Furen didn't linger. Seeing Quevedo's serious face, he didn't say much, simply taking back the parchment he was about to hand over and saying, just as seriously, "I understand."
Quevedo, however, became cheerful. "Hey, why are you so serious? I'm just keeping a promise. Well, let's go to the market. Besides, it's been a long time since I've been to the Beyonder Market."
Furen Furen added nothing either. After all, the purpose of the day was precisely to visit the Extraordinary Market and the Extraordinary Meeting. However, due to all sorts of unforeseen incidents, they hadn't even had time to see what the market was really like. As for the meeting, Kvido would naturally take them there later.
Kvido was a man of action. He had barely finished speaking when he didn't even wait for Furen's reaction; he started humming a little tune with Trier's accent, sounding particularly cheerful.
The Extraordinary Market was, of course, very different from the bustling markets Furen had seen before, and even more so from ordinary shops. Customers dressed in all sorts of outfits weaved their way between the stalls of merchants from equally diverse backgrounds.
Some customers and merchants were extremely cautious, dressed in ordinary suits and hooded trench coats. Although candlelight illuminated the basement as if it were broad daylight, they seemed to prefer remaining in the darkness, revealing only their mouths and the outline of their skin.
Others were far more daring, dressed in obviously luxurious clothing, adorned with jewelry, their faces bearing a refined elegance as they scrutinized the occult objects from stall to stall. Still others were simply dressed, their faces weathered, but the objects on their stalls differed from the talismans of their companions: they were animal organs or matter, some haloed with blood, and of course, plants.
Furen found the market's wares interesting, but also intrigued by the abundance of beyonder materials. He tapped his temples twice, examined a good dozen stalls, and found only one or two selling items imbued with spiritual energy. He then realized that many of the merchants in this strange market were probably crafting their wares randomly to attract wealthy individuals interested in the occult.
Seeing that Furen had stopped and was observing the surrounding stalls, Kvido understood what was happening. He looked into Furen's eyes with interest, and when Furen noticed his gaze, he quickly approached and whispered, "Tell me, Furen, were you using your clairvoyance earlier? What was it like? Were you able to see anything other than a spiritual aura? My clairvoyance only allows me to see the spiritual aura, and of course, I can vaguely distinguish other colors, but they are all mixed together and difficult to differentiate."
Furen was slightly surprised by the question, but knowing that Kvido was not a novice in the extraordinary world, he didn't think about it too long and replied:
Quevedo followed Furen's reasoning with interest and asked, "Furen, do you think there is a difference in power between each Sequence 9? Or is the spirituality conferred by Sequence 9 the same as a whole?"
Realizing that Quevedo had grasped his implication, Furen replied, "Although I've never seen other Sequence 9s, based on what you've said about your spirit vision, I get the impression that the Beyonder abilities granted by each Sequence 9 potion are identical in combination. My spirit vision only allows me to perceive spirit auras, but I absolutely cannot distinguish the colors you mentioned, not even vaguely. The colors I see in extraordinary beings are a mixture, while those I see in ordinary people are different. I couldn't describe it precisely, but I perceive the difference."
Quevedo understood immediately and didn't press the matter. Furen then deactivated his spiritual vision. Afterward, he still felt a slight mental fatigue, though only mild. However, Furen knew that if he activated his spiritual vision recklessly, his spirituality would quickly deplete.
At this thought, Furen couldn't help but sigh: Extraordinary Beings with a strong spiritual reserve truly had it made. Even without exceptional physical strength or spectacular abilities, the capacity to "survive cautiously" remained their greatest talent. A powerful spiritual vision was far better suited to Extraordinary Beings still in their initial stages, who needed to remain discreet.
An extroverted person is generally insightful and competent, and Quevedo was the perfect illustration of this.
Quevedo then led Furen from stall to stall, asking questions of each vendor. Some of the merchants at the more reputable stalls seemed to know Quevedo well. Although he hadn't bought any Beyonder materials, he jokingly said, "Next time, for sure!", chatted for a bit, and then led Furen to the next stall.
Furen had thought about checking the time, but seeing the strange objects and extraordinary materials real or fake displayed at the market, he gave up keeping a close eye on the time, for fear of spoiling his budding enthusiasm for window shopping.
While Furen was observing the market with Quevedo, he overheard a conversation between Quevedo and a merchant. Quevedo stood up, smiled at Furen, and said, "Well, Furen, let's go."
Furen hadn't seen Quevedo take out his pocket watch, but his sense of time intrigued him. He then took the watch out of his pocket and looked at the time: it was about 3:50. Intrigued, he asked, "Quevedo, I didn't see you take out your pocket watch to check the time. Does your Beyonder ability allow you to judge the time accurately?"
Quevedo raised his right index finger and shook it, nodding his head and muttering, "No, no, no, no."
After piquing Furen's curiosity, he smiled mischievously and beckoned her closer. Once Furen was near him, Quevedo lowered his right sleeve, revealing a device resembling a modern wristwatch on his immaculate white right hand.
However, the watch was quite heavy, and its case was covered in gears and instruments, giving it a cyberpunk and heavy metal look. Although that sort of thing didn't particularly interest him, Furen sensed that the watch, like a menacing motorcycle, held an inexplicable fascination for someone his age.
Furen looked at Quevedo thoughtfully and asked, "Did you make it?"
Quevedo chuckled softly: "Exactly, that's me. Don't let its slightly strange appearance fool you at first glance; after wearing it for a few days, you'll fall under the spell of this very special pocket watch."
(End of chapter)