Chapter 171: So You Found It After All
A wise man adapts himself to circumstances, as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it.
Zane tried to do the same as well.
The Key of Oblivion on his hand looked like a ring and since it was different from other rings that could store things, anyone would think it was a normal black ring.
But since Zane had to pay for the weapons, he poured coins from his ring to the funnel of the Collector.
Seeing that, naturally, the shopkeeper was intrigued.
He asked about the ring and Zane tried his best to not fumble. He said that he made the ring this way.
At that, the bald man asked how he did it and before answering, Zane recalled what he had told Draxus and others about the ring and used the same consistent excuse that he had once made on the fly.
"I can mer—Modify anything!"
I almost said Merge.
Zane had said the same thing to Draxus and the shopkeeper simply nodded in appreciation.
"You are an artist then. I believe this was before a Flame ring, then you attached a black gem on it and painted it black. Am I right?"
Zane smiled.
His beating heart calmed down as he said:
"Yes. Your eyes are truly special."
He praised the man and the shopkeeper laughed out loud.
Before he could ask any other thing, Zane stopped pouring the coins.
"Check." He said.
The shopkeeper nodded and pressed the big white button on the Collector.
The small screen lit up and numbers came on it.
In two seconds, the result was out.
"Three hundred and one gold lumens. Perfect."
Everyone smiled.
They could finally leave.
But they didn’t know Zane yet.
"How is it perfect?" He asked.
The shopkeeper frowned.
"What?"
Hena’s eyes widened.
"No. Don’t. Don’t do it."
"I gave you one extra coin."
Hena smacked her head.
The bald man’s lips twitched.
"You are worried about one coin, sir?"
"Yes."
"Haha.. ha..."
The shopkeeper laughed.
A forced one.
"You really are a rigid rich man. Alright."
The man brought his hand inside the funnel and retrieved one coin.
He tossed it to Zane and the young man stored it inside his ring.
Hena stared daggers at him from behind but he would deal with that later.
"Draxus, take the weapons." He ordered.
Draxus first looked at Hena and only after she nodded, did he move towards the lying weapons.
Jammy and Xavier picked their weapons and Zane stored the two feather boxes inside his ring as well.
After that, Draxus’ ring sucked the remaining weapons and the floor of room number five was clean again.
The shopkeeper stood up and extended his hand towards Zane.
Zane did the same.
"Pleasure doing business with you." The man said.
Zane nodded. "Same."
They both shook hands.
"Let’s go." Jammy said.
Zane left the shopkeeper’s hand and turned around.
All of them left the room as they walked in the corridor again.
But as Zane came out, the door of room number three also opened.
That’s where Paulo is.
Zane remembered it and watched attentively.
But instead of Paulo, someone else came out of it.
Zane’s brows shot up as it was the same thief.
He is alive?
The others didn’t show that much of a reaction mostly because they hadn’t seen the thief’s face.
But Zane did.
He knew the gait.
He wore the same clothes as well.
And the spot where the shopkeeper threw the knife, a white cloth had been wrapped.
Was he being treated inside?
He couldn’t hold back and turned to the bald man.
"Why are you letting him go?"
"Who?"
"The thief." Zane pointed at the wobbling man.
"Oh. Well, he learned his lesson."
"What did you do?"
The shopkeeper smiled.
But not with his eyes.
"I can’t tell you that."
Zane gritted his teeth.
But turned calm the next second.
"Sure. Keep your secrets. I would have killed him though."
"To each their own, as they say."
Zane nodded and walked ahead.
The shopkeeper was at the back of the group.
Zane increased his pace, walked with long strides.
The thief had already left the dark corridor and Zane wanted to catch him before he could go far.
Very soon, all of them came to the main shop and Zane saw the man leaving.
Zane wasted no time and walked as well.
But he showed no haste on his face.
He turned around, gave a slight bow to the bald man and with a smile, went towards the exit.
The others followed him as usual.
He opened the door and stepped outside.
He looked for the thief and the man was resting on the side of the road.
I can take it easy then.
Zane waited for the others to come out of the shop.
Hena, Draxus, Xavier.
One person was missing.
It was Jammy.
Zane looked towards the shop and found the janitor.
He was busy swinging the door of the shop back and forth.
He was still inside the shop, opening and closing the door.
Zane gestured for him to come out and since it was a glass door, the janitor saw it and finally came out.
"What was all that?" Zane asked.
Jammy rotated his wrist.
"He should use your money to buy a new bell."
"Why?" Zane asked.
Jammy waved his hand.
"It’s just that it only rings when someone enters. It didn’t ring when we left."
Zane nodded.
"Probably because it’s old-wait a second?"
Zane remembered something again.
Jammy’s words made him realize something.
"What?" Jammy asked.
Zane didn’t reply and went inside the shop again.
But before going, he told them:
"Stay here and keep an eye on that resting man over there."
With that order, he entered the shop once more.
The shopkeeper frowned and before he could ask anything.
"Don’t throw your knife. I am checking something." Zane spoke and grabbed the first thing he saw.
It was a metal nail.
He clenched it in his hand and opened the door.
And this time...
TING!
The bell rang.
Zane smiled.
But it wasn’t enough.
He would try it again.
This time, he stored the nail inside his ring and again opened the door.
TING!
The bell rang once more.
He did the same thing a few more times and when he was satisfied, he turned to the shopkeeper, smiling.
The bald man returned the smile and shrugged.
"So you found it after all."
Zane returned the nail.
"Yes. Now I know why no thieves ever won against you."
