Chapter 187: Nor’s Haven (1)
PsCv79d“Is this Nor’s Haven?”Qxw1D
Pwv49H“Yes. It’s a place strongly imbued with the essence of light. It can accommodate hundreds of Norins. I heard it was once the site of a shrine of light, and the remnants of its power linger.”eiY
tm44“It’s more peaceful than I expected. Is it safe from invasions by extraterrestrial species or heretic hunters?”PCNVYL
sA2D“It’s not far away, but it’s hidden by a veil of light. From outside Nor’s Haven, it looks like nothing more than a plain.”YiT
EjQThe principle was similar to invisibility magic.rIrLA
khJ7tqInvisibility cloaks bend light using electrical power to render one invisible. Here, the light’s reflectivity is set to 100%, making it blend with the scenery like a mirror.
Anyone with sharp eyes might notice the repeating patterns, but no one would likely conduct such an operation over this vast land.XXsD
bGDHK“Of course, the higher-ups of Heaven could find it if they were aware. But no one cares about life in Purgatory. Only Kergosians and starving extraterrestrials are interested.”xj7q7
1bCjELA makeshift tent village had formed near the forest. Vendors sat on mats, chatting idly without customers, as if they weren’t expecting to sell anything.7nwQ
jZfQfz7Gardrock explained they were traders heading to the main shops. This was merely a rest stop, and for proper goods, one had to visit the Nor shops.Lz99
WbvYNonetheless, occasionally, citizens seeking Nor items came here, such as Kanya and Rena.LVX
VhskKanya had been tense since arriving. While Purgatory was a neutral zone, this place was within the territory of heretics.DVxvbN
IUN0gk7Hence, she didn’t make eye contact with Shirone’s group and asked Gardrock,mJW
4is8r“Where can I find Nor medicines?”7cQ4FK
G38E2k“Hmm, has the herbalist arrived? Look over there.”fNM9T
kJs0gQkAs Kanya walked away, Gardrock shouted after her,woN
BdF7di“Just remember one thing. Never fight in Nor’s Haven. Got it?”FZx
KPCoThere was no reply. Instead, Rena turned to Shirone with a smile. It was a pretty smile meant to cover for her sister’s rudeness but also held her own feelings.4rykH
pZT6jG“See you later.”Y7jd5
J8x“Sure. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”UwS
sLYfNor’s Haven wasn’t very large, but once outside the radius of Arin’s Spirit Zone, communication would be impossible, making it a farewell of sorts.MyfUpDl
LNUnUShirone watched Kanya’s receding figure.4FfN
IWMW4She seemed anxious.KoNn8H
pSPD3What had she left Heaven to seek?Ep1z
HGIsRWhile Shirone was lost in thought, Gardrock examined his abdominal wound. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound was in bad shape. Without proper treatment, it could be dangerous.juSSd4
4tT“I need to rest for a bit. The bleeding has left me exhausted. Clove will explain how to buy things. You all need to know this to survive in Purgatory.”RqYEaF
NUoAsSeeing his master’s pale face, Clove couldn’t refuse. He led Shirone’s group to the stalls, noticing there were more merchants than usual.sj7ROY
3CT6I6Q“Hey, about the White Elixir, are you going to use it now?”h8mlw
nIvx“Not sure. I’ll look around first and buy what I need. Why?”MyW1RY
EPhrgO“If you’re willing to pay a brokerage fee, I can haggle for you. You’re new here, so you don’t know what’s good.”jrP
xyLThere weren’t many items worth a White Elixir in Nor’s Haven. It was like paying gold for an apple.vf78L
Y12qtPHowever, since Shirone didn’t know the value of items here, there was a chance to get something worthwhile through good negotiation.7hYb5n
4WuShirone checked his friends’ locations. They were scattered, looking at goods. With the mental channel still connected, there was no need to gather them.ATWh
7zDTo-Clove wants a brokerage fee. What should we do?52ZS
e4rnC-We probably need a broker. Honestly, I can’t tell what’s good here besides clothes and food. Can we trust him?tYQ
QixGQzArin responded to Amy’s question.cfCNI
LjuS0S-I can find out.gGJ5Y16
agwpNrlShirone made his decision.hLc
C0kldBy using Inner Eye, they could see if Clove was cheating. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that. Paying a fee was fine, but wasting time on pointless arguments was a loss for both sides.1N9tMMv
Xh7VD“Alright, show us around and introduce us to the items.”z7uS
sWEAs Clove led the way, the others gathered around Shirone.CtrCT
wjxP2lThe variety of goods indicated the presence of many mainland merchants.9KSCF
1Y82VpInitially, they saw daily necessities. Food, clothing, pillows, and blankets seemed common but were essential for heretics living in Purgatory.LzgCw1
q09Clove pointed to a white bread-like object that looked like a pebble.gCRktJ
uZ7qT“This is Kalaya, a travel essential for heretics. It’s made with Elixir and keeps you full for a whole day with just one piece.”W7nZNXs
bFJkerAmy squatted to inspect it.rV5rtd
vCjPThere were various colors, but nothing else to indicate the taste.3U2
xXReKalaya seemed useful for a day’s meal but wasn’t necessarily a top purchase priority.NZVyVpo
j6ylwS“Hmm, it’s cute and round. Should I try one?”RZkO7wh
CQ4BnbAmy baited, and Clove bit.NY4
2UB“This is a fantastic item. Even if you’re stuck in the wilderness, you can survive a month with just this. Buy as many as you can while you have the chance.”S6w
mtunOClove winked at the merchant.70R3
L2YrxrArin scratched her head, not needing Inner Eye to see through his blatant lie.v0W
j5KlXQ9Assuming her friends knew this, she skipped the details and got to the point.7BVeIBr
zuYZ3sW-Should we just do it ourselves? He doesn’t seem serious.mabRN
BESPdEven Amy was exasperated by his audacity.zGpT
pU4BoSH-It seems so. But let’s keep him around. Who would’ve guessed this pebble was food? We still need someone to introduce the items. He’s not lying, right?IFB
wgF-Right. He’s just eager to earn Elixir. He must really want it. Seeing him like this, I almost feel sorry for him.6r7Lc2
XyONl1TCanis sneered.2TvQ
iboCx-Probably. Forget magic; his situational awareness and quick response are pathetic. Could he even hunt properly? That must make him greedier.tOtz9
8k0tMagic power varies widely in effectiveness, but it’s not the sole measure of superiority. Efficiency and compatibility depend on the environment and situation.LwA
BH6NA Vortex Serpent’s magic power was overwhelming, but Shirone had defeated it.5wd
qOzTo gauge a mage’s level, one must see how quickly and accurately they make magical judgments.pRV
NYxThis takes time, more than learning magic. Mercenaries often hired mages based on visible skills, only to be wiped out due to the mage’s mistakes.xirA
YCWuX7Canis, who had traveled the continent searching for Arcane’s will, had more experience with this than anyone.BtH4Ru
lZQPh5Reviewing the three battles since arriving in Heaven, Shirone and Amy’s decisions were crucial, showing Clove’s incompetence.7sO
8Xe1Next, Clove led them to an apothecary stall.4sYx6
7zYShirone had overheard Kanya arguing with the herbalist but couldn’t understand due to the broken mental channel.VL31I4
Yf2KzA2Clove introduced various medicines.jsT
P1CGUDSmall flasks contained colored potions made with Elixir.t3o
BqIlRed potions healed wounds, blue ones cleared the mind. These were the most common.hS7rdWS
fFohFYqOther potions had unique effects.A759bH
gvvbXjPink potions amplified love emotions, brown potions made specific memories permanent.Wqcc
LboShirone pointed to a white potion she had noticed during Kanya’s argument.KLS3Lrz
VOfKKN“What’s this potion?”MUJLg
i6FClove squinted in surprise and picked up the flask.eDteVAN
38eOxtc“Oh? This is a rare one. It’s hard to make.”calEx
3vH2KY“What’s it for?”Ay432Cx
vZbh5Z“This is an awakening potion, Epinephrine. Drinking this keeps you awake for a week without sleep. It’s excellent for mages. If you’re hit by Howling and your mind wavers, this will help you endure.”SD7TIx
NqWwhfIShirone tried to make sense of Clove’s explanation. The blue potion enhanced magical power, while the white potion seemed to boost endurance.Msgws39
CjOcss“This is perfect for you. It’s pricey, but I can get you a good deal. How about buying it?”cL3lQ
SAT5cShirone wasn’t interested in Epinephrine. Its effects were impressive, but bringing consumables back to the original world felt wasteful.abfTsX0
03O3aUUnique items were hard to use judiciously. In Purgatory, they might drink it whenever needed, but in the other world, it could be more of a burden.mUDzvj
HdaxZhShe briefly considered its usefulness before an exam but decided against risking expulsion for banned substances.1ZiVgCH
TKLAfter a frivolous analysis, her thoughts returned to Kanya.YjkR
SaqYTUAn awakening potion.k792p
StYMnWhat did she plan to do with it?VE26
usE1RAs Shirone refocused, the group had moved to the next stall.uiGko
qpxbSeedlings that grew into massive vines within ten minutes were essential for traveling through rocky areas, and powder that boiled water when sprinkled on it was fascinating.A1A
NltWatching Clove’s explanations, Shirone noticed Amy staring intently at something.6KLN
4MkCurious, Shirone approached.43kKgg
DfpK5Inside a basket like a birdcage, something was moving. A ball of fire.DQsjloQ
EpOz7Fire that moved on its own?L4iEKT
AwQsbWhen Clove joined them, Shirone pointed to the cage.IVn
G2CTAy0“What’s this?”uHMI
OaMFfgClove, peering inside, widened his eyes in surprise.TFYT
cf6L“Wow! A spirit? Sir, where did you find this? You hit the jackpot.”WJUOf
2wR“Haha! It’s a long story. I had a good dream, so I went hunting outside the community, hoping to get some Green Elixir from sulfur worms. But all I got were Reds. Frustrated, I was about to head back when a ‘Flame Claw’ caught me. I ran for my life, thinking of my wife, and fell off a cliff. Turns out, it was a fire spot where sulfur gas had been burning for ages. As I tried to note it, a flame bounced towards me. I freaked out, used a spirit trap, and caught it. That’s the story, haha!”hBZBx
CCAWClove wasn’t amused. Why didn’t he have such luck?YOH
BdZSulfur worms were common in Muspel, the land of fire, and lava regions. They were one-meter-long worms that sprayed lava but were slow, making them easy for Clove to catch.Hg9E
8NcNkyBut Flame Claws were a different story. Surviving an encounter and catching a fire spirit was beyond fortunate, akin to being born under a lucky star.W7D2v
w6obShirone looked at Amy. Her eyes pleaded silently.lrzZF3
U1EUShe understood the desire. If it had been a light spirit, she wouldn’t have been able to resist either.6r2Yk
2UZiHShirone seriously inquired about the price.wKSr
417GQr8“Sir, how much for this?”IufCDFU
GixmD2mUsing telepathy was unusual for a merchant, but he only blinked, responding calmly.18sXlvA
OkC0MShirone inferred a possibility from his reaction.2C0aqu
mHO8K6oThey might not be the only ones in this world who didn’t use the citizen’s language.99IX
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