Without further ado, Michael, accompanied by Vedora, ascended the towering marble stairs and reached the entrance of the grand Divine Towers. Two sentinel guards, standing as tall as eight feet and clad in imposing metal armor, greeted them.
The guards maintained their silence as Michael confidently pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped into the Divine Towers. The moment he entered, he found himself in another lavish hall, bathed in the warm glow of golden light orbs. The marble floor beneath his feet gleamed with a pristine shine, and various artifacts were showcased within glass casings, adding to the overall opulence.
"Welcome, my lord. How may I help you today?" a young elf approached Michael. She was elegantly robed in resplendent golden attire, her long, flowing hair matching the color of her robes.
The sheer beauty and grace of the elf serving as an attendant in the Divine Towers spoke volumes about the wealth and prestige associated with this place. In the mortal realm, she would have undoubtedly turned countless heads.
"If you are looking for a token to enter the Divine Towers auction, I am very displeased to say we don't offer any, my lord," the young elf informed Michael.
Michael smiled politely, shaking his head. "I have one. You see, I am with the Blacksmith Guild, so the token is not a problem for me. What I need is to browse some items here and perhaps make some purchases for my forging endeavors," he explained.
"Then you've come to the right place, my lord. Please follow me to the third floor, where we have an immense collection of ores and everything you need for forging exquisite creations," the young elf said with a bright smile.
With a courteous nod, Michael followed the elf as she led him to the third floor. As they ascended the towering structure, the ornate architecture of the Divine Towers left Michael in awe.
Upon reaching the spacious third floor, Michael's eyes widened in amazement. The area was a veritable treasure trove for any blacksmith. Displayed before him were an array of colorful ores, intricately crafted armors, and a vast assortment of tools and equipment. Each item was showcased with meticulous care, their craftsmanship evident even from a distance.
The floor exuded an atmosphere of enchantment and grandeur. The polished marble gleamed under the ambient light, and the shelves and displays were adorned with rare and valuable items, all neatly organized for the discerning customers.
The young elf accompanying Michael smiled warmly. "Here, my lord, you can find everything you desire for your forging endeavors. If there is anything specific you are looking for, please do not hesitate to ask. I will be more than happy to assist you in finding it."
"I need an ore to forge an armor. It should be sturdy yet light and should be able to be forged into thin sheets," Michael explained. Since the executioner from the pantheon had destroyed the wings of his armor, Michael needed to forge new wings.
"Then I'd suggest Arcaneit. It's light, strong, and you can forge it into thin sheets, just as you asked," the elf suggested. She walked over to a purple block of ore displayed behind a glass box, opened the glass, picked up the ore with ease, and handed it to Michael.
Michael examined the ore in his hands. "Yes, it is lightweight," he noted.
"It's costly, my lord. With this block, you can forge either a chest plate or one longsword," the elf informed him.
"How much for this ore?" Michael inquired.
"Three hundred thousand gold coins," the elf replied.
"Three hundred thousand for this small block? Do you come with this ore?" Ayag interjected, shocking the elf. She hadn't expected the tiny serpent head to speak so harshly. However, her expression remained calm and welcoming, as any salesperson's should.
"It's a rare metal, my lord. You won't find it anywhere else other than the Divine Towers, as we hold exclusive rights to Arcaneit in Sagespire," she explained.
"Hmm," Michael nodded and handed the ore back to the elf. Then, he explored the hall, perusing several more items, including a finely crafted golden armor, scimitars, a longbow, and a couple of ores. But when his gaze landed on a black ore inside a glass case in the corner, Michael felt a chill run down his spine.
"Dark ore," Michael mumbled under his breath. The moment his eyes locked onto the pitch-black ore, which resembled a chunk of charcoal, he sensed a strange connection to it. It was unmistakably a piece of dark ore.
He walked slowly toward the pillar that held the dark ore and stood before it.
"This is…" Michael trailed off, expecting the elf to provide more information. The last time he had checked in the system store, he could only obtain dark ore there. It was incredibly expensive, yet here he was, standing before a chunk of it. While it wasn't large enough to forge an entire armor, it could certainly be used for crafting a small sword or an axe.
"It's black ore, my lord. However, you won't be able to forge anything with it. This ore cannot be melted or molded by any means," the young elf explained. Her words made sense because only the dark flames could melt dark ore.
"Then why is it here?" Ayag questioned.
"It's a one-of-a-kind ore. Our adventurer team discovered it in a ruin outside the city. Beyond that ruin, this ore has never been found anywhere else in Goldspire or even within the domains of the gods, as far as I know," the young elf replied, surprising Michael.
"Where is this ruin located, exactly?" Michael inquired. It was evident that this ruin was connected to his previous existence as the Dark Lord, five thousand years ago. If he could somehow locate and explore it, Michael believed he might uncover more about his life from that time.
"I'm sorry, my lord, but I can't reveal the location to you. It goes against our Divine Towers policy. Additionally, the guards of Goddess Seshat restrict anyone from entering the ruin," the young elf stated.
"Oh, I see. Can I at least speak with the adventurers who explored the ruin? I'm quite curious about this place," Michael requested.
"I assume there are no Divine Towers policies preventing you from simply telling me where I can meet these adventurers?" Michael added, a subtle note of persuasion in his tone. He could discern the clever mind of the young elf.
"Well, it's against our Divine Towers policy not to assist paying customers," the young woman emphasized the word "paying," and a sly grin crossed her face.
"How much is this ore?" Michael inquired. Even if the young elf couldn't provide the information he sought, Michael would acquire the ore. It was clear that the people and blacksmiths in this kingdom had no idea how valuable dark ore was. Michael didn't blame them; the dark ore was entirely useless to them, as they lacked the dark flames necessary to melt it.
reaction or a retort from Michael's pet snake. To her surprise, both of them remained silent.
"Deal," Michael immediately agreed to the price.
"Wow," the young elf was both shocked and delighted. She quickly cleared her throat, concealing her joy.
"What about the Arcaneit, my lord? If you purchase both, I can offer you a generous twenty-thousand-coin discount," the young elf suggested, trying to persuade Michael to buy both items.
Ayag was speechless, merely rolling her eyes at the ongoing negotiation. Michael, in need of repairing his armor, decided to purchase both the Arcaneit and the dark ore.
Ayag couldn't resist a sly comment, muttering under her breath, "This elf could sell ice to a snowman."
The young elf chuckled at Ayag's remark, then proceeded to heft the heavy dark ore from the display.
"However, I must inform you, my lord," she said with a sly grin, "this ore cannot be stored inside a space ring. So I'll have to put it in a special box for you."
Michael nodded in agreement.
The elf continued, "But the Arcaneit can be stored in a space ring. Would you like me to place them together, or would you prefer to keep them separate?"
Michael thought for a moment before responding, "Keep them separate."
With a graceful motion, the young elf set the dark ore on a table before her. Michael retrieved a small silver ring containing the eight hundred and fifty thousand coins and handed it to her.
"Wait here, please," the elf requested, taking the payment. She then disappeared into a room within the hall, leaving Michael to await her return patiently.
"Dark ore huh? This must have been found in one of our hideouts five thousand years ago," Sarba commented.
"I am pretty sure we'll find something interesting there," Ayag chimed in.
"I have a feeling there is a reason why Seshat has her guards restricting entry into the ruin," Cain added. It was rare to hear him speak, so his words carried a sense of importance.
Michael shared the same suspicion but had already made up his mind to explore the ruin despite Seshat's guards.
A few moments later, the elf returned, carrying an elegantly crafted wooden box and a silver ring.
"The Arcaneit ore is inside this space ring along with your change, my lord. Let me put this Dark ore into the box," she said, opening the box. Michael assisted her, carefully placing the dark ore inside.
"Now, where can I find these adventurers?" Michael inquired.
"Adventurer, my lord," the young elf corrected him.
"Among the adventurers who explored the ruin, only one came back alive with that ore. The last time I heard, he was in the Screaming Booklet Tavern, drinking himself to death ever since," she replied, her voice carrying a hint of pity.
The information only fueled Michael's curiosity about the ruin.
"Thank you for your information, miss," Michael said with a nod, concluding his business. contemporary romance
"Screaming Booklet, here we go," Ayag said with excitement as Michael exited the Divine Tower, his mind now set on another destination.
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