Episode 6: Duo Dungeon (2)

"989,999 dollars..." At the sight of the jacket's price, Jace continued to laugh. "Well, would you look at that? The association really drove up the price for a coat like this one, huh?"

The price of the dungeon gear was no joke. To the naked eye, it looked to be an absurd amount, seeing as how it almost neared a million dollars. However, it was far from the truth of normalities. For hunters, this sort of pricing was the usual.

"...hah. Seriously. This amount for an A-ranked gear like this one..." he frowned. "It seems that the equipment market never changed, huh? But whatever... This should be good enough for now. At the very least, it's on the cheaper side."

The expected price range of a typical A-ranked item ranged from 700 thousand to nearly over 20 million dollars. In some cases, some A-ranked products could even go over half a billion, and this was just the case of A-rank.

"Now let's see how's Landon holding up." Turning his attention over towards the blonde-haired man, Jace noted the dreaded look on his face.

"...huh?" Landon blinked. "What's this? Why are there so many zeros?"

"Sir, this item right here is 14 million dollars," the hunter associate smiled. "It's a unique piercing imported from a dungeon located within the Middle Eastern desert. I hope it's to your liking?"

"HUH?!" Landon's expression darkened as he realized the price tag was no mistake. "14 million for a piece of equipment?! I-Isn't that too much for an A-ranked gear?!"

"Well, truthfully so, I'd say this is a bargain!" The clerk stated. "This piercing not only provides many sorts of resistances to ailments, but it also allows the wearer to feel empowered, increasing both Strength and Accuracy! You see, Arkili's Sands Piercing is one of a kind. It is extremely rare and there are only a few in existence."

"W-Well... With how you word it like that, it does seem to be worthy of the price..." Landon nodded his head, falling into deep thought. "Is this the best of the best among the accessories you have?"

"Why, yes!" he smiled. "This accessory is the best of the best. But, if you wish to have something a little cheaper... Then may I suggest Midnight Phantom's Galza or Phony Mirror Ring? Those two cost about 7 million and 10 million respectively. Though still a bit expensive, they are also two items I strongly recommend for a Marksman like you to have!"

"Hmm... 14 million you say?" Landon whispered to himself. "It's probably worth it. Yeah. A worthy investment, I'd say..."

"Ugh..." Listening in on the conversation between Landon and the clerk, Jace grunted. "These guys are as scammy as ever..." he sighed. "Hey, Landon..." As he was about to call out to the blonde-haired man, Jace was interrupted by another salesperson.

"Oh, are you interested in Black Cane's Jacket?" The woman happily asked. "Might I note that this specific item comes in a set? It includes Black Cane's Gloves, Black Cane's Boots and Black Cane's Feather Fedora. The set only costs about 15 million, and with membership, it is 10% off! Are you interested?"

"Huh? No..." Jace shook his head at the clerk. "I'm not interested. The coat is enough."

"Really? But buying the set in its entirety is quite worth it, I'd say! After all, you'll get about a 30% discount compared to buying everything individually. This set is the best for MP-related things, you know? As a Magician like yourself, it would be incredibly beneficial! In addition, you'll also get the life steal and osmosis effect as a bonus—"

"No thanks," Jace instantly rejected. "I just want the coat."

"Hey, Lazy Eyes!" As Jace shunned the clerk away, Landon called out to him. "How much does your stuff cost?"

"I don't want the set, so this coat only costs 989,999 dollars," Jace stated.

"Oh, there's a set for that? Why not buy it together with the set?" Landon asked.

"...aren't your piercings 14 million?" Jace helplessly stared at the blonde-haired man.

"Ah. Before I forget, I would like to say that there is also a set for the Arkili's Sands series!" The clerk interjected. "Would you be interested in that? It's only 27 million! The set includes ear piercings, a bracelet, an armour piece, boots and this amazing Golden Sands Pistol. This is the perfect set for a Marksman like yourself!"

"27 million..." Landon muttered to himself. "How much does Jace's set cost?"

"That would be 15 million dollars," the woman replied.

"15 million dollars..." Landon fell into deep thought. "Hmm... In total it'd be 42 million..."

"You know, Landon... This is just wasting money," Jace sighed. "The pricing here is just too over the top. We can get decent gear at a far lower price. I don't think spending all that money for gear of this kind is that worth it."

"Why, how could it be called wasting money?" The clerk refuted. "Having this level of items allows one to take on even B-rank dungeons as a D-ranker!"

"...really?" With the clerk's words, Landon fell deeper into thought.

"As I was saying... This is just not worth it," Jace stated. "Better gear doesn't necessarily mean better performance. Besides... Aren't we taking on an E-ranked Dungeon?"

"..." With Jace's words, Landon fell even deeper into thought.

"42 million is pretty cheap for two A-ranked item sets if you ask me!" The hunter associate smiled. "Think of it as an investment for the long term! Wouldn't you want to be at your best when you challenge dungeons?"

"..."

"Landon..." Jace helplessly looked at the blonde-haired man. "You're seriously not considering buying both sets, right?"

"I mean... It is true that it's a good investment!" Landon stated. "If we buy this now, we won't need to go equipment shopping for a while! We could even go up the ranks in dungeons if we want to! Isn't that great?"

"Eh?" Jace was left speechless at Landon's reasoning. "I mean, that may be true, but, even so, decent gear can work—" Before the young man could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Landon.

"Alrighty then, I've decided!" Landon turned to look at the clerks with bright eyes.

"Oh??" The clerks anticipatedly looked at Landon in turn.

"I'll buy it!" Rummaging through his pockets, Landon took out his wallet. "I'll buy the two sets!"