"That's good… but it's not enough," the merchant said after examining the piece of slime in Tansy's pouch.
His tone remained calm, but there was a clear expectation behind his words. The small fragment Tansy had collected might have been rare, but it clearly didn't meet whatever requirement the system had set for this exchange.
Tyler frowned slightly.
"For something this small?" he asked, glancing between the slime and the neatly displayed items. "Feels like a scam."
The merchant simply smiled.
Tyler stepped closer to the display and reached toward one of the items— a compact firearm. His fingers passed through the merchant earlier, but this time the weapon felt solid. That confirmed something important: the merchant was a projection, but the items were real.
"So what if I just take it?" Tyler asked bluntly.
The merchant didn't react with anger or urgency. Instead, he answered in the same composed tone.
