LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 76
“Hmm… which one should I buy…?”
I found myself pacing back and forth between two spots.
“Um… excuse me, sir?”
“A Rank VI core should provide some pretty incredible benefits… If only I knew what effects they had…”
No matter how hard I stared at the stones in front of me, they refused to give me any answers.
“Hey, store clerk, which one do you think is better?”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yeah. If you were buying one, which would be the better deal?”
Feeling stuck, I decided to ask the store clerk who had just approached me.
“W-Well, I wouldn’t know… Both of these are Rank VI dungeon cores, so while their colors differ, their basic function remains the same…”
She responded hesitantly, clearly unsure. And I couldn’t blame her.
In this world, dungeon cores serve as a type of fuel for magical tools and artifacts.
Lower-ranked cores are commonly used in magi-vehicles or household magic devices. However, higher-ranked cores are used for grand-scale applications, like maintaining the massive barriers surrounding castles or temples.
When the clerk mentioned their “effect,” she was referring to their use in powering facilities. In that sense, both dungeon cores served the same purpose.
“Ugh… I’m just a little short on money to buy both…”
The reason I was groaning and pacing around the store was simple.
Recently, I received my exam results from the academy. Based on my scores, I was recognized as an honor student.
Honor students get the opportunity to spend their long vacation at a special location after the exam break. That location is Astana Island—the place in this world where the most dungeons are generated.
Every year, top students from various schools are invited on this trip, where they engage in dungeon explorations, adventures, and even receive training and lectures from various professionals.
“But before I go, I absolutely need to get my hands on these two.”
The two Rank VI dungeon cores sitting in Howard’s dungeon core shop.
I did receive a generous reward from Ares for helping Eclair, but it still wasn’t enough to buy both.
If they were Rank IV cores, I could have asked Thomas and the others for help. But unfortunately, I didn’t have any acquaintances capable of diving into a Rank VI dungeon. That meant there was no way for me to acquire them outside of a shop like this.
‘Why not just settle for multiple Rank V cores instead, Master?’
To Eve, buying the more affordable Rank V cores seemed like the better deal.
And sure, I could buy multiple Rank V cores, and their varied benefits were definitely appealing. But…
(What if they’re sold out the next time I come back?)
That was my biggest concern. Even in this high-end shop, there were only two Rank VI cores available.
If I passed up on them now, only to come back later and find them gone, I would forever wonder, “What kind of benefits did those cores have?”
Lost opportunities always seem grander in hindsight. If I only bought one, every time I used it, I’d be haunted by the thought of the one I didn’t get. That was something I couldn’t tolerate.
Besides, I’ve always been the type to save up for the strongest weapon, even in games.
In RPGs, when there’s a weaker placeholder weapon available, most people would buy it, defeat some monsters, earn money, and then upgrade later.
But to me, that process always felt like a waste of time. The further my goal seemed, the less motivation I had to save up. In the end, I’d probably just compromise on something cheaper. That’s why buying Rank V cores wasn’t an option for me.
(By the way, Eve, can you tell what kind of benefits these cores provide just by looking at them?)
‘Come on, Master, that’s like reviewing the taste of food without eating it first.’
So dungeon cores have flavors, huh…
Predictably, Eve shot down my request, leaving me no choice but to abandon the idea of identifying them in advance.
“Alright… so it has to be one or the other.”
I examined the two stones carefully. One was blue on top and transparent on the bottom. The other was a completely purplish hue.
The core I got from Roberto was Rank V, but once you reach Rank V or higher, cores begin to take on colors beyond their base attributes, and their benefits become increasingly unique.
Even though Rank VI cores were smaller than Rank IV ones, Eve mentioned that the density of their stored magic was on an entirely different level.
(If Roberto’s Rank V core already had such incredible benefits, then a Rank VI core is a must-have before heading to Astana.)
“Um… Sir Erik, have you made your decision?”
The clerk asked me hesitantly. I couldn’t blame her. By now, I’d been here for hours.
If I weren’t a friend of the shop’s owner, I probably would’ve been kicked out ages ago.
This store assigns a clerk to each customer, and I was effectively wasting her time.
“Guess there’s no helping it…”
Letting out a deep sigh, I looked at the clerk with a serious expression.
She seemed relieved, probably thinking she was finally going to be free of me.
I took a breath and made my decision.
“I’ll make sure to get the money, so please hold onto this for me.”