"Accept."
Silas Frost attempted to use magic absorption. In the next instant, a wave of searing heat surged into his body. His appearance transformed dramatically. His head swelled, strange catfish-like whiskers sprouted, and his frame became packed with heavy muscles covered in thick body hair.
It was nothing short of Satan's radiance.
Name: Silas Frost (Accept Form)
Level: 1
Body: 36
Strength: 29
Agility: 24
Skills: Magic Absorption
Equipment: None
Card Slots: 1
Staring at his brand-new attributes, the gloom that had weighed down Silas's heart vanished completely.
Ugly? Yes, perhaps a little ugly. But so long as it was practical, that was all that mattered.
He swung his fists a few times, feeling the raw strength coursing through his body. Then, a sudden spark of inspiration struck him.
With his normal speed, it would take quite a while to reach the nearest town. But if he stayed in this transformed state, wouldn't his speed be far greater?
"Perfect chance to test how long I can hold this absorption form."
Cheered by the thought, Silas adjusted the belongings strapped to his back. Then, channeling all his power into his legs, he burst forward, sprinting with the speed of a hundred-meter dash.
Three hours later, Silas Frost was completely exhausted. At last, he could no longer maintain the state of Accept Magic and reverted to the appearance of a small child.
The elder sister said her goodbyes, carrying the bundle of rags as she stepped into the only magic shop in town.
"Welcome… ah, wait, that doesn't look right."
The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man with silver hair and a robe much like a mage's, had been smiling until he saw Silas Frost approach. His friendly expression vanished instantly. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he said, "I've got nothing for you here. If you're hungry, go ask for food at a restaurant."
"I'm selling a grimoire."
Silas glanced at him, then carefully pulled a grimoire from the rags. Standing on tiptoe, he placed it on the counter and said, "Take a look. How much is this worth?"
"A grimoire?"
The shopkeeper flipped through the book, skimming it quickly before giving a small nod. "This really is a grimoire on Accept Magic. If you want to sell, I'll give you two thousand Jewels."
At that, Silas's eyes sharpened. Standing on tiptoe again, he quickly snatched the book back. "What do you take me for, a clueless kid? If you won't give me a fair price, I'll take it to a bigger city. I might fetch much more there."
Without another word, Silas stuffed the grimoire back into the bundle, turned on his heel, and walked straight out of the shop without looking back.
"Wait!"
Seeing Silas Frost's stubborn expression, the shopkeeper cursed silently to himself. Clearly, there was no way to trick this kid into a lowball deal.
"Your book is filthy, looks second-hand. Offering you two thousand Jewels was already generous. If you're serious about selling, ten thousand. Not a Jewel more!"
Silas turned back to him, eyes sharp, and said plainly, "Fifty thousand."
"Fi… fifty thousand?! Why don't you just rob me! At most, twenty thousand!"
"Fifty thousand."
"No, listen don't you have anything else to sell?"
"Fifty thousand."
"I'm telling you the truth, it's not worth as much as you think…"
"Fifty thousand."
"I need to make a profit here, you know…"
"Fifty thousand."
"…Then what about a little less? Forty-eight thousand? Final offer."
"Fifty thousand."
"…Ugh, fine! Fifty thousand Jewels it is!"
"Pay in advance."
"…What kind of little devil trained you?! You're impossible."
With a long sigh, the shopkeeper finally pulled out five crisp ten-thousand-Jewel notes from the drawer and slapped them down on the counter.
Later that evening, Silas Frost slipped back into his "residence," which was nothing more than a storage room at the bottom of a warehouse.
After making sure the place was quiet, he carefully pulled out the bundle of money he had hidden in his waistband. From the moment he had received the payment, his golden finger kept flashing in front of his eyes jumping nonstop.
On the very first page, a pop-up appeared: a "surprise gift package" with a limited-time offer, complete with flashy text boasting about how many bonuses you'd get if you spent now.
Silas could only curse under his breath. Even half-broken, his golden finger still looked exactly like one of those flashy village-made mobile games designed to drain every last Jewel.
"Pay to play with firewood? No money, no fun… who designed this junk?" he muttered.
Still, he had no choice. His strength was tied directly to this system. Even if it was a pitfall meant to bleed him dry, he had no option but to grit his teeth and invest.
"If only there was a kid's discount withdrawal form… that would've been nice. But either way, this is going to cost me a fortune."
Grumbling, Silas thought for a long moment, then finally pulled out four ten-thousand-Jewel banknotes. At last, he decided to make the deposit.
Moments later
The paper money in Silas Frost's hand vanished instantly gone without a trace. The speed was so fast that even someone with eyesight sharp enough to defy the heavens wouldn't have been able to see where the money went.
As the notes disappeared, a bright interface popped up before his eyes:
"Deposit: 400 Spirit Stones. Bonus: 40 Spirit Stones as a gift!"
"Surprise Gift Package has been delivered!"
Silas: …
This exchange rate was outrageous!