Kit awoke in a familiar setting, surrounded by the majestic mountains and a clear lake. The cat-shaped rock formation reminded him that he was back home. Suddenly, he heard a voice and saw Mars.

"Finally!" Mars jumped up from his perch on a nearby stone. "Did you find Snowball?"

A huge grin spread across Kit's face as he nodded eagerly. "Yes! That little troublemaker had quite the adventure while I was away. You should see how chubby he is now!"

Just then, Peaches appeared out of thin air.

"That cat is terrifying," Peaches shuddered, interrupting the happy reunion.

Mars raised an eyebrow. "You encountered danger?"

"Oh, Peaches is talking about Bai yue," Kit said, turning to look at him curiously. "But why is he scary?" He had always had a good impression of the sphinx.

"He killed us both with one hit! How is that not scary?" Peaches exclaimed incredulously.

"I guess he is quite powerful," Kit replied, dismissing their fears. He had a contract with Bai yue and wasn't worried about being attacked by the white cat. Plus, Bai yue was obsessed with moon juice magic and had no reason to harm them.

Mars interrupted their conversation with a wicked grin and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Let's not worry about that now. We need to get going so we can sell those gems!"

Kit rubbed his hands together excitedly and turned to Mars. "Yes, let's head to Wild Kokka."

But instead of heading towards the nearest town, Mars started walking towards the respawn arch where they could teleport to different destinations.

Confused, Kit asked his friend what was going on. "Um, what are you doing? And why do we need to go to the capital? We only have two days to sell the gems, so Wild Kokka is our best bet."

Mars chuckled and a notification rang out.

Ding!

[Partial Travel gate]

“Please choose your destination.” A gentle, feminine voice drifted into Kit's ears. His eyes widened in surprise.

Could the respawn arch actually transport them to a different location? A small map materialised in front of the group, displaying Spartan Fire at its centre.

The other villages and towns sparkled brightly on the map, captivating Kit's attention. As he examined the options available, his excitement grew and his blood began to rush.

The Partial Travel gate had provided access to multiple nearby villages near Spartan Fire, and a few of those villages even had a fully functional Travel gate!

What would have taken him weeks to travel before now only required a tap of his finger and some coins!

Before, he had assumed that selling the gems would only allow him to venture as far as Wild Kokka, but now they could teleport anywhere on the map!

Kit couldn't contain their excitement as Mars chose their next destination. In a sudden burst of light, they arrived in a new town, but there was no time to admire the surroundings because Mars immediately activated the Travel Gate again.

Ding!

[CAL]

[Map Found: Regal Mist]

Rewards: 50 experience, 1 Regal Mist reputation point.

Kit took a moment to process what had just happened, his head spinning from two consecutive teleportations. When he finally regained his bearings, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the bustling capital city of CAL that surrounded him.

The Travel Gate had brought them to the busy harbour of Regal Mist, where tall ships loomed over Kit as he stepped out.

Flags fluttered in the breeze and workers rushed back and forth, loading and unloading cargo onto the ships.

The wind whipped at Kit’s face and filled his nose with the scent of salt. The chaos of the city was unlike anything he had experienced before, with shouts and laughter filling his ears from every direction.

He squinted against the gusts of wind as he watched ships navigate into port. But his attention quickly shifted to the countless sights that surrounded him. Enormous shipping yards and towering warehouses lined the port, while massive buildings dominated the skyline beyond them.

Lost in wonder, Kit was suddenly jostled from behind, snapping him back to reality. A mumbled apology came from a figure that quickly disappeared into the crowd. Kit realised that he hadn't moved from the Travel stone and quickly grabbed Mars and Peaches to find a quieter spot.

"It's so huge! I never imagined a capital could be this massive," Kit exclaimed in awe.

Mars chuckled at his reaction. "Regal Mist is actually quite small compared to some cities in the Rosaceae state. If I remember correctly, the Rosaceae state capital is ten times the size," he smirked.

The thought was almost unfathomable for Kit. Just looking at one of the nearby buildings made him realise it would take days to explore all corners of this city. He hoped they wouldn't have to spend too long here and could find somewhere to sell their gems quickly.

As if reading his mind, Mars had already stopped someone for directions to a reputable store.

Once they had an idea of where to go, Mars led them out of the busy port and onto wider cobblestone streets. Horse-drawn carts shared the road with a sea of pedestrians, making it difficult for Kit to keep up with Mars and Peaches in the crowd.

Finally, they turned down a side street and Kit let out a sigh of relief. The crowds had thinned and he could finally walk comfortably next to his friends. "There are so many people here!" he exclaimed.

Peaches laughed at his comment. "Of course there are, it's a city after all."

With his worries about losing his friends behind him, Kit was able to fully appreciate the sights around him. The buildings they passed all had stars displayed beneath their signs, with the lowest being two stars and most boasting three.

Kit's curiosity was piqued when he spotted a four-star building and wondered what it might hold inside. He reminded himself to resist the urge to browse until he sold all the stones from the dungeon.

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But his thoughts were interrupted when Mars stopped outside a three-star shop called 'Seafoam's Wonders'.

The five-story building had large display windows showcasing various potions in beautiful glass vials that sparkled under the lights. Kit was confused as they were supposed to be heading towards a jewellery store, but he followed Mars and Peaches into the shop regardless.

A gasp escaped Kit as he entered. The shop was massive and filled to the brim with shelves upon shelves of finely crafted potions.

As he approached the nearest shelf, Kit sputtered in disbelief as he saw that each potion was marked with a price in gold coins. Not a single one was marked with silver or bronze crowns.

What kind of potions were these that they cost so much? He carefully picked up one of the bottles and examined its attributes in astonishment.

[Identity Transformation Golden mixture]

Transforms the consumers facial features for 24hours.

It was no surprise that this potion cost a significant amount of money. It would surely be in high demand for thieves or anyone seeking to do anything underhanded. Carefully, Kit returned the costly potion to its designated spot on the shelf.

Just as he was about to inspect the other potions, Mars called out to him. "Kit, Peaches, come here." Mars gestured for them to join him, and next to him stood a well-dressed man with salt-and-pepper hair and a moustache. His shirt was made from fine silk and he sported a monocle over one eye.

With quick steps, Kit reached Mars' side. The man gave a slight nod in greeting to both Peaches and Kit. "This way, please." A set of stairs appeared before them, made of dark mahogany wood that gleamed from being polished so often.

Kit grasped the handrail as he ascended, marvelling at the smoothness of the wood without a single imperfection. His footsteps were silenced by the thick carpet beneath his feet.

Upon reaching the next floor, he saw more shelves filled with potions crafted with exquisite detail. However, there was noticeably more space between each shelf on this floor.

The man didn’t pause for Kit to examine the shelves as he led them to another set of stairs. Kit's eyes widened in astonishment when he caught sight of the prices for these potions on this floor. Some ranged from 500 gold to even one platinum for a single potion!

How much money did this shop make? Kit thought back to his own restaurant and realised how basic it seemed compared to this shop, despite earning a one-star rating! He made a mental note to visit a three- or four-star restaurant before leaving the capital.

Finally, the middle-aged man stopped at a desk on reaching the third floor. Behind it were several corridors lined with doors. A young man sat at the desk, scribbling on a parchment.

"Flinder, can you assist these gentlemen with selling their items?" The head of blonde hair lifted and bright green eyes met the newcomers. A genuine smile spread across Flinder's face as his eyes crinkled in delight.

"Of course!" He stood up and motioned towards the corridor to the right. "This way, please."

They were led into a moderately-sized room with plush sofas and a coffee table, adorned with rich tapestries on the walls. Kit sank into the armchair and ran his hand over the smooth fabric. It was so comfortable he wished he could take it home!

Mars and Peaches took a seat on one of the sofas, while Flinder settled into an armchair opposite Kit. "What items do you wish to sell?" inquired the young man.

"We have a shard from a Falling Star and some Magic Illuminating Crystals," replied Mars.

Flinder, who had been leaning back in his chair, suddenly sat upright with excitement evident on his face. His friendly smile transformed into one of anticipation. "Good sir, please tell me you're not joking."

Mars let out a chuckle and motioned for Kit to take out the items. Kit opened his bag and placed one of each object on the table. The man named Flinders was practically trembling with excitement. He quickly pulled open a drawer in the coffee table and placed the items on a silver device.

Kit recognised the round silver plate from when he had appraised gems at a jewellery store. All four pairs of eyes were fixed on the disk, waiting for it to respond.

Soon, a number appeared above the stones - 20 gold crowns. Kit was astonished by the price and his mouth hung open in shock.

However, Mars just hummed in response. "What is the price for only the Magic illuminating crystal?" he asked.

Flinder took the Falling Stars shard off of the disk, and the price changed to 1 gold crown. Kit's heart sank; they only had one Falling Stars shard. "Is that the final price?" inquired Mars.

Flinder nodded apologetically. "Yes, sir."

"What if I have more than one to trade?" Mars smiled slyly.

Flinder studied Mars' expression before responding, "If you have more than ten, I can increase the price by 200 silver."

Mars nodded thoughtfully and then asked, "And what would be the final price if I have over 100?"

Flinder's eyes widened in surprise, "Over 100? Sir, if you have that many Magic illuminating crystals, we could potentially raise the price even further. However, I am not authorised to do so without consulting someone higher up. Please wait a moment while I retrieve them."

Flinder hastily left the room without waiting for a response from Mars.

Meanwhile, Mars leaned back in his chair with a grin on his face while Peaches looked around in confusion. "Why didn't you just show them all the crystals at once?" he asked. "Wouldn't that have been faster?"

Mars chuckled, "But if I did that, I wouldn't have been able to negotiate for the best price. This method may be slower, but it will ultimately result in a better deal."

Kit was impressed by Mars' foresight - he would have never thought to ask about bulk prices versus individual prices.

As he was thinking this, Flinder returned with an elegant older woman named Audry who had her gray hair coiled on top of her head. She greeted them warmly and introduced herself as the senior authority in charge of purchasing items in bulk.

"May I see the items please?" she politely requested.

Mars turned to Kit and said, "Kit, can you bring out the 100 Magic illuminating crystals for Audry to see?" Kit hesitated - he had over 600 Magic illuminating crystals in his pouch, but Mars had specifically said 100. However, he decided to trust Mars' instincts and only took out 100 crystals to show Audry.

Audry's eyes gleamed as she surveyed the pile of crystals on the table. "That is quite a substantial amount," she remarked. "I can offer you 1 gold and 500 silver crowns per crystal, how does that sound?"

Mars scratched his chin in contemplation. "Honestly, I was hoping for more per crystal."

Audry chuckled. "My dear Mars, that is the highest price you will find in this area, unless you have over 500 of those crystals. Then we can negotiate."

Mars raised an eyebrow. "And if I did have over 500, how much would it be per crystal then?"

"In that case, I could offer you 2 gold per crystal." Audry's amusement was evident in her tone.

"Excellent, then 2 gold per crystal it is." Mars smiled confidently. "Kit, please hand over the rest of the crystals now."

Audry blinked in surprise as Kit piled even more crystals onto the table. "Oh my! I was not expecting that," she exclaimed. "Where did you get so many?" Flinder, who was new to the store, also looked bewildered by the glittering gems.

"Flinder, we do not ask such questions," Audry reprimanded him. "My apologies, he is new here." She gave a slight bow to the group, and Mars waved his hand to indicate he wasn’t offended.

After counting all the crystals, Audry handed Mars his payment. "Since you have made a significant purchase at our store, I would like to offer you a bronze membership," she said, handing each of them a bronze-colored card. "This will give you a 5% discount on all items in the store."

"Thank you Audry. Does this membership also offer any increase in prices for items we sell?" asked Mars.

"I'm afraid not," replied Audry. "To become a silver member, you must either purchase a certain amount of goods or sell a significant number of items."

"And how much would we need to sell to become silver members?" inquired Peaches.

"3 platinum," Audry stated simply.

Although they had just made 1 platinum and 289 gold crowns from the sale of their magic crystals and falling star shard, Kit felt it would be more profitable to go to a jewellery store for the rest of their precious stones. However, Mars surprised him by suggesting they continue negotiating at this store.

To Kit's surprise, Mars brought up the topic of negotiations once again. With a smile, he asked if they should proceed.

Kit was taken aback - shouldn't they be heading to the jewellery store instead? This was a potion shop, after all, and they needed to sell gemstones. But he didn't voice his confusion; he just hoped that Mars knew what he was doing.

Mars then instructed Kit to take out all the precious stones from his pouch. The only item not included in this request was the Blood Soul Crystal, of which Kit had close to 2,000. After selling all the gemstones, they added another 2 platinum to their total. They were now silver members of Seafoam's Wonders store.

When handed his new silver membership card, Mars couldn't help but beam with pride. "How much of an increase do we get on selling items now, Audry?" he asked eagerly.

"With a silver membership, there is a 3% increase on the total price of materials sold to the store," replied Audry. "I look forward to your next transaction."

Instead of getting up to leave now that the sale was complete, Mars remained seated and fixed twinkling eyes on Audry. "Miss Audry, shall we continue with our next transaction?" A sly smile played across his face, causing Kit's heart to flutter nervously.