Chapter 612: Careful Considerations—Limited Choices

Alex selects the Ebony Armor skin and sees the default Ebony Armor floating on a screen in front of him.

Interesting.

Seeing more than just a few customization options, Alex carefully scrolls through the available choices floating in front of him. However, as he selects one after the other, seeing more details as he does so, his face darkens.

It costs... FC! A lot of it as well... is the price depending on my initial skin? Damn, I didn’t want to spend so much.

Frustrated, he immediately drops the idea of modifying various parts just for fun.

I can still do that later, when I have more FC. Gotta focus on the important things... I can’t overspend, I’m broke as fuck.

What do I really need to change... gotta save money, money... I hate being broke... probably among all these choices... the only thing I really need to change is the helmet. I can’t look like a damn Black Knight; I’ll never be able to gain the trust of other people that way.

“The helmet sucks for my playstyle... can I tone it down? Maybe add something... like an alternate style? One that I can toggle on and off,” Alex asks the worker.

“Of course,” the worker replies, pointing Alex toward the options on his screen and selecting the appropriate one for him.

10,000 FC?!

Alex begrudgingly decides to pay 10,000 FC to add an additional alternate head style, allowing him to change the helmet into a smaller one that only covers his forehead, like his previous visor, along with parts of the head, while leaving space for his hair to go through. It makes the helmet almost invisible, but still functions like an actual helmet, capable of preventing his head from getting smashed to mush. 

The best balance between utility and performance... that way I can choose both and simply change before any battle where I think it’s relevant, and also keep it to hide my identity.

He also pays 4,000 FC to slightly tone down the thickness and bulkiness of the armor, making it more comfortable, slightly more agile, and far less archaic-looking while still keeping the overall style, allowing people to still recognize it at first glance.

Satisfied with his choices, he pays 114,000 FC, taking his total expenditure to a full 120,000, which includes the cost of Jewel’s storage.

I wasted... 114,000 on a skin with only minor effects... no wonder all these gaming companies are making a killing... damn, I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. It’s really addicting....

Alex briefly puts on the skin, including the base version of the armor with the full helmet, and looks into a mirror placed in the shop.

Almost shitting his pants because of his looks, Alex can’t help but be impressed, after the initial surprise.

I look like the damn Ebony Warrior... only wearing the black armor and looking slightly more agile and modern.... I kinda like it, but I somehow can’t help but cringe... well, whatever. With my trusty mask, which I’ll let Menchi repair, my identity is pretty much safe... that’s useful. I’d look quite scary, if I have to say so myself.

Satisfied, Alex bids goodbye to the helpful worker, removes the skin again, and leaves the store.

Contacting Benezia, Alex joins up with her and Menchi at their shared market stall. Not many people are shopping at the moment, depressing him further.

No chance to earn a lot of FC if nobody is willing to shop.

“The little one is missing?” Benezia asks immediately, while Menchi stares at Alex in surprise, not used to seeing him alone.

“Yeah... Glimmerwhisk was super busy, but she still gave us some intel and pointed us to the Pet Hub. I paid 6,000 FC to store Jewel for up to two months. She’s in some kind of stasis, so she’ll be fine for now,” Alex explains.

“That’s quite lucky, a fairly simple and cheap solution,” Benezia notes. “Together, we’ll be earning the 6,000 FC in one or two days.”

So it’s quite the financial gain for us.

“I’m also relieved we’ll get to spend a few weeks child-free, and what are those jokes called again? Memes... meme-free,” Menchi comments, smiling. “As much as I love her, I could use a break.”

I thought so too... but I feel really uncomfortable... I don’t think I’ll enjoy the time. I kinda miss her already.

“I need money... I hope we can talk about my situation. The worst thing is, this is all I can give you to sell,” Alex says and hands over the two items he’s got left to sell, the [Pure Paladin Squad Leader Cape] and the [Skillbook: Acrobatic Martial Arts Secrets].

“That’s all?” Benezia wonders.

“I got more, but I’m not sure I need to sell it... but maybe...” Alex wonders, weighing a rather crucial decision.

Stepping aside and using the system to talk privately, Alex explains the situation and goes over his items.

“I definitely recommend selling some of those items,” Benezia states. “How about we set some prices, and I’ll try to sell them for that? At worst, nothing happens, but maybe someone really wants them and decides to buy them for more than they’re worth.”

Fine.

After a brief discussion, Alex hands over the risky [Joker of Death], which buffs crit chance and crit damage for the user, but also for everyone targeting said user.

“A decisive, but frankly, wasteful item. It’s just 15 seconds of activation time, your combat style is not that decisive, Alex. While the luck factor plays to your strengths, I believe you can do without,” Benezia carefully analyzes.

Alex also gives her two of the three [Illumi’s Transformation Needle].

“These are quite nice, but as always, items are just that... items. I believe a lot of people will see through this disguise, at least the truly powerful enemies. Still, this is definitely a highly useful item, so your choice to keep one is correct,” Benezia states. “I’ll try to sell them for a high sum, but if that’s not possible, I’ll simply return them to you.”

Menchi, who’s joined them by now, asks Alex directly. “I take it, you’re keeping the [Hlökk’s Divine Gloves (Remnant)] and the [Han Solo’s Action Boots], right? The gloves are just made for you! They made your grenades terrifyingly strong. But what about the [Geth Waistguard] and the [Upgrade Token]? Will you keep them and maybe upgrade one of them?”

“I am not quite sure...” Alex says. “I have three Deep Purple items I could upgrade and thus push to Gold Quality.”

“There is my [Colossus Armor S], but it will only work in futuristic worlds,” Alex states. “But if I ever return to one... I’ll be fucking unstoppable!”

“Indeed,” Benezia confirms. “However, your skillset is not made for those worlds. I also can’t believe a strong Gold-quality effect would appear. The strength of the armor lies in its mods, which won’t be affected. It’s an incredibly risky and, in my opinion, bad choice. You would also need to make a permanent choice to alter your skills and equipment to fit those futuristic worlds. Simply upgrading one item will still make you far inferior compared to players who have dedicated themselves to those kinds of worlds.”

“So... that begs the question... should I dedicate myself to them?” Alex wonders, deep in thought.

“I think not,” Benezia says, surprising him. “While I personally prefer those worlds, your skills and items are simply too far removed from them. It would require a heavy investment. In addition to that, your Innate skills do not favor those worlds at all.”

“Okay, so the [Colossus Armor S] is out for now. Maybe I can still find or buy more [Upgrade Token].” Alex argues. “That leaves me with two choices... the [Han Solo’s Action Boots] and the [Geth Waistguard]. One of them is made with Agility and speed in mind and is mostly defensive in nature, relying on luck and dodging attacks, while the other one is more geared towards earnestly tanking hits.”

“They are both really good but what would happen if I upgrade them? The Steadfast effect doesn’t quite interest me, but I want the stats! The Rogue’s Gamble is interesting, but I’m not quite sure if it’s worth upgrading. The boost in speed is already good enough, especially with Mustrano’s new skill, which also boosts my speed. So what do I do?!”

[Han Solo’s Action Boots]

World: Star Wars

Quality: Deep Purple

Type: Boots (Heavy Leather)

Required Stats: STR - 6, PHY - 6, AGI - 10

Durability: 55/55

Effect: Increases Movement speed by 10%

Effect: Increases AGI by 3 (Flat boost, not increased by skills)

Effect: Rogue’s Gamble: Increases Dodge chance by 5% and reduces the chance of receiving critical hits by 5%. Grants an additional chance to dodge depending on the incoming attack’s potency, relative to your current condition. (Up to 10%)

Note: Made from the finest Shata leather, befitting of a true Rogue.

Note: Wearing these worn-out, yet carefully maintained boots makes it incredibly difficult to hit the wearer, who is granted almost mysterious dodging abilities.

[Geth Waistguard]

World: Mass Effect

Quality:Deep Purple

Type: Belt (Waistguard)

Required Stats: STR - 15, PHY - 15

Durability: 75/75

Effect:Increases STR by 3 (Flat boost, not increased by other skills)

Effect: Increases PHY by 3 (Flat boost, not increased by other skills)

Effect: Steadfast - Decreases recovery time after receiving physical damage by 20%

Note: A belt created from melted-down Geth Components, creating a unique composite Metal. Despite its tremendous strength, it does not contain a single working Geth part.

“Don’t think about deciding on the spot,” Benezia immediately replies. “Think about it, slowly and carefully. Keep the Token for now.”

“Fine... but I want to replace my Pluto gear really soon. CHA, SPR, and LUK are not doing too much for me currently. So I intend to upgrade my equipment very soon. I need money to rank up my clothes,” Alex explains. “So much to do, I’m a little stressed and I just returned.”

“Relax,” Menchi says. “I still have so many ingredients from our One Piece journey, the money will come rolling in... I’ll be able to offer you some FC to buy shards, just give me a couple of weeks.”

“Also, remember, we still own your precious [Hades' Hammer]. I’m still trying to find the right buyer,” Benezia adds.

“Thanks... both of you. I mean it,” Alex says, smiling. “If those are still not enough, I can sell some of my Soul Crystals, although there is one thing I haven’t told you yet.”

He then explains his newly upgraded Innate skill.

“An interesting item with a lot of potential. Surely it was the correct decision to use it for yourself. Regrettably, it doesn’t do much in your current situation. Spending 2,5 million FC is not a feasible choice in our current situation. You might want to consider giving up a Conjuration.”

“Which one?” Alex asks, genuinely curious. “I can’t think of a single one I can do without.”

“My Annihilation Grenades and my Sealion’s Icewing Embrace are my bread and butter... both have saved me countless times. Especially the grenades will become deadly with the new clothes. The armor is my best defensive ability; I can use it quite a few times, and it allows me to glide, thus surviving falls, which has saved my life a couple of times already. Mustrano’s Malice Mauler is even more important... he’s a living cheat. My Thorian’s Domination saved me on my last mission; I need it against mental attacks. The only thing I can afford to lose is the Sea King’s Giant Plate Swimfin... but it has been quite useful, and I really like it. The cards I got after Hisoka, the Grim Reaper’s Card of Destiny, are also useful... especially since I can enhance them with the gloves. I could sacrifice my Magorian’s Rage Arrow... but then I’d also have to replace my Bow skill, which I don’t want to... at least not yet. Maybe in the future.”

“It looks like you have a lot of decisions to make,” Benezia says calmly. “We’ll help you make sure you won’t make the wrong ones.”

Good.... Apart from that... I’m done! I just have to wait for the money to come rolling in, what little I can expect, then upgrade and rank up the item of my choice, and then... it’s time to fulfill Jewel’s wish.