It was time to buy something.
The shop was taking shape before me. The same blue screen that gave me information was now much larger, displaying images of all kinds of items with brief descriptions.
First, the third-tier items: water, dried meat, bread, basic clothing without effects, blankets, and simple camping gear. The fifth tier unlocked armor and weapons with special enhancements, something like the sword at my waist, the Black Steel Nodachi.
{Black Steel Nodachi}
{Type: Weapon}
{An ancient sword forged from black steel that devours light, this sword serves its wielder and prays for their victory.} This sword refuses to see its wielder fall in battle, thus granting them the strength that resides within it.
{Effect: Increases wielder's combat strength by 35 points}
This is where we buy all our equipment: Kris buys his armor, which increases his defense, and Jess buys his clothing, which increases his speed, and the bow, which gives him a small extra mana reserve.
"I remember it being around here."
—Ah, here it is.
In front of me was an item that had caught my eye the last time I looked at the shop. When I reached level six, I hadn't been able to buy it due to a lack of points. At that time, I had to spend 30 points to buy water and camp supplies, but now I could afford it.
A long, pitch-black jacket, with a modern design combined with vintage elements. Its hood falls elegantly over his shoulders, while the interior reveals a pale gray lining that stands out against the dark fabric. On the left sleeve, there's a blue stripe crossed by a white line that breaks the darkness.
Despite its classic design, it features a platinum-plated zipper. On one side of the chest are white symbols similar to those on Jess's bow, adorning the fabric as if they held some hidden meaning.
It was a garment that exuded a sense of mystery, as if it belonged to someone who wanted to go unnoticed, yet simultaneously sought to draw attention with its darkness.
{Dark Jacket}
{Type: Armor}
{A jacket said to have belonged to an ancient warrior-mage, or perhaps an assassin, this garment shrouded in darkness held mysteries wherever it went. Today, those mysteries have been revealed.}
{Effects: Increases the wearer's speed by 15 points, reduces the wearer's sound and presence in darkness.}
{Enchantment: The blue stripe on its sleeve holds a spark of spatial magic that allows a weapon-type item to be stored within it.}
{Cost: 60 points}
It may be a cliché, but black clothing is truly useful. It allows for perfect camouflage in the dark, and it also possesses two effects ideal for someone with night vision.
Not to mention the ability to store a weapon in such a reliable location as the sleeve, eliminating the need to carry it at the waist where drawing time is longer.
Buying in the shop is simple; just tap the item's image or think about buying it to trigger the purchase prompt.
—Buy Dark Jacket.
{Buy Dark Jacket} {Cost: 60 points}
{Yes/No}
—Yes.
Once purchased, the item appears however you want: in your hands, on your legs, on the floor, or even already wearing it. If you don't have it in mind, it simply appears in front of you.
While buying the jacket, I couldn't help but glance at the terrible state of my white shirt—well, it used to be white. After all, it's endured 90 long days in this chaos.
"I should get rid of this ripped shirt already; I'll miss it a little."
{Buy White T-shirt} {Cost: 3 points} {Yes/No}
—Yes.
"Clothes without effects are really cheap, even a piece of bread costs 5 points and a bottle of water 10, well, you don't need clothes to live…"
A rather somber appearance adorned my body: boots, trousers, a jacket, and even a black-bladed sword. Were it not for the white shirt and the few details decorating the jacket and sword, I would have been a completely black silhouette.
{Current Points: 5}
"Close shop."
While I was buying the clothes, both Kris and Jess watched me with curious eyes. This was possibly because, like other people's statuses, we couldn't see other people's item specifications unless they displayed them on their own system.
Jess looked me up and down with a complicated expression. Perhaps she was waiting for me to finally get rid of that tattered shirt, or maybe she was reluctant to accept my new outfit.
—What do you think? It's an item I saw a few days ago, and it looked really useful. It has two effects and an enchantment.
When I said that, they both opened their eyes in surprise, as if they could hardly believe it. It was understandable, after all; all level 5 items only had one effect or enchantment. An item with more than one was strange. But that's how the shop worked.
—Yes, look.
They both approached the screen in front of them and curiously examined the description of the dark jacket.
Kris smiled and looked at me with an amused expression.
—Wow, this thing is definitely perfect for an assassin, isn't it? It looks great on you.
"What does she mean? I mean, she's not wrong, but since when does she look at me like that?"
I frowned slightly at her comment.
—I didn't know you had that perception of me. I don't know how to feel.
Jess interrupted our conversation to add:
—It's not that we see you as a ruthless killer or anything... It's just that your fighting style is always... very evasive.
"So that's what they mean."
They were right. My fighting style, despite what my sword might suggest, consisted of running toward the enemy, striking, and quickly retreating to repeat. I played with the speed and reach of the blade, avoiding being hit.
Over time, I acquired a skill called [Rapid Slash], which allowed me to increase the speed of any attack I was preparing, as if someone were pushing the edge of my sword as I launched the attack. It didn't increase its power, but it greatly increased its speed.
Thanks to the combination of Rapid Slash, enhanced pulse, and night vision, I was able to hunt down enemies when the darkness made things difficult for Kris or Jess.
"No wonder they started seeing me as a stealthy assassin, I suppose."
—Well, you're right. Maybe that's why I was the only one who got this item.
Another piece of information we had about the shop was that not everyone got the same items. After analyzing the reason for a while, we concluded that it has to do with each person's affinity and skills. This was thanks to Jess, who, when she got [Minor Healing], started seeing items related to magic recovery.
We also discovered that the effects of the items only activate on the owner, unless the owner voluntarily transfers possession to someone else. Therefore, the possibility of buying something for someone else that they don't have in their shop is possible, as long as an agreement is reached.
—It cost me 60 points, so maybe you don't have enough, but if you're interested, you can give me the points and I can buy some for you later.
They looked at me with doubtful expressions. A few seconds passed before Jess spoke.
—No thanks, I already have an idea of what I want to buy later, but thanks for the suggestion.
Kris, unfazed by her comment, frowned.
—Sounds like a super cool cape, but no thanks, stealth isn't my thing. I want armor that makes me impenetrable. I want the monsters to see me and think, 'Oh crap, how are we going to hurt that guy?
Then he burst out laughing.
—Do you understand how cool that is? The best offense is a good defense... or something like that?
It was impossible not to laugh along with him; even Jess started laughing hysterically.
—Jess?... Hey, why are you laughing?
Kris seemed genuinely confused by the fact that we were laughing at his words, but how could we not? The guy was truly hilarious at times. And it was appreciated; being able to laugh in this place was difficult at times.
It's always been said that the greatest human capacity is adaptability, so adapting to this place, although it took time, was possible to a certain extent.
***
We were gathered around the fire; that time of day was approaching. At first, we observed the number of people and animals in the morning and at night, but doing it early dampened our spirits and was detrimental to morale, so we created a routine of doing it before dinner. This way, we had time to talk about it and process it before going to sleep.
I sighed deeply, and the screen appeared.
—Well… are you ready?