NOVEL NEXT 53 – Preparations
River Stream woke up today and realized his parents were back from their mission world. First, there was joy at their survival and then hesitance. He thought back to his experience and resolution replaced his uncertainty. He got out of his room and walked over to his mom's room.
When he got there, he opened the door without knocking. His parents had permitted him to enter as he pleased to both of their rooms, though most of the time, they could be found in this room. His dad's room was more like an extra room that he got put in when he pissed Mom off. Other than that, it's a big room for River to hang out.
He sat across from his parents and put on a serious face, as serious as his childish face could manage.
"What's wrong, honey?" His mother noticed his expression and asked.
River took a deep breath before stating his purpose. "I want to become stronger!"
His parents looked at him in surprise before smiling. "Sure. We don't mind, but why the sudden change? You were always so scared of what you have to face."
"I-I."
River tried to answer but didn't know how. Can he say that he doesn't want to watch others sacrifice their lives for him? That he's tired of being weak and helpless? That he's disgusted with himself?
"Can I not?" To conceal his embarrassment, River decided to give this answer.
His mother saw through this and let out a small giggle, but didn't call him out. "That's fine as well. Do you want us to get you some equipment?"
"No. I want to grow stronger without having to depend on you two."
Seeing his determined expression, his parents chose not to question him. Instead, they handed over a black card with their imprint on it.
"What's this?" River took the card but didn't understand what it was.
"It's a bank card. In it, you can find the funds you need. If you ever need more, you can find Mommy and we will recharge it." She gave him a soft smile and continued. "Don't reject it. If you want to survive, you will need to convert a good amount of strength. Not unless you want to hire more protection, especially with your lower stats."
Her words hit River deep in his heart. Thinking things over, he decided to accept this as a way to recover from his late start.
"Thank you, Mom. I'll make sure I don't die." Then he walked out, leaving his parents in a reflective mood.
"He's growing up."
"Yes." River's father, who was silent the whole time finally spoke.
"Did I do the right thing?"
"Don't think about it. We can't protect him forever."
"I know, but the thought of what he has to face in the higher steps makes me worry. Those were hellish times we went through."
"At least he has our support instead of facing all the difficulties alone."
"Yeah. I hope he doesn't get too overwhelmed by everything."
As River walked out, he became aware of a problem. He had no idea what it meant to become stronger. He was so caught up in showing his resolve that he forgot about the how. At this moment, he was starting to regret not taking his mom's offer, but when this thought formed, he admonished himself for it.
'You said you want to get stronger, but you can't even become independent. What a disappointment.'
River cheered himself up and looked for the one friend he was comfortable with for advice.
A few minutes later, 7156 got a request to enter his room. When River settled himself down on his couch, 7156 gave him an inquisitive glance. River understood the meaning behind this look and explained himself. "7156. I want to get stronger. Can you walk me through the process of an explorer?"
7156 sized him up before giving his answer. "Equipment and consumables. Get them."
"But I have no idea where to get good ones."
"Give me a second."
7156 thought back to a certain free sample he got last world and decided on the potion maker to support. After a few rings, the Enigma picked up.
"Hey, 7156. What's up?"
"Healing consumables."
"As direct as ever. Well here's my latest creations." Genji sent over a few screenshots of item stats and gave 7156 some time to choose.
[Recovery potion]
Rating: rare
Effect: Pour over wounds to heal 50hp per second for 4 seconds. If drank, heal 300 hp over 2 seconds.
[Stimulation injection]
Rating: Uncommon
Effect: Upon use, become energetic again
Note: Although there are no side effects, be careful not to overdo it
[Healing Gel Bomb]
Rating: Rare
Effect: Heal 200 hp and close the wound in the area.
Description: Healing liquid encased in a thin layer of gel. When force is applied, the gel will break to unleash its contents
Note: Enigma developed this after realizing how inconvenient it is to smash glass bottles on himself
Note 2: This is made from natural materials and will not be affected by technology restrictions.
[Steroid Injections]
Effect: +2 str, +1 con for 20 minutes
[Strong Healing potion]
Rating: Epic
Effect: Recover 600 hp/sec for 2 seconds
Note: This potion has a huge drain on your stamina, but can save a life in desperate times
[Energy potion]
Rating: Uncommon
Effect: Slowly recover your stamina over 20 minutes
Note: a mild potion with no side effects
It was a selection that fit every need an explorer might have. 7156 decided not to bring up the strange note attached to the gel bomb, despite how strange it was. "Give me a little of everything. More on energy potions and gel bombs."
"Sure. Give me a day or two."
"Give me two sets."
"Two? Are you buying for someone else as well?"
"River Stream."
"I see. More money for me I guess. I'll send you a message when your order is ready."
"Thank you." 7156 hung up and turned to River Stream. "Settled."
River watched this exchange with a doubting look.
"Is his stuff worthwhile?" River thought back to the time when Genji had offered 7156 a free sample.
"No big side effects."
"Side effects? Why would healing items have side effects?" River asked in a bewildered tone.
"Too intense or weird ingredients. It's hard to recover large amounts of health."
River didn't know this since he never needed them, but 7156 had come across many healing consumables that were either hard to use in battle, too expensive, or had weird side effects. Unless it was an item provided by EverRealm, it was hard to guarantee its quality. That's because few members choose to develop healing consumables and even fewer get the opportunity.
The few who do choose this route are mostly servants with no other choice or alchemists experimenting by themselves. That is to say, they have no inheritance to guide them and are figuring things out by themselves. Those who managed to achieve success would always charge a heavy sum, in an attempt to recoup their costs.
Genji realized this and capitalized on this vacancy to promote his business.
Pairing that with his combat experience, he was able to develop items that fighters like 7156 will deem as a must-have. And since 7156 chose it, River Stream followed since he had no better idea.
"Now for equipment." 7156 sized up River Stream again before giving his opinion. "Long range."
"Eh? Why long range?" River Stream was expecting an answer like a sword or something close range. He wanted to be like Genji when he slashed the Kraken tentacle. He looked so cool when he did that.
"Your body sucks." 7156 gave a brutally honest answer, crushing the dreams of this teenager. After River finished sulking, 7156 led him to the commercial area and looked around for a fitting item. Guns are fine, but they become useless if there's a technology restriction. And at the current difficulty, they don't do much against the enemies River will face.
What 7156 failed to consider is that River Stream is a servant. As a servant, there is a lower chance for combat-related missions.
They continued looking around but found nothing spectacular for River. As they were about to call it a day, they noticed a bunch of people running toward the auction house in the distance.
"Quick. A legendary item showed up. We need to get it!"
"Join?" 7156 asked.
River nodded. They can't seem to find anything important so they might as well see this rare event. When they entered the building, they found an empty seat and opened the auction tab. The auction in EverRealm is similar to an online auction where they bid on what they want within the set time. After the time is up, the person with the highest bid wins the auction.
At the front of the page was a big book with a golden black border. River Stream pulled up the item and checked the stats.
[Tome of Curses]
Rating: Legendary
Type: Inheritance item
Effect: Upon use, gain access to curse energy and knowledge of its progression.
"Curse energy? Isn't that what we dealt with last world?"
"Power System."
"Yeah, you're right. Curses are a power system of their own. Multiple worlds have it. There's no way that item came from our last world. That being said, darn that price."
Currently, it is at 8 million and climbing. It seems a legendary inheritance was causing more of a stir than they expected. If a normal legendary goes for around 5 million coins, then an inheritance would break those norms. It's an inheritance after all. Use it correctly and it can change one's fate, from a weakling to a specialist.
As the timer counted down, the price of the item continued to rise - all the way to 12 million before no one could top it anymore. River Stream was about to place a bid when 7156 stopped him.
"No. It's not suitable for you."
River Stream looked to where 7156 was pointing and read the line he overlooked.
"Cost twice as much for males to learn the abilities." This left River Stream speechless. There's such a biased restriction? That explains why the item is on sale. River suddenly felt some pity for the seller. To earn such a powerful inheritance, only to realize it was incompatible with him.
[You have received 11.4 million coins.]
After the 5% charge on using the auction, Genji was left with this amount. This was the last of his earnings from the previous world. He had sold most of the other equipment he had obtained. The only weapon left was the Bloodly Scimitar from Kidd simply because it was still with Markus.
Instead of coins, Genji exchanged everything for flexible knowledge books. And boy did he get a lot of them. Although they were lower-level ones, the sheer quantity of them made up for it. Then Genji pumped most of it into healing-related knowledge and consumables manufacturing.
Poison is strong and all, but he's going to need the healing if what he heard about the Spatial Battlefield is true. That was why he could provide 7156 with so many decent options when he called.
Genji looked at the coins in his card and decided it was time to pick up his equipment. He sent Markus a message and headed over. Minutes later, Markus presented him with his repaired gear and a reforged arm guard.
[Kraken's Grasp]
Rating: Legendary
Defense: 38
Durability: 200/200
Requirements: 20 Str, 20 Con
Note: Trying to equip this when you don't meet the requirements will result in you being devoured by the Kraken's resentment.
Effects:
- Kraken's Strength (passive): +2 str, +2 con
- Dominance Aura (Active): Pick a stat and conduct a judgment on a target. If your stat is higher, they will receive a mental impact and -1 in the chosen stat. Damage is determined by the difference between the stat of choice. Cooldown of 1 hour.
- Summon Kraken (Active): Use all your energy and summon the tentacles of the Kraken to strangle a target. The number of tentacles is dependent on the amount of energy used. Cooldown of 1 day.
- Kraken's Resentment (Curse): The power of this equipment depends on the curse it bears. Although it provides great power to its wielder, it will attempt to kill them when given the chance. Use this with caution.
Description: Formerly made from the tooth of Jaws, this arm guard was corrupted by the Kraken's resentment. Now all that remains of Jaws is a shell of his former self, his spirit shattered, and his anchor occupied by a malevolent spirit.
"How much for everything?"
"Give me 1.2 mil." Markus quoted.
Genji raised his brow but paid the price without complaint. This price was nothing compared to what his [Tome of Curses].
"Aren't you curious about the price?" Markus asked, half expecting Genji to bicker.
"Yes, but I know the value of a legendary item. And I trust you have your reasons for your price, especially since you also repaired my other equipment."
*Sigh* "Honesty, I only charged 800,000 for the arm guard. Despite it being legendary to you, to me, it's a failure. Cursed equipment is a dangerous object that can cost you your life at the smallest mistake. Not many dare to use one."
"It's fine. I'll deal with it." Genji stored away his equipment and walked out of the workshop. Then he went to the strengthening hall next. When he sat down in a room, Genji pulled up his masteries.
- Dagger Mastery (Grandmaster - 87%, previously 13%): You have pushed your daggers techniques to the limit
- Dodging (Grandmaster - 4%, previously master 89%): Who can hit you?
- Stealth (Experienced - 77%, previously 56%): You can hide well, but some advanced methods can still detect you
- Firearms (Master - 75%, previously 74%): You have a wide knowledge of all firearms and are skilled with them
- Total Weapon Mastery (Expert - 18%, previously 2%): You have a decent mastery of all other weapons.
Unlike the other ones, there is no button to add coins to his Dagger and Dodging proficiencies. It seemed like it was locked to him, but he could still improve by himself. Putting that thought aside, Genji selected Stealth.
[5,000 coins per percentage. Pay 115,000 coins?]
"Pay"
As soon as that amount was deducted from his card, a flood of information coursed into his head. Years of experience as someone hiding in the shadows appeared in his mind. After a few minutes, Genji digested everything and his Stealth proficiency reached Expert.
Next, Genji selected Total Weapon Mastery.
[20,000 per percentage. Pay 1.64 million?]
"Pay."
Then Stealth again.
[20,000 per percentage. Pay 2 million?]
And lastly, Firearms.
[100,000 per percentage. Pay 2.5 million?]
A total of 6.255 million coins. After all the upgrading, his proficiencies now look like this:
- Dagger Mastery (Grandmaster - 87%): no change
- Dodging (Grandmaster - 4%): No change
- Stealth (Master - 0%): Not even advanced machinery can detect you.
- Firearms (Grandmaster - 0%): As long as it's a gun, you can't miss.
- Total Weapon Mastery (Master - 0%): No matter what you pick up, you are a deadly foe
Genji didn't even consider raising another proficiency to Grandmaster. That's a whole 10 million coins we're talking about. The only reason he improved his firearms mastery was because he had lots of accumulations in the skill and the price was cheaper. If the cost was any higher, Genji would not have chosen to upgrade it despite having a legendary flintlock.
As for Stealth and Total Weapon Mastery, he upgraded them because they are lacking compared to the other masteries. Stealth was upgraded to maximize [Shroud of Terror's] stealth-boosting effect. As for Total Weapon Mastery, being good with other weapons can increase his versatility. Although he doesn't plan on using it too much, he can't go wrong with it.
After that spending spree, Genji was left with about 6.5 million coins. Most of it was from selling [Tome of Curses], about a million from River Stream as compensation for the risks he took, and the rest from his killing spree.
With all the preparations accounted for, Genji took his coins and started producing the consumables he agreed to 7156, along with his own stock.
[7156 and River Stream requests entrance to your room. Please pick one of the choices.]
- Temporary permission: One-time entrance
- Guest: They can enter as long as you are in
- Close one: They can enter as long as you are in the realm, you will get a prompt when they do
- Permanent permission: They can come and go as they please, even when you are not in the realm
"Temporary permission."
The two of them entered his living room and looked around, but didn't see Genji.
"Come in through the door on the right," Genji's voice came from behind the given door.
7156 pushed down on the handle of the door and led River Stream into a big lab with lots of fancy equipment. At the far side of the room was Genji with gloves, a mask, and a white lab coat. By the side of his feet were two wooden crates with a post-it note on top.
"Yo."
Genji took off his think gas mask and waved at them.
"Your orders are in the box."
7156 walked over and checked the contents of the boxes. Everything was neatly organized and placed in its own sections. From combat usage items to recovery items with milder effects. Everything was there. No a single one was missing.
"How much?"
"Give me 240,000 for each box."
7156 was about to initiate a trade offer when River Stream stepped forward.
"Let me."
7156 nodded and allowed him. Although it was a decent sum, since 7156 was offering, he wasn't going to reject a free restock. Their friendship has reached such a level and River Stream wouldn't be affected by the price.
"Thanks for your business. Please do come again."
Genji waved them off and turned back to his vials. As 7156 closed the door behind him, he received a message from Genji.
"Read this when you are alone."
"What's wrong?"
River Stream noticed he had stopped and asked.
"It's nothing."
For the next few hours, 7156 gave River Stream the rundown on when to use each item and some tips for fighting. After River Stream left, 7156 opened the message sent by Genji. In the text, was the picture of one more consumable.
[Titan Feller]
Rating: Epic
Category: Lethal poison
Effect: Each drop will deal 50 damage/sec for 10 seconds. 100 drops per bottle.
Description: A lethal poison concocted by Enigma to kill a titan.
Note: Its name is not an empty reputation.
Note: As enemies get stronger, their resistance will grow and this will deal diminishing damage.
"Delete this after you read it," Genji commanded.
'Isn't he too paranoid?'
Although 7156 thought that, he understood why Genji was so cautious. This was a powerful trump card. The fewer people that knew about it, the better. As for deleting the message, Genji was guarding against a way to read other people's messages. Despite EverRealm being absolutely safe, Genji wasn't about to leave things up to chance.
Who knows if someone can actually do it? He might not know anyone with that ability, but he would rather be safe than sorry. To sum everything up, Genji is being paranoid.
7156 followed Genji's request and backtracked into the room. "How much?"
"I'm glad you understand. 500,000."
"I don't have that." 7156 turned to leave, but Genji stopped him.
When he pivoted around, Genji was holding out the bottle to him. "20% of what you earn for using this and 200,000. If you don't use it, you can pay 350,000 after the next world."
7156 considered his proposition and initiated a trade. The price might be hiked up, but it could save his life in a dire situation. At worst, he might lose some income, but he would survive.