Purchases

'Do you like the colour black?'

'My favourite colour.'

'Then come with me, I might have just the thing for you.'

He walks out from behind the counter and makes his way over to the mannequins of armour in the centre of the room.

He stops in front of a set of matte black armour. A breastplate with shoulder protection, armguards, shinguards that extend slightly above the knee, and a pair of gauntlets is within my view. It has zero ornate features, it is the epitome of high-quality functional armour, but the matte black colouring almost has me drooling.

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'Reinforced obsidian steel.' His tone of voice tells me just how much he likes this particular piece of his, almost as if he were unveiling a masterpiece and bragging about it to a friend. 

'Adjustable straps, less than a single kilogram in weight for the entire set, but enough protection for you to survive being hit with a single shot from a small mana cannon if necessary. Matte black, so there is zero reflection, making it useful at night if you wish to avoid giving away your position.

I can guarantee that nothing under floor 10 of the labyrinth can even scratch it. The full price is 1000 gp.'

Honestly, I expected him to try and milk me for the full 3000, well, I guess we will see when the weapon comes around. He looks at me with a huge smile. Not the smile of a person who is about to make 1000 gp from selling some armour, but the smile of a man who is proud of the quality of his work.

'It's beautiful! Did you make this armour pops?' Kaelin has also recognised the quality of the craftsmanship, just as I have.

'Yeah, I made everything in this store except for a few of the guns. So what do ya think lad, do you like this one or do ya wanna see something else?'

'I'll take this one for sure! It's exactly what I was looking for!'

'Excellent, now, for the weapon, I have something that you are probably going to like even more, kekeke.' He releases a villainous giggle, which I can only assume means this is where the big money will be spent. I can envision him coming with a sword and saying it's 2000 gp. 

He points behind me, and I turn around to see the wall of melee weapons. Immediately, my eyes are drawn to one singular weapon.

'Single-handed falchion blade. Made of the same obsidian steel. Internally reinforced with ordinary mana steel to give it some weight for swinging power. Comes with a matching sheath.

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If you keep it sharp and in good condition, this sword could serve you well into level 40 or above without issue. 800 gp.'

This guy! He saw that I liked the design of the armour and selected a blade that matched my taste. I fully expected him to try and milk me for the full 3000, but he suggested something lower price because it would suit my needs better.

'Done deal, Pops!'

'Great, come to the counter and I will draw up a sales receipt. Feel free to look around while I grab the papers.'

As he disappears into the back of the store, I walk to the counter and start looking at the accessories in the glass case. There are necklaces, brooches, hairpins, and a number of other accessories. 

My eyes are drawn to a small ring with a runic pattern along the inside of the band, and a small red gem set into it. It is labelled 'Dimensional storage ring.'

When Pops returns with the papers, before he can say anything, I blurt out a question. 'Pops, how much space does this storage ring have, and how much does it cost?'

'Oh, this ring has a space of a large crate, 3 metres in length, height and depth. This one costs 45,000 gp, I have a larger one of 4m which costs 200,000 gp.'

'I didn't bring along that kind of cash with me today. Is there any way you can hold the 45000 ring until tomorrow?'

'Normally, I would ask for a deposit for that, but seeing as how Kaelin brought you here, and how you just spent 1800 gp, I can hold it for you until I close up tomorrow. If you don't buy it by then, I will put it back up on the shelf.'

I hold out my hand for him to shake, and he takes it with a huge smile. I will need a storage ring if I intend to carry money with me.

Coins are large and clunky, but there are items in this world that could cost me hundreds of thousands of coins, but carrying that much in a bag or coin pouch is just asking for trouble.

By storing my valuables in a ring, I can avoid the trouble of people knowing I have cash. It will also serve me well if I am in a dungeon and need to carry lots of loot back out with me.

After equipping the armour and sword, I decide it is time to go to the next location. I decide to wear the gear out of the store because I don't have a way to transport everything until I come back for the ring tomorrow.

I hand over the money to Pops, promise to return the next day, and leave the store with Kaelin. As soon as we are out the door, she turns to me and looks me dead in the eyes.

'You really plan to go into the dungeon? Why?'

'I need to become stronger! Just having a ship doesn't mean I can properly defend myself. If a pirate somehow manages to board my ship, I would be screwed. Plus, I want to be able to enjoy all of the adventures this world has to offer, and I can't do that if I am weak.'

She stares at me for a moment, her tail swishing from side to side. 'Wanna come into the dungeon with me tomorrow? I've never had a partner to dive into a dungeon with before.'

The excitement on her face at the possibility that I might accompany her into the dungeon is all too noticeable. Considering how most people in this city, with the exception of Pops at least, seem to really dislike her, she is taking a massive leap of faith.

'Honestly, I was planning on asking you if you wanted to come with me tomorrow, we can consider it our first dungeon date!'

'Hehehe, I like the sound of that!'

'Great. Before we finalise our plans to go on a dungeon date tomorrow, I have a question for you. Have you ever fired a mana cannon before?'