He remembered it; it was one of the materials for making magic recovery potions. If consumed raw, there was a very small chance of gaining a pair of Spirit-Sight eyes, commonly known as seeing ghosts.
Next, Durin spotted a rhomboid stone, about the size of a dragon's eye, with a smooth surface. Inside the stone were intricate patterns, each emitting a reddish glow. All the patterns then combined into a complex symbol following a specific trajectory.
The symbol flickered on and off, giving a particularly strange feeling, as if it were alive.
"This rune stone, when integrated into a sword, can provide a beneficial effect, making it sharper and capable of cutting through chainmail with ease. Its power will definitely satisfy you."
"10 gold cogwheels, or items of equal value. If suitable, we can trade."
A gentle yet cunning voice came from the half-goat old man. He noticed Durin examining his goods, probably thinking a business opportunity had arrived.
Unfortunately, Durin just shook his head and withdrew his gaze. Although according to the rune stone information provided by Instructor Rocov, the effect was indeed as the other party described.
However, 10 gold cogwheels was simply beyond his means. Even with further bargaining, he wasn't willing to put all his money into it.
Since coming to the black market in the Fish Market District, Durin had changed his mind. He shifted from forging enchanted shields to forging enchanted weapons. Firstly, he felt that the spiked mace was too cumbersome for his current self; he wanted a more flexible one-handed weapon, such as a sword.
Secondly, the trip to the cemetery had severely damaged the spiked mace, making it unsuitable for continued combat.
Within Durin's expectations, he hoped to acquire a rune stone for preferably 3 gold cogwheels. Even if its effect was weaker or it had flaws, he could accept it.
Collecting his thoughts, Durin moved on to the next stall.
What followed was rather unremarkable; no rune stones that suited Durin's liking appeared. Most were not very valuable; some couldn't even emit light, clearly useless, yet still being peddled.
After browsing for nearly an hour, Durin had a rough plan forming in his mind.
He now had a basic understanding of the general prices in the black market, so he wouldn't be completely clueless and get scammed without knowing it. Anything bought or sold here was not the responsibility of the sellers once the market dispersed.
Then Durin noticed that enchanted equipment was extremely rare. The occasional enchanted items he found were severely damaged, almost unusable, and had no repair value.
It made sense, of course; precious enchanted equipment, costing upwards of 20 gold cogwheels, would hardly be sold at a stall in a place like this.
After a long search, Durin finally stopped at a stall and found an irregular, fist-sized stone with a smooth, rounded exterior. Inside, there were tiny lines emitting a faint, glowing green light.
The magical circuits formed by these lines created a complex rune, giving Durin the feeling of a beating heart, though it sounded like one on the verge of death.
So, Durin pointed and asked, "Boss, how much is this thing?"
Comparing it with the information he had, Durin judged it to be a flawed, low-grade Cypress Rune Stone. If integrated into a forged weapon, it could make a sword incredibly tough and unbreakable, not easily damaged. If used for a shield, it could make a wooden shield as hard as a steel shield.
However, being flawed, he wasn't sure how much effect it would actually have.
"5 gold cogwheels."
The stall owner, whose head was covered by a black hood, didn't even look up, and a cold, hard voice came from the shadow beneath the hood.
Durin was unconcerned by the stall owner's cold attitude; most stall owners he encountered on his way had this 'buy it or don't' demeanor.
Durin frowned slightly and immediately haggled: "That's too much. Yours is flawed, it's not worth that price. 3 gold cogwheels."
The stall owner looked up at Durin, then after a moment, said, "Take it."
Durin could clearly feel two cold gazes from beneath the hood, and the stall owner's tone sounded utterly unperturbed.
Damn it, I still quoted too high!
Although Durin had tried to overestimate the ruthlessness of the black market, judging by the stall owner's attitude, the price he offered was still significantly above the stall owner's psychological price.
Moreover, he suspected that this cracked rune stone wasn't as strong as the other party described; there must be a significant flaw. However, Durin had looked around and found that only this rune stone suited his needs best.
It could be used to forge enchanted melee weapons or enchanted armor, and the price was within Durin's acceptable range.
So Durin felt no particular emotion. He took out 3 gold-glowing coins from his storage ring and handed them to the stall owner, then picked up the smooth, red-glowing rune stone and put it in his pocket.
After purchasing the item he wanted, Durin left the black market.
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