The inside of the Kirin building was just as notably different as the outside, setting it apart from any other interior Jack had observed so far- be it by entering said buildings himself or having a peak inside through one of the many windows his group had passed. The difference was not one of common expectations though, no uniquely coloured walls or anything of the like. Along the walls, plenty of display cases stood arranged one after another, with various metals placed within them- a rarity in and of itself within the city. Then, instead of metals, all manner of forged forms and shapes could be observed in the coming displays, clearly meant to educate the visitors of both the material that was often worked with as well as what could be done with said materials. Descriptions of the materials themselves, where they are commonly found and their general properties were all written down on plaques next to each of the displays, with similar descriptions- though not precise composition- also placed by the shapes forged from composite metals, giving them entirely new properties when compared to the base components.

  Only once through the hall of display, or so Jack decided to call it in his mind, did they encounter anyone of the Kirin clan- save for the ones hammering away outside- with a couple of their people manning a counter that was placed on the far end of the next room, though because said room was relatively small, they reached the counter quite quickly, with Jack addressing Sindu with the questions he needed asked and answered.

  The two kirin men, or so Jack's appraisal identified them, were quite similar in regards to their overall features with the apprentices outside- each and every one of them had reptitial like scaled skin, with something that reminded crocodile scale-like protrusions lining the back of their arms and their spines- courtesy of Jack's spirit senses in regards to the last detail. They had rather large, animal like eyes, with faces that seemed very humanized versions of horse heads, though it also seemed that the attempt was dropped halfway there, leaving the end result quite grotesque, at least as far as Jack's modern human aesthetics went. From this genetic evidence alone Jack could already figure out just how thinned out Kirin bloodline was among the currently living members of this particular fantasy race, as well as the choice partners Kirins often took.

  Unfortunately for the Kirinoids, for calling them Kirins or Kirin-kin would be an insult against proper ones, the ruling system of the place was extremely incompatible with their genetical needs. Had they chosen mates from among human populace- and those adjacent to humans- they could have maintained their bloodline purity at a much higher level. What seemed to be lost knowledge among the locals- aside from the understanding that humans are inherently weaker than other races- was the sheer level of adaptiveness inherent to humans. The fact they did not have any sort of distinctive bloodline allowed for a near seemingless hybridization, preserving and sometimes even strengthening said bloodlines through generations. Mating with beastmen however had slowly diluted their own bloodline, with the more common ones of the ordinary beastmen taking over more and more, that was a price they paid for their unique and extraordinary heritage and bloodline, with every new addition diluting and weakening their own. Only the reindeer like mini horns seemed to remain on their heads- the last remainder of their once pure and noble lineage.

  --------

  The two Kirins stood behind the counter, watching closely the two new arrivals from the corner of their eyes. Two humans, one of whom was a slave did not bring them any joy whatsoever, though both could feel their faces scrunching up with the faintest signs of displeasure. Still, no matter how displeased with the current visitors they were, they could not be the ones to cast the first stone, forced to show at least surface level professionalism and decorum towards all potential customers. As their ancestor who founded the whole enterprise once had said "You never know when a beggar will walk in and offer to sell a rare and extremely valuable crafting material." And so, face had to be kept, and thus the two, even as displeased as they were with a human slave brought within their halls, patiently waited, feigning their focus drawn towards some important task assigned to them, seemingly all too distracted to notice the arrival of the two humans.

  "Honored shopkeepers." The slave spoke up once the two humans reached the counter, addressing them "My master has just arrived in Avalente and is in search of a new weapon of a similar quality to his old one, though closer to his own level. That and he might be interested in selling some materials he had acquired during his travels, if the price is right that is."

  'So that's why.' both shopkeepers thought at the same time, realizing that the woman was the only one of the two who could speak the local language, the conversation between the master and slave happening in a lesser tongue that the slaves often used. They both seemingly remembered that said language came from the gifted, arriving along with many of those summoned to this world.

  "Mhm." The senior of the two cleared his throat, drawing the attention of this subordinate and making a subtle head gesture and moments later the junior turned his undivided attention towards the two humans, his eyes slightly twitching at the forced interaction. Not that he could do anything about it, his lower status not only in the shop but their clan giving him no room for a rebuttal.

  "Why of course. We are the best smiths in the city, with commissions coming in from other strongholds requesting our services. The new gear first then, shall we? What kind of a weapon are we talking about? Sword, spear, axe? A bow perhaps? Our monster craft bows are quite powerful, surpassing many a bowsmith in their power. Once we have a general understanding of the specifics of the new weapon needed we can narrow down the costs and timelines if a weapon of the desired specifications is not in stock and has to be custom made."

  The human woman turned towards the man and spoke in that lesser language of theirs, no doubt explaining what had just been told.

  'Well, show me what kind of a garbage did you wield so far?' the younger shopkeeper sneered inwardly, preparing a few veiled jabs at the poor quality of the item that's about to be displayed for comparison. 'Not entirely bums at least.' the same younger kirinoid thought further, realizing that there must be at least one spatial storage item on the man who was clearly the master. He was mot however prepared for what was placed on the counter a moment later, his Merchants Eye displaying the properties of the seemingly simple weapon the moment he held it up from the counter.

  Shell-Slicer(Epic)- A two handed sword made from ten times forged carnivorous ant mandibles, attaining uncanny ability to tear through the exoskeletons of bug type creatures. Make no mistake though, it can carve through a notable number of lesser metals with the same ease as well. Lvl requirement- 20(T2). Strength +4, Vitality +2. Sharpness enhancement, extra sharpness against bug type monsters, with additional bonus against ones with hard exoskeleton. Lesser form correction on usage.

  "Holy ancestors!" the younger shopkeeper gasped, drawing the attention of his superior who walked over, took the weapon from his hands and used his own appraisal, eyes bulging a moment later at the description. At least there were no audible ques about the older Kirinoids surprise, same for the one visual in the form of bulged eyes.

  "Mhm." the older shopkeeper cleared his throat once again, as he turned his full attention towards the two potential customers. "And what might be the reason for upgrade if I might ask? This is quite a good weapon you have here."

  After a quick exchange of words, the slave woman turned back towards the two kirinoids. "My master says he needs a Tier 3 weapon now. Of the same rarity at least and if possible with general enhancements, not ones that give extra advantages against bugs or any other single monster type."

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  That single sentence struck different, changing the way both shopkeepers looked at the two humans before them. A human combatant with second awakening had not only visited Avalante but also entered their shop in search of a new weapon. Such news were big, and no doubt true as well, for no fraud could have ever gotten their hands on a weapon of this caliber, nor would they dare bring out such an item to display to a merchant. Those foolish enough to do so without the proper might to protect them do not live for long.

  "Understood." The older kirinoid nodded, scribbling the details of the weapon on a sheet of paper. Once done, he handed the sheet to the younger Kirinoid and spoke again "Run off and find grandmaster Meruin, explain the needs of the customer."

  The younger shopkeeper took the note and disappeared in the back with speed that surprised even Jack, the man not nearly high level enough to have the stats his movement speed implied.

  "Esteemed guest, please come with me. An item of your precise specifications demands the presence of one of the masters and might take some small amount of time for said master to be summoned here. In the meantime we could discuss the materials mentioned that might be traded?" The remaining shopkeeper spoke, his tone betraying not an ounce of his previous contempt and sense of superiority, on the contrary, the man now sounded extremely friendly and cooperative, displaying the full scope of his ass kissing skills he had developed over the years while dealing with other important clans- be they local overlords or messengers from other large cities. "We have some rather incredible tea you might enjoy as well." he added, soon reaching a rather lavishly decorated room with a rather cozy setup.

  The walls were lined with wooden panels, each and every one painted, creating a beautiful scenery. A beautiful lake, filled with life, both animals and plants, yet still appearing serene and calm. A large, wooden table carefully crafted and carved with intricate forms filled out the center of the room, with a couple of extremely comfortable looking sofas placed on the far sides while a set of six chairs, each one decorated and crafted with care and precision, were placed immediately around the table. The tablecloth was also finely crafted, adorned with a drawing of its own, one that complemented the atmosphere formed by the panel painting. The table itself held a finely crafted tea set, made from a version of this worlds porcelain- clearly made with a lot of effort and skill. The Kirinoids had clearly spent a lot of money to make such a grand room to do business with the most exalted and powerful individuals that visited them.

  The older Kirinoid brewed the tea himself, spending a fair few minutes on the ceremony itself, explaining a thing or two about the whole process as he moved with practiced ease and a sort of grace. If anything, Jack would not be all too surprised if the whole procedure he and Sindu just witnessed was a form of art passed down through Kirinoid generations. A subtle hint at their origin if you will. Only once the tea was prepared and served, as well as a few sips taken in quiet, did the shopkeeper spoke once again.

  "I hope our tea is to your liking?" he asked carefully, observing the slightest of changes in Jack's facial expression. He had erred on the side of caution and even made a cup for Sindu, the way the slave was treated implied a certain fondness the man had no doubt developed for his slave- or so the shopkeeper thought. He would no doubt be both relieved that his action of including Sindu had earned him some brownie points, as well as vexed if he would know that all of Jack's slaves would always be treated with fairness. One had to do some pretty shady stuff to earn Jack's rage, mostly including harming his people or conspiring against them.

  "It is quite exquisite. Thank you." Sindu replied after Jack had spoken, though it was clear to the Kirinoid that while the human man had no doubt tasted many similar 'exquisite things' the woman was undoubtedly rocked, her mind still processing the magnificence of the tea served.

  "I am pleased to hear that." The shopkeeper then continued, a smile plastered on his face, breaching a few other small talk topics, wasting another few minutes as the two guests slowly sipped from their tea cups. Only once Jack's cup was half empty did the kirinoid shopkeeper broached the subject he no doubt cared for the most.

  "I do remember you mentioned selling some materials. Would you mind elaborating?"

  Jack began speaking, slow but deliberate, giving Sindu plenty of time to translate and allow the merchant to digest the information. Jack had just barely spoken a few sentences, mentioning that he had acquired a few level thirity monsters corpses that he believed could be used to craft something nice enough, when his head turned away from the conversation, his eyes locked on the direction of the shops entrance.

  "Fucking fools. You just could not stay patient and wait your turn." Jack scoffed,clearly irritated, rising to his feet and telling Sindu to inform the Kirinoid that their conversation will have to be paused for a moment, a few idiots with death wish had begun harassing his maids awaiting at their establishments door. Then, like a man who had lived in the house for numerous years, he easily backtracked their steps and exited the building, both Sindu and the Kirinoid shopkeeper chasing after him- the human maid with a worried expression, the shopkeeper with a frown and the slightest hint of interest. Clearly, he was annoyed that the stage he had set up to attain the most favourable trade had been disrupted and the lead actor whisked away, but at the same time he was intrigued at the thought of seeing this new second awakening powerhouse in action.

  ---------------

  Mustafar the sly himself might be quite the slippery fellow, finding opportunities for profit almost everywhere he went and stuck his nose in, be it acquiring new trade routs through underhanded and shady methods, or kissing up to and sneaking his way into the good graces of the ruling clans of the city. And sure, he saw most humans and those similar as nothing more than lesser beings, good for nothing but menial labour, he was also smart enough to act when needed.

  Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the muscle that he usually hired, with said forces consisting of shifty but quite arrogant beastmen. Sure, they might be good enough to tail someone, keeping their presence low and out of sight, sometimes pickpocketing unaware targets and other similar actions of lesser crime, proper patience and subterfuge was not their strong side, especially so when they had to track and observe what was clearly a human, with human slaves no less. And worse still, not only had those slaves been Mustafars property just the same morning, some of the overseers guarding said slaves on their tasks outside the city were part of the same circles as said trackers.

  Was it any wonder then that they had grown annoyed at the need to wait, damn near storming over to the now oddly dressed slaves as they waited outside for their new masters return? Would any of the proud Kirin bat an eye as said slaves were dragged back to their real owner? The answer to both questions was a clear and concise 'No', making their actions about as predictable as sun rising in the morning.

  They strolled over with heads held high, nodding towards the Kirin apprentices working the forges and stopped before the five slave woman, heads held high and sneers on their faces.

  "Well, well, well. Look who we have here?" the wolf beastman at the front with a patch over one of his eyes sneered "Some guts you have, running away from your owner like that. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I doubt your remaining few days will be pleasant. Who knows, you might even be thrown into the goblin pit. Ha ha ha ha." the wolf beastman laughed, the smugness in his face and anticipation of such a future lightening his mood considerably. He stretched out his hand, clearly trying to grab the closest one of the five women by the hair, no doubt planning to drag her back to Mustafar's place like some rag, only for said woman to rear back, avoiding his grip and surprising him with the audacity. A slave not only daring to run away and live when her overseers had clearly died, but then to avoid an enforcer? That would cost her. It would cost hear clearly. At least a couple of extra hours in the torture room before the goblin den. At least. He was momentary dazed by the words coming from the fae though as he was reaching over once again, clearly with more speed and aggression.

  "Our master will be angry!"

  "Ha ha ha ha ha. You dumb bitch, your master sent me here. I am going to enjoy dragging you back! Your master might even sit down and watch your punishment with a glass of wine in hand!" And here it was, the sadistic glee seeping through his words. Not that the wolf beastman cared. He had all the permissions he needed, and even if Mustafar might be just a bit annoyed at the loss of a couple of slaves, he could chalk it up as an example for others. A reminder that slaves don't get to hope, despite what the slave collars instilled.

  Jack Raja(?)

  Age- 27

  Species- human(?)

  Level- 30

  Class- Awakened twin aspect of Creation and Destruction(Ex)

  Stats unassigned: +4

  Attributes:

  Strength- 24 (14+7+3)

  Vitality- 23 (12+8+3)

  Dexterity- 21 (15+6)

  Intelligence-15

  Spirit- Spirit- 30 (20+10)

  Skills- Wisdom of Creation and destruction(EX), Choice of the creator(EX), Eyes of procurer(EX), Matter storage(EX), Arukain language(C), Spark of inspiration(EX), Origin of matter(EX), Unbound by laws of the lessers(EX), The end made manifest(EX).

  Spells- none.

  Titles(unlocked): The real Monster, Big Game Hunter, The brilliant rookie, The insane Solo. Monster debugger.The actor. Executioner. Survivor. Pioneer, Record breaker.The new champion supreme. Slavemaster.

  Gear: amulet +2 vit: weapon- Gundao+3 str. Rings- spatial storage,