"Everything has been marked and analyzed. Rank G skills are £50,000 and Rank E skills are £150,000. So, the total for the Skill Tomes you've selected comes to £250,000," the female receptionist explained with a practiced, salary-worker smile.
"W-what? It's really that expensive...?"
Sonny's eyes widened at the outrageous sum.
After leaving the Skill Archive, Thomas had led him straight to reception to settle the payment for the skills he picked out.
But here's the thing:
He only chose three skills, yet the total was nearly £300,000! With £250,000, an average person living in London could do a lot of things like buy a decent flat, start a small business, or even take a year off just to travel the world.
And yet, here he was, about to drop that kind of money on three measly books! No, not even books, but skills. Material objects that existed only until he absorbed them.
If that wasn't insane, then he didn't know what truly was!
'Skills are this expensive, huh? And this is just for E and G ranks, too! I can't imagine how costly Gears must be.'
Fortunately, Skills were rarer and thus more expensive than the materials used to craft Gears. Of course, that didn't mean Gears came cheap either. The resources required for their creation could only be found within the «Black Tower», making them incredibly valuable.
And depending on the Gear's Tier, they could even rival Gemstones in terms of expense.
As he mulled over the matter, Sonny soon realized there was nothing to worry about. He was no longer the struggling part-timer barely scraping by on minimum wage. That version of himself had already been flattened, turned into fiction along with the rest of that 'world,' now nothing more than an improbable story.
Now, he was Sonny Redgrave, the lost son of the multibillionaire Sebastian Victor Redgrave.
This was the reality he had conjured, and it was time he acted in line with his new identity.
Already aware of this devastating truth, a faint smile tugged at Sonny's lips as he grasped, just for a moment, the true extent of his power's reach. After a brief pause, he slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out his bank card, tied to the account holding over £100 billion.
Then, he spoke with a surprisingly calm voice:
"Alright then. I'll pay for the three Skills Tomes with card."
The receptionist's eyes flickered with professional courtesy as she accepted the card. The transaction processed in seconds, but the weight behind it — the ridiculous, unreasonable reality that a single swipe of a card had erased enough money to buy a house — sat on Sonny's shoulders like invisible lead.
'This is completely normal. I'll be doing this for now on.'
Beep!
The terminal beeped, and the receipt printed with a mechanical whir.
"Payment confirmed, Mr. Redgrave. Thank you for your patronage." The receptionist handed him the slip with both hands, bowing slightly deeper than before.
Pocketing the receipt, he turned away and caught sight of Thomas waiting for him, with his arms crossed.
"All sorted?" Thomas asked, raising a brow.
Sonny gave a nod. "Yeah."
"Very well, the Skills you purchased are yours to keep. You can learn them anytime you feel like it. And… a word of advice." Thomas leaned in, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. "Don't flaunt your spending too openly. Even among Hunters, envy is a dangerous thing."
Sonny nodded, sliding his card back into his wallet.
"Understood. By the way, I'm planning to challenge the Tower today. I'll need to stock up on some Gears before I go. Is there a place nearby where I can get the right equipment?"
Thomas gave him an easy smile.
"That won't be a problem. Come on, I'll take you to our armory."
Thomas led the way, his steps steady and confident as they moved through the guild's corridors. The deeper they went, the fewer people they encountered, until the chatter and bustle of the upper floors faded into silence.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a reinforced door embedded with security runes that faintly glowed blue. A biometric scanner lit up as Thomas pressed his palm against it.
Click! The heavy locks disengaged with a satisfying thud, and the door slid open to reveal the armory.
Sonny's breath hitched slightly.
Rows upon rows of weapons and armor greeted him, such as; swords forged from dark metal, spears inlaid with glowing cores, and firearms that looked far too advanced to belong in any military catalog. Along the walls, sets of armor stood displayed, each radiating a faint pressure that marked their Tier.
"This is the Guild Association's personal gear collection," Thomas said, stepping inside and gesturing for Sonny to follow. "Most of these Gears were made from materials found deep within the Black Tower. Some are spare equipment from our senior Hunters. Others are up for lease or sale to members like you."
Sonny's gaze roamed over a rack of daggers, each labeled with neat tags:
[Tier-2: Nightfang. Effect: Enhanced speed and bleed chance. Cost: £800,000.]
[Tier-3: Venomous Fang. Effect: Applies poison on critical strikes. Cost: £1,500,000.]
'Those are some scary daggers. Wait, more importantly, what's up with this prices?! One million for a fucking dagger!?'
His eyes widened.
As expected, everything here was ridiculously expensive.
One had to pay one million pounds just for a dagger? If a war veteran saw this, they would definitely faint.
"So, how does this work?" Sonny asked, forcefully tearing his eyes away from a shield that seemed to shimmer like liquid silver.
Thomas explained calmly.
"Simple. You tell me what role you plan to fill for your Tower run. Based on your class, I'll recommend a set of Gears that match your skillset. Of course, if you're confident, you can just choose what calls to you. However, do note that the wrong Gear choices have gotten many Hunters killed inside the Tower of Darkness."
He explained that awakened Hunters were typically divided into six main classes by the Association, based on their combat style and abilities.
They were; Striker, Vanguard, Archer, Rider, Magician, and Assassin.
Strikers excelled at close-quarters combat, dealing heavy damage up close. Vanguards specialized in defense, acting as the frontline shield. Archers attacked from a distance, delivering precise and powerful ranged damage. Assassins focused on speed and agility, striking swiftly and lethally. Riders tamed and fought alongside monsters, using them as mounts and weapons. Finally, Magicians wielded sorcery, casting spells to control the battlefield.
But how does one determine their class? The answer was simple. When a person awakened, one of their attributes would naturally grow stronger than the others, and this distinction became even more apparent as they leveled up.
For example, someone with exceptional defense would find their endurance stat rising higher than the rest, marking them as a Vanguard. The same principle applied to other classes — whether Striker, Assassin, or any of the rest.
In Sonny's case, however, all of his attributes were mediocre, except for his soul power and abnormal resistance. This meant he was either classified as an Archer or a Magician. But it was obvious he wasn't a sorcerer, considering he only possessed skills, not magic. Some might ask: what's the difference between skills and magic? Aren't they both supernatural abilities? However, magic was a fundamentally different form of power compared to what people called skills.
For reasons no one could fully explain, those who learned skills could not learn magic. In fact, the number of Hunters who could use magic was ridiculously small. Simply put, they were very rare like gemstones.
Therefore, Sonny himself did not count as a Magician despite having the ability to manipulate reality.
'I guess I am an Archer then.'
Truth be told, the young Sleeper had come here with the intention of buying firearms from the start. Think about it; guns that fired anti-demon bullets, combined with the skill [Silent Draining] that gave the enemy violent diarrhea would undoubtedly be a deadly combo!
Even if his opponent was faster, they wouldn't be running far while clenching their ass and trying to hold it in!
'Hehe...'
Unbeknownst to Sonny, a sadistic smile had crept onto his lips as his dark thoughts spilled out. Even Thomas, a Level 3 Hunter, felt uneasy at the sight of that grin.
'Why the hell is he smiling like that…?'
Instead of voicing his discomfort, Thomas cleared his throat loudly.
"Ahem! So...about the gear. What type are you looking to purchase?"
Sonny blinked, snapping out of his reverie at the sound of Thomas's voice.
"Huh? Oh… right." He scratched his cheek, a little embarrassed. "Going by your explanation, I think my class would fall under Archer. So, do you have any quality firearms I could use? Something with good range, stopping power, and allow flexibility. Maybe a pistol would suffice. Also…" He paused, his gaze shifting toward a nearby rack of blades. "I'd like a short-range weapon too. Maybe a short sword, just in case things get up close."
Thomas nodded, unfazed by Sonny's earlier grin.
As a powerful Level 3, he was well-accustomed to the strange quirks of hunters new to the world of Gears, but there was something unsettling about Sonny that even he couldn't shake off.
Shaking the thought away, Thomas waved Sonny over to a section near the far end of the armory, where several firearms and gleaming blades were displayed.
"Alright, so you're looking for a firearm with range and stopping power, huh?" Thomas asked, scanning the shelves. "We've got a few solid options. Follow me."
He led Sonny to a row of high-end pistols, each encased in a protective glass box.
"This one," Thomas said, pointing to a sleek black pistol, "is the Silverfang-II. Tier 2. It's a solid all-rounder, known for its accuracy, decent fire rate, and anti-demon rounds. The stopping power is excellent, enough to incapacitate most Level 0 and 2 monsters in one shot."
Sonny's eyes narrowed, studying the gun.
"How much?" he asked.
"£600,000," Thomas replied casually, as if this was just another day at the armory. "It's a solid piece for any beginner. But if you're looking for something more specialized…"
Thomas motioned to the next case. "This beauty here is a Cheetah IV. It's a Tier 3 sidearm, a little more expensive; £1,200,000. It has more range, power and infuses bullets with the ability to ricochet off surfaces, though still compact enough to be easily concealed."
Sonny's eyes gleamed with interest. He could already imagine the scenarios in which he'd be using that pistol, but the price tag still stung. Not that it mattered too much now. After all, what was £1,200,000 to someone with an account boasting over £100 billion?
He shifted his gaze toward the short-range weapons displayed nearby.
"Now, for a melee weapon…" Thomas continued, turning to the blades. "We've got a variety. If you're looking for something lightweight, I'd recommend the Crimson Talon. It's a Tier 2 short sword, priced at £450,000. It's a quick, agile weapon that works well for precise strikes. It also has a magical enchantment that increases the wielder's speed and agility."
Sonny's hand hovered over the hilt of the blade, feeling its weight just through the glass. It seemed to hum with potential, and he could tell it would feel natural in his grip.
"That one's tempting," Sonny muttered, glancing at another blade.
Thomas grinned.
"I thought you might like it. But if you want something with a little more bite, I recommend the Azure Blade. Tier 3. £950,000. It's heavier, but the cutting edge was made from the teeth of the Azure Serpant so it inflicts the target with deadly venom. It's deadly against most creatures. Plus, the poison lasts for hours after a strike."
Sonny gave the blade a second look. It definitely had its appeal. The idea of crippling an opponent with a single slash was definitely enticing, though he couldn't deny the price was steep.
Once again, did it really matter to someone with 100 billion pounds in their account?
"I think I'll go with the Cheetah IV and the Azure Blade," Sonny decided, tapping the display case with his finger. "They seem like a good fit for me. More than that, should I buy the other two as well? Hmm. You know what? I'll be taking all of them."
Thomas was momentarily taken aback.
'All of them? For a Sleeper, he's surprisingly wealthy…'
A hint of curiosity flashed in Thomas's eyes as he regarded Sonny. A faint, knowing smile tugged at his lips.
"Interesting choices," he said, his tone laced with a touch of intrigue. "I'll get them ready for you."