The Laughing Swordsman

Mist began to converge and form what looked like a street stall. There was a fairly large bowl-like structure attached to the left of it, while there was a small board on the right. At the top, there was a sign in elegant cursive writing, created with bright white mist with the words...

'Contribution Purchases'

As well as a few items to buy. They were separated into two categories.

'Contribution Points

1 Point - 2 Basic Shadow Step Technique Crystals

3 Points - Pre-Intermediate Elixir of Flexibility

5 Points - An Unassuming Black Cloak

10 points - Secondary Forged Core Black Steel Greatsword

Current Balance - 5 points'

Apollo didn't see any use in buying more of the technique crystals given he had already learned it. As for the greatsword, he was even less interested. Apollo didn't plan on giving up on his trusty bokken any time soon.

Apollo was quite interested in both the elixir and whatever the black cloak was supposed to be. As always, he really didn't understand what they meant because of how vague these titles were.

However, the association had proved to give rather valuable things. As such, Apollo didn't think that they would be bad.

His eyes moved onto the next category.

'Gold Coins

10 Gold Coins - 10 One-Week Food Pellets

50 Gold Coins - Black Flame Match'

Apollo's eyebrow twitched.

Although he didn't know whatever that match was, those food pellets looked especially appealing to him.

However, Apollo had yet to acquire even a single gold coin.

He knew that gold coins were exchanged for a hundred silver coins by the market price. But what he didn't know, was the inherent value gold had over silver, thus making it a far greater currency.

Apollo could have been considered quite rich in terms of silver. He was a noble, after all. Just in his house alone, Apollo had nearly a thousand of them. However, in terms of gold, there was very little. He didn't have a single gold coin, but did have a few golden ornaments, like a small chalice.

However, while he had many silvers, they were also in his house.

Meaning he might as well be a beggar right now.

Apollo shook his head and decided his next request would be one that awarded gold coins so that he could buy some of these food pellets. His life had essentially been saved by them, after all.

If the average person knew Apollo thought that a gold coin for a week's worth of food was a good trade, they would be terribly shocked.

This was because if an average person was relatively frugal, they could buy enough food to feed themselves for an entire month with just two silvers. In other words, one hundred silvers would be enough for fifty whole months, or more than four years.

And even then, a gold coin was worth far more than just one hundred silvers.

Simply comparing one week worth and over four years, was enough to feel terribly scammed. But this was actually a relatively fair price, because it really wasn't that easy to create such tiny pellets that contained a week's worth of food inside.

Many members of the association would at least buy a few, simply because this allowed them to carry large amounts of rations without being burdened by them. They were especially valuable in requests that required one to enter places with little to no food for long periods of time.

But for Apollo, it was even more useful. These food pellets would give his body the energy it needed to regenerate and improve itself because of how his current constitution worked. In other words, these pellets were a second life.

Apollo was about to buy the black cloak because he had just enough points for it. But before Apollo did, he made out a few small words made out of mist.

'Purchasable goods may vary. Certain terms will increase variations, such as rank, balance, and completed requests.'

Apollo realized the reason this shop opened up in the first place was either because he completed that mission, or the fact he obtained contribution points, or maybe both. 

He would naturally get more items offered as he worked with the association, but buying something meant that his contribution point balance would decrease, thus lowering the number of items he could see.

And so, Apollo decided to save his contribution points for now, just to see a little more of what the store had to offer.

Hopefully, they weren't too hard to get.

They were rather easily acquired the first time, right?

With that, Apollo was exposed to many different strange items, but didn't take a single one back with him.

As so, he had ended up with five contribution points and a flicker of flame from the undying phoenix, in the form of a black crystal.

Apollo walked over to the grey desk while looking at that crystal.

He would have to figure out what it was used for at some point, but had no idea how to go about it. There was always later, so Apollo simply pocketed it.

He took out his iron coin and flipped it.

In plumes of mist shot out, gradually clearing and converging into five lines of condensed mist.

There were three parchments on the table.

Apollo quickly scanned the various rewards.

'Reward: 200 gold coins

Reward: The Eye of An Adult Unicorn

Reward: An Intermediate Grade Curse'

In all honesty, Apollo had a strong desire to take on either of the other two missions, for the sole reason they sounded valuable. And valuable things could increase his strength.

However, he stood firm in his decision and picked the mission that offered gold coins. Getting more food pellets would let him tackle far worse situations, and save his life in critical moments.

Apollo picked up the parchment.

'Rank: Copper Coin - Iron Lined

Target: High-Level Toxic Creature.

Description: Resides in the toxic wasteland. Estimated danger level of three horns. Varying appearance, see pictures provided.

Requirements: Capture a High-Level Toxic Creature Alive.'