Raiden soon stumbled upon a stall selling a variety of amulets. They were intricately designed and seemed to exude a subtle magical aura, catching his eye. The merchant, cast Raiden a dubious glance as he approached the display. Despite the merchant’s skeptical demeanor, he didn’t stop Raiden from examining the amulets.

Raiden carefully picked up a few of the amulets, noting their craftsmanship and the faint magical energy they radiated. He was intrigued by the possibility of these items enhancing his abilities. The merchant’s suspicion was palpable, but it didn’t deter Raiden. He continued to inspect the amulets, contemplating their potential value and how they might fit into his ongoing efforts to master his techniques.

"What they can do?" Raiden asked.

"The first improves your control with bows, the second improves your eyesight, and the third improves your resistance against fire,"

Raiden wondered why he expected something else from the dwarves and elves... of course, they would sell things that would benefit their skills. In any case, just by holding the amulets, Raiden could feel their power. His eyesight improved by a small margin, with the second amulet, but he saw his perception increasing by five points.

The first amulet improved his dexterity by the same amount... he could work with that, even though he didn’t use bows, those could be useful at some moment. If they don’t, they could resell them for a greater price.

In the end, Raiden bought them for twenty silver coins each... it was a bit expensive, but it was an investment, so it was fine.

Throughout the day, Raiden continued to browse the market, buying and selling various items as he went. His sharp eye for value and quick transactions allowed him to easily recover the money he had spent on the amulets. Despite his financial success, Raiden found himself disappointed; none of the other items he encountered offered any real benefits for his training.

As the day wore on, a thought crossed his mind, he was curious about how the merchants had acquired these magical items. The craftsmanship and subtle enchantments intrigued him, but he hesitated to ask. Raiden doubted that the merchants would divulge such information to a stranger, especially someone who was an outsider. He decided to keep his questions to himself, focusing instead on the potential use of the amulets he had obtained.

From that day onward, Raiden took an hour each day to browse the market and then check for new items. He didn’t find new products every day, but over time, he found three other amulets that could enhance his Strength, Vitality, and Quickness... he wanted one that could increase his wisdom, but he didn’t find one.

"Where are you finding these items, kid?"

After selling a lot of items he had improved, some merchants began to recognize Raiden more and more, so he couldn’t give half-assed excuses or ignore them. Fortunately, he had prepared himself for that.

"I found them in the last war," Raiden replied.

Looting was an inevitable part of the war. While only a few people had the opportunity to engage in it, those who did often viewed it as a way to improve their chances of survival. By scavenging the battlefield, they could find valuable items or equipment that had once belonged to fallen enemies. These spoils of war could mean the difference between life and death in future battles.

The merchant, familiar with the harsh realities of war and the unspoken rules of scavenging, accepted Raiden’s explanation without question. This understanding allowed the transaction to proceed smoothly, with Raiden walking away satisfied that he had not only made a good investment but also maintained a practical justification for his actions.

"Another amulet today?" Iri asked when Raiden returned to the inn. "How many girls are you giving gifts to?"

"None, they are all stored in my things," Raiden replied.

Iri furrowed her eyebrows... she had heard that those amulets had some use-like magical effects, but they looked more like jewelry than anything. Knowing her little brother was a training freak, she couldn’t understand why he got interested in that. Unless he was planning to resell them at the village... it made more sense.

"How is training?" Iri asked.

"Nothing yet, I thought that healing path was easy since it was your specialty, but..." Raiden replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Iri asked while pulling Raiden’s cheeks.

"How is your boyfriend hunting?" Raiden asked while fixing his loose cheeks. "Can we send the good news to Father and Mother already?"

"You never stop, do you?" Iri asked while pulling his cheeks again.

Iri was well aware that Raiden had turned twelve, an age when boys and girls at her level typically began to become more conscious of the opposite gender. She had observed this many times in the village, where the children of her group would often start interacting with one another in new and sometimes awkward ways, their friendships subtly shifting as they became more aware of these differences.

However, Raiden wasn’t showing any signs of this typical behavior. He seemed indifferent to the changes that were so apparent in others his age. Iri had spent enough time observing the kids in her village to notice that Raiden’s interactions were far more limited. While most children his age were beginning to expand their social circles, Raiden had always kept his close-knit, with only two friends, Ruth and Javier.

She also noticed that even these friendships were starting to change. Ruth and Javier, who had once relied heavily on Raiden, were now gradually being forced into interactions with other children. Their dependence on Raiden was weakening as they began to explore relationships outside their small group. Yet, Raiden remained focused on his own path, seemingly unaffected by the social dynamics that were beginning to reshape the lives of his peers. That made her worry...

Adding all that to his black hair and past, made Iri feel like her little brother would have a difficult life... one that he didn’t care about staying alone or having only a few people he could trust.

While Iri was thinking along those lines, a few weeks passed and Raiden finally made some progress with his training. Since he had run out of patience, he decided to cut himself a bit with his spear and then focused on activating his force to close the wounds. Thanks to Iri’s knowledge, he was able to use his force a bit to close the wound a bit faster. Once that happened, he was able to sense how the energy worked healing wounds.

"Now, I just need to replicate the feeling and experience while restoring my tired body," Raiden thought. "Cutting myself will make people feel even more dubious about me... tired muscles are also a bit damaged, so this is a better test subject."

Raiden decided to push his training further, incorporating physical exercises alongside his observation of the trainees. He began by swinging his spear with determination, focusing on each movement as he repeated the motion for several hours. His goal was to push his body to its limits, and he did so until his arms were so fatigued that he could barely move them.

Once he reached this point of exhaustion, Raiden would sit down and shift his focus inward. He concentrated on the technique he had been trying to master, one that involved channeling his inner force to repair his tired muscles. As he focused, he could feel a warm wave of energy spreading throughout his body, gradually restoring his strength. His energy reserves depleted as his body began to recover, and he could sense his muscles repairing themselves.

Although the technique was working, Raiden couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t quite right. The process wasn’t like he had anticipated. The technique he sought to master was supposed to be more refined, allowing him to recover more quickly and with less energy expenditure. Despite these shortcomings, Raiden persisted, determined to refine the method until it met his expectations.

In the end, Raiden assumed that he was making enough progress to complete the technique within a month before he had to return home. Still, it looked like things wouldn’t be like that. All of a sudden, Iri and some of the warriors of master level were called by the council of ten and Raiden didn’t like that one bit.

"They are planning to change the contract a bit, huh?" Raiden thought. "If they are planning that, I guess I will break their economy a bit too."

Raiden was mindful of the delicate balance of the local economy as he engaged in buying and selling items. He understood that his ability to manipulate and enhance objects could easily disrupt the market if he wasn’t careful. Out of respect for the community and a desire to maintain stability, he deliberately held back, ensuring that his actions didn’t cause unintended harm to the livelihoods of the elves and dwarves.

However, Raiden couldn’t ignore the possibility that the elves and dwarves might try to exploit him and his companions because of their youth. If they intended to break the contract they had agreed upon, Raiden knew he would have no reason to continue exercising restraint.