The trio wandered through the weapons racks, each drawn to their preferred weapons. Jack, naturally, was all about swords. He had always favored them in weapons class, and this time was no different. His hand swept over a few swords, testing the weight and the balance of each one. Kieran, on the other hand, was focused on finding the perfect battle axe, while Nathan, who didn't attend the weapons classes, picked up a staff and inspected it with mild interest.
As they made their way through the basic-tier section, Kieran's curiosity got the best of him, and he spoke up.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask," Kieran began, his voice breaking the comfortable silence.
Jack and Nathan both glanced at him. "Sure, what's up?" Jack replied, his eyes still scanning the swords.
"How come the two of you know so much more than me?" Kieran asked, a hint of confusion in his voice. "I mean, Jack, how did you even know what happened last year? The rumors, everything?"
Jack chuckled. "Hahaha. Well, because you always turn us down when we invite you out. You never come with us to the game center or anywhere else," he said, shrugging.
Nathan added, "Yeah, information flies around in the game center. It's like a hub for news and gossip."
Kieran's brow furrowed as he processed this. "So, when you guys go to the game center, you hear about all this stuff?"
"Yep," Jack replied with a grin. "People talk about everything there. It's like a goldmine for information."
Kieran let out a low whistle. "Wow, I had no idea."
As the conversation settled, Jack's voice suddenly broke through again. "Look at this!" he exclaimed, holding up a longsword he'd found on a nearby rack.
The sword gleamed in the light, a beautiful combination of blue and silver. The blade was long, straight, and perfectly polished, with delicate engravings along its length. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather, adding to its elegant yet intimidating look. Jack swung it a few times, clearly impressed with the balance and weight.
"This is perfect," Jack said, nodding in approval as he swung the sword again, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes.
Kieran, however, quickly noticed the price tag attached to it and pointed it out. "Yeah, it'd be nice… if it weren't for the price," he muttered, his finger tapping the price tag that read 20,000 points, which was equivalent to 2,000 coins.
"How the heck am I supposed to afford that?" Jack stared at the tag, his mouth going dry. "Are you serious? That's insane!"
Kieran sighed, shaking his head. "It's not just that sword. All the weapons here are way overpriced."
Nathan gave the nearby racks a glance. "It's ridiculous. But what can we do?"
Kieran walked away from the sword rack, his attention now drawn to something else. He found an axe that caught his eye—a battle axe with a rich brown hue, the kind of weapon that could cause some serious damage. The handle was thick and sturdy, made of dark wood, and the blade looked sharp and intimidating. The hue of the wood matched the dark tone of the blade, giving it a unique and menacing look.
When Kieran turned it over, he saw the price tag—50,000 points. His stomach twisted. That was even worse than the sword. He felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead, but he kept his cool. He didn't want Jack or Nathan to know how overwhelmed he was by the prices.
Opening his system screen discreetly, Kieran checked his store. He pulled up the information for the axe in his system, comparing it mentally to the one on the shelf.
The axe in the system was different in design—it was black and red, with swirling patterns running down from the blade to the handle, almost as if the axe was alive with power. The systems axe displayed it's stats
[ Strength : 10 ]
[ Defense : 5 ]
[ Damage: 8 ]
[ Durability: 10 ]
The numbers were impressive, making the axe on the shelf seem much weaker by comparison. Kieran quickly activated his Analyze skill to check the axe he was holding in his hands.
[ Strength: 6 ]
[ Defense: 3 ]
[ Damage: 5 ]
[ Durability: 8 ]
It was clear the school's axe was no match for the one in the system. Kieran sighed inwardly, thinking about how much easier it would be to just buy the axe from his system instead.
But no one could know about the system, so he kept his thoughts to himself. He couldn't risk anyone finding out. He casually placed the axe back on the shelf, continuing his search without further comment. The prices were getting to him, and the more he searched, the more he realized that none of the weapons here matched the quality of the ones in his system.
As he checked the prices of the other weapons, the trend continued—everything was absurdly expensive. He even found a few that came close in strength to the system's axe, but they were 80,000 points—a price Kieran could never afford.
Kieran opened the system again, checking the price for the axe there. The system's exchange method was completely different, using beast crystals instead of points. To his relief, the axe in the system cost five basic-tier crystals, which was a far more manageable amount.
Kieran looked at the two friends as they continued searching through the racks, chatting among themselves, but he kept his focus on the system. The school's pricing was ridiculous, and Kieran had a clear advantage with the system. He just couldn't let anyone find out about it.
"Are you alright, Kieran?" Jack asked, noticing the thoughtful look on his face.
Kieran snapped out of his thoughts and quickly nodded. "Yeah, just... thinking about which weapon to pick."
Nathan tilted his head but didn't press. "You sure?"
"Yeah," Kieran said, forcing a smile. "Just... gotta be smart about what I choose."
The two of them didn't seem suspicious, so Kieran let out a breath of relief. He kept the secret of the system locked away, knowing it was his advantage, his alone.
As they continued their search, Kieran couldn't help but feel a little more confident. He had access to better weapons, cheaper options, and no one else had a clue. It was his secret—and for now, it was going to stay that way.