Chapter 702: Shopping (1/2)
”Welcome to the Smart Cultivator,” a clerk said with a bright smile to Gravis, Orthar, and Yersi. ”What would you like to purchase?”
After looking around their new apartment, the three of them left to get their Virtualization Arrays. They were no longer pressured by the Gravitas and could finally use up all their money for their power.
It was finally time to learn more Laws!
”Yes, hello,” Gravis said. ”We will be shopping separately. This is our first time buying Virtualization Arrays, so could you be so nice and call one or two colleagues to take care of my friends? Thank you.”
”No problem,” the clerk said with a smile as two other clerks appeared. Orthar and Yersi followed the other two clerks, leaving Gravis with the original one. ”What kind of Virtualization Array are you looking for?” she asked.
Gravis summoned all his elements around him, creating a powerful display of all the elements. Then, he also showed his Punishment Lightning. ”As you see, I know the Mid-Tier Law of the Elements, and I already know Punishment Lightning. My next step is learning the High-Tier Law of the Elements.”
The clerk nodded several times. She wasn't really impressed by the display. After all, they served only the most powerful Cultivators. No one else would pay so much money to learn Laws.
”So, you are looking for the high-tier elements?” she asked, and Gravis nodded. ”That's not a problem. These Laws are very popular with Cultivators, and we have enough Virtualization Arrays. Do you already have a plan on how to proceed?”
Gravis scratched his chin. ”I've never bought Virtualization Arrays before. Could you please tell me what options I have?” he asked.
”Sure,” she said. ”You can rent, and you can buy our Virtualization Arrays. Buying them would be a smarter option if you intend to pass them down to your family or friends after you're done, but you need to keep in mind that you have to provide the internal Energy storage.”
”I don't think that I will buy one,” Gravis said. ”I have a daughter, but I'm uncertain if she has any talent in the Elemental Laws. Buying them would be too risky. I think I'm more interested in renting them.”
The clerk nodded again. ”Very well. Most Immortals, when they try to comprehend the High-Tier Elements, rent the Virtualization Arrays by the century. Would you be interested in that?” she asked.
”How much would one of them cost for a century?” Gravis asked.
”That would be ten million Immortal Stones,” the clerk said.
Gravis immediately noticed the connection between the price and his father's words. His father had said he would need at least 80 million Immortal Stones and at most 160 million. With eight Laws, this would come down to ten million Immortal Stones per Law at the least and 20 million at most.
Renting all of them would cost him exactly 80 million for a century. In the end, it depended on Gravis if he managed to understand each one in one or two centuries. Gravis doubted that he would need three centuries.
Gravis nodded. ”Sounds reasonable,” he said. ”I'm interested in all of them, but obviously, I won't rent them all at once.”
”Of course,” the clerk said with a smile. She had been afraid that Gravis would leave the shop in shock due to the prices, but this customer seemed to have enough money. ”Which one would you like to rent first?”
”Metal, please,” Gravis said. Understanding metal would give Gravis a head-start on the Material Composition Laws of the higher worlds. As long as he understood metal, understanding the High-Tier Pure Material Laws would come to him easier in the future.
”Sir, I would advise against that,” the clerk said.
”Why?” Gravis asked.
”Because this is the hardest one to understand due to the metal element also crossing over into the High-Tier Material Laws. I would suggest taking that one last since it might take longer than the other ones. We don't wish for your first experience with us to be a potentially bad one,” the clerk explained.
Gravis listened to the clerk and took her opinion into account. It was her job to sell these Virtualization Arrays, and she was also an Immortal King. Therefore, dismissing her advice would be foolish. After all, it was her job to know these things and to advise customers.
”What would you suggest?” Gravis asked.
”Do you know of the Elemental Proliferation Chart?” she asked.
Gravis shook his head.
Whoosh!
In front of Gravis appeared a diagram with the nine elements. Several arrows pointed from one element to another one. It was seemingly random without any rhyme or reason.
”This is the Elemental Proliferation Chart,” she said. ”The arrows indicate which Law increases the knowledge and experience of a different Law. As you see, understanding earth, fire, and wood would help you in understanding metal. So, before trying metal, I would suggest comprehending these other Laws first.”
Gravis knew all the initial elements, but the wood part still confused him a bit. ”I get fire and earth, but why does wood help?” he asked.
”Because wood is the antithesis to metal,” she said. ”Metal is exclusively dead and has absolutely no property that supports life. Earth can house plants and animals, even if it itself is dead. The rapidly moving forces of fire, wind, and lightning can also support a kind of life. Yet, metal is only dead. That is why understanding wood, which is the Law closest to the Life Laws, would help in understanding metal. After all, they are opposites.”
Gravis nodded. ”Since I already have the Law of Punishment Lightning, I should probably start with fire, wind, and light, correct? After all, the diagram shows that lightning helps with those.”
The clerk nodded. ”Correct. I would suggest starting with fire. Fire and lightning help with light, which will make understanding light far easier. Everything after that should be logical,” she said.
Gravis nodded. He had already created a plan according to the diagram, and, sure enough, metal would be last on the list. She obviously knew what she was talking about.
”Alright, then I would like to rent the fire one for a century,” Gravis said.