The Realm Between: A LitRPG Saga (Books 7 - 10), page 86
Aside from the kingdom cities, very few places had a smithy. Who knew when Azure would get another chance like this? He’d already allowed too many items to perish because of his negligence.
Though he still wasn’t sure whether he was making the right choice, Azure decided to leave all his armor behind, plus his Zweihander of Vengeance.
The blacksmith gave him a queer look as he saw Azure standing in his smallclothes.
“Are you really going to leave here like that?” He finally turned to abandon the bellows and walk over to examine everything Azure had placed on the table.
“You wouldn’t happen to know if there’s a clothier nearby, would you?” Azure gave a nervous laugh.
The blacksmith shook his head and mumbled under his breath, “Some strange birds be coming through Hadel lately.” Then he said to Azure, “Go down Ashland Passage and take a right. On the corner of Ashland and Duke, you’ll find a merchant cart set up. Quolen will take good care of you if you tell him I sent ya. He’s the only gnome on that corner. If you see a woman there, don’t give her your business. She’s a bitch and a swindler.”
While Azure was grateful for the information, he still had one question. “And who do I say sent me?”
“The name’s Corey.”
“Thank you, Corey.” Azure stared at his items, still reluctant to leave such expensive equipment behind. “How long will it take for you to fix all this?”
“People don’t usually leave this much stuff behind,” the blacksmith confessed. “It will take me at least until noon tomorrow.”
That response only made Azure feel more nervous. All his items could easily be sold by then.
“I take payment in advance.” Corey held out his palm.
“Of course.” Azure shook his negative thoughts away and paid the man 5 gold and 2 silver. It was a small sum to part with to ensure that his gear didn’t break apart in the field.
Taking his leave so that the blacksmith could get right to work, Azure followed the man’s directions and shortly found himself standing in front of the smallest merchant cart he’d ever seen.
Most gnome merchants in The Realm touted around human-sized carts, using sets of wooden steps to work behind them. This man, however, had not gone to such lengths. His cart was just the perfect height for him, which meant that Azure would have to crouch down to look at his wares.
The gnome had seen him coming from a mile away. In fact, everyone Azure had passed paused to stare at him. It was quite uncommon to see a man walking around in his undergarments, even in The Deathlands.
“What can I do you for?” Quolen asked in the same nasally voice that Azure had come to associate with gnome speech, refusing to make eye contact.
The gnome looked to be around Corey’s age. He had a mop of unruly grey hair, bright blue eyes set deep in their sockets, plump cheeks, and a round face. His fingers were hooked inside the straps of a pair of brown suspenders, the blue shirt beneath pressed flush against his chest.
“Corey said you could help me find some clothes.” Azure was already busy sorting through the array of garments that the gnome had on display.
For funsies, he decided to try the bribe technique. Now that he’d done his part in finding an item of concealment, saving back money wasn’t quite so important. “Here’s a gold, if you have any stock not on the table.” Azure nonchalantly flipped a coin to Quolen.
Between the name drop and the free gold, the gnome seemed more than eager to show Azure his better items. Among them were the following:
Brawler’s Magic Cloak
Defense: +26
Vitality: +14
Intelligence: +10
Strength: +15
Agility: +20
Dexterity: +10
Charisma: +14
Luck: +16
Type: Light Armor
Durability: 79/80
Item Class: Common
Quality: Good
Weight: 2.3 kg
Traits: +10% resistance to Cold, +10% resistance to Fire, +10% resistance to Disease, +10% resistance to Poison, +10% resistance to Magic Damage, +1% Mana Regeneration, +1% Spell Damage
Uses: Automatically casts Spell Extension III anytime the wearer casts a spell. Spell Extension III extends the duration of any effects of the spell by 15%. Consumes 1 Durability per use
Mage’s Shoulderpads of Mana Preservation
Defense: +19
Vitality: +14
Intelligence: +5
Strength: +13
Agility: +13
Dexterity: +20
Charisma: +18
Luck: +8
Type: Medium Armor
Durability: 6/80
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 1.3 kg
Traits: +7% resistance to Cold, +15% resistance to Fire, +7% resistance to Disease, +14% resistance to Poison, +10% resistance to Magic Damage, +2% Attack, +1% HP Regeneration
Uses: Automatically casts Mana Preservation III anytime the wearer casts a spell. Mana Preservation III reduces the Mana cost of spells by 10%. Consumes 1 Durability per use
Pressed Cloth Sandals of Vitality
Defense: +5
Vitality: +30
Intelligence: +3
Strength: +3
Agility: +3
Dexterity: +3
Charisma: +3
Luck: +8
Type: Medium Armor
Durability: 5/15
Item Class: Common
Quality: Exquisite
Weight: 1.8 kg
Traits: +2% resistance to Cold, +2% resistance to Fire, +2% resistance to Disease, +2% resistance to Poison, +2% resistance to Magic Damage
Ornate Cloth Robe
Defense: +5
Vitality: +15
Intelligence: +6
Strength: +7
Agility: +7
Dexterity: +15
Charisma: +8
Luck: +16
Type: Medium Armor
Durability: 5/15
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 2.2 kg
Traits: +9% resistance to Cold, +4% resistance to Fire, +8% resistance to Disease, +8% resistance to Poison, +8% resistance to Magic Damage, +3% HP Regeneration, +3% Mana Regeneration
Mage’s Robe of Mana Preservation
Defense: +8
Vitality: +3
Intelligence: +3
Strength: +3
Agility: +3
Dexterity: +3
Charisma: +3
Luck: +3
Type: Medium Armor
Durability: 18/25
Item Class: Common
Quality: Poor
Weight: 2.1 kg
Traits: +3% resistance to Cold, +3% resistance to Fire, +3% resistance to Disease, +3% resistance to Magic Damage
Uses: Automatically casts Mana Preservation III anytime the wearer casts a spell. Mana Preservation III reduces the Mana cost of spells by 10%. Consumes 1 Durability per use
All the items had him oohing and aahing and itching to spend money, but he was most interested in the Brawler’s Magic Cloak.
“How much for all of it?” Azure asked, wishing the prices were displayed so that he didn’t have to constantly inquire.
“Let me do the math.” Quolen scratched his cheek and thought for a moment. “I’ll give you the whole lot at a discount of 575 gold.”
He would have gawked if he had meant to purchase all of it.
“I meant for each individual piece,” Azure clarified, “though now that you’ve told me how much it all is as a whole, I’m better off inquiring about the ones I really want. Let’s start with the Brawler’s Magic Cloak.”
“60 gold,” the gnome responded quickly.
Azure hummed, considering his options. While he could afford the cloak, perhaps he’d get better use out of something else that Quolen had to offer. The HP and Mana regenerating properties of the Ornate Cloth Robe were pretty sweet. Plus, a robe was guaranteed to clothe him from head to foot.
Speaking of feet, now that Azure had left his Black Wolf Boots with Corey, he also needed the sandals. The +30 to Vitality they offered would be a huge boost, especially when combined with one of the other items.
“How much for the Ornate Cloth Robe and Pressed Cloth Sandals of Vitality?” He decided that the other items weren’t important enough to ask about.
“The Ornate Cloth Robe is 64 gold, and the Pressed Cloth Sandals of Vitality are 322 gold,” the gnome replied.
“322 gold!” Azure could not hide his astonishment.
The sandals made up most of the cost of the entire lot!
“They’re exquisitely crafted. You won’t find a nicer pair in all The Realm. Of that, I can assure you,” Quolen told him unapologetically.
Taking another look at the sandals’ Quality, Azure realized that had been a huge oversight on his part. Still, he couldn’t believe they were possibly worth that much.
“You’re the merchant; you set the prices,” he said with a sigh, realizing how rude it sounded after the words had left his mouth.
If the gnome was offended, he didn’t show it. Nor did he lower the price.
Azure definitely would not be leaving with the sandals. Even with all the coin he had in reserve, he couldn’t afford them.
That just left the Ornate Cloth Robe and the Brawler’s Magic Cloak to decide between. While Azure had enough money for both, he felt like spending so much would be irresponsible.
“I’ll take the Brawler’s Magic Cloak,” Azure decided finally.
While he needed the robe, the cloak had much better perks. If he had bought the Ornate Cloth Robe, it would have needed to be repaired anyway, and he didn’t really feel like making another trip back to Corey and adding even more work to his plate.
Though the idea of walking around Hadel as Captain Underpants was amusing, Azure still needed more garments to shield his nakedness, so he picked from the merchant’s cheaper, public items for the rest of his garb, spending 71 gold and 1 silver in total.
You have received the following items:
Cloth Sandals
Defense: +1
Type: Light Armor
Durability: 17/21
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0.5 kg
Cloudy Silk Robe
Defense: +6
Agility: +1
Type: Light Armor
Durability: 34/35
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0.4 kg
The robe was a few steps up from the cheaper ones that Quolen had for sale.
Admittedly, Azure had bought it because he thought it was cool-looking. Form-fitting to his chest thanks to buttons that stopped at his waist, most of the robe was the shade of an overcast sky. From the waist down, there was a black stripe racing along the seams. The bell sleeves were ringed in white, and the collar stuck up behind Azure, making him look like a proper mage.
It matched well with his new Brawler’s Magic Cloak, which was also grey, albeit a bit of a darker shade.
The entire ensemble fit him like a glove, the only thing lacking in visual appeal being the Cloth Sandals, which were about as plain as sandals could get.
Walking toward The Alchemists Guild with newly found pep in his step from a decision well made, Azure thought that he’d trade in his Black Wolf Cape for the Brawler’s Magic Cloak once he got his armor back from Corey. It was definitely a big improvement. Azure was able to treat himself to things he really wanted so rarely. Maybe The Deathlands wasn’t so bad after all. The shopping was certainly much better here than anywhere else he’d been in The Realm.
The Alchemists Guild was situated in the middle of Hadel in a less than impressive boxy metal building. If not for the fact that it was marked on his map, Azure could have easily passed it by. Stamped into the side of the building were the words ‘The Alchemists Guild,’ the only form of signage.
The line reaching out the door was far more impressive.
Part of Azure wished he’d come earlier instead of seeking out the smithy first, but it was too late for that. He simply filed into the line and waited, Analyzing people as they walked past.
By the time Azure made it into the building, the sun was already on its descent for the day. Unfortunately, the inside of The Alchemists Guild was equally as disappointing as the outside. There was a circular counter at the back of the room with two people working behind it, one a dwarven man, the other a human woman. A sign hung above each one. The woman appeared to be taking care of New Alchemist Registration and Reward Pick-Up, a sign so long it took up two rows of lettering, while the dwarf was handling Quest Assignment.
No one was in the line for registration, which made Azure think the woman should have been helping the dwarf hand out quests. He wasn’t going to bother voicing that, though. Instead, Azure skipped the line he was in to speak to her, seeing as he only had a question.
“New Alchemist Registration?” she asked in the most monotone voice he had ever heard from a woman.
Her appearance was as gloomy as her demeanor. Silver, oily hair was swept forward over the woman’s right eye as if she was trying to use it to hide her skinny, pale face. Tired amber eyes peered at Azure as if she’d been working for twenty-four hours straight. While the smattering of freckles on the woman’s face gave her a youthful appearance, everything else about her seemed old, from her thin, frail arms to the drooping brown sackcloth dress she wore patterned in gaudy yellow flowers.
“Just a question,” he replied.
“Are you a registered Alchemist?” The woman’s eyes reached his, finally looking at him instead of through him.
“Well, no,” Azure hesitated.
“Then go ask your question somewhere else,” she said coldly before gazing past him and shouting, “Next!”
Azure turned to see if anyone was behind him, but there wasn’t.
“You don’t seem very busy.” He rotated back around to speak to her with a furrowed brow.
“Oh Gods, what’s your question?” the woman said with evident exasperation from having to deal with him.
“I purchased these Alchemy recipes the other day,” Azure began digging them out of his Worn Leather Backpack. “One produced a Failed Potion, and the other did the same on my second attempt.” He flattened the scrolls out onto the counter.
“And?” If an annoyed glance could kill someone, Azure would have been dead on the spot.
“And I wanted to know what I’m doing wrong. Am I doing anything wrong, or is this one recipe just bunk?” he clarified before he pushed the recipe for the Potion of Mutism over to her.
The woman scanned over the recipe for a moment before using her fingertips to nudge it back toward Azure. “It’s a legit recipe.”
“Then why did it fail?” He scrunched up his face.
“What’s your level in Alchemy?” she asked plainly.
Azure had to take a moment to check before responding. “7.”
“That’s why,” the woman immediately replied.
“So, my level is too low?”
“Aren’t you a genius.” She glared at him.
“You’re awfully rude.” Azure scowled.
“And you’re awfully wasting my time,” the woman countered. “If you want to learn more about Alchemy, register. If you don’t, then get out of my line.” She pointed toward the door.
He inhaled a breath, praying for patience.
Now knowing that his Alchemy level was too low to craft the Potion of Mutism, the fact that he’d had issues duplicating the Potion of Medium Healing told him that his level was probably barely high enough to make that one.
“Why aren’t there level requirements on Alchemy recipes?” Azure ignored her, asking another question anyway.
“Are you both deaf and dumb?” The woman gawked at him. “Register or get out. I won’t tell you again.” She reached under the counter for something, and though he had no idea what she was grabbing for, he did not doubt it was something to expel him from the room.
“I’ll register,” Azure acquiesced finally. “Will you answer my questions if I register?” He wanted to make damn sure that he wasn’t wasting his time.
“Register and find out.” A sardonic grin crossed her face. “Credentials!”
Zuladur Zalaahoku is requesting to join your party. Will you accept?
Azure accepted and watched as the woman began jotting down his information in a ledger sitting in front of her. As she did, she spoke. “Since you are clearly a moron, let me explain how things work here. Alchemists are divided into five groups: Novice, which is what you are,” Zuladur glanced up at him for a fraction of a second before continuing writing, “Apprentice, Adept, Expert, and Master. You don’t get any fancy mark on your Character Sheet like you do at The Adventurers Guild,” she said with distaste, “you just are based on what your level is in Alchemy. The higher your level, the more complex potions you’ll be able to create, which is why you failed to make the Potion of Mutism. That is a Master level potion. You are not a Master anything.” Zuladur added the last part to drive the sting in.
“You will reach Apprentice rank at level 25. Don’t concern yourself with anything beyond that. I doubt you’ll get that far anyway,” she said dryly. “Being an Alchemist is a labor of patience. Most don’t make it past Novice. It’s not exactly a thrilling profession. Not like being an Adventurer.” Zuladur looked up and made loopy eyes.
Man, this woman really hates Adventurers.
“Well, I got kicked out of The Adventurers Guild, so I have all the time in the world to do boring things,” Azure told her, trying to gain some favor and kindness.
It didn’t work. She simply looked at him with more scorn. “You must be execrable to get kicked out of The Adventurers Guild.”
His eyes were lines in their sockets as he stared at her. While Azure didn’t know what execrable meant, he knew it had to be something bad.
“What do I do now?” he asked
