The moment Liam placed the backpack on the counter, the noise in the guild died down again.
Every pair of eyes within hearing range turned toward the sound of the fabric hitting wood. The bag was unlike anything any of them had ever seen. Even the zipper caught their attention. It looked alien in a world of straps and buckles.
The attendant stared at it warily. His instincts told him the stranger wasn't dangerous, yet every fiber of his being screamed caution. The man's fingers twitched unconsciously toward the knife sheathed beneath the table.
Liam, noticing his tension, chuckled inwardly.
"Relax," he said calmly. His voice carried no threat, but it wasn't casual either.
He unzipped the bag slowly. The sound of metal teeth parting was new to every ear in the room. Then, as he opened the flap, a soft blue light spilled out.
The attendant blinked, speechless. "Those are…"
"Monster cores," Liam said simply, his tone calm. "From a dungeon I cleared earlier."
