I stared at the vendor for a few moments, watching his expression shift from disdain to genuine interest. Without taking my eyes off him, I raised my arm forward, extending my hand in a firm gesture.
"Tyler," I said with a slight smile.
He blinked a few times, as if reorganizing his thoughts, then accepted my greeting, shaking my hand with a strong grip.
"Victor," he responded, his eyes still analyzing the device on the counter.
As soon as we released the handshake, Victor picked up the instant healing device and twirled it between his fingers, evaluating its structure with a sharp gaze. He smiled, clearly impressed.
"Nice work," he admitted. "I can offer you... eight magic crystals per unit."
I raised an eyebrow and leaned slightly against the counter, crossing my arms. "Eight crystals? No." I shook my head and kept my voice firm. "I’m a student of Miguel."
As soon as I mentioned the professor’s name, Victor frowned. His eyes narrowed slightly, and then, as if something had clicked in his mind, he gave a slow smile.
"Wait," he said, leaning slightly forward. "Were you the one who bought a lab a while ago?"
I nodded. "Yes. Why do you ask?"
Victor chuckled softly and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I buy products from various alchemists," he explained. "And some of them talked about it. An engineering lab being acquired caught the attention of a small group of alchemists, one of whom was part of that group. The information just spread, you know how it is."
I made a small sound of understanding and nodded. Of course, in a place like this, any news among magic practitioners and engineers quickly became a topic in the right circles.
After a moment, I looked directly at him and said with a confident smile, "I may not be as talented as Mateo, but at least I can produce some of these healing devices. Do you want to buy them?"
Victor crossed his arms, analyzing the healing capsule in his hands again before finally nodding.
"Yes, I’m interested," he said, placing the device back on the counter. "But my offer remains the same: eight magic crystals per unit."
I let out a short laugh and shook my head, placing my hands on the counter.
"Come on, Victor. You and I both know this is worth more than eight crystals." I paused dramatically before continuing. "Fifteen crystals, and we have a deal."
Victor narrowed his eyes and huffed, uncrossing his arms and leaning slightly forward.
"Fifteen? That’s unrealistic," he said, gesturing with his hand. "I need to resell this and still make a profit. If I pay fifteen, I’ll have to sell at an absurd price, and no one will want to buy."
He sighed, thoughtful, then looked at me again. "I can increase the offer a little. Nine magic crystals."
I smiled and leaned back, shaking my head slowly.
"Victor, Victor..." I spoke in an almost playful tone. "Do you think I’m a fool? This device is a superior piece of magical engineering compared to common health recovery potions and has great value. Nine crystals don’t even come close."
I raised a finger, emphasizing my point. "Thirteen crystals. And consider that a discount because I could get more from other buyers."
Victor groaned and massaged his temples. "You don’t make things easy, do you?"
He sighed and then tapped the counter. "Alright, I can go up to ten crystals. But that’s my limit."
I made a thoughtful expression, as if considering it, but deep down, I knew I could push him a little further.
"Ten is an insult," I said, shaking my head. "I could simply walk out of here right now and find another buyer in the trade district. Someone who recognizes the true value of this."
Victor gritted his teeth and stared at me, clearly weighing his options. I could see the hesitation in his eyes.
"Eleven crystals," he offered, his voice a bit more tense.
"Almost there," I replied, smiling. "Twelve crystals, and I promise to supply more of these. How about it? A good deal for both of us."
Victor exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them with a bitter smile.
"You’re good at this, kid." He extended his hand. "Deal. Twelve crystals per unit."
I shook his hand firmly, satisfied. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Victor."
He chuckled softly. "I should have charged an entrance fee just for you stepping into my shop."
Victor slid the twelve magic crystals across the counter, and I quickly picked them up, feeling their satisfying weight in my hands. But instead of handing over just one or two devices, I began pulling more vials from my bag, one by one.
Two… three… four… seven in total.
I watched as Victor’s face lost all color. His jaw dropped slightly, and he gripped the counter as if his legs had suddenly gone weak.
"By all the demons of the abyss…" he muttered, eyes wide. "You have seven of these?! And here I thought I’d be making a profit with just one!"
I let out a short laugh. "Surprise."
Victor ran a hand across his forehead, exhaling heavily before breaking into an impressed grin. "Tyler, my friend, you truly are blessed with an engineering talent. This is insane!"
He picked up one of the devices, twirling it between his fingers as if he was still processing what had just happened. Then, suddenly, his eyes gleamed with a new idea.
"Listen, since you can create these devices…" He leaned over the counter and whispered, "If you can get me a concentrated energy bomb from Mateo, I’ll pay a good price."
I raised an eyebrow, but he continued.
"But if you bring me one made by Miguel…" He paused dramatically, pointing a finger at me. "Not only will I pay you a good price, but I’ll do everything I can to get you whatever you desire. Anything!"
I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly before slapping my palm on the counter, the sharp sound echoing through the shop.
"Victor, come back to reality, man," I said, mocking him. "Stop daydreaming. These vials are the only thing you’re getting from me."
Victor sighed, defeated, but soon let out a laugh. "Hey, don’t blame me for trying!"
He picked up the seven devices and started making quick calculations. After a few seconds, he opened a small chest behind the counter and pulled out a handful of magic crystals, placing them on the table.
"Seven devices at twelve crystals each… here are your eighty-four magic crystals, plus the twelve I already gave you."
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My eyes gleamed as I saw the pile of crystals before me. I carefully gathered them, feeling their weight. This was, without a doubt, one of the best deals I had ever made.
"A pleasure doing business with you, Victor," I said, storing the crystals.
"The pleasure is all mine, engineer," he replied, smirking. "And if you ever change your mind about that bomb… you know where to find me."
With a casual wave, I began to leave the shop, satisfied with my sale. But then, something caught my attention and made me stop abruptly.
On one of the shelves filled with items, a large book with thick leather binding stood out. The golden title gleamed under the ambient light: Automaton Golem Creation Manual.
My heart pounded. My eyes locked onto that ancient tome as if it had been made just for me.
Behind the counter, Victor let out a low chuckle. "Ah, so you noticed."
I took a deep breath, composing myself, and walked back to the counter, pointing at the book.
"That wasn’t there when I walked in," I said suspiciously.
Victor shrugged, a smug smile on his lips. "My shop is somewhat… magical. Besides buying items, I obviously sell them too. And well, I figured you might be interested in this engineering manual."
Inside, I was practically on fire. The possibility of learning about Automaton Golems was a huge leap in magical engineering! But I kept my expression calm and collected, suppressing my burning desire.
"How much?" I asked casually.
Victor laughed again, shaking his head. "Ah, Tyler, Tyler… A book like this? Rare, advanced, and extremely useful for a promising engineer like you?" He made a dramatic gesture. "Seven hundred magic crystals."
I nearly burst into laughter.
"You’ve got to be kidding me." I crossed my arms, staring at him. "Victor, I’m still a level one acolyte. I need to advance before I can even try to study this manual properly. Besides, the reagents for this are already expensive on their own! You think I’m going to spend that much right now?"
Victor sighed and scratched his chin. "Alright, alright. How much are you offering?"
"Three hundred and fifty crystals," I answered without hesitation.
He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "You’re trying to rob me, Tyler."
"The difference between us is that I’m an engineer. I know exactly the cost of the parts and materials for any project in this manual. You can slap an exorbitant price on it, but in the end, this is just knowledge without real application to anyone outside my field. Three hundred and fifty is a fair price."
Victor was silent for a moment, then sighed and nodded.
"Alright. Three hundred and fifty crystals. But do you have that amount right now?"
I smiled. There was no way I could reveal absurd amounts of crystals just like that. Maybe I was being paranoid, but I felt that if I started flaunting large sums, my life would be in danger—even inside the tower. So I lied.
"I promise to pay you, but I don’t have that amount on hand at the moment. As soon as I advance to level two, I’ll come back to buy it."
Victor immediately frowned. "So you want me to hold the book without payment? What if someone else wants to buy it?"
"Simple, you tell them it’s already sold," I countered.
He tapped his fingers on the counter, thoughtful, before narrowing his eyes at me. "In that case, the price goes up to four hundred crystals."
My expression hardened. "Victor, that price is already approaching the cost of an entire lab."
He shrugged. "Welcome to the world of merchants."
I sighed heavily, knowing I was entering dangerous territory. But one thing was certain—I needed that book.
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