In Dungeon Town, inside the fantasy manga store, Raeshan sat behind the counter, fully absorbed in the third volume of Element Mage Ascension.
He had no idea what was happening outside the town, and even if he did, he would not have cared.
Right now, only the story in his hands mattered.
In the manga, after the fierce battle with Devil General Ruhu, Elean began his journey toward the Elf Queendom.
His goal was clear. He wanted to learn the elves' unique healing techniques and their advanced methods of elemental control.
The path to the Great Forest was long, and when Elean finally entered it, things did not go as planned.
The forest was vast and unfamiliar.
Tall ancient trees blocked the sky, their branches weaving together into a natural ceiling. The deeper he went, the more twisted the paths became.
No matter which direction he chose, the scenery looked the same.
Before Elean realized it, he was lost in the Great Forest.
Just as Raeshan was about to turn the page, the door of the manga store opened.
A soft chime rang out.
Raeshan looked up.
A beautiful young woman stepped inside.
A few minutes earlier.
After killing and robbing the Black Snake Guild members, the girl searched for a place to absorb the Soul Orb.
Her first thought was an inn in the inner town. It would be comfortable and safe, at least on the surface.
But after thinking it through, she rejected the idea.
She had killed and robbed a high level member of the Black Snake Guild. They would definitely investigate.
Staying in the inner town now would be like sleeping inside a tiger's den.
Too dangerous.
She quickly changed her plan and decided to avoid the inner town for the time being.
It would be much safer to stay in the outer ring of Dungeon Town.
The area was chaotic and crowded with low level adventurers. If the Black Snake Guild started searching, it would be difficult for them to focus on a single target there.
With that in mind, she headed toward the outer area, quietly looking for a place suitable for her breakthrough.
While searching, a strange building caught her orange eyes.
It stood out immediately.
The style was unlike anything she had seen before. Although she looked young, she had traveled across the entire Western Continent.
Stone cities, wooden towns, underground strongholds, noble estates. She had seen them all.
Yet this kind of building was completely unfamiliar.
It looked simple, almost careless, as if it had been built without much planning. Still, compared to the surrounding stone and wooden structures, it felt oddly luxurious.
Her steps slowed.
[Activated Passive Effects]
[Manga Store Aura: Increases passersby curiosity toward the store]
Curiosity rose in her chest as she stopped in front of the building and looked up.
When she entered the store, a young man caught her attention.
He was sitting behind the counter, reading a book.
In her eyes, he was neither handsome nor ugly. Just ordinary. He did not give off the aura of a powerful expert, nor did he seem dangerous.
When the young man noticed her, he looked up.
He stood, closed the book in his hands, and smiled.
"Good afternoon."
She felt puzzled.
Anyone could tell from her equipment and bearing that she was a high level adventurer. Most people reacted with fear, caution, or forced respect. Some tried to please her, others avoided her.
But this young man simply smiled, relaxed and natural, as if she were just another customer.
Was he trying to win her favor?
The casual way he smiled made her feel oddly annoyed.
She frowned slightly.
Women's thoughts were not something that could be judged with common sense.
She glanced around the store.
At first, she found nothing special.
Bookshelves. Stacks of books. Everything looked ordinary, even boring. And that was exactly the problem.
Why would someone sell books in a place like this?
Why open a shop with such a strange and expensive looking design in the outer ring of Dungeon Town? This area was dangerous. Monster tides happened from time to time. One rampage could wipe out a weak shop overnight.
Did this man really not fear monsters?
Or was she missing something?
Her gaze returned to the store owner, suspicion slowly growing.
She walked up to the counter and stopped in front of him.
"What do you sell here?" she asked calmly.
Her eyes did not look at the shelves at all. Instead, they stayed on him, watching his expression closely.
For a store full of books, her question felt strange.
Raeshan met her gaze without hesitation. His expression stayed relaxed, as if her strength meant nothing to him.
He calmly explained what he sold and what a manga was.
At first, she listened out of curiosity. His explanation was strange, yet convincing. Stories sealed inside paper. Battles and magic that could be learned just by reading.
It sounded ridiculous.
And interesting.
But when she heard the price per volume, her expression darkened.
Five silver coins for one book.
It was not that she was poor. But paying that much for something that looked like an art book felt like a scam.
Her fingers twitched. For a moment, she seriously considered teaching this shameless store owner a lesson.
Then she met his eyes.
Without saying anything, Raeshan ability activated it's self.
[Mysterious Aura Ability]
The atmosphere inside the shop changed.
A heavy pressure fell on her shoulders, and her body stiffened. Her instincts screamed in warning.
This man was dangerous.
Stronger than her.
Much stronger.
The harmless image she had of him shattered.
"Tch."
She clicked her tongue and looked away.
After a short silence, she took out her coin pouch and dropped it on the counter.
"I'll take all three volumes. Now."
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Author's Note
If you're enjoying 'Manga Store Owner System' so far, please consider leaving an honest five-star review and adding it to your collection.
Before the end of this month , I hope to reach at least 10 reviews.
Thank you very much for your support