Creation system

The prices for tier one items varied greatly, some costing only a few silver coins, while the rarest could fetch up to ten gold coins.

Tier two items, however, were significantly more valuable, with prices ranging anywhere from ten gold to a staggering five hundred.

"I'll give you 500 gold for each Ice Essence. That's the maximum allowed for a tier two item." said the woman behind the counter. Her smile sparkled with practiced charm as she spoke.

"600!" Leya countered without missing a beat.

The woman's expression didn't falter. "550," she replied calmly.

"Deal!" Leya grinned and extended her hand. The woman shook it, sealing the agreement.

"For the rest of your items, here's 278 gold coins," the woman added, handing them a heavy coin pouch.

Mitch stared at the weighty bags of gold now resting on the counter.

Nearly two thousand gold coins.

I can't believe we got just over two hundred for all our painstakingly collected loot… and almost two thousand for only three items that weren't even dropped by a boss.

My gather skill is insane, Mitch thought, pride blooming in his chest.

Spread out before them were several well-stuffed coin pouches, the total summing up to an impressive 1,928 gold coins. With their business concluded, the two turned and left the shop.

Outside, Mitch immediately offered to split the gold evenly, but Leya protested. She was reluctant to take more than a dozen coins, insisting he had earned the lion's share.

Eventually, she accepted a third, though she still felt it was too generous.

"I need the gold to help my brother… Otherwise, I wouldn't even take this much," she said quietly, clutching the pouch.

As they walked, Mitch asked, "How much gold do we need to stay a night at an inn and get some food?" Asked Mitch, unaware of the gold's value.

"Well, that depends," Leya replied. "If you want a modest place here in the inner circle, it's about one gold per day for a room and food. But if you're fine with staying in the outer circle, you could manage with just 50 copper coins."

Mitch blinked in disbelief. "That's a huge difference!"

"The inner circle is built for awakeners. It's the safest and best-protected area in the city," she explained.

"Not just that, but inns here have better rooms, meditation chambers, and other useful facilities.

Plus, all the major guild's buildings and top-tier shops are located here. Convenience comes with a price."

"That makes sense." Mitch nodded. Then he smiled eagerly. "Let's go shopping, Leya!" He grabbed her hand, pulling her excitedly toward the nearest shop, even though he had no idea what he was looking for.

Mitch already owned decent armor, even though it was a little bit cut here and there, it was still doing a good job at protecting him.

He had the skills to forge a better sword himself. What he truly needed were skills, knowledge, and trinkets, items to give him the edge.

They entered a bookstore filled with neatly displayed tomes, each accompanied by a handwritten note listing the item's name, tier, description, and price.

Mitch examined the books, carefully reading the cards beneath them.

He didn't fully trust what was written on the papers, so he inspected each item himself.

[Tier 2 Fireball book – a mediocre skill book written by a modest mage. 40 gold]

[Tier 2 Ice lance book – a mediocre skill book written by a modest mage. 50 gold]

[Tier 2 Earth spike book – a mediocre skill book written by a modest mage. 30 gold]

[Tier 2 Mana shield book – a mediocre skill book written by a modest mage. 30 gold]

He considered buying all of them, but Leya stopped him.

"These aren't like dungeon skill books," she explained. "You don't gain the skill just by touching the book.

These require real study and training before the spell becomes usable. Most people pick one, learn it well, then move on to the next."

Mitch frowned. No dungeon books in sight. Those must be far more valuable and rare. The instant knowledge transfer they provided was a massive advantage, making even a child know how to wield mana.

Since he already had an offensive spell, he decided on the Mana Shield to bolster his defense.

He left the bookstore 30 gold poorer but feeling optimistic.

As he flipped through the pages, he was absorbed by the advanced concepts about mana manipulation. While he had foundational knowledge from his system skills, this book offered fresh, deeper insights. He couldn't wait to dive in completely.

Their next stop was a potion vendor. Mitch knew he couldn't always rely on his healing skill and wanted something more reliable in emergencies.

[Tier 2 Healing potion – A healing potion made by a novice alchemist. It will have a regenerative effect on you for almost half a day. Able to heal small to medium wounds. 3 gold]

[Tier 2 Antidote potion – An antidote potion made by a novice alchemist. It will neutralize poisons up to tier two. 5 gold coins.]

Mitch bought ten healing potions and five antidotes. As he scanned the shelves again, a question struck him.

"Are there potions that restore mana?"

Leya nodded slowly. "Yes, but they're considered elixirs, not potions, and they start at tier four or higher."

Mitch let out a disappointed sigh.

"How do these healing potions compare to my skill?" he asked.

"Your skill is much stronger. It can heal serious wounds in minutes.

Potions are slower, taking hours to heal what you could do in a few minutes. But they're a lifesaver when you're out of energy or can't cast. Not everyone travels with a healer, after all."

Their next stop was a trinket shop, brimming with enchanted accessories, rings, necklaces, and bracers.

Mitch was about to grab a handful when Leya stopped him again. "You can only wear four rings, one bracer, and one necklace of the same tier or lower.

If you wanted to wear a higher-tier trinket, you could at most wear one or two, because they put a strong toll on the wearer's soul, and the amount of power would injure one's soul."

Even so, Mitch found several tempting options:

[2 x Tier 2 Silver mana ring – Increase your mana storage by 12, made by a novice crafter, 200 gold]

[Tier 2 Silver mana regeneration ring – Increase your mana regeneration by 12, made through magical ways, 200 gold]

[Tier 2 Silver mind ring – Increase your mind stat by 12, made through magical ways, 205 gold]

[Tier 2 Silver necklace – Increase your body and mind stat by 6 each, made through magical ways, 220 gold]

He decided to keep his Shield bracer, but the others were tempting. The prices were steep, but he believed they were worth every coin.

After all, what use was gold if you were dead? These items could be the difference between survival and defeat.

Still, he noted something curious, trinkets dropped from dungeons were clearly superior to crafted ones. Dungeon loot nearly doubled the effects… but at triple the cost.

Finally, they arrived at the Core Shop.

Mitch and Leya hadn't sold any of their monster cores. They were simply too valuable. Mitch, especially, needed as many as he could find. They were key to his advancement and essential for unlocking powerful system-based skills.