Morning sunlight illuminated the beautiful landscape of Noah's Personal Dimension.
Noah stood outside his mansion, adjusting his black coat. His golden eyes briefly glanced towards the distant mountains before he opened a golden portal.
"Time to see what Silverbrook has to offer."
He stepped through the portal and appeared inside the small clearing where he had previously entered his Personal Dimension.
The surrounding forest was quiet. Birds chirped between the trees, and sunlight filtered through the thick canopy.
Noah checked his equipment.
His Primordial Spatial Ring was on his right index finger, and his Voidstep Boots were comfortably fitted to his feet.
Everything was ready.
He began walking towards Silverbrook Town.
Thanks to his improved control over spatial energy, he could occasionally use short Voidsteps to cover large distances. However, he decided to walk for most of the journey.
After approximately forty minutes, the town's wooden walls appeared in the distance.
The guards at the entrance immediately noticed his unusual appearance.
One of them stared at his black-and-golden horns.
"Welcome back, sir."
Noah nodded.
"Morning."
The guard hesitated before asking, "May I ask if you're truly a dragon?"
Noah glanced at him.
"That's right."
The guard's expression changed slightly.
"A real dragon..."
His companion elbowed him.
"Don't stare! Let him pass."
Noah chuckled quietly and continued through the gate.
Unlike yesterday, the streets were already crowded. Merchants were arranging their stalls, adventurers were gathering near the guild, and horse-drawn carriages moved through the busy roads.
Noah headed directly towards the Adventurers Guild.
Silverbrook Adventurers Guild
The guild hall was considerably busier than during his previous visit.
Several adventurers were discussing quests, while others were negotiating payments with receptionists.
Noah approached the counter.
The same receptionist from before recognized him.
"Welcome back, Noah. Do you need another quest?"
"Not today. I have some materials to sell."
"Certainly. Please follow me to the appraisal counter."
She called a staff member, who guided Noah towards a separate room.
Inside, a middle-aged man wearing glasses was examining several magical items.
"Guild Appraiser, Marcus," the receptionist introduced him. "He will evaluate your materials."
Marcus looked up.
"Welcome. What would you like appraised?"
Noah placed several storage containers on the counter.
"Monster materials, herbs, and a few magical resources."
Marcus nodded and began examining them.
First came the Green Wolf materials.
Appraisal Results
- Green Wolf Magic Core ×5 — 8 Gold Coins each.
- Green Wolf Hide ×5 — 3 Gold Coins each.
- Green Wolf Fang Pair ×5 — 1 Gold Coin each.
- Moonleaf Herbs ×18 — 3 Silver Coins each.
Marcus calculated the total.
"That comes to 60 Gold Coins and 54 Silver Coins."
Noah nodded.
"Continue."
Next, Noah presented the Cave Stone Drake materials.
Marcus picked up one of the scales and examined it carefully.
"These are from a Cave Stone Drake. A fairly dangerous magical creature."
He inspected the remaining items.
- Cave Stone Drake Magic Core ×1 — 85 Gold Coins.
- Stone Drake Scales ×42 — 2 Gold Coins each.
- Stone Drake Horns ×2 — 12 Gold Coins each.
- Stone Drake Claws ×4 — 5 Gold Coins each.
The total was 203 Gold Coins.
Marcus looked at Noah.
"These are excellent-quality materials. Did you hunt the creature yourself?"
"Yes."
"Impressive. A Stone Drake is not something ordinary F-rank adventurers should approach."
Noah simply smiled. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
"Anything else?"
Marcus nodded.
"That concludes the appraisal."
[Total Appraised Value]
Green Wolf Materials and Herbs: 60 Gold Coins, 54 Silver Coins.
Cave Stone Drake Materials: 203 Gold Coins.
Grand Total: 263 Gold Coins, 54 Silver Coins.
Noah accepted the payment.
His guild card was updated with the transaction.
[Guild Account Updated.]
Available Balance: 263 Gold Coins, 54 Silver Coins.
Marcus handed him a receipt.
"Please remember that the guild also purchases rare magical resources. If you discover anything unusual, our specialists can evaluate it."
"Good to know."
Noah left the appraisal room.
He wasn't particularly interested in selling everything he collected. The moonstone ore, mana crystals, and rare flower were far more useful to keep for now.
After leaving the guild, he decided to visit the merchant district.
Silverbrook Merchant District
The merchant district occupied a large section of the town.
Rows of shops lined both sides of the streets. Some sold weapons and armor, others dealt in magical equipment, herbs, potions, enchanted accessories, books, and rare materials.
There were also banks, auction brokers, caravan companies, and luxury establishments.
Noah slowly walked through the district.
A weapon shop caught his attention.
Its sign displayed a silver sword surrounded by flames.
Inside, dozens of weapons were displayed on wooden racks.
A muscular dwarf stood behind the counter.
"Welcome! Looking for a weapon?"
Noah examined a few swords.
The shopkeeper introduced himself as Borin, a dwarf merchant from the Mountain Federation.
"These are some of my finest products. Iron swords, steel blades, enchanted weapons, and even a few mithril pieces."
Noah picked up a beautifully crafted silver sword.
[System Analysis]
Item: Silversteel Longsword
Grade: Uncommon
Material: Silversteel Alloy
Durability: Good
Special Properties: Minor mana conductivity
Estimated Value: 18 Gold Coins.
Noah returned it to the rack.
He already possessed abilities capable of destroying most ordinary weapons, so purchasing a sword wasn't necessary.
Still, the shop contained interesting craftsmanship.
After a few minutes, he left and visited a magical equipment store.
The shop sold rings, necklaces, bracelets, protective charms, and enchanted clothing.
Noah examined several pieces, but nothing particularly interested him.
He continued exploring.
Soon, he arrived at a bookstore.
The shop was considerably quieter than the surrounding establishments.
Its shelves were filled with books about geography, magical theory, ancient civilizations, monster classifications, and historical records.
Noah immediately became interested.
"Welcome, young customer," an elderly human woman greeted him. "Looking for anything particular?"
"Books about ancient civilizations and historical ruins."
The woman's expression brightened.
"Then you've come to the right place."
She guided him towards a shelf.
Noah found several interesting titles:
- The Lost Civilizations of Aetherion — 4 Gold Coins.
- Ancient Ruins and Forgotten Kingdoms — 6 Gold Coins.
- A History of the Great Dragon Era — 8 Gold Coins.
- The Seven Ancient Catastrophes — 5 Gold Coins.
He purchased all four.
[Purchase Complete]
System Gold Coins Deducted: 23,000.
Noah stored the books inside his Primordial Spatial Ring.
The old woman watched him with surprise.
"You're quite interested in history."
"I like learning about the world."
"A good habit. Especially in a world like Aetherion."
"Actually, there's something you might find interesting."
Noah looked at her.
"What's that?"
"Recently, a merchant caravan returned from the northern trade route. They reported discovering an ancient stone structure near the ruins of an abandoned settlement."
"An ancient structure?"
"Yes. According to their description, it was partially buried beneath a hillside. The stones were covered in strange symbols, and the entire area was surrounded by unusual magical energy."
Noah became interested.
"Where exactly?"
The woman retrieved a map and pointed towards a region north of Silverbrook.
"It's approximately seventy kilometers from here. The abandoned settlement was once called Greywatch."
"Greywatch?"
"An old mining settlement. It was abandoned almost two hundred years ago after several mysterious disappearances."
She lowered her voice slightly.
"Some people believe the area is cursed. Others think an ancient underground dungeon lies beneath it."
Noah smiled.
"Sounds interesting."
"Be careful if you decide to visit. The nearby wilderness is considerably more dangerous than Verdant Moon Forest."
He purchased the map for 2 Gold Coins and thanked her.
Before leaving, he also purchased a few additional books about regional geography and monster classifications.
Additional Purchases
- Northern Valtherion Regional Geography ×1 — 3 Gold Coins.
- Advanced Monster Classification ×1 — 5 Gold Coins.
- Magical Resource Identification ×1 — 4 Gold Coins.
Noah now had a much better understanding of the surrounding region.
He left the bookstore and continued walking through the merchant district.
Eventually, he reached a large building with an elegant golden sign.
Silverbrook Merchant Bank
Inside, several employees were managing transactions for merchants and adventurers.
Noah approached the counter.
"I'd like to open an account."
The employee explained the bank's services, including deposits, withdrawals, merchant transfers, and secured storage.
Noah decided to deposit his recently earned physical coins.
He handed over 263 Gold Coins and 54 Silver Coins.
The employee counted everything and issued him a magical account card.
[Silverbrook Merchant Bank]
Account Holder: Noah
Deposited Balance: 263 Gold Coins, 54 Silver Coins.
The System's gold remained separate from ordinary currency, but Noah now had enough local money to purchase whatever he needed around town.
After leaving the bank, he checked the time.
The sun was already beginning to descend.
He had spent nearly the entire day exploring Silverbrook.
Noah looked towards the northern horizon.
Somewhere beyond those distant hills was Greywatch, an abandoned settlement hiding an ancient structure.
"Seventy kilometers. That's not particularly far."
He opened the System interface.
[Daily Mission Progress]
Explore the world beyond Verdant Moon Forest.
Current Progress: 1/1.
[Mission Completed!]
[Rewards Received]
- Evolution Points ×3,000.
- System Gold Coins ×50,000.
- Random Skill Chest ×1.
[Updated Resources]
Evolution Points: 120,800.
System Gold Coins: 1,352,000.
Noah stored the skill chest without opening it.
He preferred to open rewards when he had enough time to examine them properly.
For now, he wanted to return to his Personal Dimension.
He found a quiet alley away from the busy streets and opened a spatial portal.
Before stepping through, he glanced once more towards the northern horizon.
Greywatch.
An abandoned settlement, a mysterious ancient structure, and possibly an underground dungeon.
It sounded like a worthwhile destination.
Noah stepped through the portal.
Tomorrow, he would begin another adventure.
End of Chapter 8