Alex entered a luxury room escorted by a female and saw Morgan Gold, a middle-aged man with a commanding presence, seated on a throne-like chair, looking toward him with his sharp cold eyes.
"Greetings, Thunder Knight Aeon, The Man, who has become a Myth among the common peoples with the tales of his achievements and has gained popularity and respect among even the higher echelons of the society,"
"I would like to know how much of what I have heard is true, but for Now, let's discuss the proposal you have for me?" Morgan inquired, his tone polite but businesslike.
"Sir Morgan, Thank you for your kind words, and as for the tales you've heard, most of them might be exaggerated, but the core of the stories holds some truth," Alex said with a nod as he took his seat.
"Sir Morgan, I believe this spear should be a worthy addition to your great collection of unique Artifacts," Alex said, placing the unique crimson spear on the desk.
"A Legendary spear, A fine treasure that I would love to add to my collection, but what do you want in exchange for it," Morgan leaned back in his chair, a faint hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"I am looking for a magic grimoire, and I have heard that you have some of the finest grimoires in your collection, so I want to make a trade that will be beneficial to both of us," Alex said, carefully observing Morgan's reaction, looking for any signs of genuine interest or intrigue.
Alex had no clue where Morgan had kept the Ethereal Compendium, and asking him directly was not an option, so the only option he had to find the grimoire was by checking Morgan's famed collection of unique items.
Morgan stroked his chin thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving the crimson spear that lay on his desk.
"I possess a considerable collection of grimoires, each of the finest quality, and I am willing to make a trade if it benefits me," Morgan said as he stood up and walked next to Alex.
"Stand next to me," Morgan said, and Alex did as he was told, and after a few seconds of silence, a magic circle appeared on the ground.
The Magic circle shined with intense light before Alex experienced momentary blindness, and the next thing he knew, he with Morgan appeared before a massive gate on a wall inside a dimly lit underground room.
Morgan opened the entry portal of the Space Treasure, which had internal space stretching for hundreds of meters filled with hundreds of treasures, each of high quality, categorized into various neatly organized sections.
Morgan led the way, and a moment later, he and Alex stood before sixty-eight small crystal platforms floating midair, with each platform having a unique book placed on it.
Alex started to examine every available magic grimoire while hoping for the Ethereal Compendium to be present, and he was disappointed and was able to quickly locate it.
"I like three grimoires, namely the Aurelian Arcanum, Eldritch Tome of Lumina, and Ethereal Compendium," Alex said, standing amidst the floating grimoires.
After hearing the names of the three magic grimoires, Alex watched Morgan's expression change, his brows furrowed, and a stern look crossed his face.
"Aeon, I appreciate your proposal, but the Ethereal Compendium is not for sale because it is a reminder of a late and great ancestor, and I simply cannot part with it for any price," Morgan said, his voice tinged with a touch of annoyance.
Alex's heart sank knowing the easy route to acquire the grimoire was gone, and now he needed to steal it, which was a problem as the heist could go very badly.
"Mr. Morgan, I understand, and I apologize for any inconvenience," Alex replied, keeping his composure.
"Thank you for your understanding, but I can trade any of the other two grimoires to you in exchange for the spear you are offering," Morgan said, his expression softening slightly.
"I will take the Eldritch Tome of Lumina," Alex said with a smile as he walked toward Morgan.
Morgan smiled and walked toward the grimoire Alex wanted, placing his hand on the invisible barrier around the floating platform.
'Temporal Beacon' Alex placed his hand on the hilt of his sword strapped to his waist and instantly used the recently unlocked time skill.
'Now I can come here any time I want, but I need to find a way to disable these protective barriers without altering Morgan or anyone else,' Alex thought, hearing the system notification of the successful space / Time marker placement.
Alex could so openly use the 'Temporal Beacon' skill because even though it created some disturbance to space, it was hardly sensible by even his two guardians, so getting caught by Morgan or his guards hiding in the shadows was next to impossible.
"You have my gratitude for giving me your precious time and this opportunity," Alex said as he accepted the grimoire and gave Morgan the spear completing the trade.
Morgan led the way, now being a bit more talkative than before, and before Alex took his leave, he received the personal communication slip from the head Manager to contact him if he wanted to do any business with Aureate Merchect Group.
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'I will focus on leveling up and acquiring the Mystium Ore in the next seven days while also trying to find a solution to get through those protective barriers in the vault,'
'I will then steal the grimoire and possibly more, depending on the situation,' Alex thought as he made his way toward the teleportation building.
After a few minutes, Alex reached the Silverridge, planning to hunt the rare and annoying poisonous Newts, a creature found deep in the mines of Sylvanite Ore.
The poisonous Newts were giant lizards who had control over extremely potent poison for their strength, but it was their extremely high defense and fast mobility that made them truly annoying creatures to hunt.
The poisonous Newt's creature's primary food source was various types of magical ores which also helped them create an extremely thin yet durable skin that could deflect most melee attacks and was resistant against the majority of the elements.
Alex was going to hunt such annoying creatures because they naturally created a one-of-a-kind material inside their stomachs that, once refined from impurities, would become the main material needed to synthesize the legendary Mystium Ore.
Alex left the city, and After half an hour of sprinting, he reached his destination, the biggest Sylvanite Ore mine filled with poisonous Newts of third and fourth Rank and other creatures of smilier strength.
Alex entered the mine and started sprinting, ignoring players and monsters alike as his goal was to reach the deep areas of the mine where natural or even artificial light didn't reach.
As Alex delved deeper into the mines, the surroundings changed drastically, and the bustling settings of the starting area were replaced by dark, damp tunnels lined with glittering veins of Sylvanite Ore.
The air carried a metallic scent, and the distant sounds of mining echoed through the passages even though there was no miner in hundreds of meters around him.
Alex ventured further into the depths, stretching his enhanced Mana sense to hundreds of feet, trying to find the poisonous Newts' presence or locate their lair.
Their presence was indicated by the faint traces of corrosive poison left on the walls and ground, and despite their defensive capabilities, the Newts were known for their tendency to gather in groups, making them formidable foes if not cautiously approached.
As Alex moved through the winding tunnels, he encountered a few groups of players, each carrying their weapon of choice, some intending to hunt poisonous Newts for their preioues material while some miners coming deep to mine Sylvanite Ore accompanied by magical beasts used for assistance and protection.
The mining community in Silverridge was diverse, consisting of adventurers, mercenaries, and skilled laborers seeking valuable ores and rare materials.
Alex kept going deeper and soon found himself in a spacious cavern where a group of poisonous Newts lazily lounged near a pool of muddied poison water, their shimmering, toxin-covered scales glinting in the dim light.
Alex formulated a strategy to deal with the Newts effectively and decided to take them on one at a time, utilizing his lightning-fast strikes to target their weak spots and exploit any openings from targeting their less protected eyes and the back of their necks.
As Alex initiated his attack, the cavern echoed with the clash of swords against the diamond-like tough skins of the giant lizards and the sizzle of corrosive venom meeting solid rock.
The strongest in the group was their leader at the peak, third Rank, covered in glittery red and blue stary skin with the defense to handle Alex's sword slashes, but every other lizard was chopped into pieces within seconds.
Alex moved like a phantom in the pitch darkness, slicing through them without any difficulty, and after seeing the slaughter, the group leader roared, calling for reinforcements, and within moments, tens of Newts of varying strength converged on his location.
Alex continued to face the onslaught, adapting his tactics to handle the increased numbers of foes, and even though the constantly increasing number affected his ability to maneuver in the small space.
Alex took his situation as an opportunity as he used no skills aiming to test his newfound improvements.
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