CHAPTER 76: ARCHIVE FRAGMENT
[Rookie Combat Suit]
[Provides minor protection against low-grade physical attacks. Self-adjusts to the user's body size.]
Grade: Common
Cost: 15 System Coins
The suit was among the cheapest items in the clothing section. Of course, there were other Earth-style clothes. It was just that they weren't efficient in this new world. They were too weak and could be easily damaged in battle. Even now, Kael was still in shorts, something he was especially thankful for. Waking up naked wouldn't have been a pleasant experience.
Still, even after saying all this, Kael still decided to get sweatpants and a simple dark T-shirt, both costing 25 coins.
What could he say?
He couldn't be all logic and had to at least enjoy what he had nearly died countless times for.
Only when he felt more comfortable in his new clothes did he continue his survey of the system.
Under the weapon category, he saw pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, grenades, and many more firearms. Of course, these weapons were not ordinary. They were already mana-enhanced; if not, they might not even leave a scratch on those creatures. Not to mention, that would have been the epitome of a scam; rendering technology useless only to sell it back to them.
‘Guess even the shameless system has its limits.’
He didn't dare continue that train of thought and swiftly pivoted.
‘Hmm... there are even enhanced mundane weapons like swords, spears, war hammers, sabers, and whatnot. Though their ranks aren't high, the best only being of the Rare Rank. I already have my gauntlet, so they are useless to me. As for firearms...’
Even Kael couldn't resist the temptation of being able to wield a gun. After all, you don't bring a sword into a gunfight. That saying had practically been engraved into his mind since childhood. With other humans now possessing these weapons, it would be foolish of him to simply ignore them.
He was surprised to see the cheapest handgun priced at just 15 coins, but when he saw the price of its ammo, Kael became speechless. Instead of being sold in magazines, each bullet was priced at 1 coin.
‘Let's check the skills section first.’
Beginner Marksmanship. Beginner Blade Mastery. Beginner Spear Combat. Beginner Archery...
The list continued.
The majority of the skills only granted beginner knowledge and experience on how to wield a weapon, which was why they were only of the Common Rank. When Kael scrolled down the list, the highest-ranked skills he saw were of the Rare Rank. And the only one that truly piqued his interest was the Danger Sense skill.
As an avid reader of novels, Kael knew how important such a skill would be, so he already marked it as a must-have.
‘With how even the cheapest skill costs 30 coins, I won't be surprised if the only way most people can get them is by using their beginner perk. Well... the majority of them.’
He was sure his group members would also have a lot of coins, even if they couldn't compare to his.
Kael took his time studying the system shop. Even if he didn't plan to buy anything now, having knowledge of its contents could help him at some point in the future.
It took him almost thirty minutes to perform a preliminary survey of the shop. The catalog seemed endless.
Finally, his eyes settled on the last section, which only had two items.
Special Items:
- Teleport Scroll (Single Use)
- Archive Fragment (Elite)
‘Oh! The first Elite item.’
Kael first read the info on the Teleport Scroll. The system had already announced they could be purchased during the last night event. But when he saw the outrageous price of 3000 coins just to teleport to the nearest Nexus Citadel, Kael almost cursed the system.
It took all his willpower to control himself, yet one still leaked out in the end.
‘Insufferable bastard.’
He rubbed Py's back to the latter's enjoyment. Only after repeating this for an entire minute did Kael feel the bubbling irritation within him slowly wear off.
Shifting his gaze to the only Elite item he had seen in the shop, Kael focused on it.
[Archive Fragment]
[A fragmented data construct left behind by the System. Contains limited information regarding cultivation ranks, system events, and the power system. Information access depends on the user's authority.]
Cost: 1000 System Coins
Kael's eyes narrowed as he reread the item's information for confirmation.
‘This...’
A rare look of focus flashed on his face, his thoughts spinning rapidly.
‘This will help shore up one of my greatest weaknesses. Lack of information. But...’
He hesitated for a moment.
1000 coins was almost half his current amount.
Of course, if he used his perk, the cost would be halved. But was it really worth it? Even halved, the price was still more than triple the most expensive item he had seen in the shop.
‘No, that is a foolish thought. Even in this new world, the fact that knowledge is power should still stand. Besides, for the system to price it so high, it may actually be worth it.’
Still, there was this tiny part of his heart filled with doubt. After all, it wouldn't be the first—nor the second—time the system had pulled one over him.
Gritting his teeth, Kael used his perk and confirmed the purchase, his heart bleeding when he saw his coins dwindle rapidly like sand slipping through his fingers.
Coins: 2344 → 1819
*****
AN:
Thanks for following the novel😁. And if you haven't clicked on the follow and favorite button, be sure to do so. It's essential for the book's growth. Want to read ahead by 10 chapters? Check out my Patreon 👇.
/ThePrimordialConduit?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink