Chapter 67: Aurelius’ Shop
"I see that you’ve suffered some injuries," Aurelius said with feigned concern, his eyes scanning World_Builder.
"If you don’t receive treatment soon, there is a chance you might permanently affect your future. You might never become an Awakener."
He sighed.
"Since you were injured while running an errand for me, I can’t let you go in such a state."
Hearing these words, World_Builder lowered his gaze toward Aurelius’ hands, expecting to see him hand a Potion or other item over.
Unfortunately, his expectations were soon shattered by the flood of notifications.
"Ding!"
"Aurelius Sol has initiated a trade with you!"
"Welcome to Aurelius’ Shop."
Below was a floating window.
...
[Items: ]
[Gacha Potion: A Potion that can grant Players a random amount of EXP. It ranges from 10 to 200. It can only be purchased once a day.]
[Price: 100 EXP]
[Healing Potion: A Potion that can help Players recover from injuries.]
[Price: 40 EXP]
[Stamina Recovery Potion: ...]
[Price: 30 EXP]
[...]
...
There were many more items.
Some World_Builder recognized, and others he had never heard before.
Yet beside the ones near the top, there was only one more that got his attention.
An item at the very bottom.
...
[Sun Knight Class (Rare): A Rare Class that combines the power of knights and the Sun. It is powerful enough to serve as the foundation of a major Awakener organization.]
...
A Class!
After so long, it was the first appearance of the very thing every Player had been searching for.
Moreover, it was not a Common or even Elite Class, but a Rare one!
Without even reading its description, World_Builder’s heart was bursting with excitement.
He didn’t care about anything else!
He had to purchase this no matter what!
With this resolve, World_Builder stared at the Price, ready to spend every last point if necessary.
Instantly, his face fell.
The smile on his face froze.
1000 EXP!
That was the price of the Sun Knight Class!
Looking at his Experience, which was far from this goal, World_Builder nearly collapsed.
Aurelius observed the rapid change of his emotions with relish.
From joy, hope, and excitement to disappointment and despair.
He didn’t feel any pity toward him.
If anything, he was delighted.
This was exactly what he was trying to achieve.
He wanted to tell the Players that he indeed possessed the method to help them become Awakeners.
And to do so... they would have to work for it.
Smiling faintly, Aurelius looked at World_Builder, who was still immersed in the loss, and cleared his throat to attract his attention.
"How is it? Do you need any of these items?"
"I think that the Healing Potion is very suitable for your current condition."
World_Builder snapped back to reality.
He used every ounce of his strength to look away from the Sun Knight Class, focusing on the items above it.
Gritting his teeth, he soon made his choice.
"I’d like a Healing Potion," he said, making Aurelius’ eyes shine.
Secretly retrieving one from the System Inventory, he was about to hand it over.
But surprisingly, World_Builder had yet to finish. He immediately continued:
"No! I actually want three of them."
"And one Stamina Recovery Potion."
"Moreover, even today’s Moonlight Potion..."
World_Builder listed out his demands.
With each word, a portion of his EXP would disappear, seemingly being transferred to Aurelius’ "account".
Aurelius had to look at this fatty with a different eye.
He had never expected him to be so rich!
Could it be that he had been grinding Missions for the past few hours?
Recalling his ruined state, he suspected Professor Anna was the source of all that EXP.
It was no wonder that he looked to be on the verge of death.
It had all been for the sake of grinding EXP!
’Is this guy so hard-working?’
’It seems that he is not entirely devoid of extraordinary qualities. At least, he is willing to suffer to accomplish his goals,’ Aurelius nodded.
Even though he was thinking, Aurelius remained calm on the surface.
He handed over the requested Potions, and watched the fat man gulp down one of them.
At a speed visible to the naked eye, the wounds troubling him recovered.
Then, World_Builder said no other word.
Without any hesitation, he turned around and walked back into the Ernst Academy.
His face was filled with determination, looking almost heroic as he departed.
Aurelius watched him go, confusion written all over his face.
But he quickly dismissed any questions he had.
Glancing at his EXP, which had increased significantly following World_Builder’s purchases, he couldn’t help but smile.
’The Trade Talent works exactly as expected.’
’Once word of my shop spreads, Players will surely grind for EXP before rushing to visit me.’
’Then, this Talent’s true potential will be unleashed.’
One Player might not provide Aurelius with much EXP.
But if there were ten, a hundred, or even a thousand of them working hard to buy an item, they would provide him with a steady stream of EXP.
’I have to visit TheoryMaster69 too.’ Aurelius thought as he walked away.
’She must have also accumulated some EXP during this time...’
Half a minute after his departure, a deafening boom echoed throughout the Ernst Academy.
The Academy’s walls trembled, as though experiencing an earthquake.
Black mist rose from the library.
Perhaps it was the students’ illusion, but they could hear the screams of a fat man ringing in their ears.
--
Life outside human settlements was filled with danger.
The existence of monsters, beings who possessed extraordinary power and could contend with Awakeners, played a major role in this.
But another, perhaps even more important reason, was natural disasters.
Earthquakes. Typhoons. Blizzards.
All these were deadly on their own.
In a world filled with extraordinary powers and saturated by Mana, they had become even deadlier.
The residents along Dawn Kingdom’s northern border were about to learn this lesson firsthand. Or rather, the natural disasters’ side effects.
"Squeeel!"
A high-pitched cry echoed, simultaneously sounding like the wail of a dying person and the war cry of a beast.