Chapters (122)
- Tower Climber
- Jakob Tanner
- Contents
- Newsletter
- Dedication
- 1
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- 5
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- 8
- 9
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- 11
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- 109
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Up until now, Max had been playing catch-up, but now he was close to taking the lead and getting ahead of everyone else.
47
He eventually passed a storefront that was carrying the merchandise he was hoping to find.
The store looked like a jewelry shop with glass cases and specialty items placed over black velvet surfaces. But it wasn’t jewelry. The items on display were elemental stones like the one Samuel Archer had used against him in his preliminary test.
“May I help you with anything?”
A tall man with a twirly moustache in a suit stood behind the glass case.
“I’m looking for a special type of elemental stone, one infused with light magic?”
“Exquisite taste,” said the man. “I can sell you such a stone for 800 gold coins.”
Max’s shoulders slumped. This market was sending him on an emotional roller coaster. One minute he was richer than he ever had been before, the next, he still couldn’t afford anything he wanted.
“Ah,” said the man. “Out of your price range, I see. Well, we sell more than magically infused stones.”
The man bent down and grabbed a new item to show Max.
It was the last thing he was expecting to see in a place that looked like a jewelry shop.
It was a cardboard box with six loose grenades inside.
“These grenades have light-infused magic in them,” said the man. “I can sell you all six for, hmm, how does two gold sound?”
“That’s a lot cheaper than the stone,” said Max.
“Quite,” said the man. “But the stone is a priceless artifact that can be used an infinite amount of times whereas this is a mere six chances.”
“You’re right,” said Max. “I’ll buy them for one gold.”
“Then you can go somewhere else,” said the man. “And if you leave here and come back, the price will be double.”
Max sighed. Two gold actually wasn’t that much in the scheme of things considering how much he now had.
“Deal,” he said.
They exchanged the goods and Max thanked the man and then left the shop.
He then purchased a few more items of less value from the market: a basic knife and compass.
After those purchases, he started to head home.
He had everything he needed now to enact his plan.
* * *
The next day Max woke up bright and early and headed straight for the climber’s guild.
He was one of the first to arrive, passing through the gates and clearance, making his way to the tower.
“Happy training,” said the final clerk.
Max smiled and continued on his way, striding forward. He was determined more than ever. Today he was going to hit E-rank. He just knew it in his heart.
He walked through the shadowy entrance of the tower, passed the fountain where people unlocked their profile, and headed for the teleporter.