the future, Randon looked around once again. The starry void seemed endless, but he felt like he was enclosed, somehow. As of now, the feeling of the sky was starting to weigh on him.

"Uh, hello? Can I leave now?" He asked hesitantly. After receiving no response of any kind, he felt a slight sense of panic. "Uhhh, please? Wait, am I stuck here or what?"

Receiving no response, Randon tensed again, before forcing himself to relax. As of now, he wasn't in any danger, so there was no reason to panic. All he needed to do was to find his way out of the cosmos-looking place that he knew nothing about. How hard could it possibly be?

Thankfully, he didn't get jinxed. After mentally commanding his consciousness to return to his body, he felt a strong pull in his soul. Almost immediately, the stars around him blurred more and more until everything faded to black. Before his consciousness faded, he pumped an imaginary fist in triumph.

Chapter 3

Randon woke up with a big fat smile on his face. With trembling excitement, he willed the artifact to appear in front of him. This time, there was no flash. One moment, there was nothing, but in the next, the bowl immediately appeared in his lap. 

Seeing this, he almost leapt in excitement. Without wasting time, he put the bowl down and hastily searched under the hay bale. Once he retrieved the copper he hid last night, he put it into the bowl and commanded it to duplicate.

Instantaneously, the copper became two. At the same time, one of the tallies on the top of the bowl's rim stopped glowing entirely. Seeing this, Randon's eyes sparkled. Without hesitation, he commanded the copper to duplicate again. After the last tally faded, he eagerly picked up the four large coppers.

As long as I'm thrifty today, I can keep making exponential gains! He giggled mentally. If I only spend one of these large coppers today, I can hold onto the other three! Then, next morning, I can double them again! If I continue to do that, then I'll have 6 coppers tomorrow, 10 the next day, and then 18 the day after…

Randon did some calculations for a while until he finally had his goal set in stone. 30 silvers is the base goal that I need to reach before I can splurge completely. Since 25 large coppers equal 1 silver, that means that I need 750 large coppers… Well, damn. That means I need to duplicate for 9 more days until I reach that amount. Of course, I'll have to wait a bit longer to take a bath and get a hearty meal, but I've done worse. The caravan should have a fee of a few silvers since Shad is a few days away. As long as I don't slim my pockets too thin, I should arrive there with enough money to live comfily and securely immediately upon arrival.

With that plan in mind, Randon did his best to commit to it. The first day passed by slowly, but he managed to get through it without any trouble. The second and third day was also without issue, thanks to his careful and patient approach.

However, he didn't make as much money as he expected. Apparently, his beginner's luck was gone, because he could not find any shelter for the night on the third day. In the end, he had no choice but to pay 3 large coppers to stay at a cheap inn. Not only that, but he had difficulties finding filling meals as cheaply as he did the first day. Though the expense hurt him, he was at least glad it happened later, and not sooner.

Because of this, once he duplicated his coins on the following morning, he only had 13 large coppers and 3 small coppers, or as the denizens of the city called them, 13 rabbits and 3 mice. According to his naive calculations, he was supposed to have 18 rabbits by now. Still, that wasn't too bad considering his progress.

Unfortunately, the fourth day was when he ran into a problem. He didn't make it very far from the inn until he found himself cornered in a deserted street, surrounded by three teenage hoodlums.

"Hah, look at him!" The smallest one chuckled. "The kid looks like a lost puppy. It's too bad he doesn't know the real owners in these streets. Give him the lesson, Gabe."

"I'm on it," Gabe grunted. With a condescending sneer, he looked down on Randon as if looking at an ant. "Kid, you really should know better than to walk around in this neighborhood. This territory belongs to the Beast Gang, and I'm the vice leader in this nice group. So, if you know what's good for you, give us everything you own. And don't pretend you don't have anything, because we saw you enter The Wandering Horse last night!"

Randon looked around, then pretended to be frustrated. "You won't get much out of me! I spent most of my coin at the inn last night! You can even search me! Whatever you find is yours, okay?"

Gabe nodded, then signalled to the short goon that talked earlier. "Sammy, pat him down. If you can't find anything on him, beat him up."

Sammy nodded as his lips curved upward. "Right on, boss. I'll find something on him for sure, though." Without saying anything else, he immediately patted him down. After searching for a while, he managed to scrounge a couple of large coppers from his shoes.

"Ha, there we go!" Sammy sighed in relief. "It was tough, but I at least found something. Too bad this guy is dirt poor, though. Can I give him a beating anyway?"

Gabe hesitated, then shook his head. "This guy might be dirt poor, but at least he isn't useless. If he happens to come by again, won't we have another few coppers for free? Plus, we can't scare away a potential member, can we? Though he is short and scrawny now, how do we know if he'll stay that way?"

Sammy nodded slowly. "Well, you know what's best, boss. So… do we just let the kid go now?"

Gabe looked at him, then shrugged. "You can scurry away, kid. Just remember to pay your taxes the next time our group sees you, alright? Otherwise, expect a beating."

"Wait!" Randon suddenly exclaimed. "How much would a protection fee cost? I just want to be left alone for a couple of weeks if that's possible. I'll scrounge up the coin somehow, don't you worry!"

Gabe and the other two whispered amongst each other for a minute, before coming up with a solution. "Well, I have a few people in the neighborhood that want protection. Usually, I'll charge them 6 mice a week, or 2 rabbits for the month. Unfortunately for you, the protection starts at the beginning of the week, and today is the 4th day of the week. So, we can only sell you our weekly protection for this week for… let's say three mice."

Randon nodded. "That sounds fair. And where exactly can I go to get this protection?"

Gabe shook his head at that. "We can't tell you that information. You'll have to set a meeting point. Otherwise, the guards will know where we operate. Well, they probably know already, but we don't want rival gangs to know anything about our base of operations."

"That makes sense," Randon agreed. "Okay, I'll meet one of your men tonight near The Wandering Horse. I'm almost certain that I'll have the money by then."

"Remember, if you don't have the money by then, you'll keep getting harassed by our men like you were today. So, for your own good, you better have the proper amount ready, otherwise…"

"Noted, I'll be ready for you come dusk," Randon nodded glumly.

"Right," Gabe smiled thinly. "Our guy will come at around twilight. If you aren't there, then you'll be in big trouble, kid." He then nodded at his two henchmen. "Alright, let's go and bother some other sops, boys!"

The other two smiled, then walked with their leader out of the alley. It wasn't long until it was just Randon and the cold morning breeze upon his back.

Chapter 4: Protection and Progress

Randon sighed in relief as he settled down for the day. Just a few minutes ago, he stayed at the front of the inn and waited for the messenger to appear. After the lanky guy came, the two of them traded his three mice for the man's gang token. 

Surprisingly, the process was as simple as that.

Now with the token, he had no worries about any nearby threats. In fact, he was considering splurging a little bit of his coin in the coming days. After reaching a total of 40 rabbits, he was going to spend some of his horde on some basic clothing and bathing services. In three days, or more like two and a half days, he would have enough to do what he wanted.

I'll have to be sneaky about it, though. Randon mused. After all, I can't let the Beast Gang know I have so much on me. If they find out, then I'll be in a bit of trouble, won't I?

With a sigh, he leaned back on the hay. He knew that in just a few more days, he could finally leave the hellhole of a city and get on his way to Shad. As long as he found housing out of the slums, he wouldn't have any problems for the foreseeable future.

At this rate, it'll be just six more days once I wake up tomorrow. As of now, I have 12 rabbits and 7 mice, but that will become 25 the next morning. Then the day after that will get me to around 45, and then 85, then 165, 325, 645, then 1285 as long as I spend two and a half rabbits per day. Of course, this won't cover clothing expenses and all that, but 1285 is a lot more than the 750 that I need.

Randon suddenly sat up as he considered a problem. Wait, soon enough, I'll have a problem carrying around so much coin. Not only is my current body incapable of constantly carrying dozens of such coins, let alone hundreds or thousands, but I can't carry around so many rabbits. There's also the problem of the bowl being too small for so many coins. If the bowl overflows, then I will not get my full money's worth, so to speak. It looks like I'll have to take a trip to the local bank and convert my coppers to silver one of these days.

In a few moments, he came up with a plan. Alright, so three days from now, I'll do everything. As long as I buy my set of clothing, wash myself, and 25 rabbits for a silver, I should have enough to be worry free for the rest of my time here. If my calculations are correct, then after purchasing clothes, bathing, and converting my rabbits to owls, I should have around 30 to 35 rabbits' worth of wealth. That means that I'll still be able to leave within 6 days if I budget my wealth well enough.

With that plan in mind, Randon found it easier to fall asleep on the hay beneath him. It wasn't long until he slipped into unconsciousness.

The next day was rather ordinary. Even though he now had protection from the local Beast Gang, Randon wasn't one to forsake cautiousness. He still heavily budgeted his wealth and spent thriftily. Thanks to that, he managed to save even more than he expected. Upon waking up the next morning, his total wealth was 47 rabbits and 2 mice, which was 22 mice higher than he expected. Thanks to that, he had more wiggle room to find nice clothing. He was even considering renting a room at the inn, but he quickly dismissed such a thought.

Alright, first, I'll need to get some nice clothing. Once I do that, I'll go to the baths to wash and change. After that, I can go to a bank and convert my currency. Simple.

With casual confidence, Randon walked down the busier streets. It wasn't very long until he spotted his tailor. He was rather on the rounder side of people he had seen so far, but his easy going smile was enough to lead his feet towards his shop.

"Welcome custome-" The man's smile froze for a moment before he continued, "Uh, sorry, but I can only accept customers here at this time. Please leave if you have any other intentions in mind."

Randon smiled at the man. "Actually, I am here to buy some fitting clothing. I got lucky and managed to catch an innkeeper's eye, so I need to look the part. Right now, I only have ten rabbits to my name, but I'm sure you have something for such a price, right?"

The man's smile warmed after his explanation. "Ah, you sure are lucky, huh? Most boys like you are forever doomed for the streets. It's good that you managed to claw your way out. Anyway, I do indeed have a few articles that fit your size. By the way, you never mentioned what job you had at the inn. Are you a stableboy, a cleaner, or a server? Whatever your new role is, I have what you need to look the part."

"I'm a stableboy," Randon nodded. "What do you have for me that befits that?"

The man didn't respond and instead walked into the back of his shop. Around a minute later, he returned with a few sets of clothing in his hands. After sorting through them for a bit, he laid them out neatly along the counter.

"Pick whatever size suits you. The ones on the left might be tight, while the ones on the right are a bit big," the man stated. He then leaned a little closer to him. "But, let me give you a good tip. You'll probably be better off spending on the bigger pair. Though it may not fit perfectly for now, you are a growing boy, so the set will last you a bit longer. If you want to get the best deal, that's what you should get."

Randon looked at the sets for a while before shaking his head. "Actually, I'll take the best fitting ones for now. The inn I work at has a used, larger pair, so I'd rather get one that fits me today. Plus, I can always sell it later."

The man nodded. "At least you have some sense. By the way, all of these are five rabbits a set, but I can give you a discount if you buy two. I'll only charge you nine total, how about that?"

Randon pretended to think about it before shaking his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm only in need of one." Also, I can just duplicate the set for free if I want more, hehehe!

After saying his thanks and goodbyes, he made his way to the bathhouse. The place was more secluded, but no less popular than the main streets of the town. Once he got there, he joined the long line for his turn.

Twenty minutes later, Randon finally arrived at the front of the line. It was there that he met a wisp of a girl with a patchwork uniform of some sort.

"The fee is 2 mice, sir." She said shyly. Once she received the proper change, she led him down the hallway into his designated area. 

Upon arriving, she gave him a key. "Sir, your quarters will be in room 12, just on your right. Once you're done, please return the key to the guards at the exit. Also, please try to be done promptly. We are busy, as you can tell."

"Thank you," Randon smiled. After dismissing her, he opened the door with his key. What he saw inside wasn't exactly what he expected. Given the architecture and medieval feel, he would have thought they didn't have any showers. However, he was glad to be proven wrong, even though the technology was a bit barebones. 

After stripping, he picked up the warmest of the three buckets and climbed the makeshift ladder. Once he got to the appropriate height, he poured it into the cloth bag. Immediately, the bag expanded, holding all of the water he just poured except the little trickles that fell through.

Upon seeing the shower do its job, he hastily made his way underneath it. Though there was plenty of water, he hadn't bathed in what seemed like weeks, and he needed a deep cleaning of his body. He couldn't afford to waste a single drop.

Half an hour and a lot of scrubbing later, Randon left the bath houses. If one had seen him before, their jaws would have gaped at the transformation. His previously dirty, scrappy look changed into one of confidence and uprightness. Gone were his rags from before. As of now, he looked just like any other boy his age that lived with their families.

That was why when he reached the town's bank, nobody barred him from entering. Instead, he was greeted like any other customer. Although he didn't exactly have much to his name, the staff knew better than to turn away a customer. It wasn't long until he was face to face with a teller.

The teller he met was one of the older gentlemen Randon had met so far in this world. While he wasn't exactly wheezing in his old age, his back did bend a bit. If he were to guess, he'd have thought he was in his sixties.

However, his energy was from a man a third of his age. Once he approached him, his eyes brightened with warmth. "Welcome, young man! What can I do for you today?"

Randon smiled hesitantly. "I'm a bit embarrassed by my request, but I'd like to have my rabbits exchanged for an owl. I wonder if that is possible?"

The old man didn't seem fazed by the request, much to his relief. "Hah, no problem lad. Just let me search for the drawers for a bit…" The man bent down below the counter for a moment before coming back with a silver coin in hand. "Ah, here we are. I'll need your 25 rabbits, if you please."

Randon nodded, then retrieved his carefully hidden coppers. Upon seeing this, the old man smirked, but said nothing. In moments, the two of them exchanged currencies, and the transaction was finished.

Not long later, Randon smiled excitedly. As of now, he had 1 silver owl and 7 rabbits. At this rate, he knew it wouldn't be long until he could hitch a ride on a caravan and find a new life in Shad. Once he did that, he could finally taste the goodness of a lavish life!

Chapter 5: Trip Preparations

The next few days passed by quickly. Thanks to Randon's cautiousness, he met with no further trouble. Without incident, he made it to the 9th day with about 920 rabbits' worth of wealth. Thanks to his planning and preparation, he was ready to find a caravan to ride with. All he needed were some essentials before he could go.

Firstly, he decided to stop by a barber. Since he was just about to leave, he no longer worried about attracting attention. After all, he'd already checked the day before for caravan passage, and there were two caravans that were ready to leave in the afternoon. In such a limited time frame, he was confident in his ability to avoid getting into perilous situations.

After getting a quality cut, Randon made his way to the bank. Coincidentally, after waiting for a while, he met the same man he had six days ago. Upon seeing the familiar face, he smiled warmly.

The old man recognized him as well. "Hello, young man! What can this old man do for you today? Hmm, let me guess, did some girl catch your fancy? Are you here to break down your owl into smaller coins?

Randon didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Where did this old man get such an impression? "Actually, I'm not here to convert down, but to convert up. I'm going to Shad today via caravan, and I can't keep lugging around so many coins on my trip."

After saying that, he took coins from different parts of his body. At first, the old man nodded in amusement. However, his eyebrows started lifting up as more and more coins appeared on the counter. A few minutes later, his eyes were almost popping out of his skull as he saw the huge sum on the counter.

"Well… young man, you were certainly wise to convert your currency today. Otherwise, you would have had quite the trouble with the local gangs, I'm afraid," he laughed.

Randon smiled wryly at that. "Of course. This is why I came the day of, after all. I've already confirmed the trip with the local caravan this morning."

The old man nodded, then looked down at the pile in front of him. As he started counting, his expression changed a few times, from disbelief, to incredulity, and finally concern. At the end, he looked at him up and down in confusion.

"Boy, where the hell did you get all this money? Did you rob someone's grave, or did you maybe steal a noble's coin pouch? Because damn, you're suspiciously loaded." The old man then took a deep breath, then spoke before he could get a word in. "Anyway, it doesn't concern me. Your total is 919.3 taels. How would you like that converted?"

(AN: Taels are standard currency units, like dollars or euros. 1 tael = 1 large bronze or 1 rabbit in value. This system makes it easier to keep track of total value)

"Just convert it into the biggest and least numerous coins possible," Randon answered.

The old man smiled, then leaned under the counter. After a while of searching, he brought up a box of coins. He then licked his fingers and picked a few out of the storage. Setting them down, he counted again, then nodded absently in confirmation.

"Here's your conversion: 3 swans, 8 owls, 19 rabbits, and 3 mice. 919 and three-tenths' tales to the dot. Is there anything else you need?"

Randon shook his head. "That's all, sir. Thank you for the help, and sorry for being so troublesome."

The old man smiled, then shook his head. "Just stay safe out there, alright? Don't get into trouble with the town's gangs if you can help it."

The two of them exchanged a few more words before Randon made his way out. With a smile on his face, he made his way out of the bank's doors with confidence. After a few twists and turns, he suddenly stopped by a smith as an idea came into his mind.

Damn, how could I forget? He lamented silently. I'll probably do well with a dagger, or some form of protection. After all, I do have a bit of money now. Whatever I spend will be made up on the journey many times over.

With that thought, Randon made his way inside the smithery. As he looked around, he couldn't help but marvel at all the unique tools everywhere. There were horseshoes, nails, and even tools for other smiths. It almost looked like a medieval tool shop.

What impressed him the most, however, was just how quiet everything was. Even inside the workshop, the noise wasn't too loud. Somehow, the smiths were either working underground, or they had some kind of sound insolation method.

"Oh, a customer!" A bald man in the back of the shop shouted. "Welcome to Fools' Tools, young man! What can I do for you today?"

"I'd like to buy a dagger of some sort," Randon started. "I'm due for a caravan trip in a couple of hours, so I'd like something to defend myself with. Do you have something like that in stock?"

The man nodded hurriedly. "Although I'm not exactly one to sell weapons, I think I have a dagger or two somewhere around here. Let me look around for a bit and see what I've got laying around."

Randon nodded firmly. When the man disappeared through the back, he looked around in curiosity. He wanted to see what exactly the technology was in this era, and looking around a smith's tool shop was certainly a good way to find out.

After snooping around for a bit, the bald man came back. "You're in luck, my friend. It just so happens that I have a dagger in stock. Although it may be a bit big for someone of your stature, I think it suits you in terms of weight. Come, have a try!" 

Randon glanced at the dagger in interest. The man was right, it was a bit bigger than he would've liked. Thankfully, when he tried picking it up, it didn't seem all that heavy, despite him being a semi-malnourished street rat. As he swung it around, his lips curved upwards.

"This is exactly what I need," he nodded in satisfaction. "By the way, why is this dagger so light? It doesn't seem like something of this size should be something that I can wield comfortably."

The man grinned. "Ah, that's because this dagger is actually a throwing knife. It is of a special kind, but that is what it is. I just happened to thicken the grip on it and make it a dagger."

Randon nodded happily. Even though the knife wasn't a real dagger, it was more than enough to suit his purposes. In fact, it was probably the best weapon he could have gotten in his circumstances. Fast, light, and surprising was exactly what he needed to maximize his current build.

"How much does this dagger cost?" he asked.

"I'm thinking 50 taels is suitable for such a fine weapon," the man started. "After all, it is made of trilatine, which is an alloy that is hard to shape. Even I can't even do such work, and I've been in the business for twenty odd years."

Randon immediately frowned at the bid. "50? I admit, this dagger is nice enough, but not 50 taels nice. I'd say 30 is more fitting."

"30 taels?" The bald man winced. "Young man, can you not see the craftsmanship of this dagger? 30 taels is an insult to such work! Give me 45, and I'll forgive you!"

Randon shook his head. "45 taels is still too much. Maybe for a real dagger of such material, that would be a good price. Unfortunately, this isn't even a real dagger. It is a throwing knife with a thick grip."

The man cursed under his breath as his eye twitched several times. "Boy, 40 taels is the least I'll go for this! Don't pretend you don't need this! Where else would you find such a good weapon?"

"That's exactly why I can only buy it for 35 taels," Randon stated solemnly. Before the bald man could reason with him, he continued with his reasoning. "How long have you had this dagger for? I bet it's been here for a while. It appears that only specific builds similar to mine can use it, so I bet it would be hard to get rid of it, huh? And no one is going to use it as a throwing dagger, because it is the only one in the set for some reason. So 35 taels is more than reasonable, I believe."

The bald man appeared to want to say something, but his shoulders finally slumped in defeat. "Damn kid, you sure know how to take advantage of me. Fine, I'll take 35 for the dagger. It's too bad that I don't have a sheath for it, as I'm only a tool smith. You'll have to find a weaponsmith shop to get something suitable."

Randon nodded, but he knew he had little time left. The sun was almost at the peak of its journey, and that was exactly when the caravan would set off. All he could do was use his old rags as a sheath for now, and get something better when he made it to Shad.

Alright, now that everything is ready, I can finally get going. Actually, hmm, I guess I could stop by a vendor real quick and get a hot meal on the go. For heaven's sake, I can't wait to finally have a warm meal for once in this world!

Chapter 6: An Insightful Journey

Randon sighed in relief as he caught sight of the caravan. He was pretty sure it wouldn't leave so hastily in his absence, but who knew what to expect? Anyway, now that he was here, he no longer had to worry anymore. Thanks to the guards in the merchant's employ, he didn't have to worry about gangs troubling him anymore.

As he made his way into throwing distance, the rather rotund merchant finally noticed his presence. With a smile, he greeted him enthusiastically. "Ah Randon, glad to see that you could make it! With you here, we only have one more person to wait for. Anyway, the carriage in the back is for you. Just pay me the fee we discussed on Twoday, and we can get you situated."

Randon nodded smilingly. "Actually sir, I'd like to buy the inclusive deal. I've had a bad few nights beforehand, and I really do need a good night's sleep for the next oncoming days." And I can finally live like someone more frivolous, damn it! I'll definitely pay the extra few taels to rent a nice sleeping bag for the next few nights, especially after sleeping on hay for most of last week!

The merchant seemed to perk up at that. "Hah, good choice, young man, comfort is king! That'll bring your total to 85 taels for the journey."

Randon nodded, then pulled out his coin pouch, something that he'd just bought just a few hours ago. With it, he quickly brought out three owls and ten rabbits for the man.

Seeing the coins, the merchant happily accepted them. He then looked down the street and smiled brilliantly. "Ah, looks like our final passenger has arrived! It's always good to have a full carriage, no? Well, young lad, quickly get your seat warm, as we'll get going in just a moment."

Randon looked down the street with curiosity, but seeing that the newcomer was just an ordinary middle aged man, he shrugged before getting in the carriage. Upon entering, he was met with four different people. The youngest seemed to be a young lady who would be fresh out of college in his world, and someone who seemed to be her husband right beside her, also at a similar age. Another one was a stern faced middle aged woman, who seemed to be a bit prickly. The last man, however, seemed to be well off. His robe was clean, and although he seemed late into his seventies, he looked suspiciously vigorous for his age, even compared to people on Earth.

"Ah, so here's our newest arrival!" The young man exclaimed, before his smile turned strange. "Excuse me, but what's a kid like you doing here? Where are your parents at?"

Randon looked at him for a moment before shrugging. "Uh, I honestly don't know. I'm pretty sure they're dead though, given that I've been raised as an orphan."

The couple gasped, and the man quickly bowed in apology. "I'm very sorry to hear that. I hope I didn't cause any offence."

"Nah, there's no problem." Randen smiled. He then prepared the lie he had spent time brainstorming and rehearsing for the last several minutes. "Actually, I'm an apprentice smith to my adoptive father. I'm just going to Shad to get tested to see if I have cultivation talent."

The man's eyes widened. "Oh, but of course! How could I forget about that? But doesn't the talent ceremony start in three weeks? Why are you on your way so early?"

Randon laughed internally as soon as he heard that question. He of course knew that there was a talent testing selection every month in Shad, but he wasn't aware when it was exactly. Thankfully, he prepared an excuse in advance just in case he got the timing wrong.

"If I was only going for the ceremony, then I indeed would be going too early. But as you can see, my body isn't quite in the best state for a smith's apprentice. I've only recently gotten adopted, and I still need to get in shape to be a good apprentice. My father has a guard friend in the city, so I'm going there to train under him for a couple of weeks just in case I don't become a cultivator."

The man nodded at him with satisfaction. "Impressive! I can only wish you luck in your journey. Who knows, maybe you'll really become a cultivator."

Randon smiled wryly. "If only I could be that lucky."

However, in his mind, he actually felt pretty confident. After all, why would the artifact choose him if he couldn't even cultivate? If he had to guess, he had to have some kind of ability at the very least. Otherwise, why would the artifact choose him out of all people?

Just as Randon took his seat, the middle aged man from before opened the door to the carriage. "Hello everyone! It seems like this is the full group, huh? Nice to meet you, everyone! The name's John Smith."

"My name is Amanda, but I prefer Mrs. Taylor," the middle aged woman responded.

"I'm Fernand, and this is my wife, Lisa," the man from earlier pitched in.

"And I'm Gilford," the old man smiled.

"And I'm Randon, pleased to meet you all," Randon finished politely.

The six of them engaged in small talk for the next couple of hours as the carriage started on its journey. It was interesting to hear everyone's stories, and he didn't zone out for even a moment. This was because he not only learned many things about his new world, Cesia, but he discovered that the old man was actually a cultivator. Once he learned of this, he couldn't stop himself from asking questions to satiate his curiosity.

Thanks to his probing curiosity, he was able to figure out many different things that he was previously ignorant of in both demographics and cultivation knowledge.

In terms of demographics, he learned three very interesting things. The first being that there were actually multiple races, and not just humans. There were five different intelligent races, one being humans, obviously, while the other four were dwarves, elves, orcs, and demons. There were also beastkin, but they technically didn't count, as they were a crossbreed of one of the five races and humanly transformed beasts. Because humanly transformed beasts were rare due to the incredible cultivation requirements for humanoid transformation, beastkin were as rare as phoenix feathers, so to speak.

The second interesting fact that he learned was that the world was much larger than he expected. According to Gilford, the cultivator, the world would take millenia to traverse as a mortal, which meant it was incredibly massive. It also kind of broke the laws of physics he knew.

The last interesting fact that he learned was that Cesia had fifteen continents, and many thousands of empires. Because of the way races operated, there were constant racial wars. Many empires were solely of one race, or a combination of two or three races. It was rare to see any places with all five races. Fortunately, the empire he was currently in was a human empire named Virgo, which only had minor skirmishes with the neighboring demon and elf empires every now and then. So in that sense, they were rather peaceful compared to the world at large.

Though Randon was intrigued by this information, Gilford told him many things about cultivation that were even more intriguing to him.

He first shared his knowledge about cultivation realms, which Randon drank in hungrily. According to the cultivator, there were nine known realms of cultivation. The first three realms included the Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, and Crystal Compression Realms, which were also known as the foundation realms. Their purpose was to give the cultivator in question the foundation they needed to advance to higher realms.

The next three realms were known as the longevity realms. This was because unlike the first three realms, advancing to the longevity realms allowed a cultivator to extend their lifespan tremendously. Though there was a slight increase in lifespan in the first three realms, they only made one live an extra 10 to 20 more years in the Qi Condensation Realm, 30 to 50 in the Foundation Establishment Realm, and 60 to 100 years in the Crystal Compression Realm. That left those at the Crystal Compression Realm with a lifespan of around 200 years, give or take, compared to the average of 60 years for most mortals. The longevity realms however, were a different beast. The Golden Core Realm alone increased lifespan by 300 years, let alone the Nascent Soul Realm which increased it by 500 years and the Soul Formation Realm which increased it by a whole millennium. That meant that a Soul Formation cultivator, if they weren't killed, could live around 2,000 years!

However, that paled in comparison to the next three realms, known as the immortal realms. These three realms were the Sage Realm, Mahayana Realm, and Saint Realm. The Sage Realm had a total lifespan of around 8,000 years, the Mahayana Realm totalled around 20,000 years, and the Saint Realm 100,000 thousand years exactly. According to the legends, Saints were actually immortal, but once they reached the 100,000 year mark, the heavens gave them a death tribulation. No one in recorded history had ever survived such a tribulation, so it had become known as heaven's end, or the mortal lifespan limit.

After learning about this, Randon became even more curious about cultivation. However, the old man told him that he needed to see if he had the fate with cultivation before learning of its secrets. Otherwise, if he knew too much, it would be a bad omen for his future.

Randon was skeptical about such superstitions, but he knew better than to push. In the end, how could he be completely certain? After all, the laws worked mysteriously, and he wasn't exactly certain how the heavens worked. 

But if he was being honest with himself, he just knew that the old man would not say jack. That was why he decided to lay back and relax as the others told their stories. Their tales were entertaining and enlightening both, so he just smiled and listened on silently.

Chapter 7: Loaded in Shad

In the next five days of travel, Randon didn't have anything unusual happen to him, which he was certainly thankful for. After all, if he somehow became a protagonist-like figure and encountered danger at every turn, he wouldn't be too thrilled.

During the ongoing days, he actually decided to not duplicate his coins. The charges would stack, and it wasn't like he was losing any money, since he wasn't able to spend any of it. He did briefly consider using it on the third day, but he stopped himself from doing so after a moment of thought. He wanted to duplicate his clothing into a new set along with his money pouch, but he realized that it'd just duplicate his already smelly clothing even more. 

In the end, he just decided to endure and buy a few new sets once he arrived in the city. After calculating for a moment, he determined that he'd have around six gold coins' worth of wealth. When he vaguely and hopefully unsuspiciously asked how much six gold coins could buy him, he was surprised to find out how far they could go. In fact, he could even buy a house, though it was limited to the poorer area of the city, and the smallest in the area, at that. 

Still, that gave him at least a general sense on how much he was currently worth. If he just saved up a few more charges, he could directly buy a house even in the wealthier districts of the city. By then, he would no longer need to hide his wealth. As long as he lived and stayed in that part of town, no one would be able to do anything to him. First of all, there would be no reason for them to, and secondly, how exactly could someone steal a house? Moreover, would they dare to do so with so many guards?

In the end, he would finally be safe and spend frivolously. However, he wasn't dumb. If he spent a bajillion taels out of nowhere, he would be targeted even if he was the emperor himself. Some things just couldn't be done without attracting attention after all, and he knew better than to do so after finding that out the hard way back in Turin.

"Ah, look! The city is already in sight, and the line doesn't seem too bad!" Fernand smiled victoriously. He then closed the door of the carriage and got back into his seat. "Ah, it's about time, honestly. I can't wait to have a nice hearty meal, preferably with a nice big bed and a warm little-"

His speech was suddenly cut off by a stern slap from his wife. Her pupils seemed to be dangerously narrowed, not caring about her husband's wronged expression. "Hmm, what did you say, husband? Multiple beds, right? And don't even think about wooing the barmaids, or else you'll go cold chicken for a month!"

Randon almost winced in sympathy for the man after hearing that, despite being a virgin. He wasn't alone, either. The old man seemed to be giving him a pitying glance, while the middle aged man nodded solemnly. Even the stern woman seemed to sympathize with him.

It wasn't long until the six of them arrived at the city's gate. Upon arriving, the caravan stopped behind a line of around 40 people, with some groups having carriages. Though the line seemed a bit long, the guards were efficient in their work, and their group quickly made their way forward. In just twenty minutes, the six of them got into the city.

"Well, it's been nice knowing you, fellas." Gilford suddenly sighed. "If you guys ever want to join the city guards, or have someone you want to join in, I have a friend in high places. Just meet me at the Gemini Inn, and I might put in a good word for anyone you might know."

The five of them thanked earnestly before he left. After his departure, it didn't take long for the others to slowly say their goodbyes as they made their way around the city. Soon enough it was just him and the vibrant city.

Alright, so what do I need to do? Let me think… First, I need to find a room for the day. If I don't, the inns will quickly fill up, and I don't want to be left looking all over the city for a place to stay. Hmm, then, I guess I can go and order some barbells and dumbbells. I do need to get my fitness up to scale, and that seems like the best way to go about it. Of course, the smiths will be very confused when I give them the proposal, hehe.

Randon then looked around the streets again. In his view, he saw three inns nearby, along with a few other businesses that he became curious about. Along with that, he happened to spot a bank.

Ah, I do need to get my currency changed, huh? Well, it seems like stopping by the bank is in short order. Actually, scratch that. If I wait until tomorrow, I can actually get a total of 12 and a half gold or so, which means that I can exchange for a phoenix, which is worth 10 gold. With a phoenix and two eagles, I don't have to exchange anymore, as I'll have every single type of mortal currency!

Thinking that, Randon smiled happily. He'd only been in the world for two weeks so far, but he was already loaded. As long as he survived for the next few days and didn't lose all of his money somehow, then he'd be one of the richest mortals in the empire. With such money, what couldn't he do?

Unfortunately, while he was rich, he didn't have the power to protect his wealth. Due to this, there was very little he was capable of doing. Until he got some kind of backer or status, he couldn't be reckless in revealing his wealth.

Dismissing his thoughts, Randon made his way to the nearest inn. As he stepped in, he became satisfied with the place's quality. The name of the inn was Jolly Molly, and it sure did seem jolly. Since the first floor was a tavern, there were a variety of people doing many different things. And of course, some of them were drunk out of their minds.

After arriving at the front counter, he immediately alerted the host with a raised hand. When the host arrived in short order, Randon gave him a friendly smile. "Hello, my name is Randon. I wonder if there are any rooms still open for booking?"

The host smiled back. "Ah, of course! There are three more. Two of them are smaller rooms, and the last is a bit on the fancier side, including an indoor bathroom. Which one would you like?"

Randon's eyes lit up at the mention of an indoor bathroom, but he feigned hesitation. "How much would such a room cost?"

"Just a dozen rabbits for the whole deal, including a meal for the evening and the next morning," The host pitched smilingly. "You won't find prices better anywhere else!"

Randon pondered on that for a moment before shrugging innocently. "Well, if you say so, sir. It looks like I came to the perfect place to settle down for the next few days."

The warm smile on the host's face widened a bit after hearing that. "Of course, young lad! How long will you be staying for?"

"Uhhh-" Randon paused suddenly as an idea came to mind. "Actually, I'm not really sure. Is it okay if I pay the next afternoon for the next few days? I could be leaving any time, but I'm not sure exactly what day it will be. So, I want to at least have first priority to this room if that's okay."

The host scratched his head, then nodded slowly. "That's totally fine. Just make sure to make your decision before noon the next day. I can't have people ask for the room and deny them, only to find out that you decided to leave anyway."

Randon nodded, then mentally facepalmed when he remembered that he still hadn't duplicated his reserves yet. He then quickly thought of an excuse to get out of the situation. "Oh shoot, I forgot to get my savings from the local bank. Let me just get my money and I'll be right back!"

The host frowned, but he quickly nodded. "Make sure to come back quickly, otherwise, your room might be taken by someone else."

Randon sighed, but decided to go with his excuse. When he went outside, he didn't go to the bank directly. He only looked at the bank, and seeing the ridiculous line, he turned around and started exploring the city.

The line should be around 20 minutes, and the service another 5 or so. So it shouldn't be a problem if I show up a half an hour later. That gives me plenty of time to walk around and explore the city for a bit.

Randon smiled and looked around, his curiosity getting the better of him. After exploring the city, he wondered what he would end up finding.

Chapter 8: Strange Commission

After exploring the city a bit more and coming back to his room still being unreserved, Randon had a hearty meal and a good night's sleep.

However, the next morning, he found himself in a bit of a predicament. Looking down on the sea of coins, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"I'm such a dumbass," Randon facepalmed mentally. The problem was actually very easy to solve. All he needed to do was clone the pouch itself along with the contents inside. That way, not only did he get himself another pouch, but he didn't need to reorganize his coins either.

Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter, he sighed internally. I'll just get another pouch. Actually, this could be very useful now that I think about it. With another pouch, I can organize my greater wealth in one, while having my lesser currencies in the other. So, even if a pickpocket or ruffian snatches my purse somehow, my more hidden pouch should still be untouched.

Anyway, if my math is right, I should now have 25,500 taels, roughly. Since I haven't touched my owls or swans, I should have 96 swans, 32 owls, 768 rabbits, and over a hundred mice. That's more than 1,000 coins! No wonder why everything looked like a sea of copper this morning! And considering that the majority are the big versions, it'll be really heavy to bring over. Damn, I really messed up this time.

Randon suddenly smiled once he found a solution to his problem. Wait a sec, if I just bring my swans and owls along with a hundred rabbits or so, then I'll have enough to convert everything I need into exactly the amount I can comfortably duplicate. As for the rabbits and mice, I'll have to drastically reduce their numbers somehow. Welp, looks like I'm going shopping again.

With that plan in mind, Randon quickly made his way down to the innkeeper's desk. Instead of going with his plan of paying once a day, he just paid for a week upfront. Since he was already rich enough and didn't need so many rabbits and mice, he didn't exactly care about not being able to duplicate them the next day. They were already filling his bowl to the brim, and he wouldn't have been able to make more of them anyway.

After parting with 72 of his 768 rabbits and having a nice, warm meal, he went out to explore the city again. This time, he was carrying around 200 rabbits with him. Once he saw a vendor selling satchels, he immediately bought one. He then made his way to a few clothing stores. Once he was done, he had enough clothes to comfortably get by with for the next week.

Those series of purchases drained his coppers to almost nothing, but he was happy about that. After all, that was exactly what he wanted to do in the first place.

Once he returned to the inn, he got himself another 200 or so rabbits. With that, he made his way down the busy streets until he saw a tool shop. When he heard the faint hammer strikes, he briskly made his way toward it.

Upon entering the place, Randon immediately spotted something that caught his interest. It was a sword, but it wasn't just any sword. The faint lines along the surface and faded runes showed that it was something much more interesting.

"That's a spirit weapon, lad," a voice behind him said. When he turned around to look, he saw a buff, grey haired man smiling at him. "The reason why it is locked into the wall is because it's very valuable, and is the showpiece of my shop. It is a weapon that is meant for cultivators of the Qi Condensation Stage."

Randon blinked in surprise. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, how much is this weapon worth? And how exactly does it work, anyway?"

The man laughed and shook his head. "I can't really put a number on the thing, as it might get the wrong type of attention. But how it works isn't a mystery. Cultivators just have to infuse their qi into the weapon and it will become sharp and heavy. If used correctly, you can time the bursts to maximize your power and speed."

"That's interesting," Randon nodded. "Anyway, are you the owner of the smithery here?"

The man shrugged. "Well, technically, yes. But I'm the owner of this shop, and not to the smithery behind it. That belongs to my nephew, who forges every tool and trinket you see on the shelves here today. I had him buy it from me, of course. Heh, now I can sit back and relax in my retirement without having to do jack shit."

Randon smirked at that. "A good finish to a good life, huh? I can only aspire to reach retirement at your age. Hopefully, I can become as successful as you one day, sir." 

In his mind however, he didn't feel any relation. With his infinite money glitch, he'd soon find such a net worth disdainful.

The man nodded silently. "Well, is there anything you need here? I've got all kinds of things to sell. Farming equipment, certain riding equipment, and a variety of weapons and armor. My nephew does it all, and I have some in stock that might fit even you, though a little loose. Just let me know what you want, and I'll get it for you."

Randon straightened his shoulders. "Actually, I'm here to commission the smith for a certain set of tools that I'm pretty sure you don't have right now. And don't worry, it isn't that hard to make. I can provide the instructions on a piece of paper if you have any."

The man scratched his chin, then nodded. "That is an unusual request, but I think I can make it happen. I'll get a piece of paper, an inkwell, and a pen for you. But, you'll have to pay for its use, of course. Five mice for the paper and ink you'll use."

Randon shrugged, then rummaged through his little coin sack. Once the old man came back with the paper and ink he needed, he paid the five mice promptly. After that, he started thinking on how he would convey the instructions.

After thinking for a while, he suddenly sighed and shook his head. He forgot that he didn't know how to write. At least Lucas knew what numbers were. With that, he had enough knowledge to explain his desires. With his little drawing and measurements done, he made his way to the back of the shop where the old man waited.

"So, got everything settled?" the old man smiled.

"I've gotten everything as clean as I could," Randon nodded. "I'd like to see if the smith could work according to my design. Can you please lead me…"

"Corin," Corin smirked. "But I like Old Corin better. It seems more familiar."

"Please show me the way, Old Corin," Randon smiled.

With that, the two of them made their way to the smithy. As they walked in, the sound of hammering and bellows resounded throughout the place. At the center of it were three people. One of them seemed grizzled, and the other two were much younger. By the looks of it, the older one was the master and the two others the apprentices.

At the sight of the two intruders, the older smith waved a hand at them before resuming his work. "Young man, I assume you are here for a job? If you are, then I'm sorry, but I don't accept apprentices on a whim. Especially given your build, I'm afraid. Smithing isn't easy work, I can tell you that much."

"Actually, I have a custom order I'd like to make, sir." Randon responded. "Once you are done with what you're doing, I'd like to discuss the details with you."

The man suddenly stopped his work, then passed his hammer to his older apprentice. He then turned to him with an interested expression. "The tool that I'm making doesn't exactly need my work's quality. Now, tell me exactly what you are planning on having me forge?"

Chapter 9: Change of Plans

Randon walked out of the smithery in high spirits. Despite his order being controversial, the smith just shrugged his shoulders and gave him an expected completion date. Around a week later, he'd have the dumbbells ready. Once that happened, he would be able to train his physique with weights.

However, there was a downside to this. Since there was no way to measure how much an iron ingot would weigh, he had to measure in terms of ingots. And though that meant that he wouldn't actually have a true number for the weight, he at last knew that the weights had consistent scaling. In the end, that was all he needed to tell how much he was progressing.

Once he arrived at the bank, Randon was pleased to see that the line was much shorter. As it turned out, most people had work during the day. Who would've known?

After a couple minutes of waiting, he finally had his chance at meeting the receptionist. She wasn't very tall, given that her head had trouble staying above the counter, but her smile was more professional than most of the personnel he'd seen so far. As soon as he dropped his sack on the counter and told her what he wanted, she immediately started counting the coins one by one.

Once every single coin was individually counted, her eyes flickered to him with a scrutinizing look. "Goddamn, young man! Are you one of those low key folk who is secretly rich as hell? If you have extra, can I have some?"

Randon was taken aback for a moment. Then he laughed. "Sorry, but that isn't happening. I'm not giving away my hard earned coin on a sudden whim."

The lady shrugged. "A pity, that. Well, here is the total converted sum: 1 gold phoenix, which is worth 20k taels, 2 eagles, which are worth 4,000 taels, 3 swans, which are worth 750 taels, 1 owl, which is worth 25 taels, 15 rabbits, which are worth 15 taels, and 6 mice, which are worth 0.6 taels. All of that brings your total sum to 24,790 and six-tenths' taels. That, with the 1% conversion fee, makes your total 24,542 and seven-tenths' taels."

Randon scratched his head. "Hold on, there's a conversion tax? Since when?"

The lady hummed in thought for a moment. "Let me guess, did you perchance convert less than 1,000 taels' worth of coin some other time?" Upon seeing him nod, she smiled. "As I thought. Most banks have such a rule in place. If you convert more than 1,000 taels of coin, then you need to pay a fee. Our conversion fee is at the standard rate of 1%. In your case, since you have converted 24,790 taels' worth, then the fee would be 247 and nine-tenths' taels."

Randon shrugged, then swept his converted coins into his pouch. Once he stepped outside, a grin split his face. As long as he kept duplicating, he'd have over 3 million taels' worth of coin in a week! 3 million! He didn't know exactly how much that was, but he was sure that that was enough to buy pretty much any mansion he could want throughout the city. Not only that, but he could hire guards and servants to do his bidding. He knew that it wouldn't be very long until he could claim his stake in the empire.

However, he knew that that dream could not be accomplished in Shad anymore. Despite being a city with numerous cultivators and security, Shad was nothing more than a stepping stone for him. If he truly wanted to get started on his journey, he needed to reach a much bigger city. Only then could he find the proper materials that he required to truly shine.

This was why he decided to change his plans. After thinking for a while, he realized that testing his talent in public wasn't the best of ideas. He had read some Xianxia novels a couple years back, and he was aware that the world of cultivators was ruthless. Although he didn't know if it applied to this world as well, he wasn't dumb enough to risk everything on a hope.

So, in the end, he decided not to take the test in two weeks that would measure his cultivation talent. Instead, he decided to buy the measurement device for his own use. With that, he could find out his talent privately, and not draw too much attention to himself.

But first, he needed information about cultivation, including the basics. His lack of knowledge was crippling, and he needed to fix that more than ever. As long as he could get whatever he needed from the library, he could adjust his plans accordingly.

Thankfully, he knew exactly where he needed to go. His exploration of the city wasn't exactly for show. Just a few city blocks from the inn he was staying at was a library. Due to its large size, he was almost certain that there would at least be some books about the topics he required.

Ten minutes later, Randon arrived in front of a three story building. The wood was worn by time, but the grandness of the place gave it an air of mystery. Once he looked over the building, he felt more confident than ever that it housed what he needed. 

But as he reached the front door, someone from the other side opened it first. Before he could react, the door slammed into him with such force that the air was driven from his lungs. As he hit the ground with startling force, he found himself looking at a smaller, regally dressed figure surrounded by two well dressed men.

"Huh? Hahaha, do you see that, Lund? That commoner got in my way, and look at what happened? He deserves this humiliation!" The middle figure responded in a nasally voice. Randon couldn't tell the young man's expression due to his blurring eyesight, but he was certain that he was sneering in disdain.

"Young master, is there anything you want us to do, or do you want to grant him mercy?" One of the men asked gently.

"Hmm," The young noble pondered aloud, "I guess he already got what he deserved."

The two men nodded, then the group made their way into the street. Before long, they were completely gone from his field of view.

Randon cursed in his mind as he replayed the event in his head. First, I get robbed by a group of thugs, and then, I get door slammed by a young noble! Damn it, looks like the young master template really has some basis in this world!

With a long sigh and an uncomfortably long exertion, he finally made his way to his feet. The movement hurt like hell, but after a couple of deep breaths, he regained control over his body. With effort, he opened the door to the library and made his way inside.

The librarian at the counter saw his state and rushed over to him. Her eyes betrayed her concern for him as she looked him up and down. "Are you okay? I hope that Thomas didn't cause you too much trouble?"

Randon chuckled painfully. "That asshole slammed the door in my face. It's a miracle that my nose isn't broken. The stairs made the door hit my leg first, and my ascending posture let my forehead take the second impact. If it weren't for that, then I'd be a mess of blood and tears. In fact, I wouldn't count out the chance of getting some kind of head trauma."

The middle aged woman's expression turned stormy. "I never did understand where second generation nobles got their arrogance from! Their families make them feel like they can do anything they want while somehow being deserving of it! But what have they accomplished? Nothing at all!"

The woman took a deep breath upon realizing that she was ranting. "Ah, sorry about that. My name is Mary, and I'll be serving as today's librarian. What can I do for you?"

Randon laughed. "Well, I'd like to know stuff about cultivation. Is there anything here that covers the basics and general knowledge of cultivators and the aspects of cultivation?"

Mary nodded with a smile. "Of course! But before you take a seat, just know that your stay here is 3 rabbits per hour."

"I'd like to stay here for 5 hours, then." Randon replied evenly. As he sat down, he looked around the library with wonder and satisfaction. Alright, time to grind!

Chapter 10: A Week of Gains

Randon woke up silently, blinking in disbelief. The week he had given himself had gone faster than anticipated. Everything felt like a blur to him, given what happened throughout the period. He initially hadn't expected to be so busy, but he somehow made his schedule packed to the brim with tasks.

Among the series of tasks throughout the days, he had a few recurring ones. The most time consuming one was of course his studies in the library. Due to the unfortunate circumstances of his early life in this world, the memories of his predecessor, Lucas, were very basic and did not help him much at all. Because of this, studying at the library was a quick and godsent opportunity to quickly acquire important knowledge.

Not one of the books he read wasn't useful. Among them, there was one that held very important information in terms of demographics. It not only held information about Virgo, but also the surrounding empires, mainly his neighbors, Deila and Razzatar. According to the map, the demon empire, Razzatar, was actually very close by. Shad was apparently one of the closer big cities to the border.

That book also gave him some knowledge of the surrounding cities. Thanks to that, Randon almost immediately determined his next stop, which was a city named Renast. It was a city right on the border of the two empires, but heavily defended by formations. It hadn't seen any wars for hundreds of years, and the last time it was breached was over 2,000 years ago.

He had also gotten more knowledge about cultivation from a rather thick book. From it, he learned that there were many important aspects of cultivation. 

The first and most important one was a suitable sutra. Though it wasn't necessary for anyone below the Golden Core Realm, it was a key component to progress through the longevity realms and immortal realms. Without it, it would be nearly impossible to break through to a higher realm. Of course, this depended on the sutra. Most sutras only reached the upper limits to the longevity realms, if that. Only the most advanced ones focused on laws, which were necessary to cultivate to reach the immortal realms.

Another important aspect were technique manuals. These manuals were the hard, backbreaking, and contemplating labor of a cultivator to provide a sort of guide for future generations. Such manuals consisted of offensive, defensive, movement, forbidden, and supportive techniques. They all focused on guiding a cultivator's qi and intent into a sort of manifestation, which would then accomplish whatever they intended to do with it as long as they used it properly.

The last types of manuals were profession manuals. They were far more valuable than sutras in the same grade, and for good reason. Not only did they contain the valuable techniques and methods of the said profession, but the manual itself was usually reworked and improved countless times over generations. Any cultivator that studied professions desperately needed such a manual, otherwise, they would find it impossible to compete with rivals. For this reason, crafters were generally kept in secrecy and had a supremely high status throughout the world.

All of that just scratched the surface, however. Thanks to that thick book, he learned a large variety of things about the cultivation world, such as flying chariots, weapon intents, spirit pearls, ordinary beasts and qi beasts, ordinary and qi beast behaviors, the five major professions, blood contracts, oaths, qi fused herbs, natural treasures, heavenly disasters, demonic cultivators, cultivation routines, spirit physiques, spiritual roots, basic cultivation realms descriptions, manual and talent grades, the eternal dao, and so on.

The rest of the three books he read were more mundane, but equally as important. One was about local beasts, fauna, and terrain patterns which would help him if he ever got lost in the woods somehow. Another was about survival techniques and emergency methods that would increase his chances of making it out of a dangerous situation intact. The last was about etiquette, and things to look out for when speaking to cultivators.

He had wanted to read more, but he had many other things to do. The prime among them was actually training with the local guards. His body was too weak as of now, so he immediately decided to focus his efforts on improving it. Seeing the guards patrolling gave him the idea in the first place, so with a little maneuvering, some weird looks, and a few confused stares, he managed his way into the city's novice training grounds. Thanks to that, his body was a bit better conditioned than before, and he even knew some basic self defense.

However, that wasn't all that he did. In his spare time, he also got some better quality clothing, a sheath for his dagger, a backpack, rations, supplies, and a host of traveling gear.

The better clothing was for a pretty simple purpose. In the few Xianxia novels he read, people almost always judged one another by their clothing. First impressions seemed to be very important, and he didn't want to be like those braindead main characters that couldn't figure that out after thousands of battles and troublesome situations. Even though that might not be the case in this world, what he learned so far was pretty standard Xianxia stuff. He didn't think that certain tropes were out of the running, even though they seemed ridiculous in his own world.

As for the purchase of a sheath and backpack, that was self explanatory. His dagger couldn't just stay bundled up in a cloth, as it would be hard to draw it in a sudden situation. The backpack was also pretty necessary, as it would keep what he needed close at all times. Inside of it would be supplies, spare clothing, matches, a distress firework, and some taels that could act as a cover for his true wealth.

Finally, the traveling gear was for the journey ahead. Since he had so much wealth now, Randon decided to go all in for his own protection. He bought a total of four carriages and horses, along with three loaded crossbows. He also hired a team of mercenaries for his protection. All of that was just so that he wouldn't have to worry about bandits and wild beasts. The world of cultivation was rather chaotic from what he'd learned, so he decided to be as careful as he possibly could.

Of course, he knew better than to hope on mercenaries. That was why he also hired two different renowned private investigators to investigate the mercenary band independently. When he got the green light from them, only then did he pay the band their initial half trip payment upfront.

However, Randon decided to take one more precaution. Hidden in his backpack was a tiny array formation compacted into a small cube. The particular formation he acquired was a blinding formation. Though it wouldn't do very much, it could very much make the difference in an unexpected confrontation.

After all of that tiring investigation, investment, and preparation, Randon woke up relaxed the final morning. He calmly ate his meal in peace, despite the rowdy and busy morning hours. As he packed his remaining belongings in his backpack and made his way out of the inn, he didn't even bother stopping at the front desk to get his remaining coppers. Right now, they were as worthless as garbage, and the hassle was not worth the effort.

Ten minutes later, he approached the large shop where he purchased his wagons. Right in front of the shop were the seven mercenaries of the Steelsnappers Mercenary Group. Seeing them respecting punctuality, he nodded in satisfaction. Though their reputation was stellar and had them known as professionals, it was different to see it in person.

Upon seeing Randon approach, the leader of the band approached him. Though he was much older than the rest of the band with a head full of silver hair, he was by far the most important man in the group. That was because unlike the rest of them, he was a cultivator, and one at the 3rd Stage of Qi Condensation at that. People at that stage were said to be as strong as ten men a piece.

But Randon was not scared of him, nor any of the others. He had already signed a blood contract with the group, and investigated their backgrounds just in case they had any hidden tricks. Thanks to the blood contract, as long as he treated them respectfully and acted reasonably, they would follow his orders and defend him from harm. So, unless something catastrophically wrong happened on his three week trip, he would arrive at Renast with speed and comfort.

His musings were thrown to the back of his head as he greeted the mercenary leader with a polite smile. "Dylan, I appreciate you bringing everyone here so early. I do appreciate the unexpected surprise."

Dylan waved his hand casually. "Nah, it's no problem. Honestly, we just got lucky that our sleepyhead Sammy woke up unusually early today. If not for that, we would probably still be trying to wake him up even now. Last time, we had to pour not one, but two buckets of water on his body to rouse him! By the immortals, I'd have an easier time raiding the capital on my lonesome than getting that bastard's eyes open in the morning!"

At that, the rest of the group laughed and jeered, except one man, who was probably Sammy. However, he didn't seem put out at that, as he grinned ruefully at the roast. Seeing the circus, Randon couldn't help but join in as well for a moment.

After the tension was diffused, Randon led the group of mercenaries into the shop. Upon seeing the display of prepared carriages and horses, the mercenaries whistled in appreciation. 

"Damn man, you really set us up quite good, huh? Are those carriages actually for us, or are you expecting more people?" Dylan asked.

Randon chuckled. "No, this is for you guys. We'll all go faster when we're all on wheels, right? Anyway, before I forget, let's stop by the smithy. I have some trinkets to collect."

Chapter 11: Adventurous Escape (Lafna's POV)

Lafna Sindari felt her core rotating ever faster as she pushed herself to the limits. Just a few more minutes were all she needed. After that, she would finally reach the 2nd Stage of the Golden Core Realm, a level that she'd grinded for day and night for almost 23 years. The mere thought of it excited her enough to almost destabilize her breakthrough, but she quickly got her self control back and corrected her qi flows before she suffered qi deviation.

The rest of the process would last only a few minutes, but it would be incredibly strenuous, even for her. Despite having cultivated for north of 140 years, breakthroughs in the Golden Core Realm were a different beast. Instead of compressing qi like the foundation realms had her do, refining a golden core had her compress it until it reached a stabler form, which would then allow her to summon her qi faster, and therefore dramatically increasing her power. The process was painful and difficult to control for any but the most talented of geniuses.

Thankfully, although she wasn't some freak cultivation genius, her soul talent was more than enough for the task. With cautious ease, she compressed her core continuously until it suddenly vibrated with a kind of harmonious feeling. Upon sensing that, her grimace immediately bloomed into a beautiful smile.

Success! YES! AT LONG LAST, DAMN IT! Lafna celebrated wildly in her thoughts. On the outside however, she was stone calm, still consolidating her breakthrough. Though it wasn't immediately important, the process was better done sooner rather than later. Being a cultivator who didn't like wasting time, she decided to postpone her celebration, despite it being a long time coming.

Finally, after eight more hours of stabilization, she exited her abode with a smile. She was already picturing the look on the Grand Elder's face when she realized that her rival was now one step closer to her.

However, her day soon turned for the worst. Before she could even make her way towards her rival's cultivation abode, her trusted servant rushed toward her with frantic steps. Once she approached within spitting distance, she immediately knelt on the floor in front of her.

Her smile faded as she looked at her. "Sasha, you have my permission to speak. Tell me why you seem so frantic today. Don't tell me you did something that would anger me?"

Sasha visibly winced. "My lady, I bear grave news. Three days ago, Raya and Yara fled to Virgo using a flying carriage that they borrowed from the transportation pavilion. As of now, we still haven't found them. I'm almost certain that they already crossed the border and made decent progress towards the closest human settlements. If our information is-"

"Stop right there," Lafna interrupted coldly. Her voice was soft, but Sasha visibly flinched as if struck. "So, let me get this straight. My daughters, knowing that I was in seclusion, decided to go and explore Virgo? Let me guess, they didn't get a visa before going. So, not only are they illegally crossing the border of our human neighbors, who hate our guts, but they also decided to go right after our recent skirmish? And using my spirit pearls for it? Am I hearing this right?"

Sasha gulped. "That is all correct, my lady."

Lafna didn't know whether to laugh or cry upon confirming the ridiculous situation. "Stupid brats! I bet they wanted to find some males to dual cultivate with, huh? Their audaciousness is only second to mine when I was in my youth. But I guess they didn't know any better given how much I sheltered them, huh? Welp, figures."

Sasha lowered her head even more. "My lady, with the girls' equipment and protective measures, even though they are intruders, I think they can get out of their situation intact. The worst thing that could happen is that they get in trouble, but I don't believe anyone would dare harm them with their background."

Lafna nodded, then slowly looked down at her with malice and calm detachment. "Sasha, don't think I will forget about your incompetence in this. You are a full realm higher than either of my daughters, and have many in your employ, yet you still managed to fail at such an easy task. For all of this, I just have one teeny tiny question for you that I'd like to ask."

"Go ahead, my lady. I will do my best to answer appropriately," Sasha trembled.

"Hmm, I was just wondering, and I just want to ask very carefully to make sure, but WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GOOD FOR!?" she roared furiously. The soundwave was so powerful that Sasha flew almost 100 feet away from the soundwave alone. 

Given the sheer volume of the voice, it was definitely going to startle a lot of disciples, but Lafna couldn't care less right now. Her gaze was on the horizon, and she was already making plans on how to get her daughters out of trouble before something inevitably went wrong.

Don't worry, my sweets, mom's gonna do her best to get you out of trouble! If anyone dares to get in my way, heh, I'll let them know what lies beyond the heavens personally!

(Raya's POV)

Raya looked at the horizon for the nth time. She expected to see a great pile of nothing just like every other attempt, but finally, she saw faint traces of smoke near the setting sun. It took her a moment to realize that she had actually found what she had been looking for.

Once she checked again, she silently screamed in delight. Finally, a human settlement at long last! Hmm, I wonder what they are like? Are the males just as handsome as the pictures depict them, or are those just the ones they put on the cover to create a good impression? Guess I'll have to take a closer look to make sure!

With those thoughts sorted, Raya checked her sister's reaction. However, instead of being overjoyed just as she was, she just read her book sleepily. It took her a moment to realize that she didn't see the distant smoke column just yet.

"Sis? You do see that we are approaching a human settlement, right?"

Yara looked at her dazedly for a moment before taking in what she said. "Human settlement? Wait…" After looking at the horizon, her expression became a mess of smiles and excited delight. "Finally! We've been flying for almost 4 days straight! If it weren't for using our spirit pearls and our incredible carriage, we probably wouldn't have even made it past the elders! But now, we can relax and do what we came here for!"

Raya smiled. Even she was getting tired of the long days of travel, and she was a reclusive cultivator. She could only imagine how bored her sister was. Though she was also a cultivator, she was more lazy, and had a harder time practicing combat techniques and the like. All she did was cultivate, and that was with their mother looking over her shoulder. If not for that, she was pretty sure she would at most be at the 5th level of the Qi Condensation Realm, and not at the 8th level like she was.

After a few more minutes of travel in their flying carriage, they arrived near the settlement. As expected, the humans were startled and awed at their unexpected arrival. Especially considering that they were demons coming in with a flying vehicle. There were some that started running as soon as they saw them.

"These humans really are startled easily," Yara chuckled softly. "But I do understand why they got scared. After all, we are like immortals to them, coming out of the sky in a flying chariot. No wonder they act the way they do."

Raya wanted to reply to her, but she was interrupted by a rather rude shout by one of the incoming guards. "Halt! What are demons like you doing in these parts? If you are here for business or tourism, you must be aware of the local customs. Even if you are cultivators and have a strong background, the empire needs the proper registration. Please present your papers so that they can be verified by the mayor."

Raya and Yara exchanged a glance of confusion and panic. Before the trip, they had planned for certain eventualities, but they never considered that they did not have a right to visit. The whole ordeal threw a massive wrench into their plans.

Yara decided to find a plausible excuse. "Sir, we were chased by our enemies and ended up straying farther than we planned. Please forgive us for intruding on the human domain. It was not our intention, and if need be, we can make our way back as long as you show us the way. We can even pay a fee if need be."

The guard stared at her, then Raya. After a moment, he nodded. "I see that you are sincere in wanting to get this situation cleared, but I don't have the authority to make these decisions. The only one who can do this is the mayor. Please don't go anywhere as I let him know about the situation."

Once the guard left, the two girls looked at each other and shrugged. Things were not going as they initially expected them to, but it didn't seem like they were completely out of the running. They knew that it was still possible to make things right, and maybe even get what they initially came for. However, only time would tell for sure.