Xander sat in his flying artifact, which looked a bit like the basket of a hot air balloon.

It was smaller, though, offering just enough space for one seat. Even if another person could squeeze themselves in, the four magic crystals, situated in each corner of the gondola, which powered the contraption, would most likely not be able to bear the additional weight.

Of course, bigger, faster, and more luxurious variants that could house more people also existed, but even this basic version would be coveted by many.

When he originally got his hands on this artifact not too long ago, he was extremely proud of it and formed the obnoxious habit of flaunting it in crowded areas by floating over them.

It would always lighten up his mood whenever he took it out.

But now, he somewhat regretted the purchase. While he had been lucky and got it relatively cheap, it still drained his funds at the time. No matter how fond he was of the thing, apart from needing it to reach certain dungeon entrances, it was still only a luxury.

He still had his priorities.

At this moment he had a cranky expression on his face.

“What a fucking joke. 1600 gold for both weapons. And a chance of them breaking because of their ‘inferior quality’. Yeah, no shit. Wouldn’t need to enchant them if they were top-grade, would I?! Chance of them breaking, tzz. With those skills, it’s no wonder he is hiding in such a shithole.“

Xander couldn’t sit still while talking himself into a rage until the flying artifact started to wobble for a moment.

It was enough to bring him back, and with a clear head, he started to think through his options.

sigh

‘The trip took longer than expected, especially with all the searching involved. That first [Enchanter] I talked to back then would’ve probably been my best bet.’ Xander lamented in regret.

‘Now I’m not only missing the necessary gold but also the time. The enchanting process would probably take too long at this point. At least half a day, I’d guess. Maybe if it’s only my Main-hand…

Or I could try looking for some support to buff me right before I enter the dungeon.

But realistically, the buffs wouldn’t last until we reach the boss, and the trash won’t be a problem anyway.’

‘Well, it’s not like I won’t be able to show off a bit. I’ve cleared the Plains often enough.

And Lynn and the others will obviously know that the encounter isn’t in my favor…still.

Not being able to go all-out isn’t a good look.’

…

‘FUCK! Any third-rate caster can out damage me on a damn Iron Golem, all while standing at a safe distance.’

wobble

…

Xander got lost deep in his thoughts, crossing off one potential option after the other.

At this moment, he was torn away from his thoughts when his vision suddenly turned dark.

After a moment of confusion, he quickly realized he was on a collision course with one of the many mountains, and in a momentary panic, controlled his vehicle to an abrupt halt.

After taking a few deep breaths, the panic quickly dissipated as he realized he wasn’t actually that close to the mountain yet; It wasn’t a matter of seconds till the crash like he initially thought, but the mountain was just too enormous and therefore, on a first glance, seemed closer than it really was.

“What the? I should be flying way above those things. Not too many of them come up that high.”

He could only stretch his neck, with his eyes growing bigger in astonishment, and see mountaintop disappear in the clouds above him.

That thing was huge even for local standards.

Xander hesitated for a moment and started to check the surroundings. He looked to both sides and below, trying to see if he could make anything out that would warrant his attention.

Maybe a remote outpost or a cave or the like.

Weighing whether he should explore the rock or just ignore it and avoid any more delay.

“Well, not that it matters anymore. At this point, I might as well check it out. Maybe there’s some rare monster or treasure up there.”

Such occurrences weren’t unheard of, but Xander obviously didn’t believe in the words himself. It was more like voicing a wish out of desperation.

Still, the decision was made, and half an hour more or less wouldn’t change anything.

…

Xander burst through the cover of clouds, holding onto the sites of the shaking one-seater.

He was obviously pushing the limits of his vehicle.

About to complain once again, the instant he took in the view, he turned speechless.

Releasing a breath he subconsciously held, he quickly calmed down and could only marvel at the sights.

A couple of green peaks poking through the white in the very distance.

The surprisingly mild breeze ruffling through the grass on the mountaintop beneath him.

No sign of any living being. Only the sound of the wind.

It was as if the clouds were isolating this place from the rough and at times brutal world below.

The beauty and serenity of untouched natu…

“Is that a battlefield?! What the hell happened here?

Is there really a monster living here?”

Xander was shocked but still able to control his voice.

As much as he appeared to be a loud guy with little to no self-control as a ‘Silver,’ there was no way he would just randomly let out a scream and draw potentially dangerous attention to him.

On closer inspection, he noticed a bit of fence covering the ground, disappearing from his vision right behind the railing of his flying artifact.

He carefully leaned over.

‘A hut, here? Is there someone…living?’

The discovery of a rare monster wouldn’t have been a bigger surprise to him at this point.

Xander stood there gaping.

***

Severin had moved his sleeping place from behind the counter to the outside and now sat next to the door, in front of his shop.

The back of the chair was very low, making it only a little better than a stool.

Dozing off, he, therefore, had to lean his head on the dark wood behind him.

Enjoying himself like that, Severin jolted awake when a somewhat familiar scene repeated itself.

…

“You Severin?”

Severin could barely keep himself from jumping off his chair and started to look around frantically, trying to find the person that startled him with his unfamiliar, loud voice.

It did neither belong to Samuel nor Timothy. And certainly not Miriam.

The only three people he knew so far.

His confusion only grew larger when he couldn’t find the trace of anyone.

“Up here.” One could hear the smirk in the tone.

When Severin turned his head towards the voice, about 4meters above him, he found the culprit.

For a moment, he wasn’t sure how to react.

Whether to be annoyed or amused.

On the one hand, he had the urge to laugh at the smug-looking face peeking out from what looked like an unstable floating basket. The sight was beyond ridiculous in Severin’s eyes. Especially when compared to Samuel’s full-blown Flying Ship, this thing here looked rather pathetic.

On the other hand, he was very much annoyed being woken up in such a rude and sudden manner.

With his emotions slightly torn, he could only helplessly shake his head and, after a moment to calm himself, answer with a nod.

“And you are?” He had to raise his voice a little.

The dark-haired young man, wearing a rough leather tunic, let the basket-like artifact disappear into his inventory space, and with a flip, made it to the ground.

To Severin’s slight disappointment, the jump and, more importantly, the landing looked rather flawless, elegant even, making him unwillingly impressed.

The new arrival took some steps towards Severin and his shop and announced himself.

“You can call me Xander!”

“So. What are you selling in this… Emporium of yours?” He asked while glancing at the sign above the door.

The emphasis he put on that word was a bit too deliberate for Severin’s liking and irked him.

He once again took a deep breath to calm down. He couldn’t afford to chase away customers at this point.

Instead, he turned around and lead Xander into the store.

“For now, mostly potions.” He pointed at the shelves.

Xander didn’t even spare a glance.

“Anything else? Anything to buff my damage? Physical penetration? Anything like that?” He didn’t sound very hopeful at this point. He really couldn’t care less about potions right now.

“Take a look at this. Maybe that’s more to your liking.”

While trying to maintain a friendly attitude, Severin handed over a small glass bottle the size of his thumb. The tooltip already on display.

“Is this poi…”

It was a rare occurrence for the [Duelist] to lose his tongue like that. He looked incredulous, reading the tooltip several times, opening and closing his mouth from time to time, but without making a sound.

Now it was Severin who had a smug expression on his face.