Chương 35: A Lead on the Night Crystal

The next morning, Arthur woke up and directly went to the rented shop. He immediately called out Antrae and Coburn to finish the second Hunk Boar. As usual, their work was top-notch. Overall, he obtained another seven boxes of finely cut meat and a single Core Point.... Standard: Alpha Core Layer: 0 (2/500)... Since he obtained a single point for each Core, he would need a total of 500 Alpha Standard Cores to evolve into the next standard.

Although it would require a solid period of time to achieve this, he was not very worried, as he solely relied on his Skeletons. His individual growth could wait until he completed the System Quest. Afterward, he showed the extra offal to his father. His father suggested these could be cleaned and cooked, whereas the bones and hides could be sold in a materials shop. Since his father would take care of the wastage from the boar, Arthur quickly dressed himself, ate his breakfast, and traveled towards Inner Sector C.

Once he delivered the meat, he would have sufficient time to buy the materials for the Dolph Skeleton. It took the exact same travel time. After arriving at the restaurant, Miranda was not present. However, another person was instructed to finish the deal. Arthur handed over the seven package boxes, obtaining another 40, 000 Credits on his Bank Card. Following which, he immediately left the restaurant and walked along the streets.

Currently, it was almost 9 o'clock, and a majority of the shops were starting to open. Hence, Arthur thought to search for a shop that sold different kinds of liquids. Within a short moment, he discovered a shop that sold potions two streets away from the Vienna Restaurant. After entering the shop, he discovered it was a fancy-looking establishment. He could see a plethora of potions displayed on the stands. These potions were extremely important for Awakened, especially those who had obtained an affinity.

Once a person obtained their affinity, they would be able to utilize Mana. Since every ounce of affinity required Mana, the Awakened naturally needed to buy Mana Potions, Stamina Potions, Fatigue Potions, and the like. However, Arthur was currently uninterested in these potions. Since his Skeletons did not get tired from working, there was no need for him to buy any potions. He quickly walked towards a young salesgirl, inquiring about the items he required.

"We have every kind of liquid, esteemed sir. How much would you like to purchase?" the young lady said.

"I need a gallon of each of the three liquids. Could you tell me how much Credits it would require?" Arthur asked. He wanted to know the cost before finalizing his order. The young salesgirl quickly calculated the amount, saying, "Esteemed sir, that will be a total of 82, 000 Credits for the three liquids."

"Alright, I am fine with that. Please prepare a gallon of each of these three liquids," Arthur finally declared. Since he currently possessed 100, 000 Credits, he could manage the cost.

"Understood. Please wait for a moment; I will prepare your order." Following which, the salesgirl quickly went into a room to prepare. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Meanwhile, Arthur started to observe the potions on display. It was interesting for him to get to know these different items, as they would eventually be of help to him in the future. While observing the vials, Arthur suddenly thought of the Night Crystal.

Since it was a priority Quest, he had to start inquiring about it soon. Although this was a potion shop, he could still ask around to see if he could obtain any hints. Sweeping a glance at his surroundings, Arthur noticed an old salesman. With age came knowledge, so he could ask this old man. Once the customer departed, Arthur walked over. He revealed a gentle smile as he asked, "Hello, sir. Do you sell the Night Crystal here?"

The old man did not have the slightest reaction after hearing of the name ' Night Crystal'. He simply pondered as if recalling something, subsequently saying, "I do not have any knowledge of the Night Crystal being sold in this shop." Arthur naturally expected such an answer. However, the old man's lack of reaction told Arthur that he definitely knew something about the Night Crystal. Furthermore, Arthur noticed the phrasing'in this shop.' Hence, the old man must know of a place that sold the Night Crystal.

"Where can I get that Crystal? In Sector C?" Arthur asked.

"I do not think you will find the Night Crystal in Sector C. You may have to go to Sector A," the old man said.

"Even then, you might have to visit the Auction House. Since it is a very rare crystal, it is only sometimes auctioned off. Otherwise, you may have to travel to the Capital." Arthur was shocked to his core. He never expected to obtain this much knowledge regarding the Night Crystal from this old man, whereas the old man from Outer Sector B did not even know what the Night Crystal was.

"Thank you so much, sir," Arthur thanked the old man. Following which, he walked back to the counter, where the young salesgirl had brought the neatly packed items. Arthur paid the bill, his wealth instantly reducing to a meager amount. The package was small enough for Arthur to carry. Now, he only needed to find an isolated place to quickly make the payment, instead of carrying the items on his person. After walking for a few blocks, he discovered a quiet alley.

Since he had already chosen the Skeleton worker, it did not take much time to make the contract. He immediately willed the contract. The items disappeared, and he instantly received a message. [Contract Payment Successful.] [Worker Status] Name: Dolph Designation: Spearman Specialist: Spear Professional Status: Expert (2500 successful Lambda Standard or higher kills to become Master Status) Monthly Maintenance Cost: 5, 000 Credits [More Details…] The Dolph Skeleton possessed four innate abilities: [Piercing Thrust], [Spear Toss], [Sweeping Slash], and [Hundred Spear Shadows]. Among these strong abilities, Arthur was greatly intrigued by Hundred Spear Shadows, an ability where Dolph could instantly create a hundred spear shadows to attack. Just thinking about it caused goosebumps to crawl across his skin. He instantly summoned the skeleton. It emerged from the ground, its right hand wielding a long, pitch-black spear.

Similar to the other combat-type Skeletons, Dolph also possessed a tall and imposing figure. It was a great addition to his combat party. With Coburn handling close combat and Maan tanking the attacks, Dolph could take care of the rear of the battle without issue. Now, he only needed to hire two more Skeletons; one as a long-range attacker, and the other as an Elementalist. A healer was also needed for the party. However, it was optional; if he were to earn a lot of money, he could hire a healer.

However, a sudden thought arrived in his mind. If his Skeletons were wounded, would they heal by themselves, or would their injuries persist until they received healing? This sudden thought immediately pushed the hiring of a healer Skeleton into priority. Since he did not know what would happen if his Skeletons were destroyed, he definitely needed a healer to keep them intact and prevent their destruction. Hence, his next priority must be a healer Skeleton.

With his decision made, he exited the empty alley, hailed a taxi, and traveled towards Sector A. After all, he had promised to meet the people from yesterday at the Awakening Head Office's Quest Hall.