Not a Good Person

"Miss Nia, please wait a moment."

Nia turned her head, looking somewhat surprised at Mina and Fina standing by the corridor, calling out to her. She had completely reverted to her appearance when they first met in the town of Yin Lanka. A long, black robe with gold trim perfectly hugged her slender figure, and a pulled-down hood completely concealed her beautiful long hair and eyes, leaving only her snow-white, rounded chin and pale cherry-red lips, adding to her mystique. Compared to Li Lin, who called himself a "scholar," Nia clearly fit the identity of a "mage" much better.

Is there something you need?

"That's how it is..."

Fina mustered her courage and spoke up—it seemed that her magic training course had indeed benefited the girl greatly, as she was no longer as afraid to speak as before.

"My sister and I have some things we'd like to ask you, but I don't know if you have time..."

Nia remained silent for a moment. She could sense the confusion and fear emanating from Fina and Mina, which wasn't surprising. After all, among these people, Li Lin showed no interest in the two sisters, and Angela was clearly not someone suitable for discussing problems or opening up to. Not to mention, she came from another world, which always created a barrier between them. In this respect, Nia was clearly more suitable to communicate with the two sisters. She was a resident of this world, and as a fellow woman, she was more suitable for relaxed conversation.

In fact, Nia didn't know much about Vampire Species. Li Lin had only told her some stories and legends about Vampire Species in his spare time, and Angela had only occasionally mentioned a few of their more obvious characteristics and weaknesses. But Nia still managed to deduce some patterns. Clearly, like other undead creatures, Vampire Species would gradually become evil; it was their nature. So, Nia nodded.

"I'd be happy to."

"Two stupid idiots."

Angela lay listlessly on the soft, comfortable sofa, looked up at the door, and then curled up again.

"Struggle and pain are the prerogative of the weak. I have no desire to take in two such cowardly maids."

As she spoke, her gaze shifted and landed on Li Lin, who was standing by the window gazing at the scenery outside.

"Master, will Sister Nia really help them overcome their confusion? She seems like the kind, well-bred young lady..."

That's just what it looks like.

Li Lin did not look away, continuing to carefully observe the boundless stone wall outside the window, seemingly studying the construction methods here.

"My weapon, I know it well. It has never changed, just as elves are always proud, goblins are inherently evil, and angels cherish goodness. Ruthlessness is also a necessary condition for it to be my weapon. We have faced all kinds of enemies countless times, men and women, old and young. But Nia has never hesitated. She is a weapon, not a human. Gentle emotions are merely an embellishment for her, not an intrinsic quality."

"Now I can rest assured..."

Angela chuckled softly, clearly very satisfied with Li Lin's answer. Her bright red eyes, mischievous and alluring, lingered on Li Lin's back. Gazing at his tall, slender figure, Angela couldn't help but lick her lips. Two snow-white, delicate legs peeked out from under her nightgown, so perfect they were almost too beautiful to look at directly.

"Since it's still early, Master, why not enjoy some other pleasures?"

"I'm afraid that's not possible now."

Li Lin turned around, smiled, and shook his head.

"You heard what Nia said, and given the current situation, it's best to exercise restraint. However, if you're so free..."

Li Lin pondered for a moment, then gave his answer.

How about we go shopping together?

It's not just about sexual intercourse that can bring women pleasure both physically and mentally.

Stepping out of the stone inn's doors, Li Lin led Angela on a leisurely stroll through the city. Warsaw resembled a dwarven city, entirely constructed of stone, yet infused with elven influences. Looking up, they could even see tiny sparks above—the glow of other buildings. The inhabitants here had lived in high-rise buildings much earlier than anywhere else; Li Lin even wondered if hollowing out an entire mountain would cause it to collapse. But now it was clear that the carvings incorporated some incomprehensible, unique craftsmanship to ensure the solid walls could withstand external and internal pressures. In this world without elevators, numerous stone staircases and several floating stone discs were the only means of connecting to other places.

Clearly, traversing these stone steps would be strenuous and time-consuming, so people had long since adopted a more efficient method: dividing the entire city into three classes. At the bottom was the merchant class, responsible for transporting goods to the aerial transit station, where more people were responsible for transporting what they needed to various places. At the very top lived the city's rulers, who were also the very few qualified to travel on floating discs. Within this nearly hollow mountain, only the massive central stone pillar stood tall, as if supporting the entire city.

Li Lin led Angela through the crowd, observing the bustling flow of people. Most of them were of mixed race; love might transcend race, but it couldn't bless their offspring—whether among elves, dwarves, or humans, mixed-race individuals were the most unwelcome. They were everything, and yet nothing at all.

Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts.

Angela looked at the crowd in front of her with a cold smile.

"I enjoy racism; it's the best means of inflicting death."

"In fact, we are all outcasts."

Li Lin carefully examined the shop signs in front of him, found his target, and then walked up the carved steps by the stone wall.

"The so-called race is nothing more than a group of people with similar cultures, characteristics, and ideas. But when it comes to each individual, their thoughts are different from others, because, from an individual's perspective, everyone else is a different race."

As he spoke, Li Lin pushed open a heavy wooden door. The torches, lit by pine resin, emitted no smoke and flickered with a bright light, illuminating everything before the customers. A strange smell wafted out, and various materials were arranged in an orderly fashion according to quality—or more importantly, price—waiting to be selected and fulfill their purpose.

"Welcome, esteemed guest."

A middle-aged man with a large belly poked his head out from behind the counter. His round face looked like a steamed bun with four slits, almost squashing his features together. His squinting eyes were full of enthusiasm, welcoming everyone he could see.

"Welcome to 'Old Pikachu's Hundred Thousand Thunderbolts'! I'm the manager, Pikachu. Here, money can solve anything. May I ask what you two need?"

I need some spell materials.

Li Lin, holding Angela's hand, slowly walked up to the businessman.

"And excellent weapons; I hope you can satisfy me."

"Of course, no problem, sir."

Staring at Angela beside him, even the seasoned, portly boss was momentarily stunned. He then turned his gaze to the young man with black hair and eyes before him, maintaining his enthusiastic smile. At the same time, he began to speculate about the relationship between the two. Siblings? Didn't seem like it. Father and daughter? The age difference seemed too great. Lovers? That seemed unlikely too...

"What kind of spellcasting materials do you need? We have top-quality fire serpent skin, perfect for casting fire magic. We also have some ice abalone crystals that we just received a few days ago; with them, you could even freeze an earth dragon, though I doubt it would work on a whelp..."

The portly businessman's words flew back and forth. Appropriate exaggeration and humility are good partners in business, especially for a businessman like him dealing in specialty goods. Who knows how many of his customers will actually know their products? If he were to exaggerate to the point of being outrageous, he'd lose face. Reputation is a store's intangible asset; once lost, it's hard to regain, and you can't rely on credit cards to overdraft...

"I want a withered leaf tree, two silver threads, and some dark grass."

Li Lin's words abruptly silenced the fat merchant's previously rambling speech, as if a floodgate had been closed. He looked at Li Lin with suspicion and uncertainty, a hint of fear flickering in his eyes.

"That's a material used in necromancy, sir."

"I know."

Li Lin nodded.

Do you have any in stock?

"Of course there are... but..."

The portly businessman hesitated for a moment.

"However, materials used in necromancy are prohibited from being sold."

"Problems that can be solved with money aren't problems."

Li Lin casually waved his hand, and in the next instant, two incomparably beautiful, high-quality gems appeared before the fat merchant's eyes, drawing the light from them.

"You said it, right?"

"Of course."

The portly merchant hesitated. While many goods were prohibited from sale, this was the most troublesome. Ideally, he would report the purchase of contraband to the guards after receiving payment, thus incurring no loss and even gaining profit. However, the goods being sold were necromancy materials, meaning the man before him might be a necromancer. If he angered him, the consequences could be dire. But...

"I understand, please wait a moment."

Finally, the fat merchant gritted his teeth, put away the gems and books on the table, and then turned and went into the small back door. After a while, he came out with difficulty carrying a pile of materials and placed them on the table. This kind of shady business was naturally best kept hidden from view. Fortunately, there were no customers in the shop at the moment, otherwise the fat merchant would not have done this.

"Look, please look! These are all top-quality items that have been treasured for many years. They were acquired by my great-great-grandfather through countless hardships..."

Having done manual labor for once, the portly merchant looked quite exhausted. Li Lin reached out and gently touched the dry wood and other materials before him to determine their quality. He had to admit, the portly merchant had a good business sense; at least the goods he brought out were of decent quality, worth the price Li Lin had paid.

"Furthermore, if you don't want the change, our store can also give you a small and beautiful pocket as a gift."

Of course, the characteristics of a businessman remain unchanged.

"No problem."

Although the merchant made a few hundred gold coins off him, Li Lin didn't mind. He did need a spatial bag, though magical weapons like the Eternal Library couldn't be stored there, but materials used for spellcasting and crafting were essential. Upon hearing Li Lin's answer, the fat merchant's face lit up. He hurriedly gathered his materials and headed deeper into the counter, intending to retrieve a spatial bag to store these "contraband" items, so they wouldn't be discovered.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.

Just as the fat merchant took out his spatial bag and hadn't even had a chance to return to the counter, the shop door was suddenly pushed open, and several half-elves dressed in leather armor walked in.

"We received a tip that people are buying and selling prohibited goods here."

Although the leading half-elf was speaking to the merchant, his eyes were fixed on Li Lin and the pile of magical materials beside him.

"Looks like we caught them red-handed?"

"This, this is a misunderstanding, sir."

The fat merchant hurriedly ran back to the counter, and before anyone could see him flip his hands, all the materials had vanished.

"You see, these materials have just been sitting in my warehouse for too long and accumulated some dust, so I decided to take them out to air them in the sun. It's absolutely a coincidence..."

"If you have anything to say, you can go to the council and say it to the members face to face."

The captain of the guard's harsh words silenced the fat merchant's explanation. It seemed that in this world, only those with the strongest fists had the right to speak. Then, he turned to Li Lin.

"As for you... I don't know who you are, but you've violated the laws here by buying contraband... Come with us! Don't think you're so great just because you've learned a few spells! If you dare to cause trouble in this city, you'll be the one who suffers."

I don't think so.

Li Lin unconsciously flexed his fingers; Angela, who should have been beside him, was nowhere to be found.

"However, out of respect, I'm willing to go with you to clear up the misunderstanding."