NOVEL WEB Chapter 62: Monster Tide Event Shop
An extremely long list of varying items greeted Drake. The screen displayed the items, each with a description and point cost. The layout was intuitive, with categories such as materials, weapons, skills, potions, formulas, rare artifacts, and more, neatly organized for easy navigation. All the items were only in the mortal and extraordinary levels.
Drake’s eyes scanned the categories, feeling a sense of anticipation. The vibrant colors and detailed icons of the items made the interface visually appealing. He could almost feel the weight of the rare artifacts, the texture of the weapons, and the potency of the potions as he browsed through the list.
There were potions and potion formulas for all common paths: Warrior, Mage, Knight, Archer, Rogue, and Priest. Uncommon paths like Quest, Sea, Desert, Shadow, and more were also available.
The price for a common path rank 1 potion was 100 points, whereas the price for an uncommon path rank 1 potion was 1000 points. The price for higher-rank potions was much higher. The price for the potion formula for the same rank was a hundred times the price of the potion for the same rank for the path.
The price for the potion formulas from rank 1-10 for the Extraordinary sequence for any common path was one million points. An amount unaffordable by anyone other than the first in the rankings. For those only interested in the potions, all potions from rank 1-10 for any common path were sold at ten thousand points, barely affordable by the top twenty.
Likewise, for uncommon ranks, the price was ten million points for the uncommon paths, unaffordable by all. The price for the potions was a hundred thousand points, only afforded by the top three.
The skills were no better. While the mortal skills were sold at 50-200 points each, the price increased exorbitantly for the extraordinary skills. Low-stage Extraordinary skills started at a thousand points and only increased for further stages.
Drake scanned the list, his eyes narrowing as he considered the exorbitant prices. He had no interest in wasting his points on knowledge like potion formulas or skills. Those could be purchased from the shop anytime as long as there were enough eldritch points to spend in the shop. He could slowly buy the formulas one by one as they were needed instead of buying them all together. Unlike the event shop, his shop was available all the time.
Other than those potions, there were also racial potions and potion formulas for races like goblin, kobold, orc, etc. There were even potions for the fox demi-human but were as good as the potions taken by Drake’s subordinates.
While those potions also granted fire manipulation ability, that was only limited to mortal fire, unlike Drake’s followers who controlled the low sequence fox fire. Moreover, they had no chance of mutation unlike with Drake’s followers.
What Drake was most interested in were the Fog Artifacts. These artifacts could only form naturally in the fog. Sometimes, due to an unnatural reaction to the fog, certain objects could gain special characteristics, becoming what was known as Fog Artifacts.
They were divided into sequences from sequence 9 to 0 and even higher. For the Fog Artifacts, there were no intermediate stages. Even the weakest sequence 9, Extraordinary Fog Artifact, was coveted by the transcendent (sequence 8) forces.
Drake’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he thought about the potential power of these artifacts. They were so famous because they were like cheat-level items that could break the balance of the game. But they were extremely hard to find in the fog. They could be anything—a matchbox, a doll, a brick, a clock, a scarf, anything.
“There are Fog Artifacts in the shop,” Drake murmured, his voice tinged with anticipation. “But they are extremely pricey.”
He preferred to invest his money in knowledge first before slowly accumulating points and then buying some. That’s why he was particularly interested in the Fog Artifacts available in the event shop.
Drake’s heart raced as he navigated to the section for Fog Artifacts. The screen displayed three options, each one glowing with an ethereal light that set them apart from the other items.
Fog Artifact
Name: Greenwave Stone
Level: Extraordinary
Description: A smooth, flat stone that emits gentle, rippling waves of green energy. Its presence in any area stimulates plant life, promoting rapid and healthy growth.
Characteristics: Increases the growth rate of mortal plants by ten times and extraordinary plants by three times in a radius of ten kilometers.
Price: 1.5 million points
Fog Artifact
Name: Miner's Blessing Idol
Level: Extraordinary
Description: An idol blessed by the spirits of the earth and metal. Its presence in a mine ensures that ore deposits regenerate indefinitely, providing miners with endless resources.
Characteristics: If placed in a mine or near ore deposits, the ore deposits regenerate at the rate of a hundred tons per week.
Price: 2.5 million points
Fog Artifact
Name: Vitality Pearl
Level: Extraordinary
Description: A pearl with a deep, aquamarine hue. When placed in a water source, it purifies and energizes the water, making it capable of healing wounds and recovering stamina.
Characteristics: If placed in a water source, the water is purified and is capable of quickly healing and recovering the stamina of extraordinary beings.
Price: 8 million points
Each of those Fog Artifacts had abilities at the level of a cheat. However, the Fog Artifacts were not so popular merely because of their cheat-like characteristics. The real value lies in their ability to be merged with a territory during level-up.
Drake’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he read the details. When merged, the Fog Artifact’s characteristics would become the territory’s characteristics, and the Fog Artifact would be destroyed. The benefits would then apply to the entire territory instead of a small area. Moreover, the characteristics would improve as the territory levels up, something impossible with the original Fog Artifacts.
He imagined the possibilities. With the Greenwave Stone, all the plants in the territory would grow quickly. With the Miner's Blessing Idol, all the ore veins in the territory would regenerate. With the Vitality Pearl, all the water from all water sources would be purified and would have a healing effect.
Drake’s heart raced as he realized the potential impact. The only Fog Artifact he could afford was the Greenwave Stone, but even that was enough to give a huge power boost to his territory. He had acquired many types of plants from the fog zones during the event, and with the effect of the Greenwave Stone, he could grow them all quickly. Moreover, he could even sell the excess, especially the stat fruits or the mastery fruits, as specialty products for massive profits.
He purchased it without hesitation. The Greenwave Stone’s image on the screen glowed brightly before disappearing, indicating the successful purchase. He wanted the other artifacts too but knew when to control his greed.
With renewed energy, he moved on to explore other products.
Another item that caught Drake's eye was the terraform crystals. These were special items, similar to the fog foundation stones, rarely found in the fog. They could be used to terraform a part of the territory into different types of landscapes and ecosystems, which would then expand as the territory leveled up and increased in size.
Drake scrutinized the options, his mind racing with possibilities. The crystals came in various types, each with unique properties and potential benefits.
He purchased three terraform crystals: Volcano, Glacier, and Underground Caverns, each costing a hundred thousand points. As their names suggested, they were used to transform parts of the territory into volcanoes, glaciers, and underground caverns.
The volcano area would be ideal for fire-type plants, providing the perfect environment for the Lava Lotus to thrive. The glacier area would support ice-type plants. The underground caverns would be perfect for plants that grow without sunlight, such as the Mindbloom Vine.
Next, Drake focused on acquiring plant seeds that could improve different elemental masteries. He already had the Lava Lotus for fire mastery, the Mindbloom Vine for psychic mastery, and the Blue Crystal Lily for water mastery. Now, he aimed to cover more elements.
He scrutinized the available seeds, feeling a sense of anticipation. The Frost Lotus for ice mastery, Zephyr Orchid for wind mastery, and Electrum Orchid for lightning mastery were all essential additions. Each pack of 10 seeds costs two hundred and fifty thousand points.
Individual fruits were available in the shop for a cheaper price, but they were consumables and seedless to prevent cultivation. These were suitable for those with limited points looking for immediate strength improvements. However, Drake knew investing in seeds was a strategic choice that would pay off in the long run.
He finalized his purchases, feeling a mix of satisfaction and excitement. After the big purchases, Drake’s points dwindled to more than six thousand—a stark contrast from his initial 2.5 million points.
That didn’t mean that six thousand points were nothing, rather they were a good amount and could be used to purchase many good things from the shop. It was just that the things Drake had purchased were too costly.
He turned to Maria, who had been observing quietly. “Maria, use the rest of the points as you see fit for the territory’s needs,” he instructed. He told her all the things he bought at the event shop. Those things would be used when the territory levels up to low-stage Extraordinary.
Maria nodded, her eyes gleaming with determination. “Thank you, my lord. I’ll ensure the points are used wisely.”
She quickly set to work, purchasing items that would benefit the territory. Her choices were efficient and practical, reflecting her deep understanding of the territory’s needs.
Once she was done, Drake invited her to the log cabin. “Maria, you’ve proven yourself an exemplary leader for the territory. It’s time for your reward.”
Maria followed him, feeling a mix of pride and anticipation. She knew that Drake valued her contributions and was eager to continue proving herself worthy of his trust.