Night slowly settled over Riverwood. Lanterns lit the main streets, casting warm golden light across the wooden buildings and stone paths. The town felt calmer now compared to the busy afternoon. Many merchants were closing their stalls, and adventurers were gathering inside taverns after long days of work.
Alex walked slowly through the streets, his thoughts still drifting back to the strange man he had spoken with earlier. Be careful in Riverwood. The warning echoed in his mind.
"Yeah… easier said than done," Alex muttered quietly.
He didn't even know why someone would care about him. He was just a new adventurer who had gotten lucky with a few monsters.
Still… something about that stranger felt different.
Alex shook his head.
"No point worrying about it now."
Right now, he had something far more important to deal with.
Money.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small pouch the guild had given him earlier.
Ten silver coins. The coins clinked softly as he counted them again.
"That's more money than I've had since arriving here."
But that wasn't all. Inside his bag were the Shadow Cores he had collected from the wolves, along with the Alpha Fang from the boss monster. Those items were probably worth much more. And Alex already knew exactly where to go.
He turned down a narrow street toward a shop with a wooden sign hanging above the door. Ironroot Equipment. The same shop he had visited yesterday. A warm yellow light glowed from inside the windows, meaning the shop was still open. Alex pushed the door open. A small bell rang as he stepped inside.
Behind the counter stood the old shopkeeper from before, polishing a short sword with a cloth. The man glanced up when he heard the bell.
"Well… if it isn't the beginner again," the old man said with a small grin.
Alex smiled.
"Good evening."
The shopkeeper set the sword down.
"What brings you back?"
Alex walked up to the counter and placed his bag on the wooden surface.
"I wanted to sell some materials."
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"Already?"
Alex reached inside the bag and placed the Shadow Cores on the counter. Three small black crystals rolled slightly before stopping near the shopkeeper's hand. The old man leaned closer and examined them.
"Shadow Cores…"
He picked one up, holding it under the lantern light.
"Not bad. These come from Shadow Wolves."
Alex nodded.
"Exactly."
The shopkeeper stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"I can offer five silver for each one."
Alex quickly did the math. Three cores meant fifteen silver coins. That was already more than the entire quest reward. But Alex wasn't finished. He reached into his bag again and slowly placed the Alpha Fang on the counter. The moment the old man saw it, his eyes widened.
"…Is that what I think it is?"
"Shadow Wolf Alpha fang," Alex said.
The shopkeeper carefully picked it up, inspecting the long curved tooth.
"This is rare," he murmured.
"Very rare."
He looked at Alex again, clearly surprised.
"You killed the Alpha yourself?"
Alex shrugged.
"It was a tough fight."
The old man let out a low whistle.
"Most beginners wouldn't survive something like that."
He placed the fang back on the counter and thought for a moment. Then he said:
"I'll give you ten silver coins for this."
Alex tried to hide his excitement. That meant:
15 silver from the cores
10 silver from the fang
Twenty-five silver coins total.
"Deal."
The shopkeeper counted out the coins and pushed them across the counter. Alex added them to his pouch. Now he had thirty-five silver coins. His first real fortune in this world.
The old man leaned forward slightly.
"So… planning to upgrade your gear?"
Alex nodded immediately.
"That's exactly why I came here."
The shopkeeper walked over to a rack of weapons.
"Your current dagger is cheap steel. Good enough for beginners, but not great against stronger monsters."
He pulled out a slightly longer dagger with a dark leather grip.
"This one is forged with better steel."
He handed it to Alex. The weapon felt perfectly balanced in his hand. Alex swung it lightly through the air. It was smoother, faster.
"How much?"
"Fifteen silver."
Alex considered it for only a moment.
"I'll take it."
The shopkeeper smiled and placed the dagger on the counter. Then he grabbed a simple piece of leather armor from a nearby rack.
"If you're going to keep hunting monsters, you'll need protection too."
He tossed the vest toward Alex. It was light but sturdy.
"Ten silver."
Alex nodded again.
"Done."
After paying, Alex stepped outside the shop with his new gear. A better dagger. A leather armor vest. And still ten silver coins left. For the first time since arriving in this strange world, Alex felt prepared. He looked down at the dagger in his hand and smiled.
"Tomorrow…"
His eyes drifted toward the dark forest beyond the town walls.
"…I'm hunting again."