'Here it is,' Jake thought, looking at the store in front of him. Plate & Cloth, one of the staple vendors and guilds throughout the entirety of Act 1 and a majority of Act 2 of the game. Commonly selling armor and accessories, it was found on the majority of the open world, giving it the nickname of ‘fantasy Nike’ by the fanbase. He had to admit, the nickname was accurate, at the very least. Various mannequins stood on display in various poses, wearing things from a jacket to a full set of steel platemail.

Stepping into the store, he made his way down the aisles, looking over what he found. As he walked through the store, he came across a wall of boxes, each one snuggled next to each other. Pulling out one of the boxes, he opened it to see a pair of leather and steel gauntlets. Taking out one of them, he slid it on, soft fur covering his forearm. Tightening the straps, he lightly flexed his fingers before balling it into a fist.

This'll work.

Taking off the gauntlet, he tossed it back into the box and closed it. Putting it under his arm, he continued on his way, looking over the other pieces of armor. As he walked through the aisles, examining the armor, one piece in particular caught his eye. Taking the plated vest off of its rack, he noticed that it felt…warm. It was similar to putting a hand above a stovetop, where the heat was faint, but still there.

'How odd,' he thought as he looked it over. It was similar to his jacket, but also different. The warmth felt…sharper, like he was holding a freshly forged blade. Putting the vest under his arm, he noticed a nearby cart. As he walked over to the cart, he noticed that there were quite a few things already in it. From holsters to a padded jacket, it had all the staples of a starting out Hunter or Squire.

Taking a quick glance around, he saw that there wasn't anyone paying attention to it.

'Eh, nobody'll miss it,' he thought, tossing his stuff into the cart before walking away, taking it with him. As he went over to a more isolated part of the store, grabbing a few extra items, his eyes landed on something that gave him pause. It looked like a regular leg pouch, one that could be found anywhere. However, as he continued to look over the pouch, he noticed air trembling, as if it was in front of a fire.

Plucking the pouch from the shelf, he felt as if he was holding a piece of coal.

‘How odd,’ he thought before throwing it into the cart and continuing on his way. Once he arrived at a more quiet area, he quickly got to work. Shifting through the contents, he quickly looked over the contents, tossing the unneeded items aside.

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Whoever was planning on buying them could do it later.

Once he kept only what he needed, he made his way towards the checkout station. Grabbing a bag, he quickly tossed in all of his items, the bag barely shifting. It was as if he was putting marbles into a duffel bag.

Magic items are pretty convenient.

Tossing the bag over his shoulder, he made his way out of the door, silently checking off of the list. Since now that was covered, he could go on and get some other equipment.

Walking out of the portal station, he made his way towards a nearby alley. As he went through the dim backstreets, he felt the air around him slowly shift. The air started to become warm, the ground underneath him felt like he was walking on soil rather than hard concrete.

He’s close.

Turning a corner, he was met with what seemed like an old man, sitting silently. Dressed in worn and battered clothing, a bright purple backpack next to him, he looked exactly like jake expected,

“Hello there, stranger,” the old man suddenly said, giving Jake pause.

"How can you see me?" Jake asked, tilting his head. It was strange; multiple trained soldiers wouldn't notice that he was standing in front of them, yet this man knew that he was there despite being a good distance away.

"Your soul is flawless, manufactured. It holds no signs of impurity," the man answered, amusement clear in his voice.

Interesting.

Walking over to the seated man, Jake knelt down, getting eye level with the dealer.

"I need a few things," Jake said, setting a small pouch of Magos Cores on the floor. Whoever was able to process these made the mistake of leaving them on a table.

"Go ahead, stranger. Tell me your needs," the old man said, a small smile on his face.

Letting out a small breath, Jake pushed the feeling of rising heat and tension aside. Stay still. Stay focused.

"A shard injector and the skills Arcane Eye and Force Bolt," Jake said, green eyes meeting clouded ones.

Hearing his demand, the old man raised an eyebrow, curiosity clear on his face. Regardless, he dug into his bag, bringing out the two shard capsules and an injection gun.

Taking the pistol, Jake tossed it into the tote bag before reaching out for capsules. However, his hand was stopped, wiry fingers wrapped around his wrist. Taking a quick glance at the old man, he was met with two extra capsules in front of his face. One was a bright orange, the air around it shifting like that of a match. The other, meanwhile, was a dulled green, the air around it smelling faintly of blade oil and gunpowder.

“A butcher needs sharp and fresh tools,’ the old man said, answering the silent question in the air.

Taking the capsules out of the bony hands, Jake grabbed the other two on the ground before tossing them into the tote bag. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he gave a silent nod towards the man before making his way out of the alleyway.

His work is now done.