I CHOSE to be a VILLAIN, not a THIRD-RATE EXTRA!!

Robert leaned forward slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto Ashok's eyes, searching for any hint of hesitation or deception in the calm surface of his expression. Ashok, however, remained still, his gaze unwavering. A minute passed, though it felt much longer. Robert's eyes flickered slightly, his grip on the situation slipping. With a subtle sigh, Robert broke the stare and looked away, his posture betraying a hint of frustration.

"Follow me," Robert finally muttered, his voice strained as he stood up, clearly conceding defeat in this silent battle of wills.

Robert walked over to the main entrance, his eyes narrowing as he peered out into the street. He glanced left, then right, scanning for any sign of unwanted attention. Satisfied that no prying eyes were nearby, Robert reached up and flipped the hanging sign from {Open} to {Close}, and locked the door.

He returned to the counter, his footsteps quiet, and casually slid the chair he'd been sitting on aside. Beneath it, hidden from casual view, was a thick, ornate rug. Without hesitation, Robert grasped the edge of the rug and gave it a quick, practiced tug. It shifted easily, revealing a trap door beneath it, slightly worn but solid.

With a grunt of effort, Robert unlocked the trap door, the metal hinges giving off a faint groan as it creaked open. The trap door revealed a ladder leading to an unknown.

"Make sure to watch your step and close the trap door as you enter," Robert instructed, his voice carrying the weight of someone who had long been accustomed to this hidden world. Without waiting for a response, he turned and descended into the darkness below, his boots scraping softly against the rungs of the ladder.

Ashok lingered at the edge of the trap door, his gaze fixed on the thick darkness below.

'This kind of darkness comes nowhere even near the Abyss.'

Ashok grasped the ladder and began to descend, his body moving fluidly with practiced ease. Once his body was deep enough into the passage, he reached the edge of the trap door and, with a simple motion, closed it securely behind him, just as Robert had instructed.

Ashok's feet touched the stone floor after descending about fifteen steps. He looked around, his eyes adjusting to the dimness of the hidden cellar. The faint flicker of a match broke the silence, followed by the soft hiss of oil as Robert, already at the bottom, kindled an old oil lamp. The flame caught, flaring brightly for a moment before settling into a steady glow. Robert hung the lamp carefully on a wooden pillar, its light casting long shadows across the room.

The light from the oil lamp revealed a short cellar filled with artifacts shining all over.

"Pick whatever you need. I will tell you the Price." Said Robert, as if stating a rule.

Ashok's footsteps echoed softly as he walked deeper into the cellar, his shadow stretching long over the artifacts, falling across the shelves.

'Everything here is a Mid Game Equipment that can be upgraded and taken to End Game.

This Old Crook must have earned quite a bit dealing with these in the Night Market. To think this stock of artifacts will further increase in the future, as expected from one of the managers of the Night Market.'

'Just look at the best ones.

Holy Censer, belonging to the Historical Sun Church

Demonic Whip, once wielded by one of the Generals of the Demon King.

Cursed Dagger of Sacrifice

Even looking at all these makes me remember the achievement I gained from stealing this greedy bastard's entire collection. How fun it was looking at a face full of despair when his collection just disappeared overnight. Maybe, I should steal all this again… who knows, I might also increase my Divinity Stat.'

As Ashok moved forward, his eyes scanning the shelves for the artifact he had come for, a voice called out from behind him.

"That's the Unidentified Section. It will cost 10 Gold for Appraising for a single one of those"

'Robbing Bastard! 10 Gold, even the highest-tier appraisal scrolls had a market price of 3 Gold. He is charging 3 times the market price down here.'

Ashok's eyes narrowed as they finally landed on a small wooden case tucked away at the far end of the shelf. 'Found it'. He moved, his hand closing around the case and lifting it from its resting place.

With a fluid motion, he opened the case. Inside, nestled in soft, velvet lining, was a pair of spectacles. The frames were thick and black, the lenses square.

'Everything is entirely the same in the game. In the game, this would have been nothing more than a Rare-grade artifact, a collectible, perhaps useful in niche circumstances but never a game-changer. However, this is what I currently need right now.'

Ashok walked over to Robert, the small wooden case with the spectacles resting comfortably in his hand. "I will take this one"

Robert didn't look particularly surprised. His gaze flicked to the wooden case and then back up to Ashok, a calculating glint in his eyes. "10 Gold Coins for Appraisal."

"Did I ever say I want it appraised?" Ashok asked, his tone casual, but laced with an undercurrent of something far more pointed. "I want it unappraised."

Why would Ashok ever need an appraisal spell? When the entire description of the artifact was already in his mind.

Robert blinked, clearly caught off guard. He hadn't expected this. "But then how will know what the artifact does?" asked Robert, raising an eyebrow.

"I have my ways."

In truth, Robert wasn't entirely sure what the artifact was for himself. He'd hoped that the appraisal scroll would provide some insight into its true value before he tried to sell it.

"I can't sell—" Robert began, but before he could finish the sentence Ashok interrupted.

"Don't spout that bullshit on me. Do you think I came here without knowing how you sell your wares?

This is an Accessory-type artifact, not even a weapon. That means it already has a lower price compared to everything else here. Second, it doesn't leak the mana of a high-ranking artifact. It's obvious this thing is on the lower side. An appraisal scroll would probably cost more than the artifact itself, and I don't have the money to waste on such a scroll."

Robert clicked his tongue in annoyance, feeling the weight of his defeat as Ashok exposed his tricks. This was the most unfavorable situation for him, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth. But, being a seasoned dealer, Robert was no stranger to a tricky negotiation.

"Fine," Robert muttered, feigning frustration. His voice carried a note of exaggerated exasperation, as though he were conceding against his will.

"I get it. You don't need an appraisal. But don't come crying to me later when it turns out to be worth less than you think. I don't do refunds."

In the game, Ashok had raised Robert's favorability to the max, which meant he knew all about Robert's tricks and how he operated. The old man's antics were hardly a challenge for him.

"I'll still take it. Just tell me the price," said Ashok.

'This brat is definitely not a young noble. Those young masters are fools. Always too eager to throw their money around, too gullible to see when they're being played. Now what should I do? Appraise it from my pocket?' the thought of spending money from his own pocket made his stomach churn. 'Ha! If only I chose to be a Mage.'

Finally, Robert gave up and said "Three Gold Coins."

"THREE GOLD COINS! MY ASS. For an accessory artifact that doesn't even look good. 80 Silvers"

"Do you know how much you're lowering the price? This is worth at least 2 Gold 70 Silvers. No more."

"I care for your age. So, 90 Silvers."

"2 Gold 50"

The Haggling kept going till the old man finally put a stop to it at Two Gold and concluded "Just Leave. If you can't pay that much."

Unlike the driver, who had relied purely on sheer willpower to endure Ashok's presence, Robert had been using his aura to protect himself from the relentless pressure which was extremely taxing.

'Just where is this brat getting all this mana to maintain this kind of pressure?' Robert thought, irritation mixing with a tinge of disbelief. 'But isn't he late for the Academy whose uniform he is wearing?'

"Ha!" sighed Ashok and muttered, "Just for your age". With a simple flick of his wrist, two gold coins appeared in his hand.

'I would have lessened the price even more if I had the card.'

"SPATIAL MAGIC!" the old man suddenly shouted in surprise.

Ashok had not been wearing any kind of storage ring, bangle, or any of the usual magical accessories that would indicate spatial storage. The coins had simply materialized out of thin air. So, the only explanation for Robert was Spatial Magic.

But Ashok wasn't one to clear Robert's doubts. Instead, he decided to mock him further, a small smirk curling on his lips as he casually leaned back. "Don't get that shocked over small things in this age? What if your heart stops from the shock?"