I Loaded the Occult Panel

Ares had remained silent.

But the breathing beneath his red copper mask was noticeably faster than before.

”...Are you testing me?”

Richard didn’t avoid his gaze.

”I don’t mean it that way. I’m just making the rules clear.”

He looked at the empty space below the man’s left shoulder.

”The break is below the shoulder, and most of the Micro-circulation on your entire left side is paralyzed.”

”Restoring a true flesh-and-blood arm requires a Major Adept of the Solar Tradition.”

”Getting a prosthetic means a three-month waitlist and five hundred pounds, and even then, they might not take the job.”

”Before those three months are up...”Richard weighed his words, careful not to intentionally sting the man.

”If you leave that paralyzed ether circuit on your left side alone, it will continue to degrade.”

”My Spell Formula can’t heal your injury,” he said, neither hiding nor exaggerating the truth.

”But it can keep that segment of your circuit active and repeatedly refreshed during those three months.”

”When your prosthetic is finally attached... the connecting surface for the simulated circuit will be far larger than it is now.”

Ares didn’t reply.

The rapid breathing beneath his red copper mask slowly steadied.

Hecate made no sound.

Prometheus, however, asked a question.

”There are no records of any Spell Formula like yours on the market.”

”In all the Moon Nail branch literature I’ve read, there’s no ’Reverse Living Piercing’ variation.”

When Richard heard the word ”all,” he silently made another mental note about the man in the red gold mask.

”...Did you reverse-engineer it yourself?” Prometheus asked.

”Yes.”

Richard kept his answer brief.

He couldn’t explain [Shadow Inversion], so he didn’t try.

”Hermes, I want this Spell Formula.”

Ares finally spoke.

”Name your price.”

Richard nodded. This was the advantage of a seller’s market.

He casually pointed at the pile of items spread across the center of the table.

”The Ebony Box and the Bronze Mirror.”

As he named each item, Ares slid the corresponding piece across the table toward him.

”Three of the soul-gnawing beast’s front canines.”

Ares picked up the three dark red fangs and placed them neatly beside the box.

”As for the shadow eater scales, just give me two.”

Ares didn’t even bother inspecting them; he simply picked the two largest scales from the outer edge of the pile and pushed them over.

He knew very well that his chances of attaching a prosthetic and recovering his strength entirely depended on Richard’s Spell Formula.

”Deal.”

After agreeing, he pressed his right hand against the edge of the table.

”...But I have one condition.”

Richard waited for him to continue.

”If anything goes wrong while I am practicing this Spell Formula, you will give me three remote consultations.”

”Relayed through Hecate’s Spirit Realm Messenger.”

This was what Ares needed most. After buying the Spell Formula, he needed support.

Richard considered it.

Three remote consultations, relayed through the messenger, would only cost him a little time.

The Spell Formula’s casting rhythm, the breathing techniques required before Needle Piercing, and the common pitfalls regarding circuit backlash after consecutive uses—he knew them all inside and out.

”Alright, three times.”

He answered cautiously.

”But it won’t cover anything beyond explaining the Spell Formula itself.”

Ares thought for a moment and understood what he was guarding against.

Any future borderline inquiries disguised as questions about the Spell Formula—such as asking about his master, background, guide, recent whereabouts, or field mission locations—would fall strictly outside the scope of these three consultations.

”Agreed.”

Ares hadn’t planned on doing any of that anyway.

Richard took out a thick, neatly transcribed manual.

”That Ebony Box and Bronze Mirror.”

Ares spoke up to warn him.

”I dug them both out of altar ruins in the Ash Belt. I placed a temporary seal on them.”

”But as for what exactly is inside, or whether there are deeper curses and traps, I have no way of appraising them.”

The gaze beneath the red copper mask locked tightly onto Richard.

”Let me be clear up front: if you run into trouble because of these two items, I won’t be held responsible.”

In truth, Ares was a little worried that he might back out of the deal.

But it was best to make such things clear in advance. That was just basic business ethics.

Richard brought the Ebony Box and Bronze Mirror over to his side.

”It’s fine. I have my own appraisal methods.”

”I also have ways to render them harmless, so don’t worry.”

At the head of the table, Hecate showed a hint of interest for the first time.

She asked, ”You have your own appraisal methods?”

”I do.”

”Like what exactly?”

Richard smiled.

”Trade secret.”

Beneath his red gold mask, Prometheus chuckled.

It wasn’t a loud laugh, just a brief sound slipping out from beneath the mask.

Nemesis still hadn’t spoken, but Richard could feel her staring intently at him.

Everyone here had items of unknown origin they didn’t dare handle casually.

The most scarce talent in the mystical world had never been the Hunters, nor the Secrets.

It was the Scholars who dared to appraise objects of unknown origin while ensuring they wouldn’t damage the supernatural items themselves.

His aunt had once written at the end of a review:

”The volume of items one possesses determines the upper limit of their wealth, but appraisal ability determines the realization rate of that wealth.”

By dropping the phrase ”trade secret” today, Richard had effectively hung a sign over the table for all to see.

A sign that read: ”Appraisals. Private commissions accepted.”

Hecate didn’t press the matter further.

She merely glanced at Richard, then looked away.

The pile of items brought back from the Ash Belt had been picked over, but the vast majority still remained spread out across the table.

Ares’s shoulders were noticeably more relaxed.

Looking at his demeanor, Richard felt like he might have priced his offer a bit low.

Still, it wasn’t good to push people too hard. It was better to leave some leeway; there might be opportunities to ask for Ares’s help in the future.

Hecate glanced at Prometheus to her right.

”What about you?”

Prometheus slowly began taking things out.

”I don’t have anything major today.”

”Just a few trinkets.”

The first item he brought out was a tiny glass bottle.

Inside was a dark gold liquid, slowly swirling under the light.

Richard gave it a shallow scan.

He found that the ether density of the liquid wasn’t high, but it had clearly been modified by an alchemist.

”Freshly concocted.”

Prometheus casually stood the bottle on the table.

”I altered the ratio of an alchemical stabilizer. Spellcasting, acting as an alchemical catalyst, nourishing supernatural items, restoring ether circuits—it works for everything.”

”Its specific functionality is weak, but its versatility is high, and it has no real side effects. Of course, the results are only average.”

The second item he took out was a few folded sheets of parchment.

”Correspondence between two elder alchemists from two hundred years ago.”

Prometheus gently unfolded the papers.

”A debate on how a certain segment of a Spell Formula in the Hearth Fire Tradition should be modified.”

”It would be useful for Practitioners aiming for the Hearth Fire direction, though it likely won’t be of much use to any of you.”

”What I want to trade for this time...”

Prometheus folded the parchment and set it on the edge of the table.

”...is on-site field data regarding an old vein on the edge of the Ash Belt.”

He tilted his head toward Ares.

”If Ares’s previous itinerary took him through that sector and he can give me an oral account, I’ll trade any one of these three items for it.”

Beneath his red copper mask, Ares thought for a moment.

”...I passed through that sector.”

He flipped through his mental map of the route.

”Which part do you want to know about?”

”The bottom layer of the open-pit mine.”

Prometheus’s tone grew grave.

”A colleague of mine from the northern frontier had an accident there over a decade ago.”

”...A colleague?” Ares asked.

”Yes.”

The man beneath the red gold mask said no more.

Ares nodded, not pressing the issue.

They exchanged a few words regarding the oral account. Because it involved personal secrets, they sought Hecate’s permission to deploy an audio shield.

Ares finished describing several key characteristics.

Prometheus asked no further questions and pushed the small glass bottle in front of Ares.

”This might be of some minor help with your current ether circuit damage, but don’t expect a miracle.”

Ares pocketed the bottle. At this point, he would take whatever he could get.

”Nemesis.”

Hecate shifted her gaze to the unmoving figure on her left.

”What about you?”

Nemesis brought out a segment of a silver hook.

The hook was about two fingers long, its tip filed down to a sharp point. The handle was wrapped in a piece of discolored hemp rope.

”A piece of an Eagle Hook. An old relic from the Highland Moon-Hunting Lineage.”

”It has two uses.”

”First, as a spellcasting medium for the Moon-Hunting Lineage’s Spell Formulas.”

”Second, to be sewn into a lining as an amulet.”

When she mentioned the word ”amulet,” several people present were clearly intrigued.

”The amulet’s specific effect is to cause people to ’misidentify’ you.”

”Misidentify?” Prometheus chimed in.

”Yes. It makes them perceive you as someone long dead, though it can only deflect a casual glance.”

Nemesis didn’t elaborate further.

Richard tapped his finger against the edge of his chair.

The Silver Ring hanging around his own neck—the one upon which Madam Marie had left her ”kiss.”

The Silver Ring was effective against ”being watched”;

Nemesis’s segment of an Eagle Hook was equally effective against ”being watched.”

”Disguise” and ”misidentification” were two parallel paths.

Nemesis’s gaze fell on Richard.

”Hermes, I want to trade for the Spell Formula you just gave Ares.”

”[Moon Nail: Reflection].”

Ares clenched his remaining right hand. He shot Nemesis a glance but said nothing.

He had just paid a massive price for this very Spell Formula, and now Nemesis was immediately asking for the exact same thing. It left a somewhat sour taste in his mouth.

But knowledge was like that. Even after trading a Spell Formula away, the original owner still had the right to sell it again.

”You also have someone who needs their ether circuit repaired?”

Richard asked.

Nemesis’s answer was vague.

”I have a senior in my family who had an accident in the field over a decade ago. Their Rank has been stuck at Minor Adept for many years.”

”They’ve tried ether massages and traditional therapies. They can delay the degradation, but they can’t repair it.”

Richard nodded.

”I understand.”

”Nemesis, this segment of the Eagle Hook... It should be a supernatural item, yes?”

Nemesis didn’t hide it.

”You could say that.”

”How much ether is left in it?”

Richard’s question hit the mark.

Nemesis replied, ”This thing has passed through the hands of several generations.

By the time it reached me, it only had its inherent secondary effects left. Trying to use it to assist in practice is probably a lost cause.”

Richard’s hopes sank a notch.

That meant extracting points from it was out of the question.

However, the true value of the Eagle Hook lay in its function, not its ether reserves.

”I see.”

He didn’t press her any further on this point.

”I’ll accept the piece of the Eagle Hook.”

”For the rest of the cost, what else do you have?”

Nemesis brought out two more items.

The first was a small roll of dark silver silk ribbon. The silk was about a finger wide, roughly three feet long, and rolled very tightly.

”Moon-Bathed Silk. An ancestral craft of a certain highland family. My family snatched it from them.”

”Before you practice the Moon Nail and perform Needle Piercing, wrap the Silver Needle in this overnight. The ether affinity within the needle will increase significantly.”

Richard’s brow twitched slightly.

”Not bad, but not quite enough.”

The second item was a small bottle of liquid. The bottle was even smaller than the one Prometheus had used for the stabilizer, and the liquid inside was a very pale silver-white.

”Silver Marrow Water.”

Nemesis set this bottle on the table as well.

”One of the Moon-Hunting Lineage’s folk methods for enchanting weapons.”

”You can also soak bullets in it to slightly enhance their enchantment.”

”This bottle should be good for about fifty or sixty soaks.”

Richard looked at the three items on the table.

The Eagle Hook, the Moon-Bathed Silk, and the Silver Marrow Water.

If this set were broken apart and sold individually at market price, not a single piece would be cheap.

Taken together, the total value still fell slightly short of the price he had given Ares.

But he didn’t raise the price.

”Deal.”

Nemesis gave a slight nod.

”The consultation terms will mirror Ares’s.”

”Three remote consultations, covering nothing beyond explaining the Spell Formula itself.”

”Agreed.”

Richard pushed a second transcribed manual for [Moon Nail: Reflection] to the center of the table.

Nemesis collected the manual.

The Eagle Hook, Moon-Bathed Silk, and Silver Marrow Water were pushed across to Richard.

But Nemesis wasn’t done trading.

She pulled out a small pouch and placed it on the table.

As the pouch opened, a bright golden gleam spilled out.

It was a bag of sovereign gold coins.

Richard gave it a rough glance; there were probably a good thirty-odd coins in the bag.

Nemesis looked toward Ares.

”Ares, those evil creature materials you laid out today.”

Nemesis’s gaze swept over the pile of items on the table.

”One front canine from the soul-gnawing beast, two medium-sized shadow eater scales, and that clump of dark green fiber.”

”I’d like to buy them all with this cash.”

She pushed the bag of sovereign gold coins toward Ares.

”Calculated at market value, this should be enough.”

Ares agreed almost immediately.

”It’s enough.”

Using his right hand, he pulled the bag of gold coins over.

The trade Richard had just made with him yielded a Spell Formula and instructions, not cash.

The trade Prometheus offered was a bottle of stabilizer and a waitlist token—again, no cash.

Nemesis’s trade was pure cash.

And cash was the most practical thing he could have right now.

He needed to negotiate with the alchemists for a prosthetic, and every sovereign coin helped bridge the gap to that hefty sum.

Richard still had one last item he hadn’t brought out.

He fished a small oil-paper packet from a hidden compartment in his chair and set it on the table.

He peeled back a corner of the oil paper, revealing a semi-coagulated lump slightly smaller than a longan.

”A medium-concentration ether condensate,” Richard introduced. ”It can be used for nourishing supernatural items or as an alchemical catalyst.”

”I don’t have an immediate use for it, so I thought I’d see if any of you were interested.”

He didn’t mention its exact origin, and no one at the table pressed for details.

Ares spoke first.

”...Hermes, all my cash has to go toward the bill for my prosthetic.”

There was a hint of apology in the voice beneath the red copper mask.

Richard nodded in understanding.

The flame atop Prometheus’s head jumped slightly.

”I’ve got a few of those stocked up myself.”

The reply from beneath the red gold mask was blunt.

”Everyday alchemy in the Hearth Fire Tradition produces plenty of these as byproducts. Leave it for someone who truly needs it.”

The tilted scale pan before Nemesis swayed ever so slightly.

”Apologies. I’ve brought out everything I have today.”

The space on the table before her was entirely empty.

The Eagle Hook, Moon-Bathed Silk, and Silver Marrow Water had passed into Richard’s hands, and that bag of gold coins had been traded to Ares for evil creature materials.

”Maybe next time, then.”

”Alright, next time.”

Keeping it was fine; he wasn’t in any rush to sell it anyway.