Via removed her mask.
Goren’s eyes widened as he stared at the black-robed mysterious person, quite looking forward to the other’s true appearance.
However, after seeing what was beneath Via’s mask, he couldn’t help but curse out loud.
“Are you messing with me?!”
“Hehe.”
Via smiled faintly.
Because what Goren saw was not her face, but another mask.
That’s right, before entering the underground black market, Via had already put on two masks; removing one didn’t matter.
“Don’t be angry, Boss Goren. Wearing two masks just shows that I don’t want to reveal my true appearance in front of others. Besides, in underground black market transactions, the goods and the money are what matter most, right? The identity of the trader is completely irrelevant.”
“Hmph…”
Goren appeared extremely dissatisfied.
Via’s words were indeed correct; the underground black market wasn’t like a normal market with all sorts of taboos—transactions didn’t require verifying the buyer’s or seller’s identity.
“Whether to trade or not has nothing to do with identity; it all depends on the willingness of the buyer and seller. Right now, I’m unhappy with you and don’t want to do business. Get out!”
“Boss Goren, is this how you treat your guests?”
“Exactly, I just don’t want to give you a good face.”
Goren slammed the tabletop. It was like a command—the magical puppet’s eyes flashed with dangerous light as it took a step closer to Via.
“If you keep lingering here, bear the consequences yourself!”
“…Fine.”
Via sighed. She intended to leave, stepping away from the shop one step at a time.
However, just before crossing the threshold, she turned back to glance at Goren.
“What?” Goren asked irritably.
“It’s really a pity about that Moon Shadow Stone.”
“What?”
Goren froze for a moment, then shouted, “Wait, don’t go!!”
Via ignored him and vanished from his sight.
“This…?”
Goren’s cheeks twitched.
He lowered his head and glanced at the magical stone on the tabletop.
This magical stone was called the Moon Shadow Stone. He hadn’t expected that someone would actually recognize it.
After thinking for a moment, he vaulted over the counter, tucked the Moon Shadow Stone into his arms, and ran out to catch up with Via.
“Hey, how did you know this is a Moon Shadow Stone?”
“…”
Via didn’t respond and just kept walking.
“You were guessing, right? In this world, not many people know about Moon Shadow Stones. I only found out it was called that after consulting a magical stone appraisal master not long ago.” Sweat beaded on Goren’s forehead from anxiety.
“…”
“Stop ignoring me—answer my question!!”
Goren lost his temper and used the magical puppet to forcefully block Via’s path.
“Boss Goren, is this how you ask someone for advice?” Via glanced at him. “That’s far too rude, isn’t it?”
“…Sorry.”
Those three words were practically squeezed out through Goren’s teeth. He signaled the magical puppet to step aside and lowered his head.
A few months ago, he had acquired a mysterious magical stone from an adventurer. Only after a master appraiser examined it did he learn it was the legendary Moon Shadow Stone.
It was said that the legendary weapon, Moon Shadow Blade, was forged from Moon Shadow Stone.
Upon learning this, he had been ecstatic.
Though the Moon Shadow Stone he possessed wasn’t much, it was still material capable of crafting a legendary weapon. Making a transcendent weapon would be no problem at all—he could definitely make a fortune.
But the issue was that the master only knew it was Moon Shadow Stone; he didn’t know how to activate the hidden Moon Shadow power within.
Without activating the Moon Shadow power, a Moon Shadow Stone was little different from an ordinary magical stone. Even if used to craft a weapon, it would be utterly mediocre.
Yet Moon Shadow Stones were extremely precious, so he didn’t dare experiment recklessly.
This had troubled him greatly.
Today, he had encountered someone who could identify the Moon Shadow Stone at a glance—and then there was that remark, “It’s really a pity about that Moon Shadow Stone.” How could he not care?
“I apologize for my earlier rudeness, honored guest. If possible, I hope you can return to my shop so we may talk.”
“Fine.”
Seeing that he had switched to honorifics, Via reluctantly agreed.
…
“Guest, please.”
Goren pushed a freshly brewed cup of tea toward Via.
“Guest, could you tell me about the Moon Shadow Stone intelligence?”
“I want something.”
Via said without touching the tea.
How am I supposed to drink tea while wearing a mask!
“I want to know exactly what intelligence you possess?” Goren interlocked his fingers.
“I can guarantee that you will obtain the method to activate the Moon Shadow Stone. In this world, very few people know about Moon Shadow Stones.”
Via wasn’t lying to Goren—she truly knew how to activate it. In her previous life as the Demon King, during social gatherings, she had indeed seen someone forge a weapon using Moon Shadow Stone.
“…Alright!”
Goren gritted his teeth and agreed.
He went to the storeroom and, after a long while, returned with a magically sealed safe.
After entering the password, the safe opened, revealing a dark purple magical core inside.
This was exactly what Via needed.
“Guest, this should be what you want, right? A magical core infected by abyssal aura… and this one is from a Silver-rank magical beast,” Goren said seriously. “I don’t need to explain how dangerous this is. Materials from magical beasts infected by abyssal aura are strictly forbidden from circulating on the market—especially a core.”
“Mm.”
“Forgive me for asking, but what do you need this core for?”
“To make a mana bomb.”
“A mana bomb?”
Goren wasn’t too suspicious. Cores infected by abyssal aura were extremely prone to going out of control and hard to utilize. That instability did indeed make them suitable for mana bombs—their power could serve as a life-saving trump card, instantly releasing a magical impact far exceeding one’s own strength.
“What do you plan to trade with?”
“These coins, plus the activation intelligence for the Moon Shadow Stone.”
Via took out a bag of silver coins—this was already all her remaining savings.
“Hmm…”
Goren hesitated.
The money was far too little. At market price, it couldn’t possibly buy a Silver-rank infected core.
Selling at this price would be no different from charity.
He had spent quite a bit to acquire it himself.
“Boss Goren, let me remind you—intelligence is priceless. Even with money, you might not be able to buy it,” Via said confidently. “If you can forge a weapon from the Moon Shadow Stone, you’ll earn far more. Why care about this small amount?”
“…Fine, deal!”