Tav

Under the lead of the gaunt youth, Gagnor successfully arrived at the Thieves' Guild located beneath Presto Fortress.

Unlike the underground structures of South Sea Town, the Thieves' Guild here felt more like a subterranean cave, or rather, it was built within one. Exposed rock walls were everywhere, and the air was thick with dampness.

Occasionally, creatures like rats scurried along the edges, and reptiles were even more common.

The layout of the black market was also different. In South Sea Town, the black market was a cloister, while here it was a long corridor.

Perhaps influenced by the current situation, the black market was quite lively, with hundreds of people engaged in transactions, mainly dealing in various war supplies.

Gagnor walked along the corridor, inquiring about prices at some of the potion stalls.

A vaguely familiar voice reached his ears.

"This is a Troll Rage Potion. It can quickly stimulate strength and fighting spirit, much more potent than a Rage Potion. At critical moments, it can help you turn defeat into victory..."

Turning towards the voice, Gagnor saw a woman wearing a mask, introducing her wares to several customers.

Despite the different mask and attire, and the slightly altered voice, after a moment of observation, he recognized the woman's identity.

Potent Potions Expert.

Once the customers left, Gagnor approached the Potent Potions Expert.

"Need something?" she asked.

Gagnor smiled, "My Sith Dragon Potions, didn't you bring them here to sell?"

The Potent Potions Expert paused, "You are—"

She stopped mid-sentence, because Gagnor had never mentioned any identifying information, leaving her unsure of what to say.

"Call me 'Tav'," Gagnor decided on a pseudonym.

The Potent Potions Expert recovered from her surprise and smiled, "That's probably not your real name or face, is it?"

"Maybe," Gagnor said noncommittally.

"Impressive disguise magic," the Potent Potions Expert complimented before answering his earlier question, "I did bring some of your Sith Dragon Potions, but with war possibly breaking out at any moment, most people are more concerned with potions like the Troll Rage Potion."

Gagnor wasn't surprised by this, "How are the Healing Stones, Pain Relief Potions, Rage Potions, Swiftness Potions, and Antidote Potions selling? Those basic potions?"

Potent Potions Expert: "The prices are rising every day. I bet you've stockpiled a lot in advance. If you want to sell them quickly, you can come to me anytime, and I'll give you a good price."

"What about potion ingredients?"

"Except for Silverleaf, the materials for other basic potions have gone up a lot, especially Heather Herb."

The two chatted for a while.

As Gagnor prepared to leave, the Potent Potions Expert suddenly said, "Wait."

"What's wrong?"

The Potent Potions Expert looked around before lowering her voice, "Are you interested in ancient ruins?"

"Ancient ruins!" Gagnor was surprised. "Can you tell me more about them?"

In a way, the Level 7 Storage Ring he had was obtained from ancient ruins. His first experience yielded great rewards, which made him very interested in such adventures.

The Potent Potions Expert put the potions on her stall into her storage ring, then got up and left, gesturing for him to follow.

Gagnor followed her to a quiet corner.

In the corner, two men were sitting at a table talking. One was tall and the other short, both wearing masks and clothes that were clearly meant for disguise. However, Gagnor thought that the disguise might not be very effective, at least for the short man. Judging by his height, he was either a Dwarf or had a lot of Dwarven blood.

Seeing the Potent Potions Expert and Gagnor approaching, they immediately stopped talking.

"This is Tav," the Potent Potions Expert introduced, then added to the tall man, "He's the supplier of Sith Dragon Potions."

The tall man nodded in understanding.

The Potent Potions Expert pointed at the tall man, "He's a general merchant."

Gagnor also nodded. They had had a few encounters in the South Sea Town black market, but weren't very familiar with each other. Plus, they were both disguised, so he didn't recognize him right away.

"He's a 'Hole-Seeker'," the Potent Potions Expert introduced the short man.

Hearing this name, Gagnor couldn't help but ask, "Did this Hole-Seeker discover the ancient ruins?"

The Hole-Seeker nodded, "Yes, the Holy Name of the Earth Element granted me the talent for finding holes. In a recent chance encounter, I found a hidden cave—the entrance is in a corner of the Thieves' Guild that no one pays attention to, but I can't get to the depths on my own. So I'm gathering a team. Do you want to join?"

"What's likely to be in the cave?" Gagnor asked.

Hole-Seeker: "Some low-level magic beasts and ancient relics. The rewards might not be very generous, but I asked a Diviner, and the answer I got was 'worth a visit'. You can also ask, it's always a good idea to ask a Diviner about unknown things."

As he spoke, he took out a patterned gold ornament, "This is what I found in the cave, a gold ornament from the time of Fangfro IV—the pattern on it is the famous 'Fangfro's Mercy'. Even without considering its historical value, it's worth at least twenty gold coins!"

Gagnor thought for a moment, "When are you leaving?"

"That mainly depends on when we can find suitable team members—at least five or six people," the Hole-Seeker said.

After a pause, he asked, "Excuse me for asking, Mr. Tav, do you have a combat profession?"

Gagnor: "Of course, I'm a Level Two Hunter."

"Can you use a Tier 1 spell?"

"Yes."

The Hole-Seeker nodded. "Well then, you're welcome to join us anytime before we set off."

Gagnor also nodded. "Alright, I'll come back in a few days."

He didn't plan to make a decision immediately. For one thing, the situation at Presto Fortress could change at any moment. For another, he knew very little about the caves.

Perhaps, as the Hole-Seeker said, he might need to consult a Diviner...

Before leaving the Presto Fortress black market, Gagnor was drawn to a stall selling forbidden magical books and scrolls, his eyes fixed on one scroll in particular.

"Corpse Explosion?"

This spell was also recorded in the Blood Magic Notes, but since it was a Level Two spell, he hadn't learned it yet.

The stall owner explained, "Corpse Explosion, a Level Two spell, can cause a corpse to explode with tremendous power. But obviously, it's Black Magic, so you'd better not use it in public, or at least not where the Church can see."

Gagnor thought for a moment. "How much?"

"Two gold coins, firm price."

"I'll take it."