Chapter 689: The Value of Money (1/2)
The general meaning of a Pseudo D-grade pill was somewhat self-explanatory, but Zac had never heard of any such terminology for pills before. Was it pills designed for Half-Step Hegemons or just extra good pills for E-grade cultivators? He had already confirmed that Half-Step cultivators wouldn't be able to join the trial, so it should be the latter.
Asking would immediately ruin his façade though, and Zac could only look on as the screen in front of him changed, turning to the ‘Dawn’ pill series the attendant mentioned. Zac almost felt like he was online shopping as he read the description that boasted huge savings compared to buying single pills. There were three kits to choose from, and reading the descriptions was pretty eye-opening.
The smaller kit included eight different types of pills and the medium one eleven. The eight basic pills were two types of healing pills based on the type of injury, one soul mending pill, two types of antidotes, a soldier pill and a soul restoration pill, and something called [Dawn Life-Shield].
The medium kit added one more type of antidote, two premium healing pills, one for the body and one for the soul. All three were the kind you’d save as a last resort, and not something you’d use to speed up recuperation judging by the description. The peak package actually only included twelve different pills, adding a pill called [Dawn Awakening].
The pills were the same in both the Peak E-grade and Pseudo D-grade kits with only their grade differing, and after reading things through he started to get an idea of what was going on. Pseudo D-grade actually seemed to be the same thing as low-grade D-grade Pills in the Zecia sector.
Zac wasn’t exactly clear why it was termed differently here, but guessed it might be the same as how Zecia fuddled the grades for their factions, making things sound more impressive than they actually were.
“What is the [Dawn Life-Shield]?” Zac asked after having glanced at the products.
“It is a pill especially designed for the Twilight Ocean, but it also shows decent use when exploring the living territories,” the clerk immediately explained. “It helps weaken the corrosive effect of Twilight Energy. The Quasi D-Grade version naturally has a far greater protective effect.”
“Will it work even in the heart of the ocean?” Zac asked a bit dubiously.
“Unfortunately, that’s impossible,” Yilian sighed. “The inner reaches of the Twilight Ocean ultimately rely on your own methods. The E-Grade pill is completely ineffective that far inside, and the Quasi D-Grade pill only lessens the strain by 5%. However, those five percent can be the difference between life and death!”
“Hmm… And the [Dawn Awakening]?” Zac continued.
“It’s a proprietary pill that allows cultivators to make the most out of the treasures in the depths of the Twilight Ocean,” the clerk said. “The pill is actually made from herbs from the Twilight Ocean itself, and the supply is limited. We believe it will be sold out before long, so if young mast-“
“And what does it do?” Zac asked with a raised brow.
“Ah, my apologies,” the specter said with a bow. “I simply get a bit excited when talking about such a great item. Its effect is simple but exquisite; harmonization. There are many unique supreme items in the depths of the Twilight Ocean that cannot be taken outside, forcing you to imbibe them during the trial. The [Dawn Awakening] allows you to temporarily harmonize with the Twilight Ocean, which in turn will help you to gain more from these supreme treasures.”
Zac’s brow’s rose when he heard the description, and the ghost attendant quickly continued when she saw his interest.
“It’s a must-have item for those planning on exploring the deeper parts of the Mystic Realm. It can be the difference between a fate-changing breakthrough and getting stuck at the precipice,” Yilian exhorted. “The only downside of the [Dawn Awakening]-pill is that it can only be used once, so it’s best saved until the perfect opportunity presents itself.”
Zac nodded in understanding, and he felt that it really was a must-have pill if it worked as advertised. He didn't immediately place his order though, but first read through the kits once more. Each kit included two pills of the cheaper variants, and one each of the top-quality ones. Each one of the pills that helped against the Twilight Energy worked for 1 hour, and you could only eat one each day, meaning they were only meant to be used during fights or other critical situations.
“I’ll take one big Quasi D-Grade, three middle Quasi D-Grade, and five hundred small peak e-grade packages,” Zac said. “However, for the small kits, I want the [Dawn Life-Guard] exchanged for [Dawn Life-Ward].”
The [Dawn Life-Ward] was almost the same type of pill as the one included in the normal kits, but they were instead a general pill that the Undead used in life-attuned environments. It was useless against Twilight Energy, but it worked a lot better under normal situations, which was exactly what Zac needed since he was planning on bringing those pills back home.
The clerk’s eyes lit up, as this was a pretty big order. It obviously couldn’t match the purchasing power of a Hegemon, but those kinds of customers didn’t appear every day, even in a place like this. And even if they did come, it wasn’t the turn of someone like Yilian to serve them and get the commission.
“The lifeward pill can absolutely be exchanged. One High-quality Pseudo D-Grade Kit is priced at 2 D-Grade Nexus Coins. The middle comes to 1.1 D-grade Nexus Coins each for a total of 3.3. The five hundred lower kits come to 3 D-Grade Nexus Coins. For a purchase of this magnitude, I can give a fifteen percent discount, and we’ll round down to 7 D-grade Nexus Coins,” the clerk smiled. “Is there anything else Young Master requires?”
Zac froze for a moment when he heard the price. So expensive?
He had gained a pretty decent understanding of general prices over the past years, and the quoted prices were not just a little more expensive compared to what similar items should cost in establishments like the Zethaya Pill house. They were in the range of between ten and one hundred times more expensive going by the peak quality pills.
This single purchase would not only have completely bankrupted him if not for Leandra’s bestowment, he wouldn’t actually be able to stomach it at all. The biggest culprit was obviously the Pseudo D-grade pills, where one big kit cost more than 300 peak E-grade kits. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it, but he also didn’t like the feeling of getting taken for a ride.
“These prices… Are quite steep,” Zac slowly said as he looked at the attendant with a frown.
“Ah, my apologies,” the attendant said with some embarrassment. “I can assure you that we are not trying to overcharge our valued customers. I am sure young master have heard a thing or two about frontier sectors such as our Zervereth. It is true, prices are normally significantly lower in small C-grade sectors, but the Twilight Ocean is different. Because our connection to the higher realms is much closer due to the wormholes.
“We both get a large number of esteemed visitors such as young master, and there is regular trade going on between Twilight Harbor and the Empire. As such, prices have almost reached the same level as in the higher-grade Kingdoms. If the young master is interested in bargain shopping, you would have to travel to other parts of the Sector, or perhaps even another Sector altogether.”
Zac slowly digested the new information, and he couldn’t help but feel like a country bumpkin. At least the attendant had got the wrong idea, and looked up to him rather than looked down on him. He had always guessed that things would be more expensive in the more flourishing parts of the Multiverse, just like how it was back on Earth before the integration. But he had never expected the difference to be this massive.
He almost wanted to slap himself for not buying a mountain of resources before coming to this place, but it was too late for regret now.
“Hm, a shame. I was looking forward to making some bargains,” Zac shrugged. “Well, it doesn’t matter.”
“I understand the feeling,” Yilian said with a knowing smile. “Young master is not the first one to be met with this surprise. It is possible to enlist the Space Gate Guild to take you to the opposite side of the Sector, where prices are roughly 40% of here. But truthfully, there is not much of interest over there, and the volumes you’d need to purchase to make up for the transportation fees and import tariffs...”
“Perhaps if I get the time. I am thinking of nurturing a small squad for adventuring after this trial. After all, there should be ample supply of bodies inside the Twilight Ascent. Let’s look at your leveling resources as well,” Zac said, and Yilian’s smile grew even wider.
Zac emerged from the Pill shop an hour later with Yilian passionately leading him all the way, a mountain of resources added to his Cosmos Sack. Altogether he had spent over 80 D-grade Nexus Coins, of which half was for himself and the other half was for the Einherjar. It was a shocking sum, and a harsh wake-up call just how poor he was before his bestowment.
He had bought thousands of standard-quality leveling pills that would allow all his followers to sweep through the first sets of levels at the E-Grade. Zac had also bought ten sets of top-quality Race Upgrade pills along with tens of tons of cheap compounds meant to be used in Medicinal baths. The pills were mainly meant for his elites back home, but also for himself in case nothing better cropped up at the auction in a few days.
His followers were nowhere to be found when Zac exited, but the spectral attendant led him to a small garden where he found Vilari enjoying some high-quality incense, no doubt a small complimentary gesture after he started dropping some serious money in their establishment. The Mentalist stood up with a smile after he appeared and they immediately set off.