Exile grinned as he looked around, picking out an armour set and a new shield in the process. Jarxos was practically jumping for joy as they completed the transaction. In the end, the armour cost him a total of 70 gold and the shield cost another 50 gold. Exile's heart bled as he handed over his remaining wealth. Leaving him with a paltry sum of 9 Gold to his name.

[Congratulations! You have received Raider's Armour Set]

[Raider's Armour Set]

[+4 Endurance, +5 Speed]

[Description: A raider must be fast and tough. This will certainly make you look the part!]

[Congratulations! You have received Divine Oak Shield]

[Divine Oak Shield]

[+4 Endurance, +5 Authority]

[Description: A shield made of Divine Oak that enhances your Divine Power. There's not much else to say really.]

Exile chuckled at the usual flavour text that accompanied the items before he looked around for a mirror. Jarxos seemed to realise what he was looking for as one appeared before him with a snap of Jarxos' fingers. 'Not bad...' Exile thought as he studied himself. The brown leather armour flowed down to his knees with a metal belt and red sash. It was accompanied by plate metal that covered his upper arms and a part of his chest and back. Leaving the area around his elbows open to allow for a better range of movement.

Fur and metal gauntlets covered his hands and forearms, but yet again his palms and fingers were left exposed. Thick fur boots stretched up to his knees over a pair of plain dark grey trousers. The fur collar of his cloak felt soft and warm against his neck and cheeks as he glanced at his new shield.

There was nothing special about it. It looked like a normal round shield with a metal rim and circular plate in the centre. Its only defining feature was the golden wood it was made of. All in all, he was happy with his purchases. It was just a shame that he could not afford to upgrade his weapon as well. A slight sigh escaped from his mouth as he brought up his stats.

[Name: Exile]

[Pantheon: Ragnarok]

[Title: King of the Gods (Ragnarok), God of the Hearth]

[Race: Local Royal Deity (Human)]

[Tier: 0]

[Level: 9]

[HP: 200/200 (125+75)]

[DP: 53/53 (20+33)]

[Strength: 21]

[Endurance: 40 (25+15)]

[Speed: 24 (19+5)]

[Authority: 53 (20+33)]

'It's a big difference...' Exile hummed as he studied how much his stats had improved due to everything. He was feeling rather good about his chances of surviving unexpected situations now. He had deliberately tried to focus on equipment to raise his Endurance and Authority. Since that was the path he had decided to take. 

'I'm turning out to be something of a heavily armoured cannon...' Exile chuckled as he thought about the hilarity of it. After all, in most games, those who focused on magic type abilities tended to become rather squishy. He was certain that the next fight he had would definitely shock some people. 

"Will that be all, sir?" Jarxos grinned, revealing his teeth through his parted lips. 

"Yeah, that should..." Exile paused with wide eyes as he cursed under his breath. 'Damn! I forgot to ask if he had any clues! If it costs anything I'm screwed!'

Exile studied Jarxos' expression and got the feeling the NPC had deliberately led him to spend all of his gold. While there was nothing wrong with that since he ran a store, it was unsettling that he led him straight to equipment that could tempt him without waiting to hear what he wanted first.

"Actually... Jarxos." Exile hesitated as he noticed the merchant's smile get broader. "I don't suppose you have any hints about the remaining fragments of the First Flame? Or Allevia for that matter?"

He felt it was a good idea to ask about Allevia since initially he was sent on a Quest to her tomb. Jarxos replied with a sly smile, as he let the question linger between them for several moments. 

"You know... Now that you mention it..." Jarxos tapped his chin as if he were deep in thought. "There just so happens to be something I could use your help with. Funnily enough, it's connected to Allevia. You see, Allevia helped the dwarves at one time with a massive project that was supposed to help with the war. However, it was never completed. All I know is that it was supposed to be somewhere close to Valheim. If you can find what she was working on, I'm sure you'll find some treasures. Just make sure to give me a fair share..."

Exile's eyes went wide in shock! Mainly because from Jarxos' description he had already stumbled upon Allevia's secret. 'So... There's a chance there's another fragment down there then...'

"Jarxos... Have you told anyone else about this?" Exile's eyes narrowed as he focused on the NPC.

"Hm? Oh yes. Several in fact. They came with questions some time ago, so I'm afraid you're a bit slow off the mark."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that..." Exile grinned as he bade farewell to Jarxos and glanced at another barrier that had appeared to lead up to yet another higher level. His mind lingered on the fact that someone had activated the Autosphere station inside of Valheim. 'They likely gained some clues from it but hopefully, they haven't returned and discovered it can be used to go to those ruins.'

'Looks like I'll have to call the others back already. This is more important and who knows what we'll face down there. There was still a lot to explore, and those mobs were nearly endless.' Exile entered a state of deep thought as he considered some possible formations to aid their exploration. 'I guess it's a good chance to work on our teamwork and get to know each other a bit more. With a bit of luck the others can grab some equipment from down there which would help a lot...'