The large man who had introduced himself to me had guided me here.
Mouse. Yes, that was his name.
A strange name... but he seems like a decent man, I thought as I stepped inside an abandoned house and washed the blood from my clothes. Once I was done, I headed back outside, where Mouse was waiting for me.
"Well then, a deal is a deal."
I looked at Mouse and told him about my only piece of loot—the one thing I knew for certain was worth something.
I did not try to lie or hide anything. There was no need for that, and even if there had been, I doubt I could have done it convincingly. So I simply told the truth, pulled out the core, and handed it to him for inspection.
"A +E-ranked core? That explains the blood and the injuries all over you. You're quite something, kid."
He stared at the rhinoceros beast core in clear surprise.
I did not tell him how I had hunted it, nor what had happened during the fight. This was a business deal. He got his tax, and I kept my privacy and my rewards.
That was what I thought as he tossed the core back to me and led me outside, where the vehicle was parked.
Once again, I stood before the tavern known as The Old Wanderer.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The same gazes that had greeted me before fell upon me once more.
But unlike the first time, my aura had changed. This time, it was far stronger. It carried traces of killing intent, and the air itself seemed to grow heavy with the scent of blood. Pressure spread through the room.
"Hm."
The sound came from the counter. I turned my head toward it.
That annoying Dream Wanderer was staring at me with interest.
"You've grown quite a bit, kid."
There was amusement in his voice, but the trace of approval hidden beneath it was impossible to miss.
I nodded beneath my cloak, my silver eyes gleaming strangely as I pulled back the killing intent and mana surrounding me.
"What did you hunt?"
This time, his smile widened as he looked toward my chest—or more precisely, where the core was hidden.
"+E rank," I replied.
"Good."
He nodded in approval before speaking again.
"Follow me, kid."
He stepped out from behind the counter and headed toward one of the doors inside the tavern. I caught the way his eyes narrowed with that same playful look.
I followed him slowly. He opened the door, and we entered the room beyond.
"Hey, Marcella, we have business."
Markus spoke, and I looked in the direction he was facing.
There, seated beside a small desk, was a woman.
She looked to be in her thirties. Her face was beautiful, and her mature figure only added to her presence. Long chestnut hair rested softly over her smooth shoulders.
Her brown eyes looked sleepy and lazy, yet somehow still full of life. Combined with her delicate features and healthy pale skin, she was striking.
"Mmm..."
She stretched lazily and turned her gaze toward the Dream Wanderer beside me.
"Yes?"
She nodded slightly, slipping a pair of black-framed glasses from the desk drawer and putting them on.
"Well then, little one, let me see what you've brought."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked into my silver ones.
For a brief moment, I caught a trace of familiarity in her gaze before the laziness returned, as if I had imagined it.
"Come on, boy. Don't be shy. Marcella won't eat you."
Markus shoved my shoulder when he saw I was still standing there.
That hurt, you bastard.
I wanted to shout at him—or hit him—but I could not. The sharp pain in my shoulder was reminder enough of how strong he was.
"Hah..."
I exhaled and stepped forward, stopping before Marcella. She still looked at me lazily, but there was something faint in her eyes... perhaps memories.
Thunk.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door closing behind us as Markus left the room. Her focus returned to me.
I reached into my coat, took out the rhinoceros mana core, and placed it on the table.
"A fine core."
She muttered as she picked it up and began examining it carefully.
"+E rank... and from a large beast, by the looks of it."
Yes, it was the same rank as the previous one, but size often affected the value. Every core had its own worth.
"I'll give you 95 gold coins for this core. After the 25% percent tax, you'll receive seventy-one gold coins, two silver, and five copper."
I nodded slowly after checking the numbers in my head.
She was correct. Not a single coin missing.
When she saw my nod, she wasted no time and extended her soft hand.
Clink.
With the sound of falling metal, gold coins poured out from the ring resting on her finger.
I want that.
My eyes fixed on the spatial ring. It was not an extremely rare item, but it was far from common.
"We have rings for sale, if you'd like one. The cheapest has the storage space of a large wooden chest."
Marcella smiled faintly as she noticed where my gaze had gone.
"How much?" I asked immediately.
I could not help myself. I wanted one badly.
"Forty gold coins."
Her eyes narrowed with delight.
"Deal."
I nodded at once.
The moment I agreed, forty gold coins vanished from the table and returned to her ring.
Tch.
My heart ached a little, but I comforted myself with the thought that it was worth it. A small investment for the future.
"Here."
Her smile softened slightly when she heard my youthful voice. I remembered the strange way she had looked at my silver eyes, but I shook the thought away and focused on the black ring she placed before me.
I picked it up carefully and slipped it onto my finger.
...Nothing happened.
I tried to place the coins inside. Still nothing.
"Hm?"
"Hahaha! You need to pour mana into it, idiot."
Marcella burst into laughter, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.
My face burned with embarrassment, and I ignored her laughter.
"Hah..."
I drew mana from my heart and poured it into the ring.
Suddenly, I felt something forming—a connection tying itself to me.
A small space, no larger than a wooden chest, appeared within my senses.
"Hm."
I nodded with satisfaction.
With a single thought, the coins vanished from the table before Marcella.
I closed my eyes and sensed them resting inside the connected space.
"Thank you."
A hint of happiness slipped into my voice. Owning a spatial ring felt incredible.
"You're welcome."
She smiled warmly as she wiped the tears of laughter from her face.
I felt annoyed all over again at the sight. After finishing the count of my remaining coins, I turned and headed for the door.
"bye, little one," Marcella said in a strangely soft voice.
"bye."
I nodded and ignored the odd feeling in my chest as I left.
Once again, the old man stood behind the counter, pouring beer.
I nodded when I saw him looking at me.
"A fine deal, boy. Come again."
He nodded back with a strange smile.
I ignored him and walked out of the tavern.
Outside, I continued walking.
But this time...
I felt as though someone was following me. Greedy gazes clung to my back.
"Who?"
I frowned coldly. My perception abilities were not yet strong, though my mana senses were already fairly sharp.
Should I try that?
Without slowing down, I kept walking.
I closed my eyes as I moved and began spreading out countless thin strands of mana.
With each strand, my perception expanded further.
This was a technique one of the main characters used. But that did not mean I had to wait until later to learn it.
"Hah..."
I activated the Eye of Truth—also known as the Mana Eye.
The meaning of the name was simple enough. If it was called the Mana Eye, then naturally, it allowed me to communicate with mana itself.
It worked.
At that thought, a three-dimensional map began forming in my mind.
Even though this had only been an experiment... I had succeeded.
"And now..."
I spread the map wider and sent my mana threads farther.
"Let's see who is following me.