The Dark Structure
Unlike the other floors, as Lucas turned at the intersection of the ascending floor, his attention was drawn to a door. Through the small gap between the door and the wall, he couldn't see much. He decided to rely on his sense of hearing instead.
Nothing could be heard. Zombies usually emitted creaking sounds, while humans, even if quietly, left some trace-like footsteps or hushed conversations when in groups.
Satisfied that there was likely nothing worrisome behind the door, Lucas cautiously opened it. The handle seemed to be broken, wiggling in his grip as if already unlocked. Beyond the door lay a view of the blue sky and the orange sun. It was the rooftop.
He stepped out onto the rooftop, finding no zombies or humans in sight. However, there was a smear of red human bloodstains next to the door. Disheartened by the lack of discovery, he contemplated returning. He didn't want to raise suspicions about his prolonged absence.
As he nearly closed the door, a mutter escaped his lips. He had noticed a completely black building on the rooftop's edge, resembling a workshop in size. Its design clashed with the gray cement surroundings, seeming out of place.
He re-entered the door and pushed it open with his jian at the ready, prepared for any possible danger. Stepping inside the building, the interior unexpectedly illuminated itself, as if triggered by his entry.
"Indeed. The architect seemed to have a fascination with yin and yang," Lucas remarked to himself.
Apart from the ambient light that had come on, likely due to his entry, the room contained no lightbulbs except for a white table situated in the center. On the table was a single button.
This time, the sight of the button didn't instill the same fear as before, but rather a sense of curiosity and excitement. Lucas still held his sword in his grip as he reached out and pressed the button.
The button emitted a satisfying 'click' sound as it depressed beneath his touch, then rebounded to its original state.
Observing the familiar scene once more, Lucas let out his tenth sigh of relief for the day, his ears graced by a melodious voice. It was a voice he hadn't heard since the early days of the apocalypse.
---
[Detecting Player Coins!]
[Auction Market Initiated!]
---
Lucas, still a young teenager, felt his blood surge with excitement upon hearing the system's voice. However, his excitement wasn't born out of anger, but from the thrill of seeing the screen in front of him displaying "Auction" on the left and "Market" on the right.
'Ah, so this is how coins are meant to be used by that confounding system. No guidance, no directions—just this.'
He pondered why they had placed the white building on the outskirts and this black structure in the heart of a towering mall. 'Perhaps they intended for only those brave enough to face the mutated humans to find their way here first. Yes, that's likely... I should bring Lucy here soon.'
And there it was, the achievement notification he had been waiting for.
---
Achievement Cleared:
[Gold] Forty-Eight to Discover the Auction Market Building.
Rewards:
Holy Bracelet (0/3) [Epic]
---
After a brief glance at the bracelet reward, Lucas shifted his focus to the floating screen. With a click on the Auction section, he found it empty. Though disappointed, he promptly moved on to the Market.
The display before him felt like a holographic representation of a futuristic smartphone. Upon entering the Market, he was met with six boxes.
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[ Herbs | Foods | Potions | Classes | Weapons | Materials]
---
Amusement filled him as he sighed yet again, delving into each category one by one. His mind wandered as he marveled at the lore's depth, despite his lack of understanding.
"This is becoming quite intricate. There's so much to learn about, and I don't even have a fraction of a clue. Remarkable."
He scrolled through each category, his eyes widening at the revelations.
"What's the meaning of this? They force people to kill each other, and now they're selling products as well?"
Each box he clicked on revealed a catalog of items, reminiscent of the shopping apps he used to browse on mytube. His eyes twitched at the familiarity.
The herbs section was brimming with images of flowers and plants, the prices averaging around 100 coins. Expensive, by his standards, but he couldn't identify any of them. Their grading from 1 to 8 meant little to him when he had no inkling of their usage.
"Edible? Probably not, given the separate categories for foods and herbs. A collection of vibrant foliage."
The foods section resembled the everyday edibles he used to steal from markets and grocery stores with Lucy. However, he was taken aback to see a listing for the same soymilk he had in his pouch, priced at 200 coins.
"Goodness, that's the reward for taking down a level 4 zombie."
He mused about potential trademark law infringements before shaking his head at the system's exploitation of human suffering. With a sigh, he moved on to the next category.
Of all the sections, this one and the classes intrigued him the most.
The potions section was filled with high-priced listings, averaging 1,000 coins each.
It's almost as if they're flaunting their desire for humanity's downfall and financial ruin, even if he's uncertain whether they have any ulterior motives. The prices are exorbitant, leaving Lucas in awe of and hunger for the items in the catalog.
The health potions on display promise to mend wounds, infections, and even entire limbs, averaging a mere 1,000 coins. Yet, the cost for curing an infection stands at a staggering 10,000 coins—a price so steep that Lucas questions the logic behind its sale. As for the potion to resurrect an arm, it carries a jaw-dropping price tag of 1,000,000 coins, so astronomical that Lucas considers abandoning the thought of acquiring it.
Pushing aside these marvels, the catalog is further filled with offerings like poison, growth, beauty, transformation potions, and more. The process of scrolling through them begins to take a toll on his finger.
Although a search function exists, Lucas is at a loss as to what he should even search for. His curiosity piqued, he moves to the box that intrigues him the most and clicks on it with the speed of Lucy's initial cry for help when they first met.
"Oh... astonishing."
He raises an eyebrow, puzzled by the absence of any search results for 'God' or 'Goddess' classes. Brushing aside his bewilderment, he delves into the class catalog.
An array of class scrolls unfolds before him. After scrolling for about two or three minutes, Lucas begins to discern a pattern of class ranks.
---
Rank 1: Warrior, Fighter, Archer…
[Average cost: 100 coins!]
Rank 2: Merchant, Thief, Chef…
[Average cost: 1,000 coins!]
Rank 3: Tamer, Mage, Assassin…
[Average cost: 10,000 coins!]
Rank 4: Tailor, Engineer, Blacksmith…
[Average cost: 100,000 coins!]
Rank 5: Priest, Monk, Paladin…
[Average cost: 1,000,000 coins!]
Rank 6: Berserker, Enchanter, Cleric…
[Average cost: 10,000,000 coins!]
Rank 7: Summoner, Elementalist, Illusionist…
[Average cost: 100,000,000 coins!]
Rank 8: Hero, Sage, Saint…
[Average cost: 1,000,000,000 coins!]
---
"So, dungeons aren't the sole source of these scrolls?"
Yet, among all these offerings, no class directly tied to divinity stands out except for the likes of cleric, priest, and paladin, which don't carry 'God' in their titles.
"I'm a first-tier human, and my class isn't even on this list. It's utterly absurd... my goodness."
This section holds his attention longer than any other, his eyes scanning the descriptions of the rank 8 classes. They radiate immense power; for instance, the Saint class can resurrect one life per month. Despite this glimpse, Lucas remains uncertain about the myriad other abilities each class might offer.
Moving on to the next section.
The weapon category, similar to the classes, is divided into eight grades.
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Common [Average cost: 100 coins!]
Uncommon [Average cost: 1,000 coins!]
Rare [Average cost: 10,000 coins!]
Epic [Average cost: 100,000 coins!]
Heroic [Average cost: 1,000,000 coins!]
Narrative [Average cost: 10,000,000 coins!]
History [Average cost: 100,000,000 coins!]
Legendary [Average cost: 1,000,000,000 coins!]
---
However, unlike the class counterparts, distinguishing their rank seems tricky. Aside from variations in color and style within pictures, there's no clear method to detect their grade. For instance, a sword could belong to any grade, but their names offer a hint; his jian is labeled as 'Rare', while Lucy's katana is marked as 'Uncommon'.
But unlike scrolls, weapons require coins for purchase, and coins are solely obtained from weapons distributed by the system. It's a paradox. Unless, of course, weapons can also be found in dungeons, though dungeons thus far have only been triggered due to specific items, like Lucas's and Lucy's possessions, in a confined setting. Another enigma.
"How do they acquire these otherwise?"
His hand moves to explore the last box. To be candid, he finds nothing pressing to buy at the moment. It's the final section; 'Materials'.
Upon a few minutes of scrolling, the items here can be categorized as lifeless objects, ranging from ores and silk to elephant tusks and even human skin. Disgusting as it may be, they're even selling human mucus for 20 coins—less valuable than being slain by a level 1 zombie.
Lucas can only shake his head at this. Every entry in this section falls under the label of "Miscellaneous". The only intriguing aspect is that it employs the same grading and ranking system as the achievements. This gives him a gauge of how great his accomplishments are based on the percentage.
---
Iron [Average cost: 10 coins!]
Bronze [Average cost: 100 coins!]
Silver [Average cost: 1,000 coins!]
Gold [Average cost: 10,000 coins!]
Platinum [Average cost: 100,000 coins!]
Palladium [Average cost: 1,000,000 coins!]
Rhodium [Average cost: 10,000,000 coins!]
Mithril [Average cost: 100,000,000 coins!]
---
Even though 'Mithril'-grade products appear to be one zero less expensive than other eighth-grade items in the catalog, they still carry a hefty price for mere materials. However, this grade captures his attention, particularly items like the 'Red Dragon King Skin' and 'Dead Fairy Pots', to name a couple.
The whole process consumes about twenty minutes. How does he know? He glances at his watch and hopes no one discovers his actions before he can share the discovery with Lucy.