The clink of coins in his pouch was the sweetest sound JP had heard since coming to this world. He turned the weight in his palm, pride swelling.
"Finally," he muttered, "I can afford to live like a human again."
The market was busy, carts creaking and merchants calling out their wares. JP kept his hood low, Appraisal flashing as he moved from stall to stall.
Dried Meat – Preserved. Longevity: 5 days. Salt Content: High.Water Pouch – Leather Grade B. Leak Resistance: 70%. Repair Potential: High.Cooking Pot – Iron Alloy. Durability: 87%. Heat Distribution: Uneven.
He purchased what he needed: food enough for days, two water pouches, and a pot sturdy enough for camp cooking. Each choice was deliberate, his Appraisal ensuring every coin stretched its worth.
If I'm going to keep this merchant angle alive, JP thought, I can't just build. I need to live, to move, to last.
That night, back in the quiet of his tent, JP spread his gathered items across the mat. The Glow Pebbles gave off soft light, his Resin-Carry Straps hung neatly, and the new Drip Pot simmered water with an alchemic seal to prevent waste.
With Appraisal guiding him, he tinkered—adjusting, combining, refining. Each spark of invention made the pulse in his chest burn brighter.
He didn't notice the shadow at first. The faint crunch of grass just beyond the stakes. The shimmer of silver eyes watching, waiting.
When Lyra finally stepped into the circle of light, JP nearly dropped the stone he was engraving.
"...Lyra?" he asked cautiously, wiping soot from his hands.
The elf's disguise flickered under the glow, her delicate features sharper, her posture warier. Her eyes flicked over the oddities scattered around him—glowing stones, humming stakes, straps and jars with strange runes.
"You…" she whispered, voice laced with awe and suspicion. "You're not just an adventurer."
JP froze, every instinct screaming to hide his work. But it was too late. She'd seen.
Lyra's gaze locked with his, piercing and unrelenting.
"What are you building, JP?"
The fire crackled, the stakes hummed, and the night seemed to hold its breath as JP faced the first true confrontation of his new life.