Selling the Skeleton Summoning Token
Su Ran selected the token he had used before. It was intact, but had been used once, and the cracks on its surface seemed a little more pronounced.
He examined it carefully with his senses and confirmed that it had roughly 5 durability remaining.
A summoning token that showed signs of use but still functioned perfectly was worth quite a bit, yet it would not draw as much attention as a brand-new, unused one.
He put the token and a few odds and ends he planned to dispose of along with it—several [Inferior Bone Fragments] and a little [Glimmering Phosphorus Bone]—into an inconspicuous leather waist pouch.
He changed into a brand-new [Cloth Robe (Fine)], put on the [Mind-Calming Jade Pendant], hung the [Oak Staff (Fine)] at an easily accessible spot on his waist, and finally pulled on the [Rabbit-Hide Boots (Fine)].
The figure in the mirror had shed his former shabby, cautious appearance and gained some of a spellcaster's composure, along with a faintly unapproachable air.
Although his level was still low, the change in bearing brought by his equipment and class was obvious.
Following a method he had found online, Su Ran altered his appearance to some extent, making sure he would not be exposed.
Once everything was ready, he left his rented room and headed for the Inner Ring District again.
He did not return to a fairly priced shop catering to those at the bottom, like Old Henry's Reliable General Store.
This time, his target was a more discreet place in the Inner Ring District, one better equipped to handle special items—the black market, or, more precisely,
the private trading meets or intermediaries who operated in the gray areas and had established clientele and reputations.
From browsing forums and picking up hearsay, he had learned of a few possible channels. He did not directly contact the garbled ID he had seen on the bus before.
Instead, he chose the back alley of the Still Corridor Bar, a gathering place for intermediaries said to be somewhat well known among low-level mages and enthusiasts of special items.
It was relatively quiet during the day, a place where brokers and interested parties met and made initial contact.
He passed through the Inner Ring District's relatively tidy streets, turned into an inconspicuous alley, and entered through the side door of a half-basement bar with a faded sign.
He crossed the noisy hall, thick with the smell of cheap ale and tobacco, and went out the back door into an even narrower, dimly lit alley piled with odds and ends.
Several figures were already scattered along the sides of the alley or in its corners, talking in low voices or silently watching the people who entered.
They were dressed in all manner of ways, but most had wary eyes and kept their auras restrained.
Su Ran's appearance drew a few gazes. His brand-new mage outfit stood out somewhat in this mixed gray area,
but it also clearly marked his identity: a spellcaster who might have goods to offer or something he needed.
He did not approach anyone. He simply walked to a relatively open stretch of wall halfway down the alley and stood against it, calmly sweeping his gaze over his surroundings,
until it finally settled on a somewhat idle-looking middle-aged man nearby, leaning against a wooden crate and smoking a pipe. The man wore worn but clean leather armor,
with two daggers, one long and one short, hanging at his waist. His eyes, however, swept sharply toward the alley entrance from time to time; he was clearly keeping watch.
Su Ran adjusted his breathing, letting the Mind-Calming Jade Pendant's effect emanate faintly and keeping his mind clear.
Then, seemingly at random, he released an extremely faint ripple of undead aura from the [Skeleton Summoning Token] in the middle-aged man's direction.
The ripple was weak and vanished in an instant, like an illusion. But to someone with keen senses or familiarity with that kind of aura, it was as clear as any signal.
The pipe-smoking man paused almost imperceptibly, moving the pipe slightly away from his lips.
He turned his head as if casually, and his gaze met Su Ran's calm eyes for an instant.
Su Ran gave an almost imperceptible nod.
The middle-aged man blew out a smoke ring, slowly straightened up, and brushed the dust off himself. Then he walked at an unhurried pace toward a corner deeper in the alley, piled with discarded barrels.
Su Ran waited a few seconds, then followed.
The transaction began.
Deep in the dim back alley, the shadows of the discarded barrels barely screened off a small, relatively private space. The smells of tobacco and damp wood mingled.
The middle-aged man turned around and leaned against the cold brick wall, sizing up Su Ran as he approached. His gaze paused for a moment on Su Ran's brand-new mage robe and the oak staff at his waist before settling on his calm face.
"Got something?" The middle-aged man's voice was slightly hoarse, and he got straight to the point.
Su Ran nodded. Without wasting words, he took the [Skeleton Summoning Token] from his waist pouch. Its cracks were slightly visible, and it had about 7 durability remaining.
He did not hand it all the way over, instead holding it on his palm so the other man could clearly sense the dull, grayish-white token and the faint undead aura upon it.
The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes and leaned closer for a look, but did not reach out to touch it.
A few seconds later, he straightened up and smacked his lips. "A [Skeleton Summoning Token]. It's in decent condition. How many times has it been used? The energy fluctuations are a little weak."
"Seven durability remaining."
Su Ran told him the truth; there was no point in lying about it in front of an expert like this. "It summons a Lv.2 skeleton warrior for about three minutes. Controlling it requires a continuous expenditure of mental power."
"Lv.2... Hmm, a beginner's toy, or something for a necromancy apprentice to take apart and study."
The middle-aged man gave his assessment bluntly, but there was no disdain in his eyes. If anything, he looked a little more interested. "Just the one?"
Su Ran looked at him and cast out the bait in an even tone. "I have two. I'm open to bartering."
"Two?"
The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow, clearly somewhat surprised. Getting even one such special item counted as luck; getting two in a row...
Either Su Ran had struck it incredibly lucky and cleared out some undead nest, or he had some other means.
He gave Su Ran another careful look, paying particular attention to his overly calm eyes and the fine-looking Mind-Calming Jade Pendant around his neck.
He pondered for a few seconds, apparently weighing the token's value and the truth of Su Ran's words.
Then he nodded, took a palm-sized leather notebook with worn edges from inside his clothes, flipped to a page, and held it out to Su Ran.
Several item names and brief descriptions were listed on the page in delicate but legible handwriting, with simple sketches beside them.
"Take a look and see if anything interests you. By the rules, one token in the condition yours is in can be exchanged for one item on this list. Two can be exchanged for two items, or one better item."
The middle-aged man's tone took on a merchant's smoothness. "Of course, you can sell them for cash, too. The market price is around... 75 to 80 silver coins apiece. But I suggest you trade for something. The things I have here aren't necessarily easy to find elsewhere."
Su Ran took the notebook and quickly scanned it by the faint daylight coming through the alley entrance.
The items on the list were a varied assortment, but all were geared toward low-level spellcasters or those with special classes:
[Glimmering Crystal Fragment]: Can be used in certain low-level magic arrays or enchantments, increasing energy accumulation by 10%.
[Damaged Magic Scroll (Fireball, Incomplete)]: Records an incomplete model of the first-circle spell Fireball. More valuable for research than practical use.
[Lesser Invisibility Potion (Unstable)]: Grants a faint visual distortion effect for approximately 30 seconds after consumption. Ineffective against mental perception. Has minor side effects.