Tower of Paradise

Chapter 60: The merchant

I violently gasped. The feeling of suffocation invaded me as I struggled to breathe. Ironic, I thought, of all the possible ways to die, I almost succumbed to drowning.

Everything was going according to plan until I made the decision to throw myself into the healing pond. I nearly became a water ghost, a rather pathetic death to tell the truth.

I quickly analyzed my surroundings, observing how the supposedly healing pond had acquired an intense scarlet tone. By its appearance, it looked more like a hellish lava pond than a healing fountain.

I performed a quick diagnosis of my condition. My wounds were almost completely healed, which meant that, despite the drowning inconvenience, the pond had fulfilled its main purpose. I let out a brief cry as I concentrated on the task of extracting, one by one, the arrows embedded in my body.

Blood flowed from my open wounds as I methodically removed each arrow from my naked body. Fortunately, the regenerative power of the spring acted instantly, closing each wound as soon as I released the projectile. Despite this, I felt how my extremities became heavy, dragged down by an exhaustion that I shouldn't be experiencing if the healing had been complete.

A message suddenly appeared on my retina. "Enter," I responded quietly, activating the teleportation sequence to the waiting room. As the system processed my command, bright lights enveloped my body and I experienced the familiar sensation of weightlessness characteristic of the teleportation process.

I felt how something that had been compressing my airways in the depths of my chest gradually unwound, allowing me to breathe more easily.

Upon opening my eyes, I found myself in a strange yet vaguely familiar environment. The place bore some resemblance to the waiting room on the first floor, but with notable differences.

The floor and walls were covered with finely carved stone that looked like high-quality marble. It was an austere interior space, lacking superfluous decorations, with the exception of two peculiar doors located on the side walls and a spatial anomaly—a floating hole similar to a black hole—positioned at the end of the room. The other Ascendants had begun to refer to this anomaly simply as "Portal."

I walked around the room with cautious steps, carefully examining the side doors. On the left wall, a door displayed the word "shower" engraved above its lintel. I decided to ignore it, as my attention was immediately captured by the door on the right wall, which had the word "shop" inscribed.

Without hesitating too much, I approached the right door and placed my hand on the doorknob, pushing it to reveal what was behind.

The room that was revealed before me was, to say the least, unusual. The space was considerably smaller than the previous room, but what really caught my attention and gave me a strange sensation was the figure that was inside.

That entity didn't resemble anything I had seen before. The similarity between a ghost of death and the figure in front of me was notable, almost disturbing. The irony was that the system simply identified it as "the merchant."

This merchant kept his arms together in front of his body, and wore a dark gray robe that covered his head and half of his face. The most unsettling thing was that, where there should have been a face, there was only emptiness, interrupted only by two blue eyes that shone with a sinister light. From my perspective, the robe seemed to form the silhouette of a dark gray heart due to the posture maintained by the merchant. On the floor, the robe moved unnaturally, as if it was composed of living shadows, while gray smoke continuously emanated from it.

Thanks to the information provided by my Successor's Eyes, I knew that merchants never spoke and that, in essence, they were like empty holograms without true physical existence.

However, this did not mean that Ascendants could touch them without consequences. I perfectly remembered the case of a careless one who, in the past, had tried to introduce his hand into a merchant's body. The result: half of his arm instantly torn off. The conclusion was simple: the reckless were destined to die quickly in this place.

I was aware that merchants did not appear on all floors, which made this encounter an opportunity that I had to take advantage of. Maintaining a prudent distance, I addressed the entity:

— Show me the different items you have. —The items could be anything, from weapons to enchanted objects. The tower's items were especially a blessing: weightless and undetectable, capable of being summoned from nowhere with a simple thought, an item was incredibly useful. Additionally, unlike corporeal things, I could bring it back with me to the real world. The advantage of having something like this in the outskirts was difficult to overestimate.

The merchant responded by stretching his long arm, and in the folds of his dark gray robe, gray swirls began to form that gave rise to almost a dozen items of various colors and designs.

The buying process with the merchant was surprisingly simple, as each Ascendant could instantly know the detailed information of the objects just by looking at them. The displayed list included dozens of articles, each and every one with extraordinary effects. The obvious problem was, of course, the prices: incredibly absurd, outrageous, and prohibitive.

Crazy..., I thought, containing the urge to curse out loud. Just by observing the "Divine Elixirs" I already knew everything I needed to know about the situation.

Were they serious? Wasn't this a way of mocking me, showing such powerful and desirable objects only to then point out their unattainable price? I could almost imagine the system laughing: "Look how expensive it is! Kekeke!"

Who in their right mind can afford such expensive things? But despite my frustration, I couldn't help but be interested in certain articles, especially the first and fifth on the list.

"Ambrosia" was supposedly a "drop" of morning dew with the power to force the evolution of an awakened ability to the next level. As for the Divine Elixirs, they were miraculous medicines capable of significantly increasing physical statistics. Their prices seemed relatively reasonable compared to other items, although they were still absurdly high for anyone's resources.

I meticulously read the information for each item, focusing exclusively on those that could be useful to me in my current situation. It was time to use what I had managed to save until now: 30 soul fragments, to be exact.

[Vitale Resurgens (D+)]

[Description: A potion that possesses a small healing effect capable of granting a little vitality to the consumer. Price: 60 SF]

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, it was too expensive, so I would have to wait.

I meditated for a few minutes, carefully weighing each option. The decision was not simple, considering the limitations of my resources and the importance of investing them wisely.

— Give me that one there. —I finally indicated, pointing to my first choice.

[Enchanted Mask (E)]

[Description: A mask that can change the user's voice, turning it into a rich baritone. Because it has several spirits trapped inside, its mere use will release a strange aura and allow the user to identify part of its presence. Once you put it on, it will be difficult to take off. If damaged, it can be restored by absorbing more souls. Price: 10 SF]

I continued with my selections:

[Shadow Cloak (E)]

[Description: An armor that has a very light weight and excellent resistance and durability that can easily bounce off any normal sword. Price: 10 SF]

[Robust Spear (F)]

[Description: Although it has no special characteristics, it is resistant to magical damage. Price: 5 SF]

[Rusty Dagger (G)]

[Description: Its name says it all, not much help. Price: 1 SF]

Upon completing my purchases, I felt the immediate impact on my resources. It was surprisingly easy to spend what had cost me so much effort to accumulate.

[Soul Fragments: 4]

I sighed resignedly as I contemplated my remaining balance and summoned my new acquisitions to examine them in more detail.

The mask instantly covered my entire face, with no holes for the mouth or nose, predominantly white with a peculiar blue touch on the right eye.

I observed how dark gray garments wrapped around my body, complemented by a pair of high leather boots with soft soles. Dressed in this combination of gray fabric and lusterless leather, I experienced an immediate sensation of greater security and protection.

Suddenly, the merchant extended his hand toward me, interrupting my thoughts.

A canteen and a rectangular package wrapped in paper appeared before me. I understood that the food and water were a courtesy of the merchant, an unexpected gesture that made me wonder if these entities had some kind of protocol to take care of their clients.

I decided not to delve into these speculations and exited the merchant's room with the newly acquired supplies.

Once outside, I sat on the cold floor next to the door with my legs crossed. I opened the package with curiosity, checking its contents.

I wasn't sure about the type of meat that the merchant had provided me, which initially made me doubt about consuming it.

However, after giving it a cautious first bite, my eyes opened in surprise at its exquisite taste. Without realizing it, I quickly devoured the rest. It was truly delicious, exceeding my expectations.

After finishing the meal, I emptied the contents of the canteen, feeling how the fresh liquid renewed my energy. I got up, ready to face the next challenge, and headed toward the portal.