Reincarnated as a blue dragon, he collided head-on with a wizarding civilization.

The moment she confirmed it was correct, Una's fingers tightened instinctively, the cool, wooden sensation coming through the scales.

"……this."

She raised her head and looked at the stall owner who was still looking down. Her voice was soft, but she conveyed her wishes with exceptional clarity.

The vendor stopped carving with his knife.

He slowly raised his head, revealing a gaunt face with high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and weathered features beneath the shadow of his hood.

His gaze first fell on the piece of paulownia wood in Una's hand.

He paused for a moment, seemingly to confirm which piece she was interested in, before moving his gaze toward Una's face.

His eyes were calm and still, showing neither enthusiasm nor indifference, only a kind of indifference that comes from having seen too many transactions.

"Three gold coins."

He quoted a price, his voice hoarse, leaving no room for negotiation.

Una's vertical pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.

Three gold coins.

This price exceeded the market price she had previously inquired about from various sources.

A good quality century-old paulownia wood typically fetches around two gold coins on the black market.

But this wasn't Una's first time sourcing materials. The dragon girl knew that these materials, which possessed specific magical properties and had strict requirements regarding tree age, were often priceless and unavailable.

It takes a lot of luck to find something that meets your requirements at such an inconspicuous stall.

If you miss this opportunity, who knows when you'll get another chance?

Moreover, the money bag Motu gave her contained enough spare gold coins to cover the expenses.

She did not try to bargain.

She sensed from the stall owner's tone and eyes that he intended to offer a fixed price.

She silently took out the small cloth bag containing the reserve funds from her bosom.

He untied the tightly bound leather cord, reluctantly counted out three gold coins with common patterns engraved on the edges and of decent quality, and handed them over.

The stall owner stretched out his withered hand, with sawdust embedded in his fingernails, took the gold coins, weighed them briefly in his palm, and then slid them deep into his large gray sleeve pocket.

The transaction is complete.

Una felt a slight sense of relief as she held the heavy piece of thunderwood in her arms, the cool, hard texture bringing a strange sense of security.

Having completed the task assigned by Motu, she was preparing to stand up and leave this corner—

A hand as thick as a finger suddenly reached out from the side and pressed heavily onto the paulownia wood in her arms with tremendous force!

Snapped!

The force was so great that it not only prevented her from getting up, but also forced the heavy piece of wood back onto the tattered cloth of the stall with a dull thud.

Una looked up in surprise.

The man who came was a man in his thirties, but the fine lines around his eyes were deeper than his age should be, and his complexion was dull and gray, as if he had been suffering from some kind of chronic illness for a long time.

There was an unnatural grayish-green scaly growth on the side of his neck, extending from behind his ear to below his collar, with jagged edges, as if something was pushing outwards from under his skin.

The other person was wearing a worn-out wizard apprentice robe, with the hem badly frayed and several burn marks on the cuffs.

His eyes were urgent, and his fingers, which were resting on the paulownia wood, trembled slightly.

"This piece of paulownia wood,"

He spoke, his voice hoarse and his pace rapid.

"I'll increase the price by 30%, and I want it now."

The stall owner glanced at the newcomer, his gaze lingering for a moment on the deformed growth on the side of the man's neck.

Then he shook his head, his tone flat: "The item has already been sold."

The visitor clearly hadn't expected this answer.

His brows furrowed sharply, and his gaze swept quickly over the remaining scattered materials on the stall.

A few ordinary pieces of ore, a few scraps of wood, and not a second piece of paulownia wood.

His fingers unconsciously gripped the wood tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He knew this thing was in high demand.

I've been to the Blackwood Market several times, but this was the only time I've come across paulownia wood for sale.

He had tried other channels as well: exchanging military merits, private transactions, and asking someone to smuggle it out from inside the Tower of Holy Blood, but all to no avail.

The "problem" in his body could no longer be delayed.

"Do you even know how to do business?"

His voice was lowered, but the anxiety in it was almost palpable.

"You're not going to make money? This stuff is still on your stall, so it's your job to call the shots!"

The stall owner's expression remained as calm and undisturbed as a deep well.

He stopped looking at the people around him and turned his gaze back to the unfinished wooden carving in his hand.

The carving knife tip fell again, making that regular and monotonous rustling sound, as if the previous interlude had never happened.

"How I do things is none of anyone else's business."

His voice came through the soft sound of carving, calm yet carrying a composed and steady quality.

"If you insist on an explanation, then I'll tell you my stance now: I refuse!"

I've already received the money; the transaction is complete. The item belongs to her. If you want it, ask her.

Upon hearing this, the person's lips twitched, and he laughed in exasperation.

His smile was brief, lasting only a moment before disappearing.

He did not let go.

Instead, he tightened his grip, grabbing Lei Tongmu from the stall and holding it firmly in his palm.

He reached into his pocket with his other hand, pulled out a handful of gold coins, counted them with his head down, and then quietly put one back in.

The movement was quick, but Una saw it.

He scattered the remaining four gold coins directly onto the stall. The coins bounced twice on the old cloth, making a crisp sound.

"The normal price for a piece of paulownia wood is two pieces, but I'll offer double."

His voice hardened, as if this was his bottom line.

"Is this alright now?"

Una's gaze fell on the piece of paulownia wood that he was holding tightly, thinking that she had paid for it, and she hesitated to speak.

But after glancing at the obviously irritable gray-robed wizard in front of her, she simply pursed her lips even tighter, her fingers unconsciously twisting the scales on her knees, leaving a few shallow white scratches.

The person who came didn't even glance at her.

His gaze was fixed intently on the stall owner, and he said, word by word:

"I really need this."

His tone was both pleading and heavily threatening.

The stall owner remained unmoved.

"If I were you,"

His voice remained calm, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself.

"I would not choose to use Thunderwood as the core of the ritual to forcibly suppress the flesh and blood mutation caused by the swamp lizard's bloodline pollution. That would be tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst."

The newcomer's pupils contracted slightly.

The stall owner continued in that calm tone:

"Not far from here is the territory of the Dragon Nest Legion, where there are many traces of green dragon activity."

"As long as you offer a sum of money and beg a true dragon, it will naturally be happy to completely expel the foreign blood and toxins from your body."

The newcomer did not speak. His fingers clenched and unclenched on the paulownia wood.

The stall owner saw right through him.

The mutation of the swamp lizard has seeped into its blood.

The reason he needed the Thunderwood was not for anything else, but to suppress the poison.

Thunderwood's lightning attribute has a natural restraining effect on poison-type mutations. Using thunderwood as a ritual material can temporarily suppress toxicity, giving him a chance to break through the threshold of advanced apprenticeship.

But the other party made it sound so easy.

How much money could a mid-level wizard apprentice like myself possibly have to satisfy those greedy dragons?

Moreover, if the poison were completely removed, his combat system would collapse.

Although the poison was torturous, it also gave him physical vitality and strength that surpassed those of his peers.

Without the toxicity, how could he compete with those young, gifted apprentices?

And... what about the supervisor?

If the supervisor finds that he has no value, he may not even be qualified to be used as experimental material and will be directly expelled from the team.

"I know my own situation, I don't need your guidance," he said through gritted teeth.

He held the Lei Tongmu in one hand and used the other hand to pick up the four gold coins that had been scattered on the stall one by one, and neatly arranged them in front of the stall owner.

His attitude was much better than before, as if he was making a final effort.

"You just need to nod and sell the item to me."

The stall owner glanced at him, then at the four gold coins, and shook his head.

"I'll say it again. I've already received the money, the transaction is complete. The item belongs to her."

An invisible force emanated from the stall owner, lifting the four gold coins and handing them to the newcomer.

"So now, keep your money safe. Then, put the thunderwood down."

The newcomer stared at the four gold coins floating in front of his nose, his lips pressed into a bloodless line.

He figured it out.

This seemingly unremarkable stall owner is not only quite powerful, but also an old-school wizard who strictly adheres to transaction contracts.

Such a person will not break a contract because of a price increase, nor will they change their mind because of threats.

Damn it!

He suddenly reached out and grabbed all the floating gold coins, stuffing them haphazardly back into his pocket.

Then, with a pent-up frustration, he slammed the piece of Lei Tongmu he had been holding tightly back to its original position on the stall.

It wasn't a gentle thud, but rather a muffled thud, as if releasing its last ounce of anger.

After doing all this, he turned around for the first time and looked directly at the dragon girl beside him.