Fairy Tale Survival with Ability Copying

Levi, just before heading out, was seized by a sudden impulse and used Detection once.

It would cost him a considerable amount of Magic Power.

Still, he went through with it:

[Intelligence 1: The Seven Dwarfs have already obtained a scar-healing potion from the Rapunzel Garden Witch. Snow White has taken the potion, and the scar on her face is rapidly fading.]

[Intelligence 2: Four days ago, the witch who cursed the prince into a frog visited the Candy House and severely injured the Candy House witch, though she did not kill her.]

[Intelligence 3: The curse witch, following the Magic Mirror Queen's instructions, is heading toward the Duchy of Silverbrook. Her target is you.]

[Intelligence 4: In the marketplace of the Duchy of Silverbrook, at a stall selling plates, there is a cracked ceramic dish. If infused with Magic Power, it can restore its former glory and reveal its true form—a golden plate. A secret lies within it.]

[Intelligence 5: The Frog Prince's loyal servant, Henry, has already entered the territory of the Duchy of Silverbrook.]

Seeing this information, Levi's eyes narrowed slightly.

First, Intelligence 1—

If Snow White's scar disappeared, wouldn't that mean the most beautiful woman in the world would no longer be the Magic Mirror Queen?

Given her vanity, the Queen would surely realize this soon—and also realize she had been deceived back then.

Levi could already imagine how furious she would be.

Just thinking about it made him feel rather pleased.

As for Intelligence 2, Levi glanced over it briefly, pondered for a moment, then shifted his focus to the third piece of information.

The curse witch was coming straight for him.

Levi frowned slightly. Unfortunately, there was no way to determine her strength.

Still—

He could transform into a Greater Demon Owl. If things went badly, he could just take Yalina and run.

He didn't believe the witch could catch him.

And if that wasn't enough, he could turn into a Tide Arrow Frog and escape into an underground river—much safer.

Of course, Levi didn't actually want to run.

If his strength surpassed that of the curse witch, then there would be no need to flee at all.

In the end, it all came down to one thing:

He needed to grow stronger—by any means possible.

Levi found himself thinking this yet again.

Then his attention shifted to the last two pieces of intelligence.

Intelligence 5 could be ignored.

But Intelligence 4—

That made his gaze sharpen.

A golden plate hiding a secret?

That was definitely worth investigating.

It just so happened that Levi was planning to visit the marketplace anyway—to gather materials for refining knight potions and wizard potions, and to look for Yalina and Odelle.

So he stepped out of his room and headed straight for the marketplace of the Duchy of Silverbrook.

It didn't take long for him to arrive at the bustling area.

Sunlight filtered through the towering trees, casting dappled shadows across the gravel-covered streets.

The air was filled with the aroma of roasted meat, the warm scent of freshly baked bread, and the earthy mix of livestock and crowds.

"Fresh rye bread! Just out of the oven!"

A bakery apprentice in a coarse apron called out loudly. The bread on his stall was golden and crisp, exuding an inviting grain fragrance. Noticing Levi's glance, the apprentice immediately added, "Care for some, sir?"

Levi shook his head and walked on without expression.

Not far away, a group of hunters and adventurers in leather armor gathered around a vendor, haggling over prices.

Bundles of dried wild boar meat and smoked game hung at the stall—essential provisions for long hunts and expeditions.

Further along, a bearded carpenter thumped his chest confidently.

"Top-quality oak shields! Triple-laminated construction—can stop a spear charge!"

Behind him stood over a dozen shields coated with waterproof tung oil, each sturdy and solid. A few people had already stopped to inspect them.

Suddenly, Levi caught a strange smell.

Looking up, he saw a temporary stable nearby. Several stable hands were busy tending to the horses.

His gaze lingered on them briefly before moving on.

To his right stood a blacksmith's shop.

An apprentice worked the bellows, the furnace casting a red glow across his face, while the master smith hammered a heated iron plate with full concentration.

Whether it would become a pot or a sword—who could say?

Just then, a commotion erupted from the central square.

A cart loaded with ceramic jars had gotten stuck in a muddy pit.

The driver cracked his whip, shouting as the oxen strained to pull.

Some bystanders stepped in to help push, while others stood nearby, pointing and commenting.

Levi's gaze swept past, and in a corner, he noticed a plainly dressed scribe. The man sat quietly, a stack of hand-copied parchment and several quill pens laid out before him. From time to time, he would look up, revealing eyes as beautiful and still as a lake. He noticed Levi's gaze, paused slightly in surprise, then gave him a faint smile. Levi gave a slight nod in return, then shifted his gaze away, a faint blue glimmer flickering deep within his eyes.

He was searching—for Moonlight Mushroom, for Yalina and Odelle, and of course, for the secret-bearing golden plate revealed by his Detection.

Levi moved through the crowd, his gaze passing over rows of stalls, until it finally stopped at an inconspicuous corner.

There, an old man in plain clothes sat, the wrinkles on his face like ravines carved into a mountain.

In front of him was a stall covered with coarse cloth, displaying all kinds of utensils—rough ceramic bowls, as well as a few dull, lusterless bronze pieces.

Noticing Levi's gaze lingering on his stall, the old man revealed a somewhat ingratiating smile typical of a small-time vendor and said, "Sir, would you like to buy a plate?"

Levi did not answer immediately. His gaze swept over those ordinary objects, a faint blue glimmer flickering in his eyes. Very quickly, his attention settled on a corner of the stall.

There lay a pile of defective goods.

The plates and bowls the old man sold were already of mediocre quality, and the items in that spot were even worse—most had chipped edges or visible cracks.

Levi's gaze landed on one particular ceramic plate—scarred and battered, yet oddly shaped.

Placed among those defective items, it appeared completely ordinary.

Levi pondered for a moment, then asked the vendor, "That pile—how much?"

"You want those?" The old man froze for a moment, a strange expression appearing on his face. "Even though I… well, I still have to remind you, those are all defective goods."

"Yes, I know." Levi nodded.

"If you buy them, they might not be of any use in daily life," the old man said.

"Thank you for the reminder, but don't you think they have a unique kind of beauty?" Levi said casually, talking nonsense with a straight face.

The old man paused, then gave an awkward laugh. "Many things just need the right person to appreciate them."

Levi smiled as well, glanced at him, and said, "Then name a price. I'll take them."

The old man hesitated. He looked at Levi, a mix of struggle and cunning flashing in his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he quoted an outrageous price, "One gold coin."

One gold coin wasn't much to Levi.

But agreeing too readily might stir unnecessary trouble—for both him and the old man.

So he said, "I think ten copper coins is about right."

"That won't do. They have a unique beauty," the old man said, repeating words he himself didn't believe.

"I was just saying that, and you believed it?" Levi shook his head. If I'd known, I wouldn't have made it so obvious. He paused, then said, "Twenty copper coins. That's my highest offer."

"No, no, sir, they are works of art…"

Levi turned and walked away. He intended to find Yalina and have her make the purchase instead.

The moment he started to leave, the old man panicked.

After all, Levi was his first customer of the day.

"Fifty copper coins, and they're yours!" the old man hurriedly called out.

Levi stopped, thought for a moment, then turned back and casually pointed at a well-preserved ceramic plate. "Add that one, and thirty copper coins."

"That won't do." The old man shook his head without hesitation. Seeing Levi about to leave again, he quickly added, "If it's thirty copper coins, then you can only take half of that pile of 'art pieces.'"

Levi sighed inwardly. What a waste of time.

"Fine. Let's do it that way."

"But I choose them myself."

"Of course," the old man nodded.

Those defective items were worthless to begin with, and a single ceramic plate usually sold for no more than five copper coins.

It could be said that this deal still brought the old man profit.

Levi picked up the intact ceramic plate he had casually chosen, then began selecting from the pile of broken utensils. After taking roughly a third of them, he said, "That's enough."

"These are mine now."

With that, Levi took out a handful of copper coins from his person. He didn't count them, but there were definitely more than thirty.

He placed them in front of the old man, then picked up his chosen items and left.

The old man, meanwhile, was overjoyed.

Not only had Levi taken fewer items than agreed, but the copper coins he paid also exceeded the previously negotiated thirty—there were a full forty-three copper coins in total.

He knew he had run into one of those customers who didn't lack money. Delighted, he called out a thanks behind Levi, "Thank you."

"Please come again next time."

That would be difficult.

Next time?

Levi didn't even know where he would be by then.

At this moment, all his attention was on that cracked ceramic plate—so fragile it seemed like it would shatter with the slightest force.

The plate was covered in grime, and at its center, there seemed to be a ring of delicate patterns.

But no matter how one looked at it, it didn't resemble a golden plate.

According to the Detection results, this thing was sealed. Only by infusing it with Magic Power would it reveal its former brilliance.

Unfortunately, they were in the marketplace, so Levi couldn't examine it further.

He could only hold onto it for now and deal with it after returning to the inn.

However, he didn't head back immediately.

Levi hadn't come to the marketplace just to obtain this sealed golden plate—he also needed to gather the materials required to refine knight potions and wizard potions.

With Detection guiding him, Levi successfully purchased several materials, such as Spiny Thorn Flower Honey and Moonlight Mushroom.

As for Giant Lizard Heart Extract, he would need to venture into the forest and obtain it himself.

That wasn't much of a problem.

For Leyline Hematite Powder, he would need to return to the underground river, where he had previously discovered that mineral.

As for Pure Water Essence, it posed no issue at all—he had Gathering Technique, so he could simply collect it directly from the air.

There was only one thing that gave Levi a headache.

That was Stardust.

How could something like that possibly be sold in an ordinary marketplace?

Even Detection hadn't found any trace of it.

This made Levi frown.

If he couldn't obtain Stardust, then he wouldn't be able to refine his wizard potion—and his plan to rapidly improve his spell level through potion refinement would collapse before it even began.

At that moment, Yalina and Miss Nightingale Odelle also spotted Levi in the marketplace.

A look of surprise appeared on Yalina's face—she hadn't expected to run into him in a place like this. Immediately, she broke into a smile and walked quickly toward him.

Beside her followed a flamboyantly dressed man, as gaudy as a peacock, clad in luxurious clothing. When he saw Yalina heading toward Levi, his expression darkened.

He narrowed his eyes and followed after her. A middle-aged attendant trailed closely behind him.

Seeing Yalina speaking to Levi with a bright smile, jealousy surged even stronger within the peacock-like man. Unable to hold back, he said, "Miss Yalina, is this your friend?"

"No, he is not." Yalina's eyes showed displeasure. "This is my employer."

"Employer?" A voice of confusion rang out.

"Sir Karens, could you give us some space?" The displeasure on Yalina's face deepened.

Karens clearly understood—but ignored it. Instead, he turned to Levi, looked him up and down from head to toe, and only then spoke in a lofty tone, "Hello, I am Karens Sweet, of the Sweet family."

The Sweet family was a viscount family—a powerful house within the Duchy of Silverbrook. Karens himself was a noble.

By stating his identity, he intended to intimidate Levi.

But clearly, it had no effect.

There wasn't the slightest change in Levi's expression.

That made Karens—who took great pride in his family name—deeply displeased.

His tone shifted.

"I would like to ask—are you a suitor of Miss Yalina?" Karens looked at Levi.

"That's enough, Sir Karens. You've gone too far. You're already disturbing me—please leave…" A faint blush appeared on Yalina's face as she sharply rebuked him.

But instead, Karens gazed at Yalina with deep affection. "Miss Yalina, I apologize."

"But please forgive the impulsive actions of someone who admires you. Everything I've done comes from my love for you."

"It is love that makes me act this way."

The things he said made Levi feel nauseated.

Even Levi couldn't stand it anymore. Calmly, he said, "Yalina is just my coachman."

"…Coachman?" Karens was stunned speechless. "You let such a beautiful lady work as a coachman?"

"Not to mention, she's a knight."

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I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> /TitoVillar

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