A loud, bustling noise filled the air as Silas found himself standing in a lively marketplace. He glanced down at his hands—short, thick, and covered in callouses.


    Did I turn into a dwarf?


    Amused, he looked around. The tavern was full of life. Dwarves sat at long wooden tables, gripping massive jugs of ale, while a group of dwarven women sang merrily in the center of the hall. On one side, blacksmiths wielding hammers as tall as themselves pounded rhythmically on anvils, their strikes ringing like drumbeats. The clang of metal blended seamlessly with the singers’ voices, creating a mesmerizing harmony.


    <blockquote>


    For stone and steel, we are the kings


    The world will shake under our mighty swings


    Hammer and anvil, our closest kin,


    But ale and rum—we’ll drink them in!


    One toast to the brave,


    Another toast to the dead below!


    Fill your cups, march to the drum—


    The mighty dwarven legion is coming for your rum!


    </blockquote>


    "Aww, the famous Dwarven Tavern!" Nina’s excited voice chimed as she floated around Silas. "I never thought I''d get to visit this place in my lifetime!"


    The whole tavern roared with cheer. Some dwarves sang, others swung their cups left and right, sloshing ale onto the floor.


    Even Silas felt his exhaustion fade. For a moment, all the battles and killings he''d experienced seemed to disappear. The sheer energy of the place made him want to join in, to sing and drink alongside them.


    But he had business to take care of.


    At the far end of the tavern, he spotted a counter where a dwarven woman stood beneath a wooden sign labeled Reception.


    "Miss, I’d like to forge a grimoire," Silas said as he approached. "I saw the advertisement about a 20% discount—do I need to book an appointment?"


    The receptionist''s eyes lit up. A big customer!


    "You''re in luck, sir! The discount ends today. Normally, forging a grimoire for the first time costs 100,000 universal points, but with the discount, it’ll be just 80,000." She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. "The high price comes from the rare resources needed to forge a first-time grimoire, but the cost includes all materials, and such discount I bet no one will be able to provide"


    "It''ll take a week to complete. You can either pay in advance or when you pick it up," she continued. "Also, if you''re interested in weapons, we have a showroom just across the hall where you can browse or commission custom work."


    Silas nodded. That suited him just fine. He signed the contract and deposited the dungeon core. As for the remaining 80,000 points… two dungeon clears would be enough to cover it.


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    Turning his attention to Nina, he wondered what she was up to—


    On the other side of the tavern, four pixies sat around a massive table, each with a comically large jug of ale, big enough to drown them. One of them, her face flushed red, hiccuped intermittently.


    "You know… hicc… young master just jumped—so high! Hic—he pulled out his spear and—hic—he was so massive, the whole dungeon shook! BOOM!" Nina reenacted dramatically, nearly toppling over.


    The other pixies leaned in, listening with wide eyes.


    "And then… the spider monster got scared—it tried to run underground! But I was there! Hic! I pulled out my bow—hic—and nailed it to the ground! Helped young master kill it! He was so impressed, he… he even shared his profit with me! You know… 15%!"


    A stunned silence followed. The other pixies’ jaws dropped.


    Their basic pay? 100 universal points per year. A 5% increase annually.


    "You know," Nina added with a smug grin, "young master even promised to buy me a house!"


    A sharp intake of breath.


    A house? That was beyond extravagant!


    They turned to glance at their own masters—who were currently locked in a heated argument with a shopkeeper, desperately haggling over a measly five nether stones.


    Some pixies felt their eyes turn green with envy.


    Meanwhile, Nina stood tall, hands on her hips, nose held high, proudly basking in their admiration. At some point, she even stood on the table to reenact her "glorious" battle.


    Silas, listening from the corner, could only roll his eyes.


    You asked for a room, and now it’s a whole mansion?


    And pinning the spider down? Helping him kill it? Yeah, right.


    Still, seeing her happily showing off, he decided to let her be. She’d automatically teleport back with him when he left anyway. No harm in letting her have her fun.


    With that settled, he turned toward the weapon showroom. He had heard that they accepted nether stones as payment, and he had a decent amount stockpiled. This was a rare chance to get a legendary dwarven weapon.


    The exchange rate of nether stones to universal points was 100 points per stone. However, no one ever exchanged points for nether stones—universal points were far more valuable.


    As Silas walked toward the showroom, he suddenly sensed something.


    From the corner of her eye, Nina spotted him moving.


    Young master is trying to sneak off without me?!


    Completely forgetting that she had been the one ignoring him while bragging, she immediately shot up.


    "Okay, guys! Looks like my young master is done with his business. I’ll be heading out now!" Nina waved at the other pixies. "Tell my mom and dad not to worry—I’m doing great!"


    With that, she fluttered off after Silas.


    "Riyu, do you think Nina was telling the truth?" one of the pixies whispered.


    Riyu hesitated. "Maybe… who knows? Good for her, I guess."


    "But it’s only been a few days! So lucky…"


    Reeza tugged at Riyu’s sleeve. "Come on, let’s follow them! Our masters are still arguing, and we’re bored anyway. Let’s see what they’re buying!"


    With that, the two pixies quietly slipped after Silas and Nina, curiosity sparkling in their eyes.


    Nina, meanwhile, finally caught up, pouting.


    "Young master! You forgot me and went shopping alone!" She crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks in mock anger.


    Silas sighed. "I didn''t forget you. You were too busy bragging about your ‘great accomplishments.’"


    Nina huffed. "Well, I was telling the truth!"


    Silas raised an eyebrow. "Oh, about how you pinned down the spider?"


    Nina’s face turned slightly red. "Ahem! Let’s focus on weapons, young master!"


    Silas smirked but let it slide. "Fine. Let’s go."


    And with that, the two of them stepped into the legendary dwarven weapon showroom.