Val placed a pot filled with level 10 purified water in front of Eliana. She held her palm above the pot, and a stream of milky white holy light streamed out, infusing the water and transforming it into a substance of mystical properties.
A system notification rang in Val’s mind.
[Level 10 Holy Water created. Highly effective against forces of corruption. Can be utilized as a weapon against zombies and devils. Can be used to purify cores.]
In the blink of an eye, several dungeon monster cores appeared in Val’s hand out of thin air. He tossed them all into the pot filled with holy water.
The cores began to fizzle as the holy water started to purify them. 𝔬𝓥𝑳xt.𝓒𝑜𝗆
After a while, another system notification popped up in front of Val.
[Monster cores thoroughly purified of all corruption. They’re now safe for human consumption.]
Val handed a few to Eliana, who, trusting him, didn’t hesitate before consuming the cores. An instant rush of energy surged through her, making her feel more powerful.
“How do you feel now that you’ve augmented your strength with these cores?” Val asked.
“I feel like I could punch a hole through the wall,” she said, astounded.
Val patted her head gently and chuckled, “Well, that’s to be expected. After all, what you just consumed were level 2 dungeon monster cores, known for enhancing strength, stamina, and agility.”
Eliana looked at Val, her heart filled with gratitude. Yet again, he had spent valuable resources on her. The thought made her feel more indebted to him, and she couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Will I ever be able to repay him in this lifetime?’
Val then departed from the haunted house. Traversing through the streets of the lower city, he found his way to the Treasure Pavilion.
The Treasure Pavilion was a marketplace within the Lower City where residents could trade various items such as cursed artifacts, bloodline upgrading potion recipes, evolution materials, and so forth, using contribution points. Literally, everything could be found here.
Val saw that the Pavilion was packed with individuals seeking to buy or sell items. As the central hub of commerce in the city, the Treasure Pavilion was always abuzz with activity. Today was no different.
Given the significance of the Treasure Pavilion as the heart of commerce in the lower city, it was personally guarded by individuals bred and raised by the Thunderspear tribe. Standing behind the front counter was one such man. He was a young man with black hair, piercing black eyes, and a distinctive scar, shaped like a lightning bolt, etched on his forehead.
“Hello,” Val greeted him as he approached the counter.
“Hi,” the man replied, his eyes narrowing as he looked Val over. “A level 3 bloodline user, impressive at your age. Boy, who are you?” His words carried a hint of respect mixed with curiosity.
A hint of surprise flashed across Val’s face at the man’s words. While it startled him that the man could detect his power level, he wasn’t overly concerned. The man could gauge others’ power levels but his accuracy seemed limited. Val had multiple bloodlines and was also a wizard, and the man had failed to discern this, only detecting his power level, meaning his secrets were safe.
“I am Val V. Whitemore,” Val said, offering a formal introduction. “A direct descendant of the Whitemore Family, the ruling family of the 33rd stronghold of the outer region, and the son of Joshua.”
The man behind the counter paused, an expression of understanding washing over his face. Upon hearing his name, the man recognized Val as the boy Lucious had spoken highly of in the last meeting of their secret organization. But Lucious had mentioned Val was a level 2. Clearly, however, he was now a level 3. Had Lucious made a mistake? Or had Val managed to upgrade his bloodline again in such a short period? The former seemed impossible, for nothing could fool Lucious’s sharp emerald eyes. Thus, the latter option seemed more plausible.
‘At first, I didn’t believe Lucious,’ the man thought to himself. ‘I presumed he was mistaken. After all, how could the child of destiny, the one prophesied to save us from the terror of the eternal winter, hail from the Whitemore family? While not little known, they’re far from impressive, and any of the top 25 families from the inner region can crush them. But having witnessed this with my own eyes, I’ve started to believe that this boy, Val, might indeed be the child of destiny we’ve all been waiting for.’
Though he was not absolutely certain about Val’s potential, one thing was definite – Val had piqued his interest. He decided to keep a watchful eye on him.
“What a pity,” he muttered. “If you weren’t already affiliated with a family, I would’ve invited you to serve our tribe.”
The Thunderspear tribe was one of the strongest families in the kingdom, so it was an honor for one to become their slave. Most individuals would kill for the opportunity to serve the Thunderspear tribe. However, this proposition was far from enticing for Val. Slavery, no matter the prestige of the master, was still slavery, and he would have never degraded himself to such a level even if he were born a commoner. Being bound to someone else’s will was the same as giving up on yourself, and Val was never weak to begin with. Even if he was suffering incompressible hardship, he would never give up on himself.
‘And that shall stand true until my last breath!’ Val thought as a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
“Even if I wasn’t born into a noble family,” Val said to the man, his voice steady and resolute, “I wouldn’t choose to become someone’s slave.”
A faint, amused smile graced the man’s face as he nodded in understanding. “You’re different than most. To many people, serving the Thunderspear tribe would be seen as a blessing. Yet, you hold a different perspective. It’s rare to come across a person like you.”
“Everyone has different views on life,” Val retorted, a touch of philosophy slipping into his voice. “If you force your views onto others, you’re stifling originality. And if you simply follow the crowd, you’ll never distinguish yourself or make something out of your life. I understand that so I am simply carving out my own path.”
The man’s gaze flickered with a newfound respect for Val. Val’s ideology was worthy of his admiration. However, boasting was easy, and following one’s words was hard. The man wanted to see if Val would remain true to himself or change due to external pressure.
‘Time will tell,’ the man thought.
“By the way, I’m Alexander,” the man introduced himself, extending a hand towards Val. “But if you find that too long, feel free to call me Alex.”
“Nice to meet you, Alex,” Val said, meeting the offered hand with a firm grip. Their hands shook in a mutual sign of respect.
“Nice to meet you too,” Alex said to Val.
“Alex, do you accept cores?” Val inquired, bringing the conversation back to business.