[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 2603 (+3 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]9[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 93/90
[b]Location:[/b] Edge of the Blue - Limsa Lominscuttle Town[/color][/center]
The trading guild was [i]amazing.[/i] It was far and away the biggest ship the Cadet had ever seen, and the inside of it was even bigger than some towns he'd been to! He was sure it must have functioned like a town itself if it traveled over sea, with living quarters and dining that they just couldn't see - as the ship extended up quite a ways. Still even here just on the merchant level, it was huge. Shops and goods as far as the eye could see, all in a colorful rustic aesthetic with lights strung throughout. The Cadet sighed dreamily. It was a beautiful sight, and he actually had money to spend thanks to the successful sale of the buried treasure, plus a generous donation from the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom herself. At the same place they'd traded the pearls for gold, he'd also sold the pretty pearl-inlaid shell for some extra funds for himself. Once everyone got their share, it was time to hit the shops. Almost immediately the Seekers split up from each other, all headed in different directions. Some wandered, some had specific goals in mind. Cadet was, mostly, of the latter group. He had some ideas, and with a selection this big he was confident he would find something he liked.

His goal for the trip was this: acquire some clothes, acquire some additional, [i]portable[/i] storage, and then look into whatever else caught his eye. Predictably his preference was in gear, specifically weapons and armor. He passed armorers and blacksmiths peddling their creations, and general merchants flipping arms they'd happen to come across. All the Cadet took in with wide, shiny eyes. There were plenty of blades and mini bowguns, and even some weapons more to his taste in size, but he didn't buy any yet. Good quality stuff was expensive, and he wanted to focus on what he really needed at the moment. If he really wanted some great craftsmanship he knew just where to find three skilled blacksmith sisters anyway.

There was no lack of options when it came to clothing sold here. There were shops and stalls of all kinds, with clothes suited for pretty much any size and shape. There were plains outfits and intricate ones, ones that were gaudy and some that were minimalist. The Cadet considered what he'd buy - a more familiar style, or something else? Maybe something like what the more 'modern' people wore? Or... maybe something that would impress a certain cat burglar? 

The shop keepers, mostly Nopons like Tora, assured him that he'd look good in anything - though the hunter knew that was just a sales tactic. Still, the Nopons were friendly and their energy was infectious, so he let himself be talked into a couple of different items. They claimed to expert on "Hom fashion" and hooked him up with a pair of boots, some khaki colored shorts, a pair of red sweats, and a light pink colored button down. He hadn't needed persuading at all for a [url=https://i.ibb.co/dQp0wVx/AV-Torso006.png]certain sweater[/url] once they'd explained the pattern on it was supposed to be "Aces," he got a good kick out of that. Neither could he resist a somewhat over the top [url=https://i.ibb.co/FKrfY4p/MHP3-Equipment-Render-001.png]ensemble[/url] that just screamed "Radalos" to him.

[color=salmon]"Mission one, clear! On to the next,"[/color] the Cadet said to himself. Being able to hold more stuff! His item pouch was pretty spacious all things considered, but the more bulky stuff he picked up the more he needed something else to carry it with. Or some kind of... portable portal technology to a supply room. He could probably find something like that here, or somewhere in the world, but it was also probably really expensive. So he set his sights on something more mundane.

One of the stalls had a particularly loud hawker that peddled all kinds of bags, purses, and packs. One of the most expensive items in the shop was a [url=https://i.ibb.co/cb2b7vM/ett1ojA.png]square backpack[/url], which the shopkeeper boasted was able to carry near anything, and even included space to store liquids. Plus it came in multiple colors! But...

[color=salmon]"Five hundred? That's kind of much for a backpack, isn't it?"[/color]

"Not at all, meh! This best bag on market!" The Nopon slapped one of the backpacks, though nothing happened to it other than it turning slightly in place. "It hold so many items!"

When his potential buyer didn't look convinced, the Nopon held out one of his wing-arms toward the hunter and made a 'gimmie' gesture. "Friend need demonstration, meh."

Sure enough the bag held all of the recently purchased clothes just fine, plus the extra armor pieces. Despite it's size (which was pretty much on par with any normal backpack) and it's shape (which was all angles), it managed to hold anything placed into it with no issue. And, seeing as his things were already packed into it, the Cadet told the shopkeeper he'd just made a sale. Just to really test it, the Cadet tried putting the greatbow inside - and cracked a grin from ear to ear when it actually fit. The quiver of great arrows followed. The bag he'd bought happened to be turquoise in color, and he slipped his arms into the straps once he'd sorted his inventory out. To his great surprise it wasn't awkward to wear.

[i]Mission two, clear![/i]

It felt great to go shopping with a goal in mind and actually accomplish it. And he had plenty of gold left! He counted about 2340 pieces of varying denominations. He wasn't exactly sure about the conversion rate, as he tried to imagine how much it would be in zenny. Probably enough to get something good. He was on his way back toward the stand where he'd seen those shiny appropriately sized bowguns when something else quickly caught his ear. 

It was the sound of people, simply put. Laughing, screaming, cheering, and crying. Such a ruckus might have been hard to hear from elsewhere in the bazaar, especially closer to the Grand Exchange where similar voices could be heard, but being on the other side of the ship the Cadet could hear this cacophony loud and clear. Curious he followed the voices and came upon a robust storefront of dark brick and iron. There were dozens of people pushing towards the front, and dozens more loitering around the fringes of the shop. It's overhead sign read "Immortal Core Store," and the people at the forefront were so fervent in their dealings that they didn't seem to notice money flying everywhere when they slammed their payment down on the counter. The loiterers hurried to snatch the coins out of the air and add it to their own. One such person cried out, "I've got another hundred!" and went to squeeze themselves through the crowd to make another purchase. After only a few moments of watching, another anguished scream echoed from one of the customers, followed up a string of cursing. It was followed by a similar reaction from someone else, and a loud kick to the brick wall. It seemed that most of the wall below knee-level was chipped from many an indignant customer.

[color=salmon]"Uh... what's going on here?"[/color] The Cadet questioned. He'd joined a small crowd of bystanders, and [url=https://i.ibb.co/zGCdNFF/110266-01-base-portrait.png]one man[/url] dressed in white garments and stylized keffiyeh obliged him with an answer.

"Something incredible," the man said, with a somewhat wry smile. "This shop has an inventory of gemstones. They are all imbued with some power, though most of them offer only weak boons." 

He produced one such stone, a glimmering blue beauty only a few inches long. He rolled it around in the palm of his hand, twirled it between his fingers, and even made it float and dance in the air before he returned it to his sleeve. 

"Some, however, are much more powerful. It's these that most of the people here are looking to procure."

The man nodded his chin toward the shop's window, sitting wide beside the counter. The glass was so thick that it blurred the items behind it slightly, but it was still clear to see that there were gems of multiple different shapes arranged in rows, with plaques beneath them displaying their names, the power they granted, and... a percentage.

The Ace Cadet scratched his head. [color=salmon]"So they're buying a gem, but they don't know which one?"[/color]

"Sort of," the man chuckled. "For most of them, it's more like they're buying a chance."

The man, who eventually introduced himself as Naveed, explained the process with the crests, geodes, and chances in more depth. It seemed as a lover of stones and gems and practitioner of lithomancy, he was a frequent customer at the Immortal Core Store. The more they talked about it, the more sense the idea made to the Cadet. It wasn't too different from digging up relic weapons or mysterious stones while in the field back home and bring them back to an appraiser. He easily recalled the despair at bringing home an armful of charms that he was [i]so sure[/i] would make gargwawesome decorations, and then all of them turning out to be "worse than duds," as the Ace Lancer had put it. Ah, those were the days.

[color=salmon]"I'm gonna give it a try,"[/color] the Cadet declared. The crowd at the counter had lessened somewhat, giving the poor haggard-looking [url=https://i.ibb.co/6BLNL5K/Mamalu.jpg]Nopon[/url] who ran the shop a little bit of breathing room. Naveed glanced at his new acquaintance from the corner of his eye while he faced the shop itself. His smile turned friendly. "Oho, it's always a pleasure to see beginner's luck in action."

They stepped up to the front, where Mamalu raised an arm in weak greeting. His fur was ruffled and there were dark bags under his eyes. He looked almost displeased to see an unfamiliar face, but the Cadet countered with a grin. 

[color=salmon]"A rare crest, please."[/color]

"...red hair friend know rare crest only chance for legendary gem, yes? Only chance." Mamalu stressed this as he pulled an icebag from under the counter and placed it on top of his head, nursing a headache. The Cadet nodded, and so he quickly passed one over to the hunter - who then brought it over the crest redeeming machine, which rumbled and produced a plain looking geode. The geode was moved on a sort of conveyor into another device that meticulously broken open the rock's face to reveal...!!

"Aw, just a normal gem!"

"Nothing special."

"Do another one!"

The Cadet blinked, taking his new shiny yellow gem and looking over his shoulder at the peanut gallery. Indeed, there were hecklers and customers-to-be that waited in the store and eagerly watched people try and fail at getting what they were after. As the crowd turned their harsh words on Mamalu and accused him of being a crook, the Cadet looked to Naveed who shook his head with a shrug. 

"The most common result. If you are planning to go with rare crests, I suggest buying ten at once. It improves your odds of something good."

[url=https://i.ibb.co/mXW0NCP/FFVI-Setzer-Gabbiani-Menu-i-OS.png]Another gentleman[/url] spoke up then, stepping toward Naveed. He was dressed extravagantly, and seemed confident in his statement of, "That has not been proven."

As the two men discussed, the Cadet went back to the counter. [color=salmon]"Two more!"[/color] He said, and Mamalu passed them over with shaking wing after receiving the payment. The result was much the same, small stones in the colors of red and blue. [i]Maybe Naveed is on to something,[/i] the Cadet considered. Or maybe not. The chances were pretty low, from what he'd been told. Although, he did have enough for a legendary crest...

Once more he approached the Nopon. He put a thousand down and slid it over to Mamalu. [color=salmon]"Okay, let's go with a legendary crest!"[/color] he said, and was met with both whoops of excitement and jeers from the crowd. Mamalu didn't look any happier at the purchase. He knew from experience that the ones that shelled out the most were also the ones that got the most upset when they didn't get exactly what they wanted. Still, it was his job, and he passed the crest over to the Cadet. When it went through the machine, the geode it produced was the same as the previous: featureless and unremarkable. Then, it went through it's breaking process. 

The [url=https://i.ibb.co/0VwnpsR/LG-Fervent-Fang-v1.jpg]gem[/url] it produced was perfectly spherical, and of a rich dark honey color. It did seem to give off some kind of energy, and it looked like it would fit perfectly in the slot on his sword. He picked up the gem and turned around, and when the crowd go a look of it they went [i]wild.[/i] Some screamed in general excitement, here for the entertainment of random elements. Most just screamed in general though, cursing the new face for his luck at getting a higher rarity stone, at Mamalu for rigging the store, at the world for the unfairness of it all. Before it became a riot the Cadet felt hands at his back as Naveed pushed him out of the shop. 

"Good work," the lithomancer laughed, "I'd get going if I were you though. The regulars frenzy almost daily, but it can get to be a lot."

[color=salmon]"I can see that,"[/color] the Cadet said, looking back at the people trying to jump over the counter and the poor Nopon flapping his arms and wings-arms wildly to try and calm them down. The hunter did manage to note which of the stones he'd gotten, finding it's plaque among the others behind the window. After that though, he jogged away from the area. There was a grin on his face and the thrum of excitement in his veins. Gambling was fun, but as he made his way toward where he'd expected to meet his friends and the thrill of it filtered out of his body, he started to become tired. It had been a long day. A fun day for sure, but a long one. He drew the Master Bang and just as he'd hoped, the Fervent Fang Gem fit snugly in the niche of it's hilt. 

As the evening wore on, the Seekers naturally began to congregate. They showed off their purchases to each other, the most amazing of those being Sakura's bicycle. Sure the machines the Koopas had were cool, Rubick's dagger seemed great and Geralt's bow looked [i]awesome[/i] and was a close second, but the bicycle was beyond them. He'd seen cars in this world, and even his own world had wagons and wheelbarrows... plus they had airships, submarines, and more even if primitive compared to those he'd seen here... but how had no one back home thought of a bicycle before?! It looked so swift and simple! [color=salmon]"Oh my wrog, that's radalos Sakura!"[/color] The Cadet said earnestly. He was definitely going to pay someone to invent one when he got back to his own world, or maybe even give it a shot himself.

He was glad everyone managed to get something they were happy with. Himself included. He awaited the rest of the group to see what they'd bought. The odd square backpack was easy to spot on the Cadet's back, and if questioned he'd tell of the core shop, but since none of his items could compare to cool weapons or a bicycle, he didn't feel the need to show them off. Well, except the gem - he did happily show it to the other weapons-users where it sat in the handle of the Master Bang's sword, increasing the simple weapons' overall destructive power. All in all, it was a great trip!

[hider=Cadet's shopping summary:]
Remaining funds: 1040g

Obtained:
Clothes - no special qualities, just casual clothings.
Backpack - A square bag worn on one's back. Increases inventory space and can be worn with armor. Features a fluid tank on either side for storing liquids.
Normal Gem (ruby) - A normal red gem that can be fitted into equipment. Provides a small health boost.
Normal Gem (aquamarine) - A normal blue gem that can be fitted into equipment. Provides a small defense boost.
Normal Gem (citrine) - A normal yellow gem. that can be fitted into equipment Provides a small potency boost.
Fervent Fang Gem - A "2 star" legendary gem that can be fitted into equipment. Each time the user damages an enemy, that enemy takes 2.4% more damage from the same user's attacks, up to a max of 10 stacks. Also increases damage the user deals to "elite" monsters by 6%.[/hider]