That afternoon, Ryuzen was seen strolling randomly through the city.
But his aim was clear. He was looking for the rchant shop owned by the Versalon family. He intended to sell the monster cores he had collected.
He wasn’t choosing them out of any personal sentint or because of their landlord-tenant relationship. In truth, that strict man had offered him a far more generous price than the other shops, who had all tried to rip him off.
Even the Hunter Association hadn’t paid as well.
So for better profit, he chose them. No emotions involved. Only logic.
As he continued scanning the streets, his mind shifted inward, checking out the newly appeared [QUEST] tab within his System.
---
[QUEST]
[Main Quest]
• Beco the Strongest Dragon God
Reward: Physique of Eternity (???)
[Active Quests]
• Survive the Upcoming Wave for the next 3 Days, 0 hours, 30 minutes.
Reward: System Ability Upgrade: Appraisal (Basic) to Appraisal (Interdiate)
___
As he read through the [QUEST] tab, Ryuzen’s golden slit eyes narrowed slightly.
"Physique of Eternity...?"
The na alone sent a chill through his spine. His dragon body pulsed faintly in response, as if it too had sensed sothing ancient and profound hidden within those words.
And then the second quest—
"Upcoming wave?" His steps slowed.
"That ans another Hollow Wave is incoming. And very soon."
The reward was no joke either. Upgrading Appraisal would give him a deeper understanding of monsters, items, even people. Sothing like that could shift the tides in a dangerous encounter.
Ryu’s gaze sharpened.
The System wasn’t giving him random quests. Each one felt precisely tailored to nudge him toward sothing... greater. It was as if the System had seen through the future.
He clenched his fists lightly. He received clues of the future .
"So... things are moving now. I need to be prepared."
With that, he picked up his pace, heading toward the Landlord’s rchant shop.
After wandering for a few more turns through the busy marketplace, Ryuzen finally spotted a polished wooden sign hanging from a two-story stone building near the plaza’s edge.
[Venus’ Treasury]
—Premium Monster Core and Artifact Dealer—
The letters were carved with refined craftsmanship, gleaming faintly in the afternoon light. Beneath the sign, the symbol of a crescent moon wrapped in ivy was etched into the storefront’s glass. It was elegant yet fierce, much like the man who owned it.
"So... he really nad the shop after his daughter," Ryu murmured with a half-smile. "Not what I expected from that strict faced landlord."
Chuckling to himself Ryuzen stepped toward the entrance. Imdiately the faint scent of incense and old paper wafted from within, mixing with the clatter of coins and muffled voices.
Riing!
As he pushed the door open, a soft chi rang out, and the shop’s cozy yet sophisticated interior welcod him.
Inside, Rows of glowing cores, enchanted weapons, and skill books lined the walls behind protective glass cases.
Behind the counter, the familiar, sharp-eyed man glanced up at Ryuzen with mild surprise.
Then, for a brief second, panic flashed in his eyes.
Noticing this, Ryuzen’s gaze drifted to the side. That was when he noticed her—a mature woman with blone hair in a tight-fitting hunter gear, standing far too close to the man behind the counter, her fingers still loosely holding his hand. Intimately.
Witnessing the affair, a grin slowly curved across Ryuzen’s face. A knowing, mischievous grin.
On the other hand, the woman’s expression twitched after noticing another custor inside the shop. So she quickly let go, taking a step back. Although, her cheeks was flushed slightly despite her composed expression.
Then without saying a word, she turned around and left. Her boots clanked on the wooden floor as she brushed past Ryuzen, her stride stiff and overly calm, like soone forcing dignity through embarrassnt.
But Ryu could still sense the faint ripple of panic clinging to her.
Once she was gone, Versalon straightened his back, cleared his throat, trying to maintain his usual strict deanor. He adjusted his collar unnecessarily.
Ryuzen folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Who was she, Mr. Landlord?"
"Ryu, You’re here. And don’t misunderstand. She was a special custor." Versalon replied curtly.
Ryuzen chuckled softly. "Ohh, a special custor indeed. So much special that you had to serve her... physically?"
Versalon’s eye twitched while Ryuzen leaned casually on the counter, smirking.
"Is this a new kind of premium service your shop offers? I didn’t see that on the sign though."
He wasn’t going to give up that easily.
Realizing this, Versalon let out a long sigh.
"Alright, alright. Just... don’t speak about this to Evangeline, Venus, or anyone else."
Ryuzen raised both hands with a mock-innocent smile.
"Of course, Mr. Landlord. I wouldn’t want to destroy a happy ho. But I have to admit, I never expected this from a man like you. Just how did this happen?"
He pulled out a chair and sat down, clearly expecting a story.
Versalon sat on his own stool behind the counter, rubbing his temple for a mont before speaking,
"Her na is Celine Dion. A C-Rank Hunter. She used to visit my store frequently for business... and over ti, things changed. We got closer. Eventually... we fell for each other."
Ryuzen blinked. "What about Aunt Eva?"
Versalon’s expression remained composed, but there was a flicker of guilt in his eyes.
"Of course I love her too. Eva and Venus are my life. But love doesn’t always co with logic or rules, boy. Sotis... it just happens. No warnings. No reasons. One day, you might understand."
Ryuzen frowned, struggling to process the words.
He had always believed love had to be built on sothing solid—like the way he loved Maya. She had been kind, dutiful, beautiful. There were reasons behind that love. Things that made sense.
But this?
How could soone fall in love without reason?
What kind of love was that?
Just then Venus’ frowning face unexpectedly ca to his mind.
Why was he thinking of her annoying face at this ti?
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