"Is there something else?" the merchant asked, rubbing his palm.
"Are there more?" Aaron asked directly. Even though the weapon was powerful, with its class being top-tier, he knew he couldn't afford it, let alone use it.
It was obvious the merchant was just trying to clear out his inventory.
The information about the women, Aradhya and the grace of suns sparked his curiosity, but for now, he decided to explore it later.
Aaron couldn't quite read the merchant's face, but he was pretty sure there was a snarl hiding behind the glass veil.
The merchant stepped into his dimly lit caravan, hitched to strange horses with human-like faces, and didn't reappear for several minutes.
Aaron began to feel a twinge of unease and glanced back at the line. To his surprise, no one seemed upset or impatient. Not a single person protested about the delay.
"Phew... I thought I was going to be lynched," he muttered to himself.
As he waited for the merchant, he asked the system about the woman named Aradhya and the grace of the suns.
As usual, the system replied that he lacked the authority to know the answers to his questions.
'Looks like it'll be a long time before I get a lead,' he thought.
A sudden thought crossed his mind, prompting him to ask the system once more. This time, his question was different: What are the Suns?
The system chimed in response.
[Suns: Deities chosen in each cycle of the Universe's creation are known as Suns.]
[Types of Suns: Blight Suns, Frost Suns, Blazing Suns.]
"Is Mistress of Head a sun?" Aaron asked.
[Mistress of Head is an eclipse]
Without Aaron asking what an eclipse is, the system prompted again.
[Eclipse: Deities who chose to be eradicated into the essence of the universe in the iteration of the creation of universe.]
'Basically, Suns are deities destined to be immortal, living on even after the universe ends, while eclipses ensure that when the next cycle of creation begins, they are excluded from it.'
"Why would someone need grace from these Suns, and could the Eclipse grant something similar?" The question swirled in his mind, but he kept his composure. Losing control now would only lead to greater troubles. Steadying himself, he asked the system to explain more about the roles of the Suns and the Eclipse.
[Requires more authority.]
"I need to level up more," he muttered to himself.
Just then the merchant emerged from his caravan, holding a row of swords in his hands. Some had strange colors, while others barely resembled swords at all.
He placed them on the table between them.
"Here, sir," the merchant said, clasping his hands again.
Without giving Aaron a chance to speak, he continued, "This is the Sword of Night. Its ability is to camouflage in the darkness."
The sword he gestured to was black, with a glass hilt and no guard.
He went on, describing the other swords one by one, each more intriguing than the last.
Aaron used the system to analyze the information about the swords, gaining new insights. By the time the merchant finished, Aaron had acquired a good deal of knowledge.
Finally exhausting his inventory, the merchant addressed Aaron.
"So, what does the customer want?" he asked, gesturing toward the weapons.
Most of the weapons were too unusual, with their use depending on various factors that Aaron couldn't control in battle.
But one weapon, in particular, caught Aaron's eye.
It was a pistol hidden among the swords, dismissed as metal scrap when the merchant showcased the others. But when Aaron used the system, he discovered much more about it.
Item Type: Gun
Marrow Gewehr
From the depths of the demon realm, the ruler of blood drew upon his own essence to forge a weapon for his foot soldier to wield—a Gewehr that will not cease until its wielder has blood coursing through his veins.
[Class: Ignorant]
[Abilities: Discharge]
[Discharge: The user can use their own blood as ammunition.]
[Requirement: User should have blood in his veins.]
[Owner: None.]
Aaron didn't waste any time and told the merchant, "I want that gun," pointing to a scrap of hull etched with rust from bloodstains, yet still sturdy. The merchant was slightly disappointed with his choice, but quickly masked it behind a glassy expression as he handed over the weapon.
"This will be for 15 vials," he said.
"I actually wanted to trade it for another item," Aaron replied.
The merchant gestured for him to show it. Aaron had already removed the heart of the snake with human faces from the doll, wrapping it in a small cloth.
Pulling it from his coat, he passed it to the merchant, who inspected it for a moment before agreeing to the trade.
Aaron knew the heart was valuable, but it was tainted with the essence of the Mistress of Head, so he wanted to part with it as soon as possible.
The merchant pulled out a parchment marked with a strange symbol and held it out to Aaron. "Here, sign it—for ownership," he said. Aaron stood there, puzzled.
Noticing the confusion on his face, the merchant went on, "To use a weapon, you need to own it. Sign here." He shoved the notary between them. "Then the metal scrap is yours."
Aaron picked up the notary and used the quill given by the merchant to sign it in the blank space. For now, he didn't have a name.
System came just in time to remind him of that.
[User doesn't have a name.]
Aaron still hadn't figured out how a name might affect someone's growth, but now he had to take a gamble and choose one. He didn't want to use his original name, as there could be something tied to it that he wasn't aware of. To play it safe, it seemed better to pick a name that wouldn't bring any negative consequences—and that could only be one of the names he already knew.
He picked up the quill and scrawled it across the notary, signing a name with a flourish.
"Rosacer."