POV: A Random Imp
It stared at the large, imposing building before it, wondering how it would even begin to open the massive door.
It had traveled far to reach this settlement, drawn by rumors of rune trading… and fruits from the Manabloom Tree.
The settlement was unlike any it had seen before. Somehow, multiple races had been brought together in one place, though the tension between the residents was unmistakable.
Each race kept to its own, its members subtly watching the others, as if every group maintained its own guards at all times, suggesting that some overwhelming force was keeping them from turning on one another.
Just as it reached toward the door, the massive doors began to open on their own.
The imp froze for a moment.
Then, slowly, it stepped inside.
Unlike the other buildings, there were no torches here. The interior was dim, lit only by a faint glow from above. As its eyes adjusted, it noticed two large stone slabs deeper within the hall, each etched with blurred runes and glowing with an eerie light.
It took a step forward… then another.
Just as it began admiring the stones—
“Ohhhh… a visitor,” a small voice echoed from the center of the room.
The imp jerked its head toward the sound.
There, beneath the brightest patch of moonlight, a figure lay slumped over a stone table, seated on a crude chair.
“It’s been almost a hundred and twenty days… and to think my first customer would take this long,” the figure muttered, still facing downward. “Maybe Tranx was right about people…”
A brief pause followed.
“Anyway.”
The figure raised its head.
“What would my customer like to buy?”
The imp stiffened.
The being looked small, barely four to four-and-a-half feet tall, almost like a child. Blue hair flowed from its head, horns curved from the sides, and pale, cream-colored skin was lined with faint scales.
Then it noticed them.
Three eyes.
All glowing.
The imp swallowed. For a moment, it wondered if this strange creature was truly the one behind the rumors.
“I… I heard…” it began hesitantly. “About fruits… from the Manabloom Tree.”
A small smile formed on the being’s face.
“You mean the Manabloom?” it replied. “Yes, I do sell them. In fact, since you’re my first customer, I’ll even give you a discount.”
“Rea—really?” the imp asked, excitement breaking through its caution.
“Of course. Though I can see why you’d doubt it,” the being said casually.
The imp glanced around, as if confirming it wasn’t dreaming.
“So,” the being continued, its gaze sharpening, “what would you like to exchange? Judging by your mana, fire runes?”
“Y-yes,” the imp nodded quickly.
It fumbled with its sack and pulled out five clear crystals, each etched with faintly glowing fire runes.
“Hoo… five of them?” the being leaned forward slightly. “You’re in luck. I don’t have any fire runes yet. Normally, I don’t accept duplicates, but these are new.”
It waved a hand.
“Bring them here.”
All caution gone, the imp hurried forward.
“H-here…”
It placed the runes on the stone surface.
The being picked them up and examined each one carefully.
“They seem genuine,” it murmured. Then it looked back at the imp. “How many do you want in return?”
“Tw-two?” the imp asked hesitantly.
“Hm.”
The being stared at it for a moment, silent and unreadable.
“Wait here. I’ll be back.”
It turned and disappeared into a darker corner of the hall. The imp heard faint rustling, as if something was being sorted.
After a short while, the being returned.
“Here.”
It placed something on the table.
Ten fruits.
The imp’s eyes widened.
“You don’t need to look so shocked,” the being said lightly. “I usually pay two per rune. You can keep them.”
The imp scrambled forward, snatching up the fruits before the offer could change.
“And a little advice,” the being added. “It would be wise to consume them here.”
“???”
“There are many who noticed you entering this place,” it said, its gaze drifting briefly toward the walls.
The imp stiffened again.
“O-okay…”
It quickly understood the implication.
POV: Muzafir
Finally… someone came. And to think it was an imp, not even a resident of this settlement.
The imp stood about four and a half feet tall, its sand-colored skin and amber eyes allowing it to blend easily with the desert. The caution in its every movement spoke of a life shaped by survival.
None of the residents here possessed mana. It seemed I had overestimated how common mana awakening was among the mortal races.
Perhaps seeing too many mythical beings had skewed my perception.
Still… at least I had my first customer.
I watched as the imp eagerly consumed the fruits.
Name: ???
Species: Imp
Attribute: Fire
Age: 21
Mana: 24 (10+)
Aura: 0
Prana: 0
An imp with only fourteen mana, yet in possession of five runes. That was unexpected.
But in the end, that only worked in my favor.
Five new runes.
I waited patiently until it finished consuming all of the fruits.
“If you come across new runes or friends willing to exchange, you know where to come, right?” I said.
It nodded quickly.
“You can leave now.”
My attention shifted to the newly acquired runes.
Without the proper attribute catalyst, there wasn’t much I could do with them for now other than store them.
I walked toward an empty slab beside the water rune stone and studied its smooth surface.
“Now to carve,” I muttered.
I channeled aura into my nails and pressed my claw against the slab.
With a sharp scrape, the first line formed, glowing faintly as mana from the surroundings gathered into it.
Slowly, carefully, I continued. Each stroke was deliberate. The air grew warmer as the rune took shape, faint traces of fire mana settling within the carved lines.
One by one, more runes would be added.
In time, this would be complete.
And eventually—
Those desperate enough would trade anything for it.
A faint smile crept onto my face as I carved deeper into the stone.
This was only the beginning.
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