Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

“This is delicious,” Fin exclaimed munching a bunch of fresh candied nuts, her cheeks filled like a chipmunk. They were nuts Seth had never seen or heard of before, but he had to agree that they were delicious.

“You have to try this!” Mina exclaimed, having found an exotic booze, being served at one of the many specialty stalls of the bazaar. Most peddlers here sold stuff that was far below their standard, so they were technically bee-lining from one food stall to the next.

In this manner, their inventories started filling with all kinds of foodstuff they wanted to bring home for later or share with the other in Minas Mar. The blacksmith was quickly pulled into their pace and joined the game of gourmet hunting.

The bazaar itself was a fun attraction and the food hunt was so fun, that he even forgot to look out for hidden treasures or exotic items. Seth simply enjoyed his time until his eyes got stuck on an eccentric door at the further end of a makeshift alley.

On the right side, many plots were taken up by a tent that advertised mounts and pets. The sounds of animals from inside supported this claim. Together if the several beats egg gatcha stall on the opposite side, this was a very popular place and choke-full with people.

The beast egg gacha was also quite interesting, as it came from a world where even mammals came from eggs, so it was impossible to guess what would come from the egg, once it hatched. The potential to get a really powerful mount or pet even caught Fin and Mina's attention.

Seth would have lied if he said he wasn't interested, but he doubted there were any pets better than Puffles and Tatzel for him... and at least Puffles would rip him a new one if he ever heard about these stalls, and the possibility than he MAY think so.

Even the other stalls in this line profited from this popularity, which made that one plot at the right corner on the end stand out even more. The space was empty except for the massive wooden door standing in its center, but there were not even people stopping to look at the door, which was decorated with many artistic carvings and inlays of precious metal and stone. Just it's worth as a piece of art would have justified a crowd of gawkers.

Yet, for some reason, everyone ignored the door that looked like it was taken straight out of the illustration of a wizard's hut or tower in the middle of a forest. Seth couldn't help but try and appraise it with his <Eyes of the Maestro>

<Erka's Specialty Shop for the Sophisticated,

Epic Door

Entrance to Erka's Specialty Shop for the Sophisticated.

Observation Requirement lv.75

Usage Requirement: lv.80>

It was Seth's first time to see a door, that was actually a magic item and the description said it was the entrance to a shop. At least the appraisal explained why nobody else took notice of it. The highest level among this crowd was currently 45.

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Someone needed to be at least lv.75 to see the door and needed to be lv.80 if they wanted to open it. A shop for the sophisticated, was this why there was a requirement to even see the entrance? The blacksmith couldn't help but be intrigued, reminded of the stories about mythical shops that offered incredible items, appearing and disappearing,

“What are you looking at?” Mina asked, looking up from the beast eggs she and Fin were occupied by. She was still holding a pair of eggs, she had been heavily scrutinizing until a moment ago, as if she was able to tell what was inside if she only stared at it hard enough.

“What a cool door,” Fin mumbled, trying to see where Seth was looking when Mina asked. At the fairies mumble, the cat girl also noticed the weird door, that was being ignored. Her tail started wriggling with curiosity.

“Appraisal says it is a shop entrance that nobody below lv.75 can see. What do you think? Should we take a look?” the bard asked, very sure that Mina was thinking of the same secret shop stories he was first reminded of when seeing the weird entrance.

The answer was a resounding yes. After the two got the draws from the egg gacha they left that stall behind to investigate “Erka's Specialty Shop for the Sophisticated”. upon closer inspection, it really was just a eccentric door standing in the center of the plot. There was not even a door frame or something.

For a lack of a better idea, Seth simply tried to push it open. He knew that he fulfilled the requirements, but it still came as a surprise when the door actually swung open with ease, revealing the entrance to a cozy-looking shop.

The floor was made of thick wooden planks. The showroom of the shop was filled with shelves and stands that displayed an array of miscellaneous items ranging from consumables, over magic devices, to weapons and armor.

At first glance, it seemed like a second-hand or thrift shop, but a quick glance with <Eyes of the Maestro> had the blacksmith gaping. Nothing he could appraise in the shop was below epic. The whole store was filled with epic and relic-rated items!

At the counter sad an elderly lady with a huge mane of white hair. She didn't actually look old, maybe in her early 40s, but she gave off an ancient aura, you would only expect from someone that lived centuries.

She wore a small pair of round glasses, a wide knitted jacket, and a green headband that tamed her wild hair that made had her head resemble a dandelion. She greeted the three with a wide, friendly smile.

“Welcome to “Erka's Specialty Shop for the Sophisticated”! I'm Erka. Are you looking for something specific, or are you just looking around?” she greeted them when the door fell shut behind them

“ We didn't come in with something specific in mind...” Seth answered her a little awkwardly. They had entered because they were curious, but it sounded stupid to say out loud. However, the blacksmith was sure they would be able to find something worthwhile, considering everything here was epic or better.

“Feel free to look around. Call me if something picks your fancy,” she said happily. Standing behind the counter, she ignored them and began humming a happy tune as she polished some kind of goblet. After sharing a glance the three started exploring the isles of the mysterious shop.

“What's this? A compass?” the fairy brute picked up a small golden compass from one of the shelves. It had beautiful, purely decorative engraving on the sides and an intricately painted dial. However, the needle stood still. Was it broken?

“Oh, that one is called the Homefinder. It is a compass that will always point at the way to the place you registered as home. Quite the practical thing for gate jumpers and world merchants,” Erka explained from behind her counter before Seth could even use his appraisal skill much less answer.

Fin looked up at Seth to confirm that it was true. The blacksmith simply nodded. What Erka said fit the appraisal result. It was really an item that would help you find a home. The only caveat to that was that it was “the shortest physical path”, not necessarily the quickest possible option.

“That sounds kinda romantic, how much is it?” the chosen of Bes asked excitedly.

“Hmm, commemorating that you are my second customer in this place, I will give you a special deal. 15 Gold and it is yours,” she offered. 15 Gold were a lot of money, however, it was an average price for an epic item. If it was Seth, he may have been inclined to just pay, however-

“5 Gold,” the human-sized fairy said confidently and stepped to the counter, with the compass. Fin immediately started to haggle, however, Erka didn't seem offended and their battle became more of a bickering until they finally settled on 9 Gold, 22 Silver, and 13 bronze coins.

Fin really fought tooth and nail with the old shopkeeper, to the point where Seth began to question whether this kind of haggling was a matter of age. After all, Fin was technically over 200 years old, too.

“Okay, we can continue looking!” Fin said happily after making her purchase.