Chapter 284: Aurelius.

Kael listened to Aiona’s explanation and slowly nodded. It made sense, the Tower was feeding her information about his trials through her position as his assistant, rather than granting her any special ability to directly observe what happened inside them.

With that settled, Kael’s attention returned to the card in his hand.

"Anyways, since you recognized the card, I assume you also know how to actually use it, right?"

Aiona nodded immediately.

"Of course."

Kael let out a long sigh of relief. He hadn’t realized just how troublesome it would have been if even Aiona didn’t know how the card worked. He had already made the mistake of forgetting to ask Miko about it, and having to figure out its functions through trial and error would have been an enormous pain in the ass.

Seeing the slight confusion that still lingered on Kael’s face, Aiona tilted her tiny head.

"Since you’re still confused, I’ll assume you haven’t bound yourself to the card yet."

"Bound to it? How do I do that?"

"Just put a drop of your blood on it and let the card do the rest."

"Oh."

Kael looked down at the card for a moment before nodding.

"Okay, then."

He raised one hand and focused his attention on the tip of his finger. Earth energy gathered there, swirling and condensing until it formed a thin, razor-sharp point. With it ready, Kael used the hardened energy to prick one of his other fingers, drawing out a small bead of blood.

He immediately pressed the injured finger over the card and let the drop fall.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Kael waited patiently, his eyes remaining fixed on the card. It looked exactly the same as before, with no visible reaction whatsoever. He was beginning to wonder if there was another step involved when, suddenly, several intricate runes flickered into existence across the surface.

Golden light spread through the card.

The glow lasted for only a brief moment before it faded completely, the runes disappearing along with it. To anyone watching from the outside, it would have looked like almost nothing had happened.

Kael knew better.

The instant the golden light appeared, he had felt something.

It was faint at first, almost like a thin thread connecting his consciousness to the card, but that connection had become clear the moment the binding was completed. The card that had previously felt completely foreign to him now carried a strange sense of familiarity.

He could understand it.

Not merely its basic purpose, but the various functions hidden within it. The moment he focused on the card, information concerning its abilities naturally surfaced within his mind as though he had always known how to operate it.

Kael looked at Aiona.

"Thank you."

Aiona smiled brightly.

"I’m happy to help."

She then seemed to remember something and glanced toward the card in Kael’s hand.

"Anyways, I assume you want to contact the merchant now?"

Kael nodded.

"That’s the plan."

"Okay, then. I’ll be inside."

Aiona turned slightly before adding, "Us fairies don’t exactly have a good relationship with him."

Kael gave her a strange look but didn’t question it.

"Sure."

Aiona flapped her tiny wings and flew off toward the corner of the Start Room, where her tiny birdhouse-sized home sat waiting. She flew straight toward it without pause, slipped neatly through the entrance, and disappeared inside, leaving the room noticeably quieter behind her.

Kael watched her go before letting out a small, tired sigh.

"Time to make some trades."

His attention returned to the VIP card.

Now that he understood how it worked, there was no need for him to hesitate. Kael raised the card in front of him and focused his mana into it, following the method he had just learned through the binding.

The card immediately responded.

A bright light erupted from its surface, illuminating the Start Room for several seconds before gradually dimming.

Then the room trembled.

It wasn’t a violent movement, barely more than a low rumble beneath Kael’s feet, but the sensation was unmistakable. The space directly in front of him suddenly began to distort.

Crack.

A thin fracture appeared in the air.

The crack rapidly spread outward, splitting the surrounding space like glass being shattered from within. A moment later, the broken space parted, revealing darkness beyond it.

Someone stepped through.

The first thing Kael noticed was the man’s golden hair. His eyes were the same color, sharp and confident, carrying the unmistakable arrogance of someone who had spent an extremely long time standing above others. A polished monocle rested over one eye, perfectly positioned against his face.

He wore a jet-black suit so immaculate that Kael couldn’t spot a single crease or wrinkle anywhere on its surface. Even his shoes were polished to such an absurd degree that they reflected the light of the Start Room.

Click.

The heel of his shoe struck the floor as he stepped forward.

Kael stared at the familiar face before him.

It was the same merchant he’d encountered before, the very same bastard whose VIP card he was now holding.

The man also noticed Kael almost immediately. More importantly, his golden eyes locked onto the card in Kael’s hand.

"Brat."

His voice carried an authoritative tone as he looked Kael up and down. ℯℯ𝑙.

"Are you the one who just summoned me?"

Kael had barely opened his mouth to answer when the man suddenly waved his hand.

"Never mind. What a stupid, obvious question."

He adjusted the butterfly tie around his neck with one hand, his expression shifting into one of amusement.

"Instead, kid, tell me something. How exactly did a weak brat like you manage to get your hands on something this premium?"

His golden eyes narrowed slightly as he examined the card.

"Not to boast, but I have quite a good memory. And for the life of me, I can’t remember ever giving a brat like you something like that."

The merchant’s gaze sharpened.

"Did you steal it?"

Kael frowned.

"What do you mean, steal it?"

The suited man paused before giving a small chuckle.

"That’s true."

He raised one finger as though correcting his own assumption.

"Even if a brat like you somehow managed to steal it, there’s no way you could bypass the security your’s truly placed on it."

There was an unmistakable confidence in his voice as he spoke, the kind that bordered on arrogance. Yet there was also something else beneath it.

He genuinely couldn’t understand how Kael had obtained the card.

The merchant looked at the VIP card once more before his expression suddenly changed, as though he had remembered something important.

"Anyways, since you’re a new VIP member, I suppose I’ll start by introducing myself."

He straightened his suit and adjusted his monocle with practiced elegance.

"My name is Aurelius."

A confident smile spread across his face.

"I am the great Aurelius, also known as the Merchant God."

He paused deliberately, clearly pleased with the title.

Then his smile widened.

"Of course, if that’s a little too heavy for you, you can simply call me the most handsome man ever."

He lightly tapped his chest with one hand.

"It’s definitely one of my other titles."