He looked suspicious. "And this doesn't involve some shady NPC in a trench coat selling relics in a back alley?"
"Noel," I deadpanned. "This isn't a game."
He snorted. "Feels like one sometimes."
Noel shrugged, still half-skeptical, and then spoke the command aloud.
"Open Market."
A soft chime echoed through the air, followed by the telltale flicker of blue light. A translucent screen bloomed in front of him, hovering just past his fingertips. His eyes widened slightly as he scanned it, lips parting in silent awe.
"Holy sh—okay, yeah. It actually popped up."
He reached out and began scrolling through the floating display.
"Let's see... Categories: Weapons, Armor, Healing Potions, Rift Provisions, Recording Equipment... Whoa, there's a lot more than I expected."
I leaned against the wall, watching him explore like a kid seeing the inside of a candy store for the first time.
"You never scrolled past the sword section, did you?"
