Eos was a space city located near Earth. It held no strategic value in either commerce or defense.
However, it was one of the best tourist spots in the federation.
Even high awakeners would visit this city to relax and it wasn't uncommon to find level 9s in the city every year.
But it had not always been like that.
The city was initially desolate and poor.
The economy was stagnating, the initial population that emigrated to this city were slowly leaving in search of better opportunities and no major businesses wanted to operate here.
Then the city got a new mayor.
He offered to build top facilities for the rich people at a cost price. It took him a while but when the initial buildings were finished, word of it spread.
Using it as a first step, he began to develop the city bit by bit.
"There's this city with top-notch facilities. The land there is hella cheap. You can build a resort, malls and all!"
Since the city was close to the earth, the location wasn't a problem. If the proper amenities were present, then the city's tourism would boom.
With those proposals, one by one, investors flooded the city.
As the facilities improved, so did the tourists.
With this virtual cycle, Eos emerged as one of the top tourist destinations in the federation.
"Eos came a really long way. But its longest tradition, this festival is continued till date." Varian introduced the girls as they walked into a crowded street.
"Purple Festival, hm," Sarah muttered with a curious expression as she observed the surroundings.
The buildings were decorated, floating lanterns were beautifully arranged and people were wearing exquisite clothes.
But there was one thing in common.
It was all purple.
While there were different shades of purple, the world still seemed to paint it in that beautiful and intense color.
"Purple…reminds me of Purple Sky, where did I hear it?" Sia shot a glance at Varian in confusion.
Varian smiled lightly and opened his mouth to respond when an announcement was made in the street.
[The sale of the vintage items in the Memorial Complex has begun.]
Varian's expression shifted lightly into one of eagerness and he said. "Let's go."
With a wave of his hand, they smoothly teleported to the entrance of a large mall.
Thousands of people were entering the building through its numerous entrances. Varian held Sarah's hand and used his telekinetic power to hold Sia's as he walked in.
Each floor was filled with stalls selling the items from the old time.
There were many simple items.
Keychains. Toys. Mirrors. Clocks.
"Toys from the 300 YAB!"
"This keychain is imprinted with the names of all dungeons on Pluto!"
"This mirror is used by a queen of ancient earth."
There were also complex items.
Body Armors. Old version star treasures. Early Spaceships.
"Boast this spaceship to your friends! The very first functional model of the federation!"
Then there were special items.
Signed Books. Autographed merchandise. Special edition products.
"The autographed shirt by Sovereign Ceaser~"
"The first edition of the spark gun. The only piece! You won't find it anywhere else in the solar system."
The trio curiously watched the endless items in the unending stalls.
Some of the items were only thirty years old, others were fifty years old, some went more than a century and a few were even older than Blink!
It felt like they were witnessing the convergence of different time periods.
Suddenly, Sarah exclaimed. "Ah!"
Varian and Sia stopped in their tracks and glanced at her.
They were currently on the fortieth of the hundred floors. The higher they went, the pricier it became.
Of course, it didn't really matter to Varian. But despite touring forty floors, he hadn't bought anything.
The items were good and piqued his curiosity, but they didn't interest him.
So, he was curious as to what made Sarah react like that.
"This…it's the real deal, right?" Sarah pointed to a worn-out book in the stall and asked the owner.
"Of course, it is! The city management won't let us sell fakes, you know?" The stall owner, an unkempt man with a pointy nose grumbled.
"T-Then I'll take it!" Sarah said, barely containing her excitement.
Seeing Sarah's delight, the man narrowed his eyes and smacked his lips. Then, assuming an indifferent expression, he said.
"600,000 credit points."
"6,000…? ok." Sarah nodded.
"Are you deaf? I said 600,000." The man repeated.
"What?" Sarah's eyes widened at her words.
600,000 CP?
For reference, an average city earned 60,000 credit points a year.
A house typically cost around 400,000 credit points.
A basic spaceship was upward of 800,000 credit points.
The prices they heard from the first to the current floor only ranged in thousands or tens of thousands of credit points.
There were certain items that'd be sold for millions and even tens of millions, but they were all sold on the uppermost floors.
Besides, the book she wanted to buy—"A guide to teachers by Montessori"—had a soft copy available for a couple of cp for just 12 cp.
It was by no means a highly sought-after book.
Sarah wanted to buy it because her mother had this book with her. Many times, she said that this book altered her way of teaching and valued it greatly.
After her mother's death, this was the first time Sarah saw the physical copy of the book again.
But then the stall owner quoted such a price…
While she didn't mind paying, Sarah didn't want to use her father's money after the incident.
The problem was that since she was currently in a disguise, she couldn't even use the money she earned as a cadet.
Now, she had very little cash on hand and felt embarrassed to ask Varian.
If she encountered the same situation on any other occasion, Sarah would've gotten angry, especially with the recent events turning her cold side even colder.
But since her late mother was involved, Sarah couldn't even get angry.
"I-It's a bit too high. I only have 400,000."
Sarah never had to bargain in her life. So, she fucked up the negotiation thoroughly.
"Huh?" The man raised his brow and made an exaggerated noise. He evaluated Sarah for a moment.
A beautiful violet dress with golden flower patterns, lavender heels, and very dignified temperament.
She reeked the aura of an aloof and noble lady.
"How can you not have money? You're either lying or…" The man's eyes shifted to Varian and Sia, who were checking out another stall.
'Oh?'
Noticing their expensive clothes, his eyes widened and then gave Sarah a despising gaze. "Your customer looks like a rich man. Increase your pri—"
"One more wrong word and you're dead."
The bone-chilling voice caused the man to stop his words abruptly and he accidentally bit his tongue. "Ehk!"
Feeling the warm taste on his tongue, the man grew angry and growled at Varian. "Who do you think you are?"
"Me?" Varian lowered his head a little to meet the man's gaze.
The man felt like he was stared at by a beast and leaned backward in fear. "I'm someone who can show you hell if I want."
A chill ran down his spine and his body screamed in fear. But he was absolutely sure he could cheat 600,000 CP from Sarah.
So, he gritted his teeth and insisted. "D-Don't be ridiculous! If you even raise your hand against me, you'll be challenging the authority of Eos city. The guards won't stand watching."
As he said, the man's trembling figure pointed toward the guards standing on the floor in many places, like every floor.
Since the items were valuable, the security was tight.
If Varian even tried to coerce the man using his aura, the guards would rush to stop him and put him to trial.
"What about outside? They won't guard you forever, can they?" Varian said his words in a casual tone, but the man only felt more scared.
…He felt like the guy in front of him had blood on his hands. He killed. Not just a few. But a lot more than he could imagine.
'So what?' He shook his head and glared. "This is just my disguise. Once I get out, you'll never find me. What if you have a big background? What if you're rich? It's all useless here."
Varian's lips curled up even further. Then, he randomly tapped his comm.
But his action caused the stall owner to shiver.
Wait, wait, what's happening?
"H-Hey, what are you doing?"
Varian simply smiled in response and waited. Then, his comm lit up a second later.
In reality, a blue screen lit in front of Varian.
[Name: ??
Space Path Level 4 (Low)]
'Let's see.'
Varian rubbed his chin and gazed at the stall owner with a piercing gaze. "Level 4 Space Awakener. You are also barely starting out."
The man's eyes widened and his breath nearly froze. "H-How?! How do you know?"
