At the rickety stall table sat a man and a woman, both around twenty-five. He was a ranger, she a Plant Shepherd; Reyn had seen them before, on the magic airship.
Even then, Reyn had sensed their considerable power, clearly surpassing many superhumans of their level. Now his guesses were confirmed: both strangers had reached third rank. Among the onlookers crowding the stall, there were also third-rank ones, but the power mismatch in their souls was so obvious it caught the eye. Reyn's Soul Eye instantly clarified the picture.
Without approaching or greeting, he focused all attention on the soul stone. In just two-three seconds, he froze in place, stunned.
Reyn didn't immediately identify the creature this soul belonged to: he had never encountered anything like it before, it felt so alien. Undoubtedly, it was an extremely rare low-level demonic soul, probably from a magic beast, but something about it was alarming.
What amazed Reyn most was the presence of four whole elements in this soul!
Two were physical skills: "Strength" and "Charge." "Strength" was first level, clear enough; "Charge" was also a fairly common ordinary element. Many magic beasts had it, and berserks especially valued this skill. In any situation entering battle, a berserk started with a charge! Instant muscle power burst, dashing forward—speed was incredible, slightly inferior to "Phantom Step," sometimes surpassing it. Only casters' "Blink" was a bit faster. For close-combat warriors, it was the most fitting and blood-stirring skill.
However, "Charge" had drawbacks: colossal speed and straight-line movement left almost no room for maneuver, and once started, it couldn't be interrupted midway. If the opponent was too strong, the reckless charge became suicide. Many desperate berserks had laid down their heads in their final charge…
The other two elements in this demonic soul were secret arts: the already known "Dragon Strength," a rare auxiliary spell, and "Reynbow Beam," an attack-type spell.
"Dragon Strength" alone was exotic enough, but "Reynbow Beam" was a complete surprise for Reyn.
"Reynbow Beam" was similar to the "Scorching Ray" he had seen before: both were ray spells concentrating damage in one point as a straight beam. Unlike "Scorching Ray," based on fire magic with high temperature, "Reynbow Beam" unleashed pure secret energy—it was an arcane spell.
Moreover, it was rare. The beam it emitted carried no heat, only purest destructive and penetrating power comparable to a sharpest blade strike. It shimmered with seven rainbow colors, and a direct glance risked a negative effect like blinding. At first circle, it required less than a second to cast. The drawback was short attack range—less than five meters, shorter than most attack spells, making it almost close-range weapon. However, with circle increase, range should grow, plus new negative effects—up to seven different ones, triggering randomly on hit.
Overall, it was an extremely powerful spell with unlimited potential.
Reyn immediately burned with desire. No perfect spells existed in the world, only the most suitable for a person, and this "Reynbow Beam" seemed almost perfect to him. After the fight with the elementalist, he had been thinking he could use a ray spell, and here—such unexpected luck.
Plus "Dragon Strength," "Charge," and first-level "Strength"—Reyn firmly decided to get this demonic soul.
Without delay, he approached and asked:
"How much for this demonic soul?"
The ranger looked up. Seeing Reyn, his face changed slightly—clearly remembered him. First nodded in greeting, then replied:
"Two thousand gold."
"Such a high price?"
Even now, with considerable wealth, Reyn found the price excessively inflated. Low-level demonic souls, unless containing superior elements like gold-eating ants, didn't cost that much, no matter how strong. This soul surpassed his Thunder Lizard by just one rare element, but the price was four times higher—completely unjustified.
The superhumans at the stall were clearly just gawkers. Many had already heard the price and now, hearing two thousand gold, just shook their heads—the sum was unaffordable. Some even started snide remarks.
"Two thousand gold! For that sum, I'd buy two, maybe three mid-level demonic souls."
"These out-of-towners must take us Longsand residents for savages? Think we're that easy to fool?"
"Exactly, gone mad with greed…"
They were all superhumans, and no one feared speaking loudly. This demonic soul had long attracted attention, but no one had that much money. They had haggled long with the ranger, but he hadn't budged a copper, so now, annoyed, they vented.
The ranger frowned. Noticing Reyn's hesitation, he explained:
"This is a Crystal Giant Lizard's demonic soul. They're very rare, carry a trace of crystal dragon blood, a cross with basilisk. The creature is a draconid, its power far surpasses ordinary low-level magic beasts. We got it on the New Continent, personally, and lost a comrade doing so."
"Your Excellency Revisor," interjected the Plant Shepherd standing beside the ranger, pointing to Reyn's status. She added quietly: "Our comrade was from Longsand. We returned to deliver the news to his family and care for them."
Reyn glanced at the Plant Shepherd. She looked downcast—seemed not lying. He said nothing, looking back at the soul stone. "Crystal Giant Lizard… So a draconid. No wonder it felt strange to me."
Dragons were famous for their insatiable lustfulness, especially males. In mating season, their passion knew no bounds, and any female—human, beast, fish, or bird—could be their target. Sometimes even gender didn't matter. Though pureblood dragon offspring were rare, they were surprisingly successful in crossbreeding. Their mighty blood and relentless drive to spread their seed worldwide produced countless half-breeds. No one could say exactly how many such species existed, so all beings with dragon blood were collectively called draconids.
Draconids formed one of the sixteen main categories of demonic souls; there were vast numbers of them, and their power varied greatly. The purer the draconid's blood, the closer its might came to that of a true dragon. Crystal Dragons were a rare breed of true dragons, naturally endowed with aptitude for secret arts. Logically, their descendants could possess "Dragon Strength" and "Reynbow Beam." Reyn recalled that basilisks themselves wielded "Petrifying Beam." Likely, after mixing with draconid blood, this beam had mutated into the "Reynbow Beam." If he wasn't mistaken, further advancement of the "Reynbow Beam" circle would inevitably add a petrification effect.
And yet, even a draconid soul wasn't worth two thousand gold.
Reyn didn't haggle. Having caught key information in the ranger's words, he asked curiously:
"Have you returned from the New Continent?"
"Yes," the ranger replied with a hint of pride in his voice.
Reyn nodded. It was no surprise that these two superhumans were so strong—they turned out to be soul hunters bold enough to venture to the New Continent.
The name "New Continent" didn't actually reflect its true age; it dated back to a past era and carried over six thousand years of ancient history. In those distant times, elves and dwarves dominated the continent of Yorezur—the very land where the Aurien Empire and numerous human kingdoms now sprawled. The two races, separated by the World Mountains running through the middle of Yorezur, waged an endless struggle for supremacy: one held the east, the other the west. A war for territory and living space that lasted six centuries turned them into mortal enemies; the forces of both races were exhausted to the limit, but they couldn't stop the bloodshed.
This continued until one elven explorer, daring to sail west from Yorezur, crossed the Ocean of Storms by ship and discovered a vast, unexplored continent. This newly found landmass was divided into two parts—north and south—with a total area only slightly smaller than Yorezur. The northern continent was wild, almost uninhabited by intelligent races, save for scattered troll tribes. The southern continent, however, was full of dangers, and penetrating deep into it proved extremely difficult. The elves named this land "Juensi," which meant "New Continent" in their tongue.
Soon, word of the discovery reached the dwarves. Following the eastern coast of Yorezur northward, then turning east, they rounded the northern part of the Endless Sea and reached Northern Juensi, landing on the western shore of the New Continent.
Both races, as if by agreement, shifted their focus from the grueling war to colonizing the New Continent, and the centuries-old tension between them eased somewhat. Once again, as before, the elves settled on the eastern coast, and the dwarves on the western. For over twenty centuries, they coexisted peacefully, gradually establishing trade ties. On the New Continent, they built countless impregnable fortresses and hundreds of magnificent cities. During this same period, orcs rose in the north of Yorezur, becoming a common threat to both races, and large-scale wars repeatedly erupted between the three civilizations.
Then, at the close of the previous era, a massive invasion from the Void began. The demons struck the New Continent first, managing to open enormous Void gates there. Countless hordes of demons, led by the Four Great Evil Gods, poured forth, destroying everything in their path. In desperation, the gods unleashed a terrifying earthquake that swallowed the cities and fortresses of the New Continent, burying most of the demonic legions underground. The elves and dwarves forever abandoned the ravaged New Continent.
However, a small portion of the demons still managed to breach the Old Continent, bringing death and destruction. The three great races suffered devastating losses, and the entire world plunged into a millennium of darkness until humans rose, ushering in the New Era.
Even today, over two and a half thousand years since the start of the New Era, the New Continent remains a land of wild frontiers and majestic ruins. The surviving demons and Fel-corrupted soil have spawned countless horrific monsters over the millennia. Wild beasts prowl everywhere, fear hangs in the very air, making this region one of the most dangerous in Ellunes.
At the same time, the New Continent is a true paradise for explorers and adventurers. Beneath its perilous lands lie untold treasures of elves and dwarves, while demonic souls—even from the mightiest beasts—are prized prey for soul hunters. Every day, every hour, every moment brings tales of someone striking it rich on the New Continent. One after another, parties of superhumans rush there, driven by greed and glory. Few find treasures, but many lose their lives. Only the strongest and most experienced superhumans can establish themselves on the New Continent and survive its harsh conditions.
Humans have now founded several outposts and even small cities on the New Continent. Superhumans band into squads, scouring the wild lands and ancient ruins for treasures and demonic souls. Roughly a third of the demonic souls reaching Imperial markets come from the New Continent. However, these are usually common souls; the best ones find buyers right there, never making it to Yorezur. Those superhumans who return alive from there possess noticeably greater power and experience.
Reyn had long heard stories of the New Continent. He himself had considered heading there to hunt souls and bolster his strength, but feared he lacked the power—and without an experienced guide, such a journey would be tantamount to suicide. Now, seeing two people returned from the New Continent, he couldn't help but feel burning curiosity.
The ranger, seeing Reyn fall silent for a long time, assumed he wasn't going to buy and couldn't hold back:
"I know the price is high, but I urgently need a large sum of money, or I wouldn't sell this demonic soul."
The plant shepherd standing nearby added glumly:
"If we were on the New Continent, this wouldn't be considered expensive. It would have been bought long ago."
Reyn was still pondering. He sensed these two weren't telling the full truth; there had to be another reason. Though he desperately wanted the Crystal Giant Lizard soul, he didn't want to be duped and waste a fortune. After all, a regular worker's monthly wage didn't even reach one gold shield. Before his transmigration, he'd barely scraped together twenty gold shields for academy tuition. Now that he had money, he wasn't about to squander it.
After thinking it over, Reyn said calmly:
"Honestly, I really want this demonic soul, but two thousand gold is too much. It's not that I can't afford it—it's that it isn't worth that much. If you knock off a few hundred gold, I'll buy it right now."
"I'd love to, but I urgently need exactly two thousand gold," the ranger replied desperately.
Reyn made as if to leave.
"Wait!"
The ranger hurriedly stopped him. He'd been standing here half the day, and only Reyn had shown real intent to buy—and clearly had the means, unlike the others who just came to gawk.
Reyn turned:
"What do you say?"
Hesitation flickered in the ranger's eyes. His companion whispered something in his ear. Her voice was quiet as a mosquito's buzz; she thought no one would hear, but Reyn caught it clearly: "Djevsk, maybe we give in to him? And borrow the shortfall from the Jillman family to make up the two thousand we need."
"No! How can we ask for a loan on money we just handed over?" The ranger shook his head firmly. "Besides, it's funds Jillman earned with his life."
The plant shepherd's face showed extreme worry.
"But what do we do then? We're so lucky to stumble on a mid-rank Feathered Serpent with Wind affinity! It'll let you become an elemental archer! You've waited two whole years for this! If we miss this chance, who knows when the next one comes."
The ranger sighed, his face darkening.
Hearing their talk, Reyn understood most of it. This ranger wanted to advance his rank to elemental archer, for which he needed a mid-rank Feathered Serpent soul with Wind affinity. Reyn remembered seeing such a serpent during his last market visit, but someone had already bought it. Now that buyer was reselling it for two thousand gold—a fair price. From their words, they'd come a long way from the New Continent to deliver news of their fallen comrade and care for his family. People with such noble qualities were rare.
Reyn decided not to drag it out and offered himself:
"Here's a deal: I buy your demonic soul for fifteen hundred gold, then lend you another five hundred. How's that?"
"Deal!" The ranger's eyes lit up, and he agreed instantly.
Reyn pulled out two thousand-gold banknotes and handed them over. The ranger gave him the soul stone and quickly wrote an IOU.
"I'm Djevsk," he said with genuine gratitude. "And this is my companion, Nilaman. We'll repay those five hundred gold within a year."
"Good, I'll wait," Reyn wrote his name in the "creditor" field on the note and added: "You know where to find me."
"So you're Lord Reyn," Nilaman smiled too. "Aren't you afraid we'll run off? The world is so vast; finding someone is hard."
"Not afraid," Reyn smirked. He trusted their integrity. In the Eye of Soul, lies and true emotions were plain as day. These two weren't frauds, and the demonic soul was real.
"If you head to the New Continent in the future, find me at the 'Golden Gates' tavern in Alber Bay," Djevsk said, pocketing the banknotes. He hurried to buy the Feathered Serpent soul and, after a quick farewell, left the stall with his companion.
Reyn glanced at the crowd of onlookers and strode quickly from the demonic souls market.