Third Person's POV
Rising from his seated position, he stepped out of the glowing circle and almost instantly, the luminous inscriptions on the ground dimmed as if a switch had been flipped.
Ethan regarded him with a slightly more appreciative gaze, though his wariness remained entirely intact.
Without hesitation, he extended his hand again and expected the sheath to be returned.
However, this time, Master Argos didn't comply immediately. Instead, he stated firmly,
"First, the payment..."
"Ahh, certainly..." Ethan responded and found the request reasonable.
Without hesitation, he retrieved twenty high-tier dark elemental crystals from his spatial storage and handed them over.
Master Argos's lips curled into a faint smile as he accepted the payment and in turn, passed the sheath to Ethan.
Ethan ran his fingers across its smooth reinforced surface as he admired the craftsmanship.
Each contour was flawless and the weight was perfectly balanced.
