Those were a lot of what-ifs and maybes, though. If Roy had to guess, they would likely not find a single Beast core containing Power Essence. After all, why would a place flooded with Water Essence have any such Beasts?
“I have three 1st Dan Yellow level cores and one 3rd Dan Yellow core. I will be happy to trade them for your 1st Dan White core and five of your Base White cores. I’ll also be happy to buy the other two for sixteen Ginka a piece.”
Roy was standing at a small booth in the village market square. He’d entered the village not ten minutes ago and had wandered over to the first merchant who had caught his eye; an elderly looking man with a Yellow-Belt tied around his waist. He was honestly shocked that he was getting such a good deal, and immediately agreed to it, pulling the Beast cores from his bulging pockets.
He’d had to carry them in with him, since he’d decided that Ferry would be better off staying in the woods. The Shah clan might be after him by now, and he’d rather not stand out in anyone’s mind by riding in on a gigantic ferret.
The merchant took each of the cores, running his senses over them one at a time and set them into a padded box. He then pulled a similar box from under the counter and cracked the lid open. Even before the contents were revealed to him, Roy could feel the Power Essence contained within.
If the Essence he’d gathered in the Trial of Beginnings had felt strong, the power he felt coming from the box was monstrous in comparison. Once the lid cracked open, he got a good look at the cores contained within. Just as the man had said, there were four of them. Three were small, each looking like multi-faceted gems, rather than the ridged and lumpy Water cores, and one slightly larger one.
Each gave off the power of Yellow level Essence, and the one on the top felt almost at the Orange level. Or so he imagined, as he’d never actually felt an Orange level cultivator before. As though reading his mind, Geon piped up.
“This isn’t nearly enough to get you to the next Dan. If these feel powerful to you, try to imagine that all four of these are packed into one, then multiply that by five. That ought to give you a better understanding of the differences between a Yellow and an Orange.”
“Will these be acceptable?”
Roy snapped his jaw shut, realizing that it had unintentionally dropped open at Geon’s statement. Was an orange really that much stronger than a Yellow? Even one at the 3rd Dan? If that was the case, just how strong was a Green?
“Young man?” the merchant prompted, sounding a bit nervous now.
“Oh yes, I apologize for my rudeness,” Roy said, bowing at the waist. “These cores are more than adequate, and I will gladly accept the thirty-two Ginka for the other two.”
The man’s worried look vanished and was instead replaced by a smile.
“I am most grateful. If I am honest, I was worried that I’d be stuck with these cores forever. There aren’t many Martial Artists who have a use for Power Essence, especially in these parts. Would you like the box to go along with them?” he asked as he counted out the small hexagonal silver coins.
“What purpose does the box serve, if I may ask?” Roy asked as the man finished counting out the money.
“They serve to keep the Beast cores safe, of course,” the man answered, giving him an odd look. “I was actually surprised that you carried so many cores in your pocket without any protection.”
Feeling that it probably wasn’t a good idea to keep showing his ignorance, he decided to ask Geon if he knew. Speaking out loud wasn’t an option in front of people, so he spoke instead with his mind, though it felt very strange to do so.
“Geon. Why would it be dangerous to carry a bunch of Beast cores in my pockets without protecting them?”
“Oh, that’s easy,” Geon replied. “While they look sturdy enough, the housing for the cores is actually quite fragile. Apply too much force and boom! Cores blow up, most likely taking you with them.”
“And you didn’t think to warn me?” he practically shouted internally, feeling his heart racing at the thought of what might have happened, had he tripped and fallen with the cores in his pocket.
“Relax. It’s not like they’re made of glass. It would take a significant impact to break one of them open. For example, if you were to hit one with your Exploding Fist, the core would rupture in an instant. If you dropped it from six feet, nothing would likely happen.”
“I think I’ll take the case,” Roy replied, not giving the man so much as a hint that he was having a conversation with a voice in his head. “Would you also be able to point me in the direction of a clothing merchant? I’m afraid the ones I’m wearing won’t last much longer.”
The man smiled, gesturing to another small booth a little way down the street. Just a couple of minutes later, Roy was heading in that direction, with the box tucked under one arm and the other clutching a small leather bag with his money. He was shocked to have been treated so well by the merchant, but with the Belt around his waist, people knew him to be a Martial Artist, though not a particularly strong one.
He noticed some people giving him disdainful looks, and a few even sneered at him, but none of them attacked him or challenged him as they would have in the Shah clan. It was hard for him to remember to keep his head up and walk with his back straight. The years of bad treatment at the hands of those stronger than him still weighed heavily on his soul, and more than once he’d had to restrain himself from apologizing to the people who stared at him.
If he did that, he would be inviting trouble. Since he looked like he’d been living in the woods for the past month and was quite tall by the standards of the region, no one bothered him.
It didn’t take him too long by the next merchant, and when Roy left fifteen minutes later, he was the proud owner of three new sets of Martial Artist’s robes. He’d made sure not to get the colors of the Shah clan, but rather, robes colored black and gold. He’d wanted pure gold to signify his Path, but this was the closest the woman had had. He still had nine Ginka left, which would be enough to buy him food for the next two or so months. The question now was whether he should go report the Dungeon, or not.
“Can I make it to the next Dan with the cores I have, if I spend my time in the Dungeon?” he asked in a lowered tone.
“If you really push yourself, then yes, it is possible. I would still rather head for The Crater, though.”
Roy’s mind was already made up. If he could do it here, then why waste his time going all the way to The Crater? He would have to do so eventually, but he wanted to be as strong as possible before heading there.
Rounding a corner, Roy stopped short, then quickly back-peddled, moving as swiftly as he could to the mouth of a nearby alley. He stood there, panting, hoping he hadn’t been spotted and his mind racing a mile a minute. What on earth were members of the Shah clan doing here?
***
Shah Koya was furious. He and the others were at the very edge of the clan’s territory, and being very careful not to lay a single toe over the border. It had been two weeks since their banishment, and they were having no luck in picking up any sort of trail. Both Izu and Kozu had been entirely unhelpful as well, not doing more than just following him around and asking if he’d found anything yet. It was a wonder how these two idiots even remembered to breathe!
Grumbling to himself, Koya sat down on a nearby rock and stared down at his solid Yellow-Belt bitterly. If he’d been at 3rd Dan, there was no way they’d have banished him, not when he had so much potential. But among the Shah, he was only average at best. Even Izu and Kozu were more talented than him when it came to the Martial Arts. However, the two didn’t have a single brain cell between the two of them, and that held them back from making it any further than him.