Chương 63: Weapon Selection

The VTR made a soft beep, projecting Avid's image just above. His eyes remained peaceful and calm, and he no longer wore the silver crescent necklace. With all the questions Evel jammed in the night before, he had been almost certain that at least some part of Avid would be annoyed, but the man didn't seem to mind at all.

"Evening, Evel, or I heard you go by Eth now." Evel adjusted himself on his seat as he carefully listened in. Many mysteries would soon solve themself. The first thing he wanted to know was just what sort of information he could expect from the books. He already had a chance to experience one of them, but for other types of books like Advancement to Weaver, or Danger Zones, he wanted to know just what sort of information he would get.

Feels like they probably should have given me a proper rundown of everything by now… They're all just expecting someone else to do it, I guess. Avid's voice continued.

"The information from the books can be thought to be as useful as their cost.

'Basic History of the War' costs 50 because it gives you 50 credits worth of information. The Danger Zones are an exception, and it depends more on what the Imperium wants you to know. Don't expect explicit details of the inner workings, but you can probably find a brief history as well as the known function. As for your second question…" This one had been in regard to the 'Advancement to Weaver' book specifically.

"You are in an extremely lucky position to be able to buy it right away. Usually, an individual in the Core Stage would buy various books that cover certain portions of the topics covered in Advancement to Weaver as they saved up and completed tasks. Some people spend years trying to complete the whole set. My advice is to spend the 1000 credits now. You'll be able to skip out on buying a lot of the cheaper items." By being rich, he would save even more money. Life sure was convenient when wealthy!

The next topic was a request for advice on spending the remainder of his credits.

"For the rest of your credits… There's nothing in particular that really stands out. You need a weapon for sure, but with the price of stratite rocketing and every other metal following suit due to the hole it left, a traditional metal weapon won't be cheap. Maybe keep a few long-lasting potions on you in case of an emergency. I'd also save a few credits in case you need to buy information at any time – that's my strategy, at least. I hope that also answered all of your other little questions afterwards as well."

Despite Avid not going into much detail, it more or less had. At least now, Evel knew how to take advantage of his fortunate situation. The only remaining thing Avid had to respond to was his plans.

"As for your proposed plan… To be honest with you, Evel, I don't really see the merit in your plans. You could have just found people in the northern end of Ichoris to hire and gotten better results. However, in the end, you know more about circuses than I do, and based on your performance in the trial, I owe you at least some benefit of the doubt. All that's to say I've gone and approved all your requests.

The circus should be built by tomorrow, and Albert will give you the extra Riak you requested just earlier today." Avid paused.

"I also recently got a tip that Redigo now has you on file as an 'aggressive businessman in the Core stage'. Be careful, Evel, your job is to get information on Dissent, not to make enemies with other Banners. If it helps you get information to advance your stage, then so be it. Regardless, I wish you the best of luck." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. BEEP. Aggressive businessman in the Core stage… that's pretty much what I was going for.

But when did they manage to gather information on me? He tried his best to remember interacting with those wielding a glass badge, but nothing really came to mind. The guards? The persona he created was intentional. If he was going to run a well-known circus, he'd become a person of interest regardless, so at least this way, he got to choose what others expected from him. He straightened in his chair, pressing a series of buttons, until a message from Acies popped up. His options for weapons had already arrived.

[SPECIFICATION REQUEST RESPONSE] A few options are available based on your request and other recommendations, with the price and level associated. [Compound Bow] Specialized bow with collapsible riser and high-tension pulley system, designed for high velocity output. | 75 Credits | Laymen [Windcharged Bow] Bow with aerokinetic enchantments that remove all draw resistance and ensure near-silent arrow flight and minimal wind interference.

| 490 Credits | Core [Metal Cards] Weighted throwing cards created with a high degree of aerodynamic balance and razor-thin edges. High learning curve, yet extremely versatile. | 90 Credits | Laymen [Custom Metal Cards] Reusable cards with varying effects based on your specifications. If you own [Metal Cards], you may trade them in and keep the difference.

| 850+ Credits | Core [Bloody Dagger] Viritol dagger that causes continuous bleeding through wounds by utilizing a jagged micro-edge that prevents natural or magical coagulation for a set duration. | 650 Credits | Core [Stratite Knuckles] Knuckles made from stratite, offering a lightweight profile that reinforces striking power. Hinders dexterity that may be required for secondary tools. | 90 credits | Laymen [Stratite II Knuckles] Knuckles made from Core density stratite, reinforced with high-energy materials.

Allows the user to discharge internal blasting kinetic pulses upon contact. | 690 credits | Core … … [Cane Rapier] Rapier made from Stratite and hidden as a cane for subtlety. Extremely sharp and features a quick release spring mechanism in the handle. | 110 Credits | Laymen [Custom Quiver] Quiver containing arrows with varying effects based on request. Bow must be purchased separately. | 500+ Credits | Core [Ring Blades] Jewelry with a small retractable razor imbued with a specialized poison.

Designed to be a secondary or tertiary weapon of low convenience. | 450 Credits | Core … And it just kept going on and on. Just by mentioning he wanted it to be subtle in a city setting and possibly be able to also work from a distance, they had given him a ridiculous amount of options! And their prices were ridiculous, too! He had gotten his crossbow for about 50 credits — a Layman's weapon. Other Laymen's weapons here reached up to 110 credits!

Avid had not been lying when he said the price of metals had increased substantially; there was a clear difference between the Windcharged Bow for 490 Credits and the Bloody Dagger for 650. That wasn't even mentioning some of the other prices, like the Custom Metal Cards for 850! I guess the custom effect on each card is what makes that one in particular so stupidly expensive. Of all the options, the knuckles and the cards stood out to him the most.

Although he was still learning when it came to hand-to-hand battles, with Albert teaching him, it was a matter of time before he became at least somewhat capable. As for the cards… it was obvious why. The only problem was that the price was just too steep! 850? After spending 200 credits on learning about all the consumables, and the 1000 he was planning on spending on the Weaver book, it only left him with 880 credits. If he were to make such a purchase, he'd basically be left with nothing.

Evel read through each of the options again, then through the various consumables he was considering buying. In the end, it became all too clear he just couldn't afford something so expensive. Not yet, at least. Still, compared to the other weapons, the cards would provide him with by far the most versatility and with different cards holding different effects, he would have many more options in fights. With that in mind, he went ahead and ordered the basic Metal Cards.

Since he could use them to get the difference discounted from the upgraded version, there was no reason for him not to get these right away and begin training with them. It also gave him a subtle weapon should anything go wrong. Now for the big ticket item… 1000 credits. That amount earned was enough to get you a bonus reward from the trials; it was a ridiculous sum, and over half of Evel's wealth. It just felt absurd to spend so much in one go. Credits were worth more than Riak.

From what he could tell, somewhere between 5 and 10 times as much. Meaning, he was about to spend an approximate 5000-10000 Riak in one go. | Input a Book | He placed a blank book in the dedicated slot and pressed a button. With a burst of energy, the book transformed. Advancement to Weaver. Evel took a sharp breath as he flipped over to the first chapter, which was titled: What is a Weaver?