Chapter 184: Hey Again.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So where exactly are we going?” ire asked, following along with Drake.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nowhere special. I just want to go there when we leave,” Drake said turning his head slightly to answer her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sounds special… If you want to leave everyone early to go there… Did something happen there?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Could say that. But just enjoy being alone with me alright? We get to just rx for thest day, browse the shop.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s true I guess…” ire said suspiciously.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake scoffed and guided her through the forest at a casual pace, looking at the various items in the tutorial shop.
<span style="font-weight:400">He had already found the items that Natto had mentioned earlier, worried about them possibly getting sold out if he didn’t grab them immediately.
<b>[Language Book of the Myriad Races] [S-Grade]</b>
<ul>
<li><b>The use of this book allows one to understand all spoken and written forms ofnguages throughout the multiverse.</b></li>
</ul>
<b>[Quest Voucher: A Land All Your Own] [E-Grade]</b>
<ul>
<li><b>A quest voucher able to be redeemed at any system-sanctioned center help building.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Will expire after one year.</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight:400">The two items had already cost him a pretty penny and had eased his worry of them being sold out. It seemed that certain items were only avable to certain people. Natto exined that it was abination of aplishments, titles, and max TP earned during the tutorial.
<span style="font-weight:400">For example, he, Shigure, and Bjorn could see the Quest Voucher, whereas anyone else they knew could not. As for the Language Book, it seemed to be avable so that everyone in the tutorial could purchase it if they wished. It was also rtively affordable for everyone at a price of 5,000 TP, whereas the Voucher was 100,000 TP.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake was sure that he would be able to get the other items he was eyeing on the way to their destination so he was taking his time, enjoying the walk with ire. Thest 30 days had been mostly training for the both of them, giving them no time to be together outside of a few select days and nights.
<span style="font-weight:400">They talked and walkedfortably through the forest that Drake remembered vividly from his time trying to improve and level up rigorously. They even passed many of the same routes he fought through. Passing the Outpost B Drake had single-handedly taken. The fake army he still left within the forest outside of their old Outpost.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake even thought they had passed the first ce he met Bjorn. He could have sworn that part of the river looked familiar, but all the rocks were the same so who could tell for certain.
<span style="font-weight:400">“These are ces you fought at before you met all of us?” ire asked as Drake pointed them out casually.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah,” Drake smiled, “I was alone for most of the beginning. The first person I met was actually Bjorn, then Natto came out of an egg. That was a weird one.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“An egg? Like a chicken egg?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It was bigger, more like an ostrich? I had to use some blood sacrifice to get her to hatch too. Spooky stuff,” Drake said giving a flutter of his fingers.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So you’ve always just had one thing after another sinceing to the tutorial…” ire said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Suppose so. I roughed it alone for the most part until I somehow got Natto then met Theo and rescued everyone else.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hmmm….” ire hummed putting her hands behind her back, “So are you going to keep me in the dark about where we’re going until we get there?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yup,” Drake smiled pointing to a clearing in the forest, “And we’re there.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake’s face turned solemn as he looked into the clearing, in the middle was a mound with no marker that had since be overgrown by the grass around it. Beneath it the nameless person he met on the day he became a Dual ss.
<span style="font-weight:400">This was where Drake decided to push forward and give it his all.
<span style="font-weight:400">He left ire at the edge of the clearing, walking up to the mound as he pulled a sword from his inventory.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey there. Remember me?” he chuckled wearily, “As promised, I came back at the end when I changed who I was. Literally….” he said giving a bit of a listlessugh, “This sword isn’t the original, but I think it’s just as nice.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake slipped the sword into the mound of dirt, the gravestone reced.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Who’s that?” ire asked gently.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No idea,” Drake answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">ire paused for a moment looking at the mound pensively.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Were they important?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You could say that,” Drake smirked, “This is where I killed my weak self. If it wasn’t for what happened here, I may not have ever gone on to be so strong and save everyone I did… Thinking back, I kinda wish it happened sooner… Maybe… Maybe I could have done more.”
<span style="font-weight:400">ire squeezed Drake’s arm no words needing to be said.
<span style="font-weight:400">And that was because Natto said it for her. Popping out of the side of Drake’s head she pped him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Will you stop this self-loathing! It is bing insufferable! How many times must I tell you, it is not your fault nor duty to protect every piece of idiotic buffoon that walks this tutorial! You are not god!” she yelled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Not yet,” Drake smiled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You are not even E-Rank yet! Leave your dreams for when you are asleep!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“But I don’t sleep anymore, so I only have when I’m awake?” Drakeughed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ahhh!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake gave a genuine smile andugh before pulling out some supplies and cing them nearby. Water, food, camping gear if you could call a luxury bed, chairs, and flooring camping gear.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Might as well be mpers at this point,” Drake nodded looking at the setup.
<span style="font-weight:400">He looked back towards the mound where ire and Natto were still talking and moved to grab their attention.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alright. About time we see what this tutorial shop is all about yeah?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t have that many points, so I’ll just watch along with you is that ok?” ire asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course, do you want me to get you something? Speaking of something did you get any bonus rewards?” Drake replied, throwing the question right back at her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Bonuses? No… I didn’t get anything like that. I wasn’t anywhere near the top after all,” she answered with empty eyes.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s okay we can’t all be special like me. Ow!”
<span style="font-weight:400">ire had punched him in the gut. Obviously not hurting him, but Drake felt like acting the part was necessary for these moments.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ass…” she mumbled.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake just smiled, pulling the boxes from his inventory.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Guess we look at these first.”
<b>[Epic Armor Box] [F-Grade]</b>
<ul>
<li><b>Contains a ss-specific random piece of non-set armor or essories</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Roll using the ck die before opening for use</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Bound to Participant: Drake Wallen</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cannot be traded</li>
</ul>
<b>[Epic Weapon Box] [F-Grade]</b>
<ul>
<li><b>Contains a ss-specific random piece of non-set weaponry</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Roll using the ck die before opening for use.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Bound to Participant: Drake Wallen</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cannot be traded</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake currently had two of each in his possession as well as 20 of each stat pill. The pills were not bound to him like the boxes so he had given the vitality pills to ire ahead of time. The more health for a mage or support ss the better.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s been a while since I used this,” Drake mused pulling the die from his inventory, “So what happens to this thing after the tutorial?” Drake asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Disappears…” Natto said snidely.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake frowned, “Really?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Were you expecting it to be a key item of some sort? Change into an epic weapon maybe?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, yeah kind of,” Drake nodded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is an item created specifically for participants of the tutorial for the new inductors of the multiverse to make it intentionally more difficult. How skills are gained outside of the tutorial ispletely different. I have told you this.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I know, just wanted to make sure… Geez,” Drake scoffed, throwing the die to the floor.
<span style="font-weight:400">While Drake was less stressed over rolling than he had been previously. He had the ability to get exactly what he wanted now that he had the massive pool of TP at the tips of his fingers.
<span style="font-weight:400">But, there was one thing a gamer always kept.
<span style="font-weight:400">His need for better loot.
<span style="font-weight:400">His eyes bulged as his skills took hold, increasing his perception and seeing the die roll slowly to a stop.
<span style="font-weight:400">First a 17, then to a 5, next it turned slowly double bouncing to a 19 and finally halting, skidding to the ground, 12.
<span style="font-weight:400">“FUUUUCKKKKK!” Drake yelled.
<span style="font-weight:400">ire pointed at Drake seeing him roll for loot for the first time, “Has he always done that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto nodded.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s cute… In a weird sort of way…” ire mumbled.
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto looked at ire incredulously, “Are you broken? Never mind, I take that back. To love a man like him you must be…. I lost a bet for wonderful candy over this… It was rigged! Rigged I say!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake ignored them, sighing before opening the chest to his first Epic Armor.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, that’s pretty…” he swooned.
<b>[Ice Wyvern’s Crystal Eye Earing [F-Grade] [Epic]</b>
<ul>
<li><b>Increase Ice Based damage by 163 - 208</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>+40 to Intelligence</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>+10% to Spell Critical Rate, +20% to Spell Critical Damage</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Limit 1</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oooo… Spell Crit….” Drake drooled, holding the item to the fading sun, the crystalline blue capturing the orange spectacrly within the earring.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That is gorgeous, can I see it?” ire asked hearts practically in her eyes.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure,” Drake said tossing it to her.
<span style="font-weight:400">He quickly bent and picked up the die ready to keep the process going.
<span style="font-weight:400">One after the other he rolled, getting rtively average numbers for each chest. For thest Armor Chest, he rolled a 13. For the two weapon chests 15 and 9 respectively. The results were better than expected but the weapons were not honestly suited for him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is it because I’m a dual ss?” Drake wondered, looking at the weapons.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, that is exactly why…” Natto sighed, sitting down next to ire, a bag of food popping into her hands.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Damn. Makes sense. But…. Damn…” Drakemented.
<b>[Lower Basilisk Wrist Guards [Epic] [F-Grade]</b>
<ul>
<li><b>315 to 364 Physical Damage Reduction</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>282 to 290 Magic Damage Reduction</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>15% Critical Hit Reduction</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>+20 to Strength, +15 to Dexterity, +50 to Endurance</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Battleworn wrist guards made from the tough hide of the Basilisk species. +30% defense proficiency.</li>
</ul>
<b>[Mana Infused Knuckle ws [Epic] [F-Grade]</b>
<ul>
<li><b>628 to 644 Physical Damage</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>110 to 125 Magic Damage</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>10% Increase to Critical Strikes</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>+20 to Strength, +25 to Dexterity, Reduces consumption of Stamina for skills by 1%</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Well crafted three ded gauntlets made with a basic smithing technique infused with mana to increase the efficiency of the des and durability of the weapon overall.</li>
</ul>
<b>[Lightning Storm in a Bottle [Epic] [F-Grade]</b>
<ul>
<li><b>4 to 12 Physical Damage</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>568 to 700 Magic Damage</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>10% Increase to Spell Critical Strikes</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>+20 to Intelligence, +15 to Wisdom, Reduces consumption of Lighting Based Spells by 1%</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Can only be worn in the off-hand.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Bottled Storms from the Arabath the home of the never-ending storm. Mages of the often gift this to fledgling Mages to supplement their growth.</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight:400">“So these are kinda awesome but Set items are significantly better huh?” Drake asked slipping the wrist protectors on, “Ohfy….” he smiled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“By design yes. Set items will always give better effects while the set effects are in full use. You may find unique items that surpass them, but they will be far more specific in use. That orb for instance. It is rather strong for an F-Grade item, even at Epic Grade. But it is only effective for Lighting spells,” Natto exined.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well,” Drake said looking at the shimmering and crackling bottle, “It isn’t all bad, I can use this for my disguise on the outside.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Disguise?” ire asked finally done admiring the earring and handing it back to Drake.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah,” Drake replied, taking the earring and recing his right ear, “I’m going to be specifically a Mage on the outside until I can’t be. I don’t want people to know just yet that I’m a Dual ss. I’m strong but I don’t know who else might be able to take me. It’s better to sow more misinformation I think for now. At least until we all get back together and we can start building up our strength as a whole. And knowing who’s our allies and enemies and all that is a good way to pace it too,” Drake exined, fiddling with his ne.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well? What do you see?” Drake asked opening up his hands.
<span style="font-weight:400">ire was confused, then realized he meant identify.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Um…” she said squinting, “Drake Wallen… Level… 13..?” she said confused, “You picked a pretty low level, didn’t you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake smiled, “Yep, I want to know who will pick on the little guy for one. My inner Cid Kagenou ising through… But also this is rtively the average level I think if our tutorial is anything to go off of.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake heard a snickere from Natto but didn’t think anything of it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Imbecile till the end….” Natto muttered through bites.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake opened the tutorial shop now ready to start buying with his deep pockets.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alright, let’s see what this baby has to offer!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake and ire sat down at the table a few feet away, Natto trotting along as well until she took a seat on the table with her bag of snacks.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Let’s see…. There''s quite a lot here… But the price goes exponentially up for the rarity…. That’s really. Wow, that’s a ripoff! 1 Million points for a single Stat Pill?! I found like 50 of these in the King’s Hoard!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Nattoughed and shrugged, “It is the Dragons. What did you expect? Do you believe they would give up their treasure for mere shekels?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake grounded his teeth, his expectation ofing out with a bunch of good stuff shattered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I can still get a lot… I just have to be more selective I suppose,” he sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">Paging through therge selection, he browsed the Profession books, seedlings, skill stones, weapons, armor, potions, anything, and everything.
<span style="font-weight:400">He paged through the entirety of the shop not wanting to miss a single opportunity for something that may be useful for him now orter. Even before adding a single thing to his cart, the sun had long passed below the horizon. The night took hold of the area as Drake summoned floating fireballs to illuminate the surroundings.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hmmm,” he mused, then noticed ire fast asleep on his shoulder, forcing a smile from him.
<span style="font-weight:400">He quickly picked her up and put her to bed inside the tent, small grumblings from ire as he did.
<span style="font-weight:400">Coming back out of the tent he got back to his shopping, finding a few things he knew he would need right away.
<span style="font-weight:400">He looked over at Natto who had long since finished her snacks and was slightly drooling on the table asleep.
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake poked her awake.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey, Natto.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“W-what?” she said groggily.
<span style="font-weight:400">“There seems to be a pack of set equipment here, Rare Grade. Is it worth getting? It is giving me limited ess to what’s inside, but based on thebeling I think it’s good.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What is the name?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake turned the screen around and pointed at it, “Asuran War Garb Set, Rare Grade. It’s 30 Million Points though.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto looked over the item for a moment then nodded, “Yes it does seem made for you based on the name. But unfortunately, I can not tell you either way if it is an advisable purchase. I can tell you that it is worth much more than mere Tutorial Points at the least.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“So that’s a yes,” Drake said hitting the add to cart button, “What about this?”
<b>[Spirit Ink Tattoos of the Asurans [Rare] [F-Grade] 10,000,000 TP</b>
<span style="font-weight:400">Natto looked at Drake like he was dumb, “Do you really need me to answer this? It has Asuran in the name Drake.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Drake smirked, “Just making sure.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Continuing to add things to his cart one by one he paged through the store.
<b>[Lesser Fire Drake’s Burning Eye Ring [F-Grade] [Rare] 3,000,000 TP</b>
<ul>
<li><b>Increase Fire Based damage by 80 - 131</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>+10 to Intelligence</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>+5% to Spell Critical Rate, +5% to Spell Critical Damage</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Limit 1</li>
</ul>
<b>[Lesser Earth Dragon’s Petrified Eye Ring [F-Grade] [Rare] 3,000,000 TP</b>
<ul>
<li><b>Increase Earth Based damage by 100 - 110</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>+10 to Intelligence</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>+5% to Overall Spell Damage</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Limit 1</li>
</ul>
<b>[Large Dimensional Compartment [F-Grade] 5,000,000 TP</b>
<ul>
<li><b>300x50 Dimensional Space Bag</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Requires one Inventory slot. Must be ced in Inventory to be equipped</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Stores Items in current state indefinitely, does not include living entities</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Drops on death.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Only 1 may be equipped at a time</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ok that does it for essories and I know I’ll need that inventory space in the future… There’s a reason games always charge micro-transactions for space after all. Now, for the stuff I’m going to be using for my n….” Drake hummed, “Oh wait, there’s that as well.”
<b>[Small Dungeon Dimension Anchor] [F-Grade] 500,000 TP</b>
<ul>
<li><b>Anchors a Dimensional Space. Producing a Small Dungeon Anomaly.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Does not provide the Monsters within the Anomaly.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Anything trapped within the Anomaly space when anchored will forever be anchored to it.</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight:400">“I have no idea if this is going to pay dividends but a Dungeon sounds just like what I’ll needter on. Too bad I can only get one from the shop.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Next Drake filled all he could into his cart with skill stones he thought would be valuable to people on the outside, as well as material and seeds much like his man-eating nt. Butmented being unable to get a particr item he spotted in the process.
<b>[World Tree [Epic] [F-Grade] 100,000,000 TP</b>
<ul>
<li><b>A Growing Monument to the Elven Lineage.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>This tree must be grown over centuries but gives massive beneficial growth buffs to its citizens.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Only one may be nted on a at a time.</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight:400">“It would have been nice to get this. Really drive home the fantasy feel ya know?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You would be asking for trouble if you even could purchase that…” Natto exined, “World Trees are beneficial in many ways to worlds. They inspire and encourage growth of all kinds in both the citizens and monsters of the world. They also bear fruit of all kinds of surprising things. Not to mention items made from the Tree are always in demand no matter the Grade. You are better off not having one right off the bat. Especially with no Elves to properly care for it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hmm, well that’s unfortunate…” Drake sighed, “But I got almost everything that I wanted regardless. Thankfully the skill stones I picked up were duplicates from stuff I had before so they weren’t too much. And the profession technique books were pretty inexpensive also for some reason. But time to blow my load!” Drake chuckled hitting the purchase button, Natto rolling her eyes at the joke.
<span style="font-weight:400">But she only scoffed and looked at Drake in contempt for so long, before arge box appeared and crashed into the table, snapping it in half and sending her flying off into the distance.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Isn’t that just karma,” Drakeughed, then frowned looking at the table, “I really liked that table though…”