Liam looked around, not wanting to get back so soon. He couldn't get more information from the little girl, but there were shops here, and he wanted to see if he could get something from there.
He still had the few elixirs he had made as well. However, he no longer had any hopes of exchanging them in the auction house. Perhaps it would be best to try his luck in the alchemy shops.
Liam walked over to one of the shops, shoving the tiny rabbit into his pocket. The shop was selling pills and potions, so it was as good as any other shop on the street.
The place was crowded, so he had to wait a while, and finally, when it was his turn, Liam walked over to the shop manager who was at the entrance.
"I-" He started speaking only to be interrupted the next instant. "Where is your emblem?" The shop manager, a gruff middle-aged man, asked.
"Emblem?"
"Emblem? Your tattoo? Where is it?"
Liam assumed that he was talking about the white token card and took it out, but the moment the shopkeeper saw the card, he immediately stiffened.
"Heavens! This is unbelievable! You are actually from one of the-"
"Marco! What are you doing!" Another woman who was standing nearby hurriedly closed his mouth. She stared at him, and the shopkeeper stared back. They seemed to be having some sort of silent argument.
A moment later, the woman answered instead. "You need an emblem to enter any of the shops. You don't have it. So you cannot purchase anything from this shop or any other."
"Okay," Liam still smiled politely, "Can I ask you where I can get this emblem? I also-"
"Excuse me. We are busy right now. You should leave." Once again, the woman interrupted him, and just like that, he was chased out of the shop before he could even say anything.
Liam didn't mind it and decided to try his luck in a couple of other places. However, everywhere he went, it was the same result.
The other shops were even worse in treating him. They looked at him in disdain that too with a look he was familiar with, as if he was a slave or someone not of their status.
Hmmm… Liam stood outside and watched the bustling place. So many people, and no one was willing to talk to him. What the hell was going on here? Was it perhaps because of his low level?
Either way, he had wandered around quite a bit without any result, and it looked like it was time to return back to the land where he belonged to.
He took out the white token from his inventory slot again, but before he could activate it, a hand caught hold of him abruptly.
Liam was shocked as he looked at the black cloaked figure. The hold as well was quite strong. He couldn't break free. "Who is this?" He asked, and a familiar voice responded.
"I didn't expect to run into you here. But this is good. We don't have much time. So listen carefully. Why haven't you visited the elven settlement yet?"
"I..."
"You need to go there. Before you ask me why, first take a look at your mana core. It is slowly being corroded. Do you think it was easy to have a root both in mana and nether?"
Liam's eyes widened. He knew who this was now, but he did not understand what he meant. This was why he purposefully did not form a nether core yet, if such a thing was even possible.
So what was he talking about?
"I didn't form a nether-"
"You don't have to form it consciously. Having a high affinity is both a boon and a curse. Look within you more closely, and you will understand."
Hmmm... Liam listened to him, but he was not convinced just yet. He shook his head, "Even if what you are saying is true, this mana core is not my permanent one. I don't have time to worry-"
"What if I tell you that your mana core could be linked with your soul?" The old man's words struck Liam like thunder. There was also such a possibility?
"As I said, we don't have much time. Only the elven ancestor will be able to help you in this entire world. Leave everything else and seek him. Otherwise, your world will be doomed once again."
Liam was now even more shocked after hearing this. What did he mean by again? How did he know?
As if the person in front of him could read his thoughts, he chuckled. "Take this." The old man shoved a scroll into Liam's hand.
"This will help you win the tournament. Leave this place. It is not good for you to linger here. You don't belong here yet."
He didn't leave any space for Liam to respond and activated the white token in his hand, and the next second, he was once again back in the Xion realm.
"What the hell just happened?" Liam looked at the scroll that he was still clutching in his hand.
He opened it to take a look, and immediately a flood of information rushed into his brain, so much so that he was feeling dizzy.
It took him an entire hour to get a grip, and finally, he was able to think clearly again. As for the information in the scroll…
<Ding. You have learned the complete compendium of herbs part1>
"This…" Liam closed his eyes, trying to recollect something that he had just learned.
He was able to visualize a herb, look at its structure, its name, its smell, its texture, what it could be used for, and what its properties are. He was able to tell almost everything about that herb from a to z.
And he was able to do this not just for one herb. He was able to do this for a thousand. No, it was more. He was able to do it for about five thousand.
Liam immediately sat down and closed his eyes, thinking about everything patiently. This was truly a priceless treasure.
For the old man to actually give him this without expecting anything in return… There were also the words that he had spoken.
It almost seemed as if he wanted Liam to succeed in something. Perhaps this would have an impact on both of their lives.
What was this world really? He just thought of it as a tutorial but truly, what was it?
He let out a deep breath and then solely focussed on the task at hand. He went over each and every herb that he had learned about from the scroll. He didn't want that memory to slip away.
And as he did, he understood what the old man meant by using this to win the tournament. He wanted him to unlock the first seal on the black dragon sword!
