Keeping my promise in mind, I made my way toward a certain skill bookstore in District D.
I had to admit, compared to the rough-and-tumble atmosphere of District F and the utilitarian streets of District E, District D felt markedly more refined. This was the district where people who had survived long enough—and grown strong enough—began investing in their future rather than merely scrambling to survive.
It didn’t take long before the familiar storefront came into view. The symbol of an open book carved into the sign was unchanged. This was the place—the fox therianthrope’s den of honeyed words.
I pushed the door open, and the bell chimed crisply.
“Oh? My, my! If it isn’t my favorite returning customer.”
What favorite returning customer? Everyone who comes here is your favorite customer…
The fox therianthrope looked up from behind the counter, amber eyes immediately locking onto me. Her fluffy tail swayed lazily behind her, clearly signaling her good mood—or perhaps her anticipation of ripping me off.
“Mira,” I greeted calmly. “I’m here to keep my promise.”
Her ears twitched. “Straight to business, are we? I was wondering when you’d come back. You don’t strike me as the type to forget a deal.”
“I don’t,” I replied, stepping closer to the counter. “And I’ve acquired something you might be interested in.”
“Oh?” That immediately caught her attention, causing her posture to straighten. “Now you have my full attention.”
I didn’t take anything out just yet. Instead, I met her gaze steadily and asked, “Before that, I want to confirm something. You said you were willing to buy materials from a strong Daleth-rank monster. That still stands, right?”
Mira let out a soft chuckle. “Of course. A merchant’s word is her bond—especially when profit is involved.” She leaned forward slightly, eyes glinting. “Judging by your confidence, I’m guessing you didn’t come back empty-handed. And whatever you brought is high quality.”
I smiled. “Let’s just say I think we’re both going to be very satisfied with this transaction.”
Mira’s eyes sparkled. “Ohoho, now that is quite the buildup!” She clasped her hands together. “So? What shiny little deal are you bringing to poor, honest me?”
“Before we get to that,” I said evenly, “there’s something I want from you.”
“Eh? A request first? My, you’re getting bolder every visit. Requests are very expensive, you know?”
“Yeah. Anyway, I’m looking for a skill. One that can conceal or distort my status screen. At least unique grade—preferably higher.”
“Oho? Hiding from the status screen itself? Heehee… You don’t aim small, do you?” She snickered at me. “I wonder if Fantasia would have something like that. This request has got to be a little pricey, mind you.”
She wasn’t exaggerating by much. A skill like that would be extremely difficult to find, and each one would cost noticeably more than other skills of the same rank. Still, Grant Plausibility alone wouldn’t be enough in the upcoming Battle of Divine Will—not when divine beings and gods other than Istellia would be watching. I needed a second layer of protection.
“So, can the great merchant Mira find it?”
“Can I find it?” She scoffed, puffing out her chest. “You’re underestimating me far too much! Of course I can. Did you already forget the skill Echo Construct I found for you?” She planted her hands on her hips, looking immensely pleased with herself.
Then she reached beneath the counter and produced a thick ledger bound in faded blue leather—the same book she had once claimed recorded all skill books currently circulating in Fantasia… or at least all the ones worth knowing about.
She flipped through it rapidly. “Hmm… Not this one… This one’s useless. That one’s misleading… Aha!” Her grin widened as she tapped the page triumphantly. “I think this fits your request to a tee.” She turned the ledger toward me.
The skill she showed me was called Veil of False Providence, and it was an epic-rank skill. More specifically, it was a concealment ability that distorted fate recognition and status peering directed at the user. Moreover, it could actively mask the true details of the user’s status screen, replacing sensitive information with false or incomplete data.
Mira’s tail swayed smugly. “Isn’t it lovely? It doesn’t simply block your status screen from being seen, but instead misleads anyone peeking at it. Even gods will see only what the skill allows them to see.”
I narrowed my eyes slightly. “This is exactly what I was looking for. But knowing you, you’ll jack up the price to an absurd degree.”
“Oh, what a cruel accusation!” Mira pressed a hand to her chest, eyes widening as if she’d been gravely wronged. “Jack up the price? Me? I’m just a humble, honest merchant trying to make a living!”
If you’re a humble and honest merchant, then everyone else is an angel… I thought in dismay.
“But a skill like this is rare, you see!” she continued dramatically. “And I’d have to acquire it by calling in favors from all sorts of dangerous people. If I sold it cheaply, I wouldn’t just lose money—I might lose my fluffy little life!” Then she leaned closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Still… since you’re offering Daleth-rank materials, we might be able to reach a very friendly agreement, depending on what you prepare on your side of the table.”
I chuckled. This style of negotiation was typical of her. Without further ado, I took out a single scale from the three-headed serpent I had slain and placed it on the counter.
“Whoa, this!” She froze mid-sentence, eyes widening as she snatched it up to examine. “This is genuine Daleth-rank boss monster material and very high in quality!”
“I have the entire body of the creature,” I said calmly. “I can’t sell you all of it, since I’ll need some for crafting equipment, but it’s more than large enough to be shared between the two of us.”
“How large are we talking?”
“Your entire store might not be big enough to accommodate it.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “My hunch about you was right. You’re no ordinary divine warrior.”
As for the price of the skill book, I managed to haggle it down from an absurd seventy thousand soul coins to thirty-five thousand. It was still outrageously expensive, but after selling the three-headed serpent’s carcass, I only needed to cover around seventeen thousand soul coins. She also offered to take my other loot, so I dumped nearly everything I didn’t need.
It turned out that, despite being the owner of a skill bookstore, she had extensive connections with other vendors. That made things convenient; I could offload all my excess loot through her in one go. In the end, after she rounded the total down, I only had to pay ten thousand soul coins. All things considered, it was a very manageable expense.
Soul Coins: 30,190→ 20,190
As I handed her the soul coins, Mira burst into laughter. “Heeheehee. You really do know how to make a fox’s heart flutter!” She hugged the money pouch while wiping an imaginary tear from her eye. “Alright, alright. Come back in two days. I’ll have the skill book ready by then!”
“Great. Thank you.”
“Ohoho! What a delightful customer,” she hummed.
You have cleared Character Quest: [Mira’s Request].
You have earned Mira’s trust.
She will be more likely to offer you “better” deals than her other customers.
Yeah. I definitely came to the right fox.
Afterward, I left her store and headed toward the Rift Square. I planned to do some scouting in the Haunted Labyrinth—the dungeon where the next fragment of the divine weapon was said to be located.
Within a few minutes, I arrived before the Rift of Dungeons, and a System message materialized in front of me.
Please select the dungeon that you want to enter:
…
Haunted Labyrinth
A vast, ever-shifting maze hidden in a pocket dimension beyond Fantasia’s boundaries, filled with lingering death. The corridors are twisted, making navigation unreliable, and lingering spirits roam freely, drawn to intruders by malice and regret. Prolonged exposure erodes mental stability, and only those with strong willpower can survive long enough to uncover its hidden treasures.
Difficulty: C
Time Ratio: 2:1
Note: This place is deadly for ordinary Gimmel-rank divine warriors and below.
Do you wish to open a portal to the Haunted Labyrinth?
[Yes/No]
I selected “[Yes]” without hesitation and stepped into the swirling portal as it formed before me. The moment I crossed the threshold, my senses were swallowed by a cold, weightless pull. Moments later, my boots thudded on the ground, and I found myself standing in a narrow stone corridor with walls carved from ancient gray rock.
Without Boris and the others with me, I didn’t dare to venture too deep into this new dungeon. Not to mention, this place was eerie—and clearly dangerous—even for me. The scent of old dust mixed with something rotten permeated the air with every breath, and the chill seemed to seep deeper into my bones the longer I stood there.
Dim blue torches were set along the walls at irregular intervals, casting flickering light that revealed branching passages ahead. The moment I took a step forward, the sound echoed far too loudly, rebounding in ways that made the space feel far larger than it should have been. This place played tricks on perception; I could already tell.
I activated Mana Sense and extended my awareness outward. The mana here was deeply unsettling. Wisps of hostile intent flickered in and out of range, never fixed in a single location. There were spirits here—many of them—and they were watching me…
“Oh, crap.” Goosebumps prickled across my skin. Without waiting another second, I summoned both Ember and Solana.
Ember and Solana emerged in flashes of crimson-black shadow and gentle golden light. The moment Solana appeared in the air before me, her halo shimmered gently, releasing a warm radiance that spread outward like the first light of dawn.
Immediately, the oppressive chill receded, and the whispers that had been brushing against my senses recoiled as if burned. Through Mana Sense, I could feel the surrounding spirits pull back in unease, their hostile intent wavering under her presence. Some faded entirely, retreating into the labyrinth’s depths, while others lingered at the fringes of my perception, unwilling to come any closer.
Ember, on the other hand, reacted very differently. His ears perked up, tail swaying lazily as his eyes gleamed with predatory interest. Shadows curled around his body, stretching unnaturally as he let out an eager purr.
One of the nearer spirits drifted too close, perhaps drawn by curiosity—or hunger. Ember vanished from the spot, and a second later, the spirit was dragged into his shadow as though swallowed whole. Moments later, he reappeared atop my shoulder, licking his paw with casual satisfaction.
Thankfully, the two of them were more than reliable in a place like this. I no longer had to worry about being jump-scared by anything lurking in the dark. With Solana driving them back and Ember feeding on the stragglers, this dungeon had become far more manageable.
“All right,” I said quietly. “Let’s see how far we can go without being lost… or scared.”