The next few days before the execution pass in a strange routine which hasn’t existed in Adrian’s life in so long.
The days would pass in raising his level and going on expeditions with his friends and party. Buren is still healing–although he has regrown his legs he is still too weak for any extensive work–so he couldn’t join them, but Leah and Matthew have quickly joined him and the others.
Finneas too has come after recovering his strength, strangely motivated and competitive against Michael.
The days would also be spent with him parkouring through the trees, wielding his sword, studying, and basically learning more about information gathering. It is still a plan in motion, but one day he plans to create an information hub with his network of avatars.
Although he probably can’t compete against the big guilds with legitimately supernatural means of gathering information and divination, he believes that he can still carve a small place for himself in this world.
Only if he can change their structure, these things will become much easier.
Upgrading Timer would be a big step in that direction too.
The information hub is not just a way for him to pass time or open a business and retire peacefully. One thing that Adrian has begun to understand is that one can’t just ascend to the top while staying passive and letting the waves pass over him.
Even the thing with the church of clarity, the stars, and the revolutionaries would’ve stumped him if not for Ji-a. Blind and moving the way the authorities want him to. But now with more information he can move the way he wants to, make the right choices, and plan forward.
He needs information, knowledge, as well as power to get where he wants to get. He has his advantages, but he’s not someone reality defying who could push his way through the floors.
But this is a plan for much later. Currently, he’s busy deciding which pendant to buy. The card in his hand reads.
The Great Adjuster
+2 Resistance
When injected with mana, it can help the user adapt to any environment they find themselves in for an hour. Only works on naturally created environments.
When used with the core of a Lambton Worm, it can create an umbrella effect, providing the effect to one more person near you.
There is this, and there is a lesser version of it.
The Desert Adjuster
+2 Resistance
When injected with mana, it can help the user adapt to any natural formed deserts.
“How much did you stay they cost again?”
“25 gold for the former, and 12 for the latter. It’s a reasonable price, and you won’t get such quality anywhere else,” The merchant in front of Adrian says.
“C’mon, spare me a little bit. I need to buy some more things as well. How about 20 for the former, and you got a deal?”
“Nuh uh, not possible. 20 is far too low. Don’t you know how much it’ll help you on the next floors? It’s all desert up there man, with barely an oasis.”
“You can get a wife and still live freely for a whole year in that amount outside,” Adrian tries to convince.
“Kid if I want, I can get a full harem outside and still live freely for the rest of my life. But do you think I wanna go outside yet? I still have a few years left here, and shit costs money here. What about this, you like anything else here, and I’ll give you some bundle discount?”
“Mmm lemme see. Do you have something ranged? Or something for summons?”
“Summons huh,” The man brings out a box filled with various rings, and begins to go through all of them at an impressive pace, “Ah hah! Try this, and if not, then you can try these as well.”
He gives 4 rings, all of them made with different coloured material, and runes etched on them just like the pendant. Adrian tries to decipher the runes, but they seem more or less gibberish to his senses.
These must be the fake ones they talk about. Meant to stop others from stealing their design.
He looks at the first ring, a blue coloured one. The runes are hidden, but the card tells him all about it that he needs to know.
Ring of Speech
Tired from having to decipher the strange sounds and gestures of your summon? This ring will allow you to understand their words in human language. Some of the content may be lost in translation, so beware.
The other is a green one.
Ring of Healing
Sacrifice part of your vitality to heal your summons. The vitality sacrificed will be transferred to every summon (maximum of 5 summons) equally. Some vitality may be lost during transmission across larger distances.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
There is another green one, but this one is a darker green.
Ring of Greatest Strength
Combine up to three of your summons while only keeping their greatest parts into a powerful chimera. Can only be used once every 30 minutes.
This would’ve been nice if not for all of my summons being literally me. In my case they’ll just end up becoming… me. Maybe a bit smarter, but that doesn’t sound right.
And then last one, which is a curious purple.
Ring of Family Intelligence
For every summon you gather, you can choose for them to have 2% extra processing capability or decide to gather all of it on yourself for a minute every hour.
Now this is something.
“First of all, I noticed that the blue ring has a different description. Why is that?”
“Oh that’s a trademark of the creator I bought it from. They are not very famous, but you can probably see them here and there. Good and cheap work so people like me usually buy from them,” The shopkeeper shrugs.
“What if someone gives a false description? What if one of these rings would poison me if I use them?”
“Usually people also want their wares to sell, so something like that hardly happens. As it only spoils their name and fame around the market. Also we always get these checked from a Fact-Checker to confirm the descriptions, as you can see from the tiny symbol on the end of the card,” The man ponts to a small symbol of a cat holding a magnifying glass up to its eyes.
“You should only buy from stores with such a drawing, otherwise you’ll only get unverified shit. It can work, or it can not. Their wares might be a bit cheaper, but would you really wanna take that chance?” The man speaks has an assured smile on his face.
Adrian nods in understanding.
“How much for the purple one?”
“I can give you both the ring and the pendant for 100.”
“What!? I thought you were gonna give me a discount!”
“Kid, the price of 2% extra processing speed cannot be calculated. These are priceless stuff. You wouldn’t even find another one of these below the 4th floor. It was only from a friend that I was able to get it,” The man shrugs.
Ugh, it is a very good effect for sure. Good thing I have some money to spend.
“What about something for ranged attacks?”
“For someone complaining, you sure do have a lot of money,” The man laughs, and brings three more items. They include a vambrace, a black glove, and a boomerang.
Adrian picks up the boomerang first because it looks the most fun.
Pickup Boomerang
+4 Kinesthetics
+3 Body
Travel on the boomerang and get off at any point in its route. The user will be protected while on the boomerang as long as the boomerang doesn’t break. The boomerang can also be protected using the user’s mana.
“It sounds like a transportation power?” Adrian asks.
“That’s because it is.”
“How much for it!?”
“Just a measly 1000 gold coins,” A warm smile blooms on the man’s face. Adrian wishes to punch him at that point.
“Next…” Reluctantly he puts the boomerang down with shaking hands, and looks at the next one. The vambrace.
Vambrace of Distortion
+4 Resistance
+1 Mystic
Distort the trajectory of an incoming attack by 1% per 10 metres. Can be super-charged if the enemy is within 10 metres of the user.
“This is some good shit too. 1% feels a little low though, doesn’t it?”
“Every percent matters, kid. Imagine someone 100 metres away from you? How much will that become? 10%! That’s more than enough to miss you and your fat mom if you want,” The man says laughing.
“Why do I get the feeling that you don’t wanna sell stuff at all?”
“Kid I’ve been here for years now, and believe me, my attitude has kept me afloat very well. People love someone who can joke around a bit with them, instead of being just a money sucker. Makes them feel like they’re spending on a friend. Lowers the blow,” He says.
“What if someone doesn’t like to talk much?”
“A good merchant always knows how to differentiate between such people. You seem like the former, hence this attitude.”
Adrian nods in understanding. He hates to say it, but Adrian hasn’t really had a bad time in this shop, compared to the earlier ones he has been at.
“How much for it?”
“300 gold.”
“Better, still expensive as shit, but let’s see the last one,” Adrian mutters.
Glove of Condensation
+3 Mystic
Any drink surface touched by the glove will become cold, the intensity of which can be adjusted by pouring more mana, and also preserves its perfect condensation on the surface.
“C’mon, really? What do I look like, a bartender?” Adrian snorts.
“Now now now, if you use it properly, it can become a really good artifact to use for survival and fights. Imagine you touch someone’s balls during the fight and freeze them almost instantly. Wouldn’t that be super effective?” He laughs.
Adrian sighs. He decides not to think about the scenario the man has just suggested.
“I’ll even give it to you for 100, what do you think?”
“I don’t think I’m interested. Tell me, how much can you give me the vambrace, the pendant, and the ring of intelligence for?” Adrian asks, picking the items that he has chosen.
“400 gold lad. Max I can go down is till 390. That’s almost selling you the pendant for half of its price,” The shopkeeper says.
“It’s a little too expensive,” Adrian sighs, shuffling through his pockets for whatever money he has. The church has recently given him the reward: a shit ton of money, so he’s not exactly low on it, but he has also spent a bit too much on the new blade.
Blade of Sickness
+5 Body
+2 Kinesthetics
For every attack made using this blade, go through a Resistance check. If the check is passed, then the enemy will be inflicted with an instance of [Lethargy]. The instances can be stacked, but will disappear if the enemy drinks a potion of Health.
The stats itself had been worth it, and the ability on it really sold the blade to him. Lethargy also fits very well with his build of focusing on quick short attacks.
Unfortunately, as good as the blade is, it also costs just as much. Almost 400 gold coins were spent on it, and he is going to spend almost just the same for three combined artifacts. It pains his heart, parting ways with so much coins.
Reluctantly he lets go of his money. The smiling face of the shopkeeper only makes the blow hit harder. Only the entering of a familiar face distracts him from the pain a bit.
“Oh hey, you here to buy stuff too?” John asks, as he stands beside Adrian and checks the artifacts he has on display. “May I?”
“Sure, knock yourself out,” Adrian responds deadpanned.
A few moments later he nods his head in appreciation. “Good pick. They’ll help your build.”
“Thank you…”
He has been in the middle of equipping the vambrace, when the earth suddenly shakes. Like a heavy earthquake, the world moves, and his footing disorients. The earth itself feels like it will split apart, the items in the shop clattering to the ground, some breaking apart even.
It feels like an apocalypse, but then as soon as the earthquake has come, it goes away, leaving a dumbfounded Adrian and John, and an anguished shopkeeper.
“Could it be?” Adrian and John both look at each other, understanding coming at the same time, as they dash out of the shop and look up.
Initially nothing is present, except the blue sky. People around them run and yell orders, bringing out their own weapons, ready to face one more floor level disaster.
But then something appears at the horizon.
Even as he looks at it, Adrian finds it hard to believe what he is seeing. In front of him a large mound of dust is floating in their direction, and a single man stands beside it, holding it in his grip by his trademark liquid metal.
The High Ranker has dealt with the terrorists' hideout.
#
