Chapter 10: Core Options

"So, what exactly is a Gratel?" Asher asked after about a minute of silence, he wanted to give the director enough time that he wasn't being insensitive but also not enough that he thought Asher was just blowing him off. The director looked up after a second with a small smile.

"That's exactly what Ralph asked, it's what you would call tea," Nick said with a small chuckle, Asher could only give a small chuckle as well. Asher had always been a coffee lover, he had spent more than enough cash on it when he had been on earth, and the fact that in his mind he had pegged the director as a tea lover made this whole situation that much funnier. 

"I should have known," Asher responded after a second, he felt a lot better now that they had taken a second to let the moment pass over, the air between them had calmed down as well. Asher picked up his mug after a second and took a long sip, immediately his eyes went wide. This was the best tasting coffee he ever had, it was rich in taste like a dark Columbian roast but creamy like a hot chocolate, it was nothing like what he would get from the local Starbucks before work. 

"See, isn't that the best cup of coffee you have ever had?" The director said while sipping on his Gratel, a smile threatening to creep on his mouth. He was clearly enjoying the situation just as much as Asher was enjoying his drink. 

"No, it's the best cup of Natel I have ever had," Asher said laughing while finishing off the mug, Nick could only look on with a chuckle of his own. He finished his own mug and with a smile set it down next to Ashers. He grabbed the stack of papers he had set down previously and started by placing one down in front of Asher. 

  "As nice as the Gratel time was its time we get down to business, on this is a list of cores that are within one to ten gold, if you are smart and take your time you can find a good combination of powers that can make you a strong adventurer," the director said pointing his index finger down on the first line of the page. 

"I actually have another nine gold in my inventory," Asher said, opening his inventory up and bringing them out, holding them out for Nick to see before putting them away again. Nick was surprised to say the least clearly confused on how someone without any cores was able to get so much cash. But as Asher put the coins away, he just took the paper and after a few seconds of searching put two pieces of paper in front of him. 

"Well while that is a lot of money for a normal person, as you saw with Greg, it's not enough to purchase four good, rare cores the best you can do is either four common cores or one rare core," the director said while tapping the piece of paper a few times while he spoke, trying to showcase the importance of his words. 

"What is the best option for me right now?" Asher asked looking up to make eye contact with the director, as their eyes connected Asher attempted to read him, trying to pick up on any details he could, trying to read his face. After a few seconds he looked back down and started scanning the list while waiting for the director to speak up. 

"I think you should look through this and find one rare core you would be happy with and then try to build your abilities off that, though sadly there aren't many available," the director said after a second of deep thought. Asher looked up once again trying to determine if what the director said was truly his best course of action. But after a second, he sighed and agreed with a slight nod. 

"Why are there few good options?" Asher asked looking back down, the paper had a little over forty different cores currently for sale but over twenty of them were basic animal cores such as the Rabbit core, or Tylamat core. He remembered how the bear core had gone for ten gold, but he assumed that was because it was common to get tanker abilities out of it, the only beast core on this list that was similar in price was the Tylamat core. 

"That's simple, the better cores are used by the people who find them, that or they sell them privately like you did earlier. As an adventurer you can request a core and place a bid, then when someone comes in and attempts to sell that core you will be given first priority over it, the rest of the cores are then put up on this list," the director said scratching his chin, he looked at Asher with what looked like worry in his eyes.

"That and cores come from either beasts or when a magic anomaly happens," the director continued after taking a few seconds to confirm that Asher was paying attention. 

"A magic anomaly is when the magic in an area gets so dense that it combines and leaves a core as a byproduct, this is also where we believe monsters come from but that's a bit advanced for you right now," the director said while waving the waiter over. Asher sat in silence thinking everything over while the director ordered another Naket this time for himself. 

"How often do monsters drop cores?" Asher asked as soon as the waiter had left again, hoping that if he was able to pay an adventurer to take him somewhere with lots of monsters then he would be able to find something that would suit him more than what was on the list.

"Not very often, we currently get one common core after beating about a thousand or so monsters, an uncommon after maybe ten thousand and then a rare after what we think is one hundred thousand," the director said while picking up the list once again, taking it out from in front of Asher. That's when the waiter arrived with his Naket, the director thanked him and quickly began drinking it. 

"The ranks after rare are epic and legendary but we aren't sure how often they appear, I have only ever seen one epic core myself" Nick said while finishing his Naket, leaving a cream ring around his mouth that he quickly wiped away. Asher stared him down hoping that he might offer more assistance, such as a rare core for free or some ancient knowledge about where to find an epic core. But after a few seconds he realized that no such information was coming and he would have to find a core on this list that he could settle with.

"Ok, then is there a core on this list that you would recommend?" Asher asked while taking the list back from the director, he looked it over once again but this time with more intent on finding something he thought would actually help him.

"I would recommend either the Tylomat core or perhaps the sword core," the director said while pointing at the two options with this index finger, the Tylomat core was nine gold and everything Asher had on him but the sword core was twenty gold and more than he would have if he waited until the bear core sold.

"Wait what is a Tylomat and also why isn't the sword core more sought after?" Asher asked after taking a second to think things over. He hadn't had a good chance to ask what a Tylomat was but he assumed it was a beast that wasn't available on earth, as for the sword core he figured if it gave someone sword abilities it should be worth way more than twenty gold.

"A Tylomat is the two headed beast you should have passed when you were entering the city, they are strong but usually very passive, they won't hurt you if you don't hurt them first, as such farmers are usually able to befriend them with food," the director said with a shrug of his shoulders, he was explaining it as if a beast having two heads was normal, and who knew maybe it was here. 

"As for why the sword core doesn't cost more is because it hardly gives any good abilities, very few people get a combat ability out of it, most get some sort of blacksmithing ability, and the very unlucky get an ability related to the maintenance of the sword, it's considered a gamble at best and very few people are willing to take that chance with one of their core slots," the director said while sighing. Asher felt like the wind had gotten knocked out of his body, at first the sword core was the best option but if he got stuck with a lousy ability from a core that cost his entire fortune then he was fucked.