"Don't miss out! Only 100,000 blood crystals and a fifth-level monster core to take it home!"
"Gold-tier broadsword! Gold-tier armor!"
"Magic potions on sale now! Full variety, bulk discounts available!"
"Freshly harvested spiritual materials—limited supply!"
"Level 5 monster hide! Ideal for crafting magical artifacts! What are you waiting for?"
"Food! Tons of food for sale!"
The streets of the City of Gods were packed with noise, energy, and chaos. It was less a sacred city and more like a raucous marketplace, with players shouting over one another, hawking wares from all across the realm.
Su Xingyu walked slowly, pausing now and then to inspect a stall or item. He was looking for something specific.
With no centralized mall or auction system in place, players had only two means of trading: posting on the information channel or physically setting up a stall here. The first method was fast but unreliable. Messages disappeared within seconds, buried under the avalanche of new posts. If you weren't staring at the screen, you'd miss everything.
The second method—street stalls—was slower but far more dependable. Items were physically present, prices clearly marked, and transactions verified by the system itself. Scams were virtually impossible. People came here to trade seriously, and because nobody wanted to waste time, most of the goods on display were high-quality.
Su Xingyu browsed over a dozen stalls. The merchandise was impressive, but none of it matched what he was searching for.
Eventually, he moved toward a crowd gathered around a particular stall. The clamor was louder here.
"Brother, your price is insane!" a sharp-voiced Skaven player argued. He was short and hunched, with sharp yellow teeth peeking through his sneer. In his clawed hands was a curved weapon that glimmered faintly. "Five hundred Divine Sources for a gold-tier weapon? That's triple the market price."
The seller—tall, human, and built like a wall—crossed his arms and stared the ratman down. "Four hundred. Take it or leave it."
The Skaven hesitated, tail twitching. The going rate for gold-tier weapons was around 150 to 200 Divine Sources. Anything beyond that was considered high-end.
But gold equipment was rare. Only players with forging abilities could craft them, and the rest had to rely on luck, plunder, or expensive purchases.
While gold-tier gear wasn't dramatically stronger than silver-tier, that minor edge could be the difference between life and death in battle.
"Fine," the Skaven growled. "Four hundred it is."
They quickly completed the transaction. The Skaven scurried off with the claw weapon, eager to find more gear.
Next came a stunning elf player who picked up a gold-tier staff and asked sweetly, "Boss, any chance of a discount?"
"Eight hundred. Final price," the seller replied flatly, unmoved by charm. "If you're a mage, you know how rare these are."
The elf pursed his lips but didn't argue. He handed over the payment without another word.
Su Xingyu stepped forward and picked up a scroll. "This one. A thousand Divine Sources—deal?"
The seller squinted at him. "Brother, that's cutting the price by two-thirds in one go. You serious?"
"Two thousand five hundred is steep," Su Xingyu replied calmly. "It's divine magic, sure, but the learning curve is harsh. It requires divine energy and a compatible corpse. Too many conditions. A thousand and fifteen is generous."
The stall owner sighed, rubbing his temples. "Look, even if it's restrictive, it's still a divine art. Not some random magic trick. Two thousand. That's my bottom line. Any less, and I'd rather wait for an undead player to pass by."
Su Xingyu smirked. "Undead players don't need this spell. They have their own systems. Besides, it's not exactly versatile."
He picked up a second item from the stall—a rolled-up blueprint. "Throw this in, and I'll give you 1,800. Take it or leave it. I don't even know if this spell will work for me. If it fails, I eat the loss."
The seller hesitated. Su Xingyu wasn't bluffing; his tone was too casual, too practiced. He started to turn and walk away.
"Alright, alright! Eighteen hundred!" the man blurted, panic rising.
Su Xingyu stopped, turned back, and completed the transaction without another word. The seller, still slightly bitter, accepted the trade with a reluctant nod.
A small smile curled on Su Xingyu's lips as he tucked away the goods.
The scroll detailed a divine art known as Resurrection of the Undead. Its effect was simple but powerful: transforming corpses into undead minions. The alignment with his own divinity was uncanny.
The second item was a blueprint for a triple-bow crossbow, crafted not by the system but by a player. While not particularly rare—worth maybe 100 Divine Sources at best—such designs became less valuable over time as more players gained access to them.
But for now, it was a useful bonus.
With the scroll and blueprint safely stored, Su Xingyu turned toward the next row of stalls, eyes gleaming with renewed interest.
There were still treasures to uncover in this noisy, chaotic city of gods.