In less than half a minute, Lanye was pierced through the chest by the Lancer’s spear and collapsed on the arena stage.

  Her perspective automatically snapped back to her physical body.

  "So... so this is the so-called Lancer? This is terrifying," Lanye murmured, recalling the battle. She was genuinely stunned. She had never imagined that a spear-user could be so overwhelming.

  That relentless, wave-like offensive could drown any enemy.

  What was even more frightening was that Lanye could sense that her opponent—the AI Lancer—had physical attributes that were likely only about half of her own. Yet, bolstered by such god-tier martial techniques, he had managed to suppress her completely.

  It was chilling.

  Lanye swallowed hard and took a long, serious look at the crystal ball. Is this really just a simple alchemical artifact? Manager Kael’s background was starting to seem frighteningly vast.

  She shook her head to clear her racing thoughts and began to focus intensely on the crystal ball known as the Combat Strength Arena.

  To hone combat techniques and battle awareness.

  The name certainly lived up to the reality. Lanye was certain that if she could defeat that Lancer, her martial skills would ascend to a whole new level. It might even become possible for her to fight and win against opponents of a higher Rank.

  "Then let's fight."

  Her fighting spirit was ignited. She selected the Lancer once more and plunged back into serious combat.

  Leaning on the counter, Kael watched this and shook his head silently. Another one addicted to the Arena. It hadn't been long since Blood Wolf left in a similar state.

  "Big Brother! Big Brother! Can you come here for a second?"

  Shouts came from the general store next door. Kael had no choice but to leave his counter and trudge over.

  "What's the matter?" Kael had a soft spot for the little girl who brought him roasted meat every time she visited.

  "Big Brother, for this shield, Zi'er is short one mana core." Lan Zi'er reached out her small hand, offering three Rank-class mana cores.

  Kael knew it. As soon as Lan Zi'er walked in, she was bound to set her sights on the [Black Tortoise Heavy Shield]. For a small squad, that shield was a rare divine artifact. The passive skill alone—Attacks Cannot Bypass the Black Tortoise Heavy Shield—was worth the four thousand Spirit Crystals, not to mention it was a Rare-grade item. Against a Rank-class monster, this shield probably wouldn't even take a scratch.

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  Most importantly, like the [Dragon-Pattern Great Axe], the Black Tortoise Heavy Shield only required the user to be Brave-rank; there were no specific Class restrictions.

  "Short one core, huh? That’s a thousand Spirit Crystals," Kael scratched the back of his head.

  Even if he wanted to give a discount, the money-grubbing System would never allow it. He looked up at the others.

  Lan Qing'er was holding the [Wind-Chaser Bow], You Jiu had the [Serpent Dagger], and Fei Xue held the [Gilded Rapier]. They were all weapons perfectly suited to their intended Classes. Combined with the armor they wore and the pile of pill combos in Xiao Ya’s arms, it was no wonder Zi'er was short on cores.

  Kael suspected they weren't actually out of money. More likely, the innocent Zi'er had been talked into acting as a front by one of the others to see if they could haggle a discount out of him.

  But making the System lose money was impossible. However, if Kael had to take a small loss himself to close a deal, he didn't mind—provided he was in the mood to do so.

  "The Spirit Crystals cannot be less than the price. It's a matter of principle," Kael said seriously.

  "So I can't have the shield today? I have to wait until next time?" Zi'er pouted, looking longingly at the heavy shield.

  "The price is firm, but... I can take it upon myself to give you a little something extra." Kael scanned the shelves and finally pulled down a small stone.

  "A Skill Crystal!"

  Everyone in the shop stared with wide eyes, looking at the Skill Stone in Kael’s hand in utter disbelief. Is there something wrong with this Manager? To avoid giving a discount and save a thousand crystals, he was willing to throw in a priceless Skill Crystal as a "gift"?

  Was he crazy, or was the shop's foundation simply too powerful to care? He gave it away like it was nothing.

  Regardless of whether Kael cared, Lan Qing'er and the girls could not ignore it. They were all approaching Level 40 and needed to prepare for their Class Advancement. Trial Crystals and Skill Crystals were the absolute priorities for that transition. A Skill Crystal that synced with one's Class could double a warrior's strength.

  "Manager, do you actually sell Skill Crystals here?" Fei Xue asked urgently. This was of vital importance to them.

  "I have some, but not many," Kael nodded, taking down the remaining two Skill Stones. These were minor items the System had rewarded him for quests long ago, and they had sat unsold until now. Mostly because Kael had tucked them away in a corner where no one noticed.

  "Wow, Manager, you just leave Skill Crystals sitting out on the shelves like that? Aren't you afraid of trouble?" You Jiu asked, stunned.

  Unlike the pills and weapons they’d seen before, Skill Crystals were universally recognized treasures. Usually, only the largest trade federations or merchant unions sold them, and powerful skills were typically sent to high-end auctions.

  The Brave-rank skills used by Blood Wolf (Burst) or Tiger Hunt (Heavy Cleave) were actually quite common. But even those basic skills were enough to make one a top mercenary leader and the other a famous solo hunter. The skills in Kael’s shop were bound to be even more extraordinary.

  The girls didn't believe for a second that Kael would stock "trash" skills to fill space.

  "What's there to be afraid of? If anyone wants to cause trouble, let them come," Kael waved a hand dismissively.

  "You certainly are... carefree. Can I see them?" Fei Xue didn't dwell on the security risks. If trouble came, it was Kael’s problem. Besides, after seeing him manhandle a Class-rank Flame Magic Wolf in the forest, she doubted anyone in Cloud Mist City was brave enough to start a fight in his shop.