Chapter 10 - Emporium

Elias and T'lear are sitting while facing each other, observing their partner for the following years. Although earlier they hellbent to kill each other, but now the circumstances are changing — they'll on the same side from now on. They try to organize their emotions, after all, this is felt strange for both of them. Usually, they just kill their enemy and get over with it — but today they become a comrade with an ex-enemy.

About ten minutes or so, they fall into silence until finally, T'lear open his mouth.

"Is there anything you want to asks?"

Elias is gazing at T'lear's eyes for a moment, after that he observing the world — there is no sign of crumbling which mean his time to get out still long. It seems they'll have time for a little chat.

"Yes, of course," Elias sigh, "Can you explain to me, how this points used as a currency?"

"Right, You'll need to know the basic to compete with other dungeon masters," T'lear says while floating towards Elias, "However, it'll faster to understand if you experience it yourself."

T'lear stops above Elias' head and then gives him instruction, "Speak this words, 'Store open' while touching your left ear."

After following his instruction, Elias can see holographic sentences appear on his retina — and it's not his usual status.

[Commencing and Binding the Store to Elias]

[Congratulations! You're 78th dungeon master in this world]

[Opening the shop]

There a slight delay in each message, but it only for a few moments. Meanwhile, he's reading those notifications — it seems there are 77 other dungeon masters. This line intrigued him — after all, there are more than a hundred dungeon masters in his previous life.

'Is this mean they aren't born yet?'

'Or maybe, they still in another world?'

Those thought plagues his mind, after a while, he decides to take a shortcut and ask T'lear, "Are you native of this world T'lear?"

When hearing Elias question, he frowns his eyebrow, "your question is like asking me 'do you come from dung?', it's insulting to compare me with aboriginal people of this world, it is —."

"I'll take it as no then," Elias shrug his shoulder, and then he asks another question, "Does all dungeon master come from the same world?"

"Can't you even listen until the end?" he sighs, "The answer for your question is no, I didn't even know them before I transferred into this world — two months ago."

"Is that so," Elias mumbles.

After hearing T'lear's short answer, his earlier doubt becomes clear — those dungeon master also come from different worlds like humans. Besides that, he can assume that dungeon masters don't come to this world at the same time — there will other coming to this world.

However, he still doesn't comprehend how all of those dungeon masters become stronger in faster rates than all humans. After all, there is plausible some of them have low capabilities, but in his previous life, all of them is stronger than human.

'Is it only because they have greater talents or only talented people who can hold a dungeon master title?'

However, when he in his deep thought, T'lear voice awoke him followed by ding sound appear in his mind — giving him the answer to his question.

"You probably can see the store interfaces about now," T'lear says.

*Ding*

Store for Dungeon Masters

1. Runes Category

2. Monster Category

Points: 0

He furrows his eyebrows after seeing these words on his eyes — thinking what this possibly mean. After silent for a moment, he says, "Show me the content of runes category."

After he says these words, the first option shine while others disappear — changing into other series of words.

Runes store

1. Stats Runes

Points: 0

His curiosity gets into him after seeing that sub-category, he opens it again and then reading what things it sells. As time pass, his expression change many times — astonished, anger, happiness, and many others.

Stat Runes store:

Strength rune(Colorless-Small) — 1 point

Stamina rune(Colorless-Small) — 1 point

Stamina rune(Colorless-Medium) — 10 points

Agility rune(Colorless-Small) — 10 points

Points: 0

Those four runes appear in Runes sub-category, while in the monster category — the store only shows goblin as it option with 90 points. After looking at those lists, he realizes something and then asks T'lear, "When you check the stat runes store before, how many things in it?"

"Um, many I guess, why?"

"Good — oh right, is there any category other than runes and monsters?"

"You didn't even answer my —. Forget it, yes, artifacts category."

Elias sinks into his thought — understands about what happened here. The store only sells runes he ever consumed and monsters he ever killed. Although right now only little amounts of items he can buy, but as time passes he'll consume new runes and then the catalogs also grows. Not just that, from T'lear words it seems he can also buy artifacts from this store, but he yet fulfills the requirements to see it.

After finished organizing his thought, he realizes why the human race loses in his previous life. Dungeon masters had many possibilities to get stronger — even without depending on their talent. This store gave them a tremendous advantage — they can buy any runes, artifacts, and monsters with enough points — like the one he sees right now.

While human, on the other hand, needs to collect runes by killing monsters and each of them only drop one rune. It's understandable how they stronger at a faster pace.

He sighs, but soon he comforts himself, 'at least this time, I have their advantage too.'

After realizing there nothing he can buy with his zero points, he closes it interface and want to ask T'lear another question.

"Hey what about —."

However, at that moment the world starts crumbling in rapid rate — forcing them to get out from this space. T'lear realizes this fast and immediately go inside Elias body — hiding.

The white scenery change into a forest where he stood before did his gamble. He looks towards T'lear's body in front of him which soon turns into dust — it's what happens to the loser of the world-will gamble. Fortunately for T'lear, his soul already separated from his body and bound with Elias.

He can still revive even if his body destroyed.

Not long after, Elias feels something wrong to his body. A very painful sensation covering his whole body, many old wounds appear on his body while his left hand disappears.

"Huok," Elias spew out blood from his mouth, all his previous injuries go back — he goes to his original state before did world-will gamble.

T'lear attack earlier starts taking tolls into his body, and he falls backward — can't stand anymore. T'lear gets out from his body and sees around, but find Elias lie in the grass. T'lear sees a goblin who peeks at their fight earlier, he didn't see it as a threat and didn't pay it any heed. However, now is a different story.

Something that can't even wound them before, changing into a threat to their very lives.

He can't attack anyone and neither kill that goblin -- not in this state.

"Shit, what are you doing laying down like that?" T'lear asks while floating above him.

"I can't move, my wounds are severe."

"Quick, get up. A goblin walking toward our directions right now," T'lear warn him hurriedly. After all, their life is bound together -- if Elias dies, he'll die too.

"I seriously can't even move a finger, I need at least a few hours to recovers."

"F*ck, am I'll die here because of a random goblin," T'lear cursed after seeing the goblins walking towards them with a sharp sword in its hand.

T'lear already tries to attack the goblin out of desperation, but every fist he delivers to that goblins always pass through its body — he can't stop the goblin with this ghost state.

After a few seconds, the goblins arrive beside Elias body.

The goblins look at Elias with a malicious eye while grabbing tightly at his sword, ready to swing his sword towards Elias' head.

Kiaaak!

*Stab*

Blood is gushing, and many internal organs are splattering.