Chapter 234: Tier 5 Item After the dimensional transportation, the system had automatically restocked all of his items to full capacity. Noah currently possesses 192 loaves of bread, 96 bottles of iced tea, and a complete stock of 12 units for each premium enhancement item. A full inventory worth tens of thousands of golden coins, Noah thought with satisfaction at his robust stock levels. "I want to purchase all of your bread loaves and all of your iced tea," Elena declared with the authority of someone making a strategic military purchase that could tip the war in the favour of the light elves. Hearing her final choice, Noah chuckled softly before shaking his head with polite but firm refusal. Elena looked at him in shock, her green eyes widening with genuine surprise. "Why? What kind of merchant wouldn’t want his entire inventory of two items sold in a single transaction?" "Me. I’m that kind of merchant," Noah replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Lady Elena, I’m not naive enough to fall for such obvious tactics. I hope you wouldn’t attempt to pull such a manoeuvre on me again." "What do you mean?" Elena raised an eyebrow, though her expression genuinely suggested she had no idea what he was referencing. Noah’s smile faded as he explained his reasoning with diplomatic but unwavering firmness. "You’re trying to buy all the basic items, leaving none available for the dark elves." He had immediately recognised her strategy. Elena could purchase the 192 bread loaves and 96 iced tea bottles for a total of 5,760 golden coins, then spend her remaining funds on higher-tier enhancement items. This approach would strengthen over 200 light elf combatants using the cheaper items, while ensuring the shadow elves gained no access to even basic enhancements, Noah analysed. Smart military thinking, but a completely unfair business practice. This would ruin my reputation with the dark elves, leaving me to only fund the light elves. With my supply, the light elves would win the war in no time. It was an intelligent strategy that would provide her kingdom with overwhelming numerical advantages through enhanced troops, but Noah wasn’t going to allow such one-sided purchasing that violated his earlier promise of equal opportunities. "You are only allowed to buy half of each stock item," Noah declared. "You can decide how you want to distribute your purchases within those limits." Elena nodded with a frown creasing her features, clearly recognising that the human merchant had no intention of favouring either side in their conflict. He’s maintaining strict neutrality, she realised with grudging respect. Frustrating from my perspective, but admirable from a business ethics standpoint. At least he isn’t merely going after profits like other humans; he has some backbone. "I’ll buy half your bread and iced tea then," Elena conceded without a fight. Noah nodded, moving toward the shelves to prepare her order. "That will be 2,880 coins total." She agreed to the pricing before moving her attention toward the premium enhancement items, her eyes scanning the displays with the intensity of someone making crucial strategic decisions. In the end, Elena skipped past the basic permanent enhancements and focused directly on the most powerful items available—the mystical herbal tea and instant coffee that offered capabilities beyond simple attribute improvements. "I want two instant coffees and two mystical herbal teas," she declared after careful calculation. Six thousand coins for the premium items, Noah calculated. That’s a serious investment in top-tier enhancements. The combination would provide her kingdom’s elite practitioners with doubled comprehension speed, spiritual sight abilities, and stronger immunity to mental attacks—advantages that could most certainly be a game-changer in high-level magical combat. Elena was left with 1,165 golden coins after her premium purchases, which she decided to invest in a single rice cake for its permanent intelligence enhancement. Smart allocation, Noah noted approvingly. Focusing on the most impactful items rather than spreading her budget too thin. After purchasing the rice cake, Elena had 165 golden coins remaining—insufficient for any additional premium items at the current pricing levels. But rather than accepting the limitation, Elena reached into her storage ring and withdrew an item that immediately piqued Noah’s interest. She placed a beautifully crafted amulet on the counter alongside her remaining 165 golden coins, the magical artefact radiating power that was immediately apparent even to casual observation. "These combined should total around 1,500 golden coins. I want another instant coffee." Elena stated with confidence Noah didn’t just take her words for granted; instead, he approached the amulet to examine its properties, his eyes analysing the magical item that Elena was offering in trade. [Amulet of Protection] [Tier] 5 [Description] A powerful defensive artefact that naturally forms a protective shield around the user when attacked. It can easily defend against attacks below master rank and withstand the equivalent of ten master-rank attacks before requiring recharging. [Estimated Price] 1,350 Golden Coins Noah’s eyes glinted as he absorbed the item’s description, recognising immediately why this amulet represented far more than simple trade value. This item is a complete game changer, he thought with growing excitement. Such powerful defensive capabilities would be incredible in both worlds. While the amulet would certainly be valuable in this magical realm, Noah’s thoughts immediately turned toward its applications in the real world. With such protection, he wouldn’t need to worry about bullets, traffic accidents, or any of the countless mundane dangers that could threaten even someone with his enhanced physical attributes. My body might be magically enhanced, but I’m still not certain about surviving gunshots or explosions, Noah realised. This amulet could provide security that no amount of physical training could match for the next weeks. He knew that at some point, these dangers that he spoke of would not worry him anymore, but for now, these dangers were still within the realm of potentially killing him. The defensive artefact represented exactly the kind of insurance he needed for operating safely across multiple dimensions where different threats required different protections. "This is acceptable," Noah agreed, his satisfaction evident as he carefully examined the amulet’s craftsmanship and magical power. The trade would give Elena her desired third instant coffee while providing Noah with a defensive tool that could prove invaluable.