Rayven's eyes narrowed slightly the moment his detection spell sensed something…
He felt several Mana Sources, but within the city, there were two presences that caught his attention..
Both of them were faintly pulsing with mana, just enough to register but not enough to stand out. They had been within his thirty-meter range when he used the spell, but they swiftly bolted away the moment the spell activated.
It seemed that his Detect Mana Source I wasn't as stealthy as he thought.
'It's the limit of the Common Skill, huh?' Rayven mused as he knew that it wouldn't be easy to cast an undetectable spell.
Perhaps, only a higher grade Spell could do that… Definitely not for a Common Spell.
In any case, the spell only lasted for 10 seconds or so.
During this time, Rayven kept his face passive, scanning the street ahead of them where villagers bartered for smoked meat and salt.
Unfortunately, the two were already gone, but their reaction to his Detect Mana Source Spell had been far too telling.
"Trouble?" Thyruz asked casually while inspecting the village with a lazy grin.
Rayven didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at Nara.
His detection had picked up a trace of mana in her as well. Compared to Thyruz and the two magicians just now, Nara's mana was light, undeveloped, like a spark waiting for a flame.
This made Rayven recall that she was actually practicing magic before she had turned all her attention to sword arts.
Still, Rayven was a bit surprised about this matter.
On the other hand, Rayven also confirmed that Thyruz's mana seemed like a small sun compared to the two suspicious figures.
In a straight fight, those strangers wouldn't last seconds against Thyruz…
The only concern was when they decided to separate…
'We should stay close to each other…' Rayven thought after a few moments.
"I sensed two mages a while ago… They left the range the moment I cast Detection," Rayven murmured, lowering his voice. "They were hiding something."
Thyruz didn't look concerned. "That's the thing with villages like this. No lords, no real guards, no real law. Just people with secrets and too much time. Let's not think about them."
Rayven exhaled. "I don't think we should linger. Just resupply and go."
"Agreed."
They kept together as they moved from stall to stall, avoiding tight alleys and enclosed spaces.
At this time, Nara, still munching on a meat skewer, wasn't concerned about the possible ambush at all…
It was only Rayven who couldn't shake off the feeling. Something gnawed at his thoughts, as he felt that he must leave this village as quickly as possible.
Nonetheless, their task continued, and this time, Rayven's group arrived at the small general store…
The store was simple, and the place was filled with sacks of grains, bundles of herbs, chipped iron tools, and a few shelves lined with basic supplies. It wasn't anything special, but for travelers like them, it was enough.
Thyruz quietly picked out a few necessities. They took some dried meat, travel bread, a waterskin with a built-in filter, and some wound salves. Nara, on the other hand, moved toward a small stack of dusty books in the corner.
Even without checking the price, she knew that it must be expensive.
"Cool…" Nara muttered as her fingers gently brushed over the old pages. Most of them are books related to herb gathering.
Rayven, meanwhile, stuck to checking their total expenses, mindful not to go over their coin allowance. However, at this time, his senses are already picking up something. He couldn't tell the reason, but it seemed that something was near him, needing his attention.
'What's this feeling?'
That's when Thyruz suddenly stopped. He noticed an object sitting near the back of the counter.
It was a small, hexagonal wooden box. There were faint carvings of unfamiliar language written on its surface. There was also a crimson gem embedded at the center of the lid.
Rayven also noticed this, and the senses he was feeling just now intensified.
"What's that?" Thyruz asked the shopkeeper.
The old man scratched his head. "That thing's been here as long as I can remember. No one's ever managed to open it. Doesn't seem to do anything either. Just collecting dust."
Rayven raised a brow. "Then why not throw it away?"
"Superstition," the man muttered. "Some say it's cursed. Others say it belonged to a traveling magician decades ago. It's harmless if you don't touch it, far as I know."
Thyruz glanced at Rayven. "It's cheap. Might as well take it."
Rayven hesitated. The box was oddly out of place, yes... but he wouldn't have thought much of it. Still, something about it… felt off. It didn't give off mana. There was no aura. It was perfectly mundane in his eyes...
But for some reason, that was exactly what made him uneasy.
He turned away, pretending to check other items.
"…I'm using it," he said quietly, almost to himself.
Thyruz looked back. "Huh?"
Rayven didn't answer. Instead, he focused on the box and activated the skill he had long avoided.
"Appraisal…"
Once again, the Spell Name must be voiced out to activate it.
[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]
[ Current Balance: 143 Gold. ]
He expected a basic analysis. Maybe a line or two confirming it was trash. But what appeared next left him stunned.
[ Item: Sealed Catalyst of the Forgotten Star ]
[ Rarity: ??? ]
[ Status: Dormant – Bound by Unknown Seal ]
[ Description: This artifact was once used by a Tier 4 Mage to contain a sliver of a fallen star's essence. It has remained dormant for over a hundred years, but the seal shows signs of degradation. ]
[ Warning: DO NOT attempt to open without adequate resistance to Astral Contamination. ]
[ Estimated Market Value: Unknown. ]