Chapter 55: Making Money
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Chapter 55: Making Money
The guards of Integration City were humanoid robots with dog heads. And not just any breed; they were slick, dark, metallic dobermans, with steel cords stretching over their bodies like muscles and iron plates bulging on their chests. As they stood on two legs, they resembled hardcore club bouncers; they even wore thin sunglasses.
However, they didnt need that. One of them had killed a member of the Ice Peak on the spot. That was intimidation enough.
Jack scanned them at once.
Guard Robot (E-Grade)
A humanoid robot with the head of a dog. Boasting heightened senses, budding intelligence, fast movement speed, and fighting power at the early E-Grade, these robots are ideal guards for low-level occasions.
Enchanted by Horrificus Egen.This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.
Early E-Grade
Each of these robots was equivalent to the fifth level of his robot training partner, the one that had beat him to the ground. Now, there were nine of them, and they werent playing around. One had blood and brain matter flowing down its jaws and stood atop a headless corpse. The rest were staring at the two factions silently.
Both the Flame River and the Ice Peak stood frozen. Surrounded by unsurpassable opponents, theyd all but forgotten their previous quarrel and hoped to simply remain alive. Even the friends of the two murdered peoplethe stabbed one had quickly bled outdidnt dare make a peep.
We are terribly sorry, the leader of the Flame RiverVivi Eragornsaid. We will not repeat this.
The guards stared at them for a moment. Then, one of them spoke in a hard, calm voice. Do not make us come again.
Absolutely not, sir.
The Ice Peak will obey, the other leaderAlexander Petrovicsaid, bowing lightly.
The dog guards gave them a long, final stare, then retreated. Jack saw them jumping to nearby rooftops and hiding in their centers, where they werent visible from below.
It was as Karvahul had said. There were guards, and he really hoped he didnt see them again.
The two factions were left being awkward. Both of them had lost one member, but they didnt dare continue. Exchanging hateful stares, they turned around and entered the town through different streets.
Those dogs sure werent playing around Jack said, keeping his voice low.
No proper guard would, the Sage replied, smiling. You can read the paper now.
What?
My prediction. You can read it.
Jack stared for a second, then reached into his pocket to remove the piece of paper. He unfolded it, took a glance, then looked at the Sage in disbelief.
I told you, the Sage said, shrugging. Im a sage.
Hed gotten the entire sequence of events right; from the pushing, to the stabbing, to the dog guards, to the exact person who would do the stabbing and consequently get his head crushed. It could be a coincidence; but what were the chances?
Wait, Jack said, struggling to comprehend the consequences of this. You are too powerful.
Im the Sage, my friend. He smiled, then stood. Now, if youll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. It was nice meeting you, Jack. You too, Brock. Thank you for the wonderful mealand thank you for paying attention to someone like me. Keep being open-minded.
Of course
Jack shook his hand in a daze, then watched the other man walk away. It was only when Brock punched him lightly in the shoulder that he recovered.
What the hell happened? he asked. Did you see that, Brock? That guy really is a sage. Hes terrifying.
Brock shrugged, then punched his open palm.
Strength above all? Well, yes, but Jack looked in the direction the Sage had disappeared in. Imagine how heavily he can influence things. At the next moment, his eyes hardened. Hed decided to believe. I must gather two million credits, he told himself. Theres no time to waste. Lets go, Brock.
Thats why, even though he had the ten thousand at hand, he wanted to pay on credit. This ten thousand might not seem like much right now, but it was a third of his budget. If he bet everything and won, this lost third would be deducted from all his future earnings.
The Koval stared at him for a moment, then said, That could be possible However, you must be aware that it will incur a significant increase in the items total value.
Jacks heart lightened with relief. How much?
50% over the original price, and it must be paid before the Hand of God auction. Otherwise, a 5% fee is added for every day after that.
Jack considered it for a moment. If he played his cards right, this ten thousand would transform into hundreds of thousands by the time of the auction. Then, the extra five thousand would be a drop in the bucket, and he would have made a large net profit.
However, he wouldnt just take the Kovans words at face value.
50% is a bit much. Make it twenty-five and we have a deal.
The lowest I can do is forty, sirand thats only because of your performance in the first fight.
Jack smiled. Of course the merchants kept tabs.
You have a deal, he said.
Excellent!
They shook hands. The Kovan produced a paper contract with the terms they had agreed on in very simple languagethe System world hated legalese, apparently. No scam could hide in there; Jack even checked for invisible ink by holding it to the light, which provoked the Kovans grumbling.
In the end, both signed, and Jack was now the proud owner of a large experience ball.
It was around the size of his head and shining with every color in the observable spectrumand even more, probably, but Jack couldnt see them. However, just as he was about to use it on the spot, he had another idea.
Wait. If I increase my Level now, people will know, and my betting rates will fall. What if I keep it at hand until I get a strong enough opponent?
A sardonic grin split his face. Hehehe.
Are you okay, sir? the Kovan asked, making Jack cough in his hand.
Yes, all good. Can I have a bag, too?
Of course.
If the Kovan realized something, she didnt show itbut Jack suspected this particular Kovan would bet a lot on him in the next match.
Therefore, Jack left the shop with a simple bamboo bag containing an experience ball worth ten thousand credits. The bag was opaque, thankfully, and Jack even asked Brock to sit in it to hide the glow escaping from the bags mouth.
Then, while whistling a happy tune, he crossed the town and quickly reached his house. He entered, closed the door behind him, and released a long, drawn-out sigh.
Things were going well. He had a plan, whose first phase hed already carried out. The next task in line was to speak with Karvahul and have him bet everything on Jack in every single round. His opponents would be unknown until the last moment, but if he happened to run into Rufus Emberheart, that would just be bad luck.
To be sure, they could wait until a few moments before the fight and hold some credits back if Rufus hadnt already fought by then.
Jack nodded to himself. He was proud of this plan.
Theyd also need to lean into the business aspects Karvahul had described, where they used his influence to get sponsorships off shops. Hed make sure to be extra flashy, just for that.
All those things combined, along with his ten thousand credits from each victory, would hopefully be enough to catapult him to two million. If not, hed borrow from the connections hed make.
And if the Sage was speaking out of his ass Well, then fuck that guy.
For now, it was still afternoon, and there was only one thing for Jack to do. Well, two.
The first was to find a way to hide the experience ball and take it with him to the arena to use in a pinch, but that would be easy.
The second He grinned. The second was to kick the ass of a particularly smug robot. Or at least try.
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Chapter 55: Making Money
The guards of Integration City were humanoid robots with dog heads. And not just any breed; they were slick, dark, metallic dobermans, with steel cords stretching over their bodies like muscles and iron plates bulging on their chests. As they stood on two legs, they resembled hardcore club bouncers; they even wore thin sunglasses.
However, they didnt need that. One of them had killed a member of the Ice Peak on the spot. That was intimidation enough.
Jack scanned them at once.
Guard Robot (E-Grade)
A humanoid robot with the head of a dog. Boasting heightened senses, budding intelligence, fast movement speed, and fighting power at the early E-Grade, these robots are ideal guards for low-level occasions.
Enchanted by Horrificus Egen.This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.
Early E-Grade
Each of these robots was equivalent to the fifth level of his robot training partner, the one that had beat him to the ground. Now, there were nine of them, and they werent playing around. One had blood and brain matter flowing down its jaws and stood atop a headless corpse. The rest were staring at the two factions silently.
Both the Flame River and the Ice Peak stood frozen. Surrounded by unsurpassable opponents, theyd all but forgotten their previous quarrel and hoped to simply remain alive. Even the friends of the two murdered peoplethe stabbed one had quickly bled outdidnt dare make a peep.
We are terribly sorry, the leader of the Flame RiverVivi Eragornsaid. We will not repeat this.
The guards stared at them for a moment. Then, one of them spoke in a hard, calm voice. Do not make us come again.
Absolutely not, sir.
The Ice Peak will obey, the other leaderAlexander Petrovicsaid, bowing lightly.
The dog guards gave them a long, final stare, then retreated. Jack saw them jumping to nearby rooftops and hiding in their centers, where they werent visible from below.
It was as Karvahul had said. There were guards, and he really hoped he didnt see them again.
The two factions were left being awkward. Both of them had lost one member, but they didnt dare continue. Exchanging hateful stares, they turned around and entered the town through different streets.
Those dogs sure werent playing around Jack said, keeping his voice low.
No proper guard would, the Sage replied, smiling. You can read the paper now.
What?
My prediction. You can read it.
Jack stared for a second, then reached into his pocket to remove the piece of paper. He unfolded it, took a glance, then looked at the Sage in disbelief.
I told you, the Sage said, shrugging. Im a sage.
Hed gotten the entire sequence of events right; from the pushing, to the stabbing, to the dog guards, to the exact person who would do the stabbing and consequently get his head crushed. It could be a coincidence; but what were the chances?
Wait, Jack said, struggling to comprehend the consequences of this. You are too powerful.
Im the Sage, my friend. He smiled, then stood. Now, if youll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. It was nice meeting you, Jack. You too, Brock. Thank you for the wonderful mealand thank you for paying attention to someone like me. Keep being open-minded.
Of course
Jack shook his hand in a daze, then watched the other man walk away. It was only when Brock punched him lightly in the shoulder that he recovered.
What the hell happened? he asked. Did you see that, Brock? That guy really is a sage. Hes terrifying.
Brock shrugged, then punched his open palm.
Strength above all? Well, yes, but Jack looked in the direction the Sage had disappeared in. Imagine how heavily he can influence things. At the next moment, his eyes hardened. Hed decided to believe. I must gather two million credits, he told himself. Theres no time to waste. Lets go, Brock.
Thats why, even though he had the ten thousand at hand, he wanted to pay on credit. This ten thousand might not seem like much right now, but it was a third of his budget. If he bet everything and won, this lost third would be deducted from all his future earnings.
The Koval stared at him for a moment, then said, That could be possible However, you must be aware that it will incur a significant increase in the items total value.
Jacks heart lightened with relief. How much?
50% over the original price, and it must be paid before the Hand of God auction. Otherwise, a 5% fee is added for every day after that.
Jack considered it for a moment. If he played his cards right, this ten thousand would transform into hundreds of thousands by the time of the auction. Then, the extra five thousand would be a drop in the bucket, and he would have made a large net profit.
However, he wouldnt just take the Kovans words at face value.
50% is a bit much. Make it twenty-five and we have a deal.
The lowest I can do is forty, sirand thats only because of your performance in the first fight.
Jack smiled. Of course the merchants kept tabs.
You have a deal, he said.
Excellent!
They shook hands. The Kovan produced a paper contract with the terms they had agreed on in very simple languagethe System world hated legalese, apparently. No scam could hide in there; Jack even checked for invisible ink by holding it to the light, which provoked the Kovans grumbling.
In the end, both signed, and Jack was now the proud owner of a large experience ball.
It was around the size of his head and shining with every color in the observable spectrumand even more, probably, but Jack couldnt see them. However, just as he was about to use it on the spot, he had another idea.
Wait. If I increase my Level now, people will know, and my betting rates will fall. What if I keep it at hand until I get a strong enough opponent?
A sardonic grin split his face. Hehehe.
Are you okay, sir? the Kovan asked, making Jack cough in his hand.
Yes, all good. Can I have a bag, too?
Of course.
If the Kovan realized something, she didnt show itbut Jack suspected this particular Kovan would bet a lot on him in the next match.
Therefore, Jack left the shop with a simple bamboo bag containing an experience ball worth ten thousand credits. The bag was opaque, thankfully, and Jack even asked Brock to sit in it to hide the glow escaping from the bags mouth.
Then, while whistling a happy tune, he crossed the town and quickly reached his house. He entered, closed the door behind him, and released a long, drawn-out sigh.
Things were going well. He had a plan, whose first phase hed already carried out. The next task in line was to speak with Karvahul and have him bet everything on Jack in every single round. His opponents would be unknown until the last moment, but if he happened to run into Rufus Emberheart, that would just be bad luck.
To be sure, they could wait until a few moments before the fight and hold some credits back if Rufus hadnt already fought by then.
Jack nodded to himself. He was proud of this plan.
Theyd also need to lean into the business aspects Karvahul had described, where they used his influence to get sponsorships off shops. Hed make sure to be extra flashy, just for that.
All those things combined, along with his ten thousand credits from each victory, would hopefully be enough to catapult him to two million. If not, hed borrow from the connections hed make.
And if the Sage was speaking out of his ass Well, then fuck that guy.
For now, it was still afternoon, and there was only one thing for Jack to do. Well, two.
The first was to find a way to hide the experience ball and take it with him to the arena to use in a pinch, but that would be easy.
The second He grinned. The second was to kick the ass of a particularly smug robot. Or at least try.
Chapter 55: Making MoneyThe guards of Integration City were humanoid robots with dog heads. And not just any breed; they were slick, dark, metallic dobermans, with steel cords stretching over their bodies like muscles and iron plates bulging on their chests. As they stood on two legs, they resembled hardcore club bouncers; they even wore thin sunglasses.However, they didnt need that. One of them had killed a member of the Ice Peak on the spot. That was intimidation enough.Jack scanned them at once.Guard Robot E-GradeA humanoid robot with the head of a dog. Boasting heightened senses, budding intelligence, fast movement speed, and fighting power at the early E-Grade, these robots are ideal guards for low-level occasions.Enchanted by Horrificus Egen.This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.Early E-GradeEach of these robots was equivalent to the fifth level of his robot training partner, the one that had beat him to the ground. Now, there were nine of them, and they werent playing around. One had blood and brain matter flowing down its jaws and stood atop a headless corpse. The rest were staring at the two factions silently.Both the Flame River and the Ice Peak stood frozen. Surrounded by unsurpassable opponents, theyd all but forgotten their previous quarrel and hoped to simply remain alive. Even the friends of the two murdered peoplethe stabbed one had quickly bled outdidnt dare make a peep.We are terribly sorry, the leader of the Flame RiverVivi Eragornsaid. We will not repeat this.The guards stared at them for a moment. Then, one of them spoke in a hard, calm voice. Do not make us come again.Absolutely not, sir.The Ice Peak will obey, the other leaderAlexander Petrovicsaid, bowing lightly.The dog guards gave them a long, final stare, then retreated. Jack saw them jumping to nearby rooftops and hiding in their centers, where they werent visible from below.It was as Karvahul had said. There were guards, and he really hoped he didnt see them again.The two factions were left being awkward. Both of them had lost one member, but they didnt dare continue. Exchanging hateful stares, they turned around and entered the town through different streets.Those dogs sure werent playing around Jack said, keeping his voice low.No proper guard would, the Sage replied, smiling. You can read the paper now.What?My prediction. You can read it.Jack stared for a second, then reached into his pocket to remove the piece of paper. He unfolded it, took a glance, then looked at the Sage in disbelief.I told you, the Sage said, shrugging. Im a sage.Hed gotten the entire sequence of events right; from the pushing, to the stabbing, to the dog guards, to the exact person who would do the stabbing and consequently get his head crushed. It could be a coincidence; but what were the chances?Wait, Jack said, struggling to comprehend the consequences of this. You are too powerful.Im the Sage, my friend. He smiled, then stood. Now, if youll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. It was nice meeting you, Jack. You too, Brock. Thank you for the wonderful mealand thank you for paying attention to someone like me. Keep being open-minded.Of courseJack shook his hand in a daze, then watched the other man walk away. It was only when Brock punched him lightly in the shoulder that he recovered.What the hell happened? he asked. Did you see that, Brock? That guy really is a sage. Hes terrifying.Brock shrugged, then punched his open palm.Strength above all? Well, yes, but Jack looked in the direction the Sage had disappeared in. Imagine how heavily he can influence things. At the next moment, his eyes hardened. Hed decided to believe. I must gather two million credits, he told himself. Theres no time to waste. Lets go, Brock.Thats why, even though he had the ten thousand at hand, he wanted to pay on credit. This ten thousand might not seem like much right now, but it was a third of his budget. If he bet everything and won, this lost third would be deducted from all his future earnings.The Koval stared at him for a moment, then said, That could be possible However, you must be aware that it will incur a significant increase in the items total value.Jacks heart lightened with relief. How much?50% over the original price, and it must be paid before the Hand of God auction. Otherwise, a 5% fee is added for every day after that.Jack considered it for a moment. If he played his cards right, this ten thousand would transform into hundreds of thousands by the time of the auction. Then, the extra five thousand would be a drop in the bucket, and he would have made a large net profit.However, he wouldnt just take the Kovans words at face value.50% is a bit much. Make it twenty-five and we have a deal.The lowest I can do is forty, sirand thats only because of your performance in the first fight.Jack smiled. Of course the merchants kept tabs.You have a deal, he said.Excellent!They shook hands. The Kovan produced a paper contract with the terms they had agreed on in very simple languagethe System world hated legalese, apparently. No scam could hide in there; Jack even checked for invisible ink by holding it to the light, which provoked the Kovans grumbling.In the end, both signed, and Jack was now the proud owner of a large experience ball.It was around the size of his head and shining with every color in the observable spectrumand even more, probably, but Jack couldnt see them. However, just as he was about to use it on the spot, he had another idea.Wait. If I increase my Level now, people will know, and my betting rates will fall. What if I keep it at hand until I get a strong enough opponent?A sardonic grin split his face. Hehehe.Are you okay, sir? the Kovan asked, making Jack cough in his hand.Yes, all good. Can I have a bag, too?Of course.If the Kovan realized something, she didnt show itbut Jack suspected this particular Kovan would bet a lot on him in the next match.Therefore, Jack left the shop with a simple bamboo bag containing an experience ball worth ten thousand credits. The bag was opaque, thankfully, and Jack even asked Brock to sit in it to hide the glow escaping from the bags mouth.Then, while whistling a happy tune, he crossed the town and quickly reached his house. He entered, closed the door behind him, and released a long, drawn-out sigh.Things were going well. He had a plan, whose first phase hed already carried out. The next task in line was to speak with Karvahul and have him bet everything on Jack in every single round. His opponents would be unknown until the last moment, but if he happened to run into Rufus Emberheart, that would just be bad luck.To be sure, they could wait until a few moments before the fight and hold some credits back if Rufus hadnt already fought by then.Jack nodded to himself. He was proud of this plan.Theyd also need to lean into the business aspects Karvahul had described, where they used his influence to get sponsorships off shops. Hed make sure to be extra flashy, just for that.All those things combined, along with his ten thousand credits from each victory, would hopefully be enough to catapult him to two million. If not, hed borrow from the connections hed make.And if the Sage was speaking out of his ass Well, then fuck that guy.For now, it was still afternoon, and there was only one thing for Jack to do. Well, two.The first was to find a way to hide the experience ball and take it with him to the arena to use in a pinch, but that would be easy.The second He grinned. The second was to kick the ass of a particularly smug robot. Or at least try.
