The Glorious Evolution Chapter 455: Zen Relic Store.

In retrospect...

Levi journeyed along the walkway bordering Nocturn City’s busiest thoroughfare... the Main Hub’s 1st District.

After dedicating several hours to examining listed properties and conducting thorough research, Levi came to the stark realization that the property market was astronomically overpriced... a fact that logically explained the abundance of properties remaining on the market.

Despite possessing certain advantageous discounts, Levi was unwilling to be ensnared by a fraudulent deal... consequently, he abandoned the conventional route of seeking a property like a common citizen and initiated the utilization of his established connections.

His initial action involved scrutinizing the Black Slime Syndicate’s bulletin board for any covertly listed properties originating from Noble Houses or other proprietors... rather than directly engaging with Nocturn’s Administration, which invariably presented fixed prices, he was confident in his ability to broker a more equitable negotiation with his contemporaries.

Regrettably, the vast majority of the properties posted were situated in either a Province, a Border region, or the Desolate Void... moreover, they carried price tags comparable to those openly listed on the market, with only a scant handful of exceptions.

Levi dismissed these particular listings and refined his search parameters to exclusively include properties within capital cities... to his profound astonishment, he uncovered a mere ten properties listed! The overwhelming majority of these were residential in nature, lacking any business-oriented designation.

It was at this juncture that the compelling truth dawned upon him: Noble Houses would sooner divest themselves of their ancestral territories or personal housing holdings when faced with dire straits, than relinquish lucrative business-oriented properties situated within the prime locales of capital cities!

These critical findings served to magnify the perceived opportunity far more than ever before... instead of abandoning the Black Slime Syndicate network altogether, Levi resolved to pivot his strategy.

He began seeking out whispers of rumors or news concerning Noble Houses or Rifters experiencing acute financial distress, making it a struggle to maintain their valuable properties in capital cities... he was acutely aware that the quarterly upkeep for such establishments amounted to hundreds of thousands of credits, encompassing costs such as taxes and employee wages.

Given that Noble Houses invested substantial effort into safeguarding their public image and upholding their esteemed pride in public view, Levi surmised that there must exist a subset of these Houses secretly grappling with financial hardship, all while meticulously maintaining an outward facade of opulence.

Levi’s astute assumption proved to be accurate... following the laborious process of navigating through dozens of digital tabs, Levi finally alighted upon a recently posted, highly credible piece of information presented for acquisition. The very title of the listing was sufficient to compel him to embrace the inherent risk and proceed with its purchase.

- A Noble House has officially been placed on a Final Demotion Timer... -

Subsequently, after acquiring the information and immersing himself in the salacious details it contained, Levi discovered with immense delight precisely what he had been seeking... an operational, unlisted commercial establishment situated within the Main Hub of Nocturn’s Heart City. Although this was not the sole property under their ownership, Levi elected to disregard all others.

Without the slightest hesitation, he embarked upon a focused investigation into both the implicated House and the specific store... it was only after completing this due diligence that he ventured out to inspect the establishment in person.

It required approximately ten minutes for him to traverse the bustling, boisterous thoroughfares... typically, such a commercial environment would elicit annoyance from him, but when contemplating the prospect of becoming a store proprietor in this exact, highly coveted locale, he found himself unable to contain his profound satisfaction.

Before long, Levi reached his intended destination, his attention immediately drawn to a colossal sign boldly proclaiming: The Zen Relic.

’Hmm... the establishment is indeed in a state of decline... could this truly be attributed to the circulating rumors?’

Levi experienced a moment of mild surprise upon observing that the interior of The Zen Relic was maintained with impeccable, almost pristine, order, yet remained conspicuously devoid of patrons, as though it were a shunned, quarantined zone.

The marble flooring gleamed with a mirror-like polish, while the wooden display shelves were utterly free of even the slightest trace of dust.

Numerous glass display cases, arrayed along the walls, housed an assortment of low-grade artifacts... including luminescent orbs, rudimentary enchanted armaments, and a selection of passable totems. The store itself possessed an appealing aesthetic, yet its inherent beauty was significantly diminished by the mediocre quality of the merchandise it contained.

’Its current inventory is hardly suitable for a commercial zone with such a high volume of foot traffic... nevertheless, there should still be some discerning customers who find it appealing.’

Levi thoughtfully stroked his chin as he advanced towards the entrance... naturally, he was attired in an owl-themed mask, effectively concealing the features of his face above the lip, thereby preserving his anonymity.

The instant Levi crossed the threshold into the establishment, he was met by a solitary employee, who was leaning heavily against the main counter... her gaze was listlessly fixed upon the ceiling, giving the distinct impression of a prisoner mindlessly counting down the minutes rather than a sales clerk anticipating a potential transaction.

Her physical appearance bore a striking resemblance to Jojo’s legendary contracted nightcrawler... a distinctly humanoid goat creature, adorned with soft white fur, subtle facial makeup, and delicate, diminutive horns. She was clad in a slightly oversized uniform, reminiscent of a yellow monk’s habit, cinched at the waist by a simple fabric sash.

Despite the noble House insignia prominently affixed to her chest, the coarse texture of the fabric and her profoundly slumped posture rendered the attire more akin to a humble servant’s tunic than a professional uniform.

"Hello, I am interested in making a purchase."

Levi offered a calm greeting, his voice effectively drawing her back from her reverie... the clerk’s mouth parted slightly in a brief expression of bewilderment before swiftly contorting into a welcoming, professional smile.

"Ahem, please, sir... do inform me of your specific interests?"

With practiced alacrity, she moved towards the shelves, extending her hand in the direction of a particular array of artifacts.

"Artifacts? While our selection might not be the absolute best, we can certainly vouch for the quality of what we have."

Levi approached the display shelf, standing beside her with a quiet presence. His finger eventually pointed towards a silver pistol, its design featuring triple barrels connected to a rotating platform that also housed the ammunition. The aesthetic was sharp and undeniably neat.

"An excellent choice, sir."

The shop clerk acted swiftly, retrieving the pistol from its secure glass case. She then presented it to Levi with both hands, her explanation of its features delivered with an almost desperate enthusiasm.

Levi offered occasional nods of understanding, but his attention had long since drifted from her words. He was immersed in a silent realm of spiritual frequencies and essence.

As he refined his spiritual senses, the pistol's physical form seemed to dissolve, exposing the artifact's underlying structure beneath the metal.

Within Levi's enhanced vision, the weapon reshaped itself into an intricate map constructed of light. Hundreds of minute spiritual nodes, like microscopic stars in a tiny galaxy, glittered across the slide and frame, leaving Levi in a state of quiet awe.

"It's a perfectly formed network of spiritual anchor points... such immaculate execution," Levi mused internally, his fingers tracing the contours of these anchor points, which formed the basis of the spiritual reinforcement.

These points were interconnected by a delicate lattice of incredibly thin lines, creating what resembled a spiritual circuit board. As he followed the pathways of this energy flow, he couldn't help but admire the sheer flawlessness of the technical artistry involved.

His finger eventually settled upon the trigger area, where he discovered a concentrated cluster of these nodes. Levi deduced that this cluster functioned as the 'Switch' responsible for activating the spiritual coating.

Observing his interest, the clerk quickly elaborated on their family's signature technique, the very method that had once made their artifacts highly coveted throughout the market.

"When you activate the trigger while channeling your spiritual energy into that cluster, the bullet becomes imbued with a potent spiritual essence. This enhancement allows it to breach not only the physical body but also the subconscious barrier, even without being a recognized Psych Specialist," she explained.

A fleeting look of pride crossed her face as she noted Levi's silent appreciation for their meticulous craftsmanship. However, this expression quickly faded.

"Pardon me, but I've encountered some concerning rumors regarding the dependability of this particular feature," Levi inquired calmly, returning the pistol to its display. "There are numerous accounts suggesting that your reinforced artifacts are prone to causing spiritual backlash once the spiritual coating is engaged. Is there any truth to these claims, or are they merely baseless gossip?"

The clerk's expression instantly lost its animation, a dawning realization striking her that Levi was not merely an uninformed customer who had chanced upon their establishment.

Indeed, he was not. Levi had conducted a respectable amount of preliminary research concerning the Zen House and its specialized artifact emporium.

What he had uncovered left him more perplexed than surprised.

"Blast it all, blast it all... just when we seemed poised for a sale... what should I do now? Should I reveal the full extent of the truth to salvage this transaction? What more do we possibly stand to lose..."

She understood that her family's business was teetering on the brink, a predicament that had intensified the moment the System had initiated their 'Final Demotion Timer.' What they urgently required at this juncture was capital, as much as could be acquired, to sustain the upkeep of their ancestral estate.

While offloading a single artifact to Levi wouldn't dramatically alter their financial situation, she harbored a glimmer of hope that this initial sale might spark further business if Levi were inclined to speak favorably of their store.

Reputation was an invaluable commodity in the Boundless Expanse, and once tarnished, its restoration proved an exceedingly arduous endeavor.

"The rumors... hold a degree of truth," the clerk admitted, releasing a prolonged sigh. She then offered a wry smile, adding, "We have indeed sold several hundred artifacts that unfortunately exhibited a flawed spiritual coating. Many Rifters have experienced severe spiritual backlash following excessive use of this enhancement."