A stare contest ensued between the two as Max and the yellow-haired old man locked eyes—one filled with youthful confidence and the other exuding a calm as deep as the ocean.
"Max, let me introduce you to Lily," Alice's voice broke the silence, drawing Max's attention toward her.
Max glanced at her and then at the yellow-haired girl before extending his hand. "I'm Max Morgan. Nice to meet you."
"I know you. You're that bully from the Battle Realm who beat Killian that day," Lily said, shaking Max's hand in a tone that seemed more childish than accusatory.
Max was momentarily taken aback by her calling him a bully, but then he chuckled softly. "Yeah, I am indeed that bully. Did you enjoy how I beat him?"
Lily stuck out her tongue. "I hate that Killian. He always pesters me whenever we meet, so it was good that you beat him. But I hated what you did afterward." Her expression grew sad at the end.
Max shrugged. "Some things are just necessary, I guess."
Sensing the tension, Alice quickly intervened. "Max, this is Lily's grandfather." She whispered the last part, "He's the father of the current leader of the Ashford Family."
Max's eyes narrowed as he processed the information. He also understood why the old man was exerting pressure on him. 'It seems the four families probably know my true identity as Max Voidwalker, but they never speak of it to anyone,' he thought, finding it strange.
He didn't believe that they were unaware of Freya Voidwalker and her ties with the Phoenix Order guild, yet they remained silent about everything.
'There's definitely something else going on with the four super families and the Union Vanguard,' Max mused, recalling the time when even a Commander from Union Vanguard had refused to help him, despite being the most biased power in all of the East Region.
"What are you here for, Alice?" Lily asked.
Alice smiled and pointed at Max. "He wants to buy some things for runes."
Lily pouted, placing her hands on her hips and turning to Max. "I don't believe this guy can draw runes."
Alice smiled and nodded. "I don't believe it either, but he's hell-bent on coming here."
Max heard their conversation and smiled as he turned to the shopkeeper. "Do you have these items on the list?" He handed the list over.
The shopkeeper read through the list, raising an eyebrow at Max. "I have everything here, but I can't sell you chaos stones."
"Why?" Max frowned. This was the reason he came here, and if he couldn't buy them, everything would be for nothing.
The shopkeeper made a difficult expression as he explained, "Chaos stones are some of the rarest materials in this world. They have many uses, like forging weapons and armor, but very few in the East Region can even work with them."
He added solemnly, "From a runemaster's perspective, these stones are a treasure beyond compare. However, their scarcity makes them difficult to acquire."
Max understood. "And that's why you can't sell them to me?"
The shopkeeper nodded. "Since these stones are so rare, the best way to sell them is through an auction. If you want them, come back in a week. An auction will be held with many rare items for sale."
Max lost interest when he heard that the stones would be auctioned. He knew well that he wasn't rich enough to compete with the so-called four families and five top guilds. He simply gave up, believing there must be other ways to obtain chaos stones.
"Alright, then, give me the materials on the list," Max said after some thought.
The shopkeeper nodded and began gathering them. A moment later, all the items were placed in front of Max.
"Do you really draw runes? Are you a rank 1 runemaster?" Lily asked, her curiosity piqued as she looked at the items before Max.
Max turned to her and replied, "I do, and I am a rank 1 runemaster."
Lily crossed her arms. "Show me your rank 1 runemaster identity proof then."
Max glanced at her and said, "I don't have one."
"Then how are you a rank 1 runemaster?" Lily demanded, her face growing fierce. "Only those recognized by the Rune Tower are considered runemasters, and you're no runemaster... You're just a bully."
Max stared deep into her eyes and asked, "What if I show you proof that I'm indeed a rank 1 runemaster?"
Lily flinched, taken aback. She hadn't expected Max to respond like that, but she also couldn't believe that someone like him could possibly learn to draw runes.
"Humph, if you can draw a rank 1 rune, I'll give you five chaos stones," Lily declared, placing her hands on her waist.
Max's interest immediately piqued. He turned to the old man who had been watching the exchange quietly. "You won't interfere, right?"
The heavy-set old man with yellow hair shot Max a sharp look. "It's her chaos stones, so it's her responsibility what she does with them."
Max chuckled. "Haha, good." He smiled at Lily. "We have a deal then."
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'Looks like Lily is about to lose here,' Alice thought, seeing the confident expression on Max's face. After knowing him for so many months, she had learned many things about him, and one of them was his unshakable confidence.
Only God knew how many bets she had lost with Max over the past three months.
Max turned to the shopkeeper and asked, "If I draw a rank 1 rune, will that be enough to earn the rank 1 runemaster identity?"
The shopkeeper nodded. "It will be enough," he confirmed, tapping on his holowatch to start recording Max. "But I'll need to keep a copy of it."
A smile formed on Max's lips. "Alright. I'll be making a simple defense rune," he said, organizing the materials before him.
Max turned to the shopkeeper. "Should I make it here, or somewhere else?"
The shopkeeper replied, "Anywhere will be fine."
Max nodded and laid out three items in front of him: a small piece of paper, an ink bottle, and a brush—three essentials for drawing a rune.
'Runes are drawn with the help of our soul power, so I'll need to focus a little,' Max thought as he picked up the brush and dipped it slightly into the ink.
Concentrating on his soul power, he focused it entirely on the brush, which began to glow with a blue light.
'Now.' Max leaned over the paper, his hand moving with fluid, almost mesmerizing grace. Each stroke was deliberate, each movement precise, leaving marks on the paper that seemed to embody perfection itself.
As time passed, the markings combined to form a symbol, and that's when Max finished drawing the rune.
"Done," Max said, his body covered in sweat but a satisfied smile on his face.
It was said that using soul power was more exhausting than relying on physical strength or energy, so even using it for a minute could leave someone completely drained.
"Ready to lose those chaos stones?" Max turned to Lily with a grin.
Lily's expression turned anxious, but she maintained a glimmer of confidence. "Let's first see the effect of the rune," she said, her voice firm despite the tension in her demeanor.
Max smiled, his composure unwavering. "As you say."