When Raven heard Dinas' words his whole body tensed up before he relaxed again. However, from the way how his fingers were clenched into tight fists, it was pretty much obvious that he was far from being calm.
Every Realm Gate was a bridge, a portal into another world where everything they encountered was real beings?
That faceless creature he ran away from, the enormous snakes he has just killed, and the rest of the beasts other humans encountered... Those were not just a part of a sort of simulation nor an illusion, but were actual living beings?
Although Raven somewhat expected this to be the truth, it was hard to accept it when a 'deity' confirmed his beliefs.
After all, believing in something or at least having a rough guess about it and getting told the truth by a higher existence were two completely different things.
"But wait... If this is indeed the truth, how come it is just a one-way tunnel where we cannot go to the other world but they can travel to ours? It just makes no sense." Raven asked once he thought about it a little.
"Who said you can't travel there?" Dinas' voice resounded with a hint of glee in the air.
"But, how?" Raven frowned with puzzlement, "If one touches the gate they will be teleported away to complete a Realm Game, which if they succeed, will cause the Realm Gate to open and form its Realm Domain."
"Once the Realm Domain had been formed the Realm Gate will vanish. There is just no way for us to travel between worlds."
"And this is where you are wrong." Dinas suddenly spoke, his voice sounding both serious and playful, "Just what do you think Realm Cores are?"
"Huh? What do mean by..." Raven raised a brow when suddenly his eyes widened.
"Exactly what you think! Realm Cores are, in fact, fractions of Realm Gates. However, if you wish to use them, you first need to make them whole again."
"Which can only be achieved if we clear the Domains and let them Evolve from time to time," Raven mumbled.
"Exactly! Haha, you are quick to catch up. I start to like you more and more!" Dinas laughed with joy while the sound of someone slapping their thighs resounded in the backrooms.
Raven stood motionlessly and after he waited for Dinas to calm down he placed the mirror in his hand slowly back onto the table, and asked, "But why are you telling me all this? Is there a reason or do you simply wish something from me?"
Dinas fell silent before another wave of his ringing laughter reverberated in the room.
"Little bird, not all kindness in the world is done to get something back in exchange. Someone just likes to help others because of pure boredom or because they feel like it."
Then, after laughing softly for another time Dinas added, "But if I have to give you a reason, it is because you have earned to know this information. You deserve it."
'Little bird?' Raven felt particularly strange when he heard Dinas calling him like that before he decided to ignore it.
"I see." with just that and nothing else, Raven kept looking at the items.
However, as there were tens if not hundreds of thousands of items in the backroom, he asked Dinas to make everything below 4,000 and above 7,000 Astral Cores vanish.
After that, he started to inspect each and every item.
There were weapons allowing him to have a limited amount of manipulation over elements such as the air or fire, shields that could protect him even from sniper bullets, and other accessories that granted him a small number of supernatural abilities.
There were all kinds of unique items that Raven didn't doubt people would die for to acquire.
After walking around for almost an hour, Raven stopped before an open crate that had only a single item within.
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[Relic: Crystal Bell]
Grade: Legendary
Form: Completed
Description: An archaic bell made by a skilled craftsperson and from the crystal essence of an ancient spirit. Rumors say if the bell was rung in the need of protection, the ancient spirit will emerge.
<Cooldown: 24 hours once the ancient spirit was either killed or vanished.>
° Price: 4,500 Astral Cores
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"Crystal Bell?" Raven mumbled as he took the small, somewhat bluish and silverish bell into his hands, feeling the cold and smooth surface of it against his skin.
The bell was small, about the size of an average human fist while it had a ring-shaped handle attached to its top, just like those old lanterns.
"The Crystal Bell. I can remember the day when a young man walked into my shop and handed me this piece of artwork." Dinas explained calmly, his voice giving one a feeling he was currently thinking back.
"I have even tried to use it once, but just as its description states it can only be used if the holder of it is in danger. The ancient spirit will only protect not attack."
"This will be perfect for her," Raven mumbled and without hesitation spent over four thousand Astral Cores to buy it, leaving him with only 2,503 Astral Cores.
"Oh, so you are buying it for someone else, huh? Is she perhaps your girlfriend?" Dinas asked with a slightly teasing voice to which Raven rolled his eyes.
"She is my little sister."
"Oh? I didn't know you had a sibling." Dinas exclaimed with surprise.
"Well, she is not my real sibling, but I am looking at her like a real brother would look at his real little sister."
"I can see just from the way you are talking about her that you are cherishing her a lot."
Raven smiled and as he put the bell into his pocket he nodded, "We are pretty close to each other."
After saying that, Raven asked Dinas to make all items below 1,500 Astral Cores appear while making anything above that price vanish.
Now that he had bought Luna her item as he promised, it was time for him to look for something for himself.
And soon enough, he found something rather interesting.
-------------------------
[Weapon: Serpent Poison Blade]
Rarity: Rare
Description: A unique shortsword crafted out of Poison Steel and modified by a Symbol Carver, granting it special traits that only a few short swords possess.
~~~
[Special Traits]
- Serpent's Toxin: A highly toxic poison that can either kill, paralyze, or weaken your enemies depending on their Constitution after injuring them!
- Poison Enhancement: In exchange for Mystique, the effect of the Serpent's Toxin can be enhanced temporarily!
- Passive Blessing: While wielding the Serpent Poison Blade inside Realms, your Constitution and Strength gets increased by 10! If used outside, you gain minor poison immunity!
~~~
° Price: 2,450 Astra Cores
--------------
The blade before Raven was a shortsword with a size of about 15 inches. Its blade was wavy and had a deep green cluster, giving one a rather dangerous aura when looking at it. Furthermore, its handle was deep black with its pommel having the shape of a hissing snake.
"That blade is truly a masterpiece, one that can either save or take lives with ease, depending on the person wielding it," Dinas explained to which Raven nodded with agreement.
After all, this blade was truly a frightening weapon, one which depending on the hand it falls into could either save or claim lives!
"I will buy it," Raven mumbled and without hesitation spend the rest of his health on the shortsword, leaving him with only 53 Astral Cores in total which he quickly spend on two Avatar Flasks, one raising his Dexterity by 4 points while the other boosting his Mystique by 3.
Of course, once he leaves the Backrooms he will enhance them, so instead of 4 and 3 points, they will grant him 8 and 9!
"And it seems all of my wealth had been spent..." Raven sighed with a hint of bitterness, but when he saw the four items in his possession his mood seemed to elevate a little at least.
"It's always great to do business with you." Dinas laughed softly to which Raven just smiled and after saying his goodbye teleported himself back to the Realm Domain.
Whoosh!
"You are back!" upon seeing Raven's finally emerging figure, Luna, who all this time sat on a chair with a hint of boredom, jumped up onto her feet and appears before her brother with eyes holding nothing but anticipation.
Raven smiled, knowing she was excited to see what he bought for her, thus without any hesitancy pulled the beautiful crystal bell out of his pocket and handed it over to her.
At first, Luna was confused, however, when she grabbed the bell in her hands and saw its description, her pretty eyes widened from shock and her small cherry lips parted slightly.
Then, a few seconds later, without saying anything else she hugged Raven tightly before taking a step back and showing a delighted smile.
"You are truly the best! Thank you!"
"Just the best for you." Raven smiled, feeling rather satisfied after seeing his little sister's genuine happiness.
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