Chapter 137: Strategy and Return
The Market Bazaar was a labyrinth of commerce, a place where the ordinary and the extraordinary items gathered.
Ding!
The members of the Eclipse Revenant soon received Shane's message.
They hadn't parted for long but it seemed that their wealthy Clan Leader already needed them. Obviously, this confused everyone.
Nonetheless, it could be very important, so they decided to confirm the situation.
Raze and the others, upon receiving his summons, swiftly concluded their dealings, their curiosity piqued by the urgency in Shane's message.
They navigated through the crowds of Survivors, their eyes fixed on the glowing yellow dot that marked Shane's location.
The bazaar was filled with events since the Grand Auction Hall's matter was already over. However, the members of the Eclipse Revenant Clan moved with a singular focus as they were drawn to their Clan Leader.
As they converged on the designated spot, everyone greeted each other.
"Everyone's fast… Did you manage to bid on some items already?" Raze asked.
"Yes… We're done! I found something that will help me go to Shane's territory a lot faster." Jaxon replied.
Your adventure starts at m,vle,mpyr.
"I only placed a bid on two items… I'm just looking for better shoes now." Tessa replied.
Lyra and Kael, on the other hand, also placed a bid on a few items. They were articles of clothing with decent effects since they rarely appear in the Survivor Store.
"But… Where is Shane? I think there's something wrong with the map." Kael expressed his concern.
Apparently, all of them are thinking about this same matter.
In the place where their Clan Leader was supposed to be, they were met with an unexpected sight—a barricade of bricks, seemingly impenetrable and out of place amidst the vibrant chaos of the bazaar.
No vendor hawked their wares around this spot, and no other survivors lingered. It felt like it was a void in the fabric of the marketplace.
"I'll send him a message. Maybe he's underground or something." Raze muttered as she could only guess that Shane was indeed in the same spot but on a different level or floor.
"Is there an underground market?" Lyra asked. She had never heard about it.
"No… I'm just guessing that he might've found an underground store so he's telling us to follow him." Raze muttered as she sent a message to Shane.
Raze's message was simple.
She was telling Shane where they were and what they were seeing in front of them.
Shane's reply, however, was a revelation.
[ Shane: There is a secret store here… It can only be seen by those with at least 20 Points in their Perception Stat. Can you try to pass through the barricade? I'm guessing that it's only an illusion, and people could pass through it. ]
Raze was shocked after reading this reply.
It was unexpected. She didn't expect that there would be this kind of "event" at the Market Bazaar!
"This is amazing… We should try it." Raze muttered as she explained the matter to the others.
A hidden path, visible only to those with heightened perception, was discovered by their Clan Leader!
"Haha! As expected of our Clan Leader…" Kael laughed as he felt that this was indeed something that could only be done by the top ranker.
"He's Shadow Strider after all." Tessa nodded as she somehow felt excited about this.
At this time, Roan, who was still in the form of a tattoo mark, reacted.
The baby dragon actually peered at the barricade and his draconic senses pierced through the illusion.
At this time, Raze simply wanted to follow Shane's instructions to try and pass through the illusion. They didn't think of breaking the illusion itself.
However, Roan felt like he was being challenged and did something unexpected.
The bricks began to shimmer, their solidity wavering like a mirage under his gaze.
Raze and the others watched in awe as the barrier dissolved before their eyes, revealing a stall that beckoned them forward. They also saw Shane and its Keeper on his side!
"Whoa~ It's the Clan Leader!" Lyra exclaimed.
"He really found a secret shop… Awesome!" Jaxon added.
In the meantime, Shane also didn't expect for them to break the illusion itself. He didn't even think that it was possible!
"What? How did you do it?!" The Keeper, on the other hand, noticed that the illusion had disappeared and was very surprised. He didn't expect that this would happen at all.
He immediately waved to the group to enter his stall so he could reactivate his illusion!
Raze and the others obviously complied as they stepped through the phantom wall…
Here, the air was still, the silence a stark contrast to the riotous market they had left behind.
Indeed, entering the stall was like isolating themselves from the Market Bazaar!
Everyone actually noticed that the storefront was unassuming, yet it exuded an aura of ancient mystery.
The sign above the door was a simple rune, glowing softly with an inner light. It looked shabby, but because it was hidden in such an incredible way, they knew that this shop wasn't simple.
Inside, the store was a treasure trove, as they had expected. Shelves lined with various artifacts that seemed quite normal, looking at their appearance, but as they saw their descriptions, they were certainly as incredible as they had expected in this mysterious store.
The Keeper of the store, a figure shrouded in robes, greeted them with a nod.
Although the method of their entry was different from how he envisioned it, the Keeper still accepted them as his new customers.
"Welcome, seekers of the hidden…" The Keeper said with a calm and aged voice.
"You have passed the test of perception. What you seek, or perhaps what seeks you, awaits within these walls. Keep in mind that you can only bid on a single item."
With that said, he allowed the customers to check his wares and waited on the side.
***
Shane's Clan members, still adjusting to the sudden shift from the bustling bazaar to this place of hushed secrets, gathered around as Shane began to outline his plan.
"Listen closely," Shane said, his voice low but carrying in the stillness of the shop.
"Each of us can only place a bid on one item. We need to strategize to ensure we secure the artifacts that will best serve our Clan. Yes, I'm not planning to just keep all of these items for myself. If you have a need for them, you can ask me later so you can borrow them."
He paused, making eye contact with each of his companions in turn.
"I'll bid on the Loot Keeper's Timepiece. Its ability to the loot rate is perfect for me..."
Raze, her eyes reflecting the flickering light of the shop, nodded. "I'll bid on the Soulstone Shard Amulet then. The boost in spirit and protection is what I need. If possible, I want to borrow it for a day as I'm planning to fight another Tyrant Zombie soon..."
Shane nodded at this and added.
"Aside from that, I actually want to have a couple of Ethereal Cloak of Shadows, and two Gauntlet of Strength…"
Kael, his hands already itching to feel the weight of new power, spoke up next. "Alright... I will bid on the Cloak. That's the one I want to borrow someday."
Tessa also spoke. "I'll bid on the other Cloak. Once I reach level 15, I plan to attack a Crypt Crawler's den. Allow me to borrow that Cloak at that time."
Jaxon, his gaze lingering on the gauntlets, finally said. "I guess that two of us will bid for the Gauntlet of Strength."
Lyra nodded at this, but she still had a question in her mind.
"Clan Leader, why aren't you planning to bid on the Crystal? It can detect future danger… Although it's expensive and requires a 1,000 Spirit Points for each use, I think it's not a problem for you."
At this question, everyone looked at Shane.
The latter wryly smiled at this and explained.
"I don't think it's reliable. We will still have to decipher it since it only says there that we'll get hints of future dangers. I don't think getting a hint should be that expensive. Let's just aim to get stronger so we can pass through any dangers in the future." Shane replied.
The Clan Members were then satisfied with the arrangement they made as Shane spoke up once again.
"I'll transfer the Points to each of you…"
The transaction didn't take that long, and soon, all of them were able to place their bid.
"May your choices lead you to the destiny you seek…" The Keeper murmured as he looked at the items where they placed their bid.
Anyway, they still had to wait for two hours, so everyone dispersed after this matter was finally settled.
Time quickly passed, and the event for Survivor's Exchange also lasted for an hour.
However, they didn't attend this event since none of them had plans of trading their acquired items.
Then, it didn't take long before everyone returned to the Fiend Continent!