Unless these were the legendary artifacts of myth.

  But looking at the gear before him, Ling Xiao knew they weren't divine relics. This only proved how precious they were—weapons and armor that far surpassed anything in the current era.

  As for the pills, though Ling Xiao hadn't tested them yet, the gear alone was enough to convince him that the claims about the medicine were no exaggeration. Still, pills were an entirely new concept to this world—something completely unheard of until now.

  "What an incredible shop," Ling Xiao murmured in awe. His eyes swept over the two shelves, and for a moment, he felt a burning urge to haul every single item away.

  However, one look at Kael’s calm, unruffled expression was enough to douse that flame. Ling Xiao didn't believe for a second that someone selling such treasures openly possessed only the power visible on the surface. Rather than risking everything to offend the master of such a miraculous shop, it was far wiser to trade fairly and build a rapport.

  His expression shifted, returning to his previous refined smile. "Manager Kael, you truly are a hidden master. I am more than satisfied with your wares."

  Kael’s brow twitched slightly, but he remained expressionless. "You flatter me. Is there anything else you need?"

  "I’ll be needing a great deal more in the future. I wonder... how much stock do you have?" Ling Xiao asked tentatively.

  In his mind, gear this precious—even if it could be displayed openly—wouldn't be kept in large quantities. Higher quality meant a more difficult and time-consuming forging process. These items were so far beyond anything he had ever seen that the labor required to craft them must be astronomical.

  "As much as you want," Kael replied flatly.

  Ling Xiao’s gaze sharpened. "Are you certain, Manager Kael?"

  "Absolutely certain," Kael answered with total sincerity.

  And he wasn't lying. Since he was sourcing everything from the System, it was just a matter of making a few more trips to the warehouse. Besides, the more he sold, the more he earned—maybe he could even give his upgrade progress a boost.

  "Good. With those words, I can rest easy." Ling Xiao felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He grabbed a [Blood-Boiling Combo] and a [Rising from the Dead Combo]—two sets of pills perfect for warriors—as a safeguard for his own life.

  "By the way, where’s that boy Ying Feng?" Ling Xiao suddenly remembered their companion.

  "Oh, he's next door," Kael replied offhandedly.

  By now, the kid was probably on the verge of a mental breakdown. However, the small door connecting the two shops was fitted with a sound-dampening barrier; none of the noise from the other side could leak through.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  "That brat! Instead of picking out gear for the forest, what is he doing over there?" Ying Xue marched toward the side door, leaving Ling Xiao behind to settle the bill.

  "No rush. Let him pick his items, then you can pay for it all together. You should probably explain the gear to him anyway," Kael said, patting Ling Xiao on the shoulder without an ounce of ceremony. He then followed Ying Xue back into the Training Room.

  As soon as they stepped through, they were greeted by the hysterical shouts of Blood Wolf and Ying Feng, interspersed with the occasional bleep of the System’s censorship.

  "Ying Feng! What are you doing?" Ying Xue walked up to Ying Feng’s booth, clutching her staff.

  "Ah... Sister..." Ying Feng stared blankly at the blood-spattered floor inside the crystal ball, his voice wooden.

  "Boss, what happened to him?" Ying Xue was completely lost.

  Kael leaned over, glanced at the crystal ball, and said, "His ego exploded and his spirit shattered. It’s a normal reaction. Just drag him away; he’ll be fine in a while."

  "Oh, alright then." Ying Xue nodded, grabbing Ying Feng and hauling him toward the general store.

  "Once you've picked your things, come back here to settle up. You've still got a few Spirit Crystals' worth of time left on the clock," Kael added lazily.

  "Got it," Ying Xue called back.

  With that settled, Kael prepared to head back to his lounge chair for a nap. But at that moment, a massive hand reached out and clamped firmly onto his shoulder.

  A steady voice spoke—steady, yet vibrating with an undertone of pure despair: "Boss, wait a second."

  "What is it?" Kael turned back calmly to face the bloodshot eyes of Blood Wolf.

  "This thing... is it actually possible for a human to beat it?" Blood Wolf was no longer just doubting the Arena; he was beginning to doubt if he was even a competent warrior.

  "Of course it is," Kael said, looking at him with total sincerity.

  "Boss."

  "Yeah?"

  "I don't believe you."

  "..."

  Kael was momentarily speechless.

  "Boss, why don't you play a round and show us? I don't believe you're actually that strong," Blood Wolf said, his grip still firm on Kael’s shoulder.

  "Uh... that might not be a good idea," Kael tried to decline.

  "There's nothing bad about it! Boss, if you won't play, you're admitting that you're a scrub too!" Ying Feng shouted, popping up out of nowhere. It seemed his mental state hadn't completely collapsed after all.

  Kael suddenly realized what was happening. It seemed his "scrub" comment from earlier had really stung these two. Since Ying Feng’s gear purchase was helping his revenue, he decided he could humor them for one round.

  "Fine."

  Kael nodded and sat down in the nearest booth. Blood Wolf and Ying Feng gathered around him, their faces a mix of intense anticipation and a desire to see him fail.

  "Ying Feng, why did you run back here so fast?" Ying Xue asked, walking over quickly.

  "Sister, come quick! The Boss is going to perform a 'how to die instantly' demo for us!" Ying Feng told her excitedly. Based on his own traumatic experience, he was sure this "useless" Boss wouldn't last more than a few moves.

  "What are you talking about? What is the Boss performing?" Ying Xue joined the crowd, confused.

  "Ying Xue, Ying Feng, what's going on?" Ling Xiao had just finished next door and saw everyone huddling together. Humans are naturally curious creatures, so he hurried over to join them.

  Kael took a moment to center himself before placing his hands on the crystal base.

  [Welcome to the Combat Strength Arena.]

  Listening to the familiar synthesized voice, Kael skillfully summoned a longsword and selected the Swordmaster. He had noticed that both Blood Wolf and Ying Feng had been fixated on that specific opponent.

  "How many moves do you think the 'Useless Boss' can last?" Ying Feng whispered to Blood Wolf.

  "Based on my professional experience? Ten moves, max. Not a single one more," Blood Wolf stated with absolute conviction.