Alexander resisted vehemently, every fiber of his being screaming against the action, but he couldn't resist the inevitable pull as he gradually turned his head.

Instantly, a weight seemed to descend upon his heart, making it laborious to beat, as his expression hardened.

Before him stood a cluster of individuals his age; to be precise, it was Chase and his clique, accompanied, as always, by Ana and her cohorts.

They laughed as everyone took turns teasing the couple. Witnessing this, Alexander felt the pain surge again. He wanted to approach them, if only just for a moment, but after some hesitation, he decided against it.

"So, this is the girl," a voice echoed in his mind as he walked away. Alexander ignored it, focusing on holding back his tears.

"Don't worry about it. You'll forget her anyway," the voice continued.

With an almost sobbing voice, Alexander replied, "It doesn't matter. No matter how hard I try, it's not possible."

"Haha, we'll see about that. This store seems promising; you should check it out."

Alexander found himself wanting to leave the area as soon as possible upon seeing them together, leaving him disoriented about his current location. Glancing around, he realized he didn't recognize this part of the market; evidently, he hadn't ventured here before. The relative lack of people, compared to other bustling areas, indicated he had delved deep into the marketplace. Given the vast expanse of the market, it wasn't surprising that he hadn't visited this section previously; it would take at least an hour and a half by car to traverse its entirety at full speed. To his left, he noticed a shop, likely the one the voice had mentioned.

If one were to describe this establishment, they would likely characterize it as a grand yet understated emporium, resembling more of an antiquarian haven than a mere jewelry store. Its entrance exuded an aura reminiscent of a bygone era, reminiscent of the elegant portals of Renaissance-style hotels.

Dubbed "Regal Collective," the shop's name was proudly displayed on a sign hanging from the wood-and-glass-paneled door. Upon stepping inside, one would find themselves greeted by an entranceway positioned to the side, with a sprawling L-shaped counter stretching to the left, while all manner of products were meticulously arranged to the right. Towards the far end of the counter, there stood a solitary shopkeeper, though he bore more resemblance to a distinguished butler than a typical purveyor of goods. Clad in a sleek black coat, his hair impeccably coiffed in white, and sporting a monocle and neatly trimmed mustache, he epitomized refined elegance.

He didn't notice at first, but as he entered, the floor, where customers might walk, was covered with a surely old but impeccably clean red carpet. Reflecting on it, everything in this shop exuded an old-fashioned charm, from the wooden counter, with its visible grain, to the pristine paint on the walls, and even the shopkeeper stationed at the farther end of the massive wooden L-shaped counter.

To be honest, the shopkeeper resembled more of a butler than a traditional shopkeeper. His attire, from the impeccably tailored black coat, neatly combed hair, to the mustache and even the monocle, was meticulously put together. Even from a distance, his welcoming and reassuring smile was unmistakable.

Alexander strode across the expansive hall, his footsteps resonating through the vast emptiness of the space. It was remarkable, he mused, how such a grand and meticulously maintained place could feel so devoid of life. But such considerations were of little consequence to him. As he approached the counter, he retrieved the necklace from his inner pocket.

"What brings a gentleman of your stature to our humble establishment?" The butler-esque shopkeeper inquired, his demeanor friendly and welcoming.

"Well, even the service is quality," Alexander thought inwardly as he fished out the necklace from his pocket. "Nothing much to sell this. Can you take a look?"

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Of course, let me see it," he said, delicately taking the necklace with practiced elegance.

To be honest, Alexander was somewhat awed by the shop's service. If nothing else, this level of service was hard to find elsewhere.

Initially, the man scrutinized the materials with a cautious eye, his brow furrowing slightly. Alexander felt a pang of concern, wondering if he had been deceived by that senior sister. Admittedly, her behavior did seem somewhat questionable. Nevertheless, he reassured himself that he could always explore other shops. Amidst his contemplation, the man produced a specialized magnifying glass to inspect the item further.

It was some time before the man spoke again, his tone now calm and serious. “Young gentleman, could you please tell me where you acquired this?”

Alexander sighed heavily, his expression showing his disappointment. “I bought it at the university fair.”

The man appeared momentarily startled, but then he continued, "Young man, I don't know who you are, but you must be fortunate. If you had entered any other store, they might not have recognized the true value of this item. We are an old and reputable business, so we won't deceive you, nor will we haggle. One price. We can offer you 7500 du for this."

Alexander initially thought the charming gentleman was speaking nonsense, but upon hearing the price, his jaw dropped in disbelief.

"I understand that you might feel the price should be higher, but it's crucial for us to make a profit as well," the salesman reiterated.

Without further negotiation, he left the shop with a bag full of money. While he was prepared to accept a slightly higher price, he didn't anticipate it would be as high as what he got paid.

Overall, he was quite content.

"Young miss, if you continue doing this, how could you possibly learn anything?" After Alexander departed, the butler-like man remarked, glancing behind him towards the door of another room where a young, beautiful lady was frustratingly smashing on some sort of handheld device.

She didn't respond, but the butler-like man remained patient, observing her with the same serene smile, his expression unwavering.

After a few seconds, the girl's expression twisted into one of extreme anger, and she hurled the device at the wall, where it shattered upon impact.

"Oh, spare me your complaints. I've made it abundantly clear—I have no tolerance for weak-willed individuals, and that one was the epitome of it."

"Well, that man just sold us a necklace crafted from the scales of the Deep Sea Kmonar," the elderly gentleman remarked.

"What?" the girl exclaimed, her expression incredulous. Then, she added, "Probably he stole it."

The elderly gentleman let out a tired sigh, "when we open a business we should cater to every customer readdress of their age, gender, status and what not. We are first and foremost here to give service."

At this time, the doorbell chimed once more. This time, a man of distinguished appearance entered the shop, prompting the old man to gracefully step aside as the younger girl, donning an apron and tying her hair into a quick ponytail, took charge.

"We will talk about it later. Well, at least Father would be very, very happy."

Alexander, oblivious to the criticism he had incurred, walked dejectedly to the nearest livestock shop. He felt quite lost upon exiting the shop, and to make matters worse, his phone had run out of battery. Thus, he had to seek assistance from the nearby pedestrian to find his way.

While the majority of people opted for packaged meat, there remained a small demographic who preferred to purchase their products fresh. In a city as vast as this one, even this small demographic was significant enough to warrant the establishment of another sector to cater to their needs.

He knew this place well; every Friday, his own family would gather to enjoy fresh meat. The atmosphere was as lively as usual, and he headed to the shop he was familiar with. Getting 7500 du was far more than he had hoped for, so he found himself with a surplus of money.

Fifteen minutes later, he found himself standing on the road with cages filled to the brim with chickens. They seemed ready to burst out of their confines. Initially, he was advised to buy the cheapest livestock available, so he followed that advice and bought 445 chickens. However, he struggled to carry them all and had to purchase a cage as well. He felt a bit grumpy about spending so much money all at once, as he had just received it.

Towards the end, upon realizing he still had money left, the persistent voice continued to badger him about buying a goat, but he vehemently opposed the idea. Yet, the nagging persisted, relentless as ever. With the voice incessantly prodding him and the chickens clucking loudly, the veins on his forehead throbbed.

Fortunately, at that moment, he stumbled upon a cap and hastily made his way home. Thankfully, or perhaps unfortunately, no one had returned home yet. After all, this holiday had been overdue for nearly everyone in this bustling city.

By this time the voice stopped nagging, so reaching home he asked what to do next.

“Now kill them one by one.” The voice said grumpily.

"What?" Alexander was aware this was a potential outcome, but he had never taken the life of an animal before, leaving him quite apprehensive.

"Well, what did you expect, raising them?" the voice retorted sharply.

Alexander gulped nervously, fully aware of the necessity of his actions. Subconsciously, his thoughts drifted to Chase, pondering what a man chosen by Ana would do.

Just contemplating this brought back memories of what had happened, stirring a mix of anger and sadness within him. After a moment, he glanced at the cage brimming with chickens. With a calm resolve, he rose to his feet and selected one of them.

"If this is what must be done, then so be it," he muttered silently to himself as he swiftly severed the chicken's head above the sink, with a single, decisive motion, blood splattering across his face, painting his already somber expression in crimson.

The warmth of the blood jolted him awake, almost causing him to stagger with dizziness.

[You have killed a domestic chicken, 5 exp.]