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The robot gives Cedric a thumbs up. "Most certainly, sir. Let us start by going over the points system. The points themselves are used as currency here on this flying vessel. If you gather enough points, you'll be able to access our catalog of wares. Whatever you want to buy will be provided by yours truly, assuming you are able to afford said item. The products I am able to offer you are as follows: food, meaning whichever meal you can think of, our chefs shall prepare with utmost diligence."

"Following that is equipment. You'll be able to order a custom-made weapon made to fit your exact criteria, or any other type of equipment, including armor and spatial storage devices. The jeweler on board insists that recruits specifically order spatial storage rings, as he states and I quote, 'The other damn jewelry is too much of a hassle to make. If you're gonna die anyway, might as well save me some work.' Indeed, a sound argument," the drone proclaims as he nods in agreement.

Unperturbed by the lazy jeweler repeating the same line Cedric has already heard more than twice in the last week, he motions for the robot to continue with his explanation.

"And lastly, although highly limited, you may also buy the bottomless canteen. The bottomless canteen, as the name suggests, is simply bottomless. You just need to put it in a naturally occurring stream of spiritual water on any planet you find yourself adventuring on, the canteen shall, in turn, purify the water, further enriching the essence provided from the source you placed it in."

"But, be warned as the canteen initially provided is empty. We are not responsible for reimbursing you if you happen to want to drink from said canteen and cant find an appropriate source of water on this ship."

"It is a tool proven invaluable in surviving the harsh conditions of the trials you shall experience in The Forge. The only piece of information I am permitted to share is that you will not be allowed to bring in anything other than the items you receive from the crew of this ship. The Forge's trials will simply reject anything not specially marked by our enchanting department. Which is one of the reasons you were provided with the uniform you are currently wearing. For even if you don't manage to obtain sufficient points for specially crafted equipment, you would at least be able to save yourself the embarrassment of having to enter the trials and possibly meeting other competitors with your, and I quote Officer Sarah, 'junk hanging out.'"

Cedric, now saddened by the revelation of having to throw away his pre-prepared supply of delicious jerky made for him by his father, decides that life was never known to be fair.

Further inquiring, he asks, "And how much does each item you just mentioned cost?" As he finished speaking, a holo-screen flashed into life in front of him, showing the goods mentioned by the drone along with their respective prices.

The list read as follows:

-Any meal chosen by the client: 10 points

-Mortal rank weapon: 800 points

-A set of Mortal rank armor enhanced with auto-repair runes: 1,000 points

-A single spatial ring containing 5 cubic-meters of space: 4,000 points

-The Bottomless canteen. Warning, currently only 9 in stock. Also provided empty upon initial purchase: 10,000 points

Looking at the list claiming to only have 9 pieces of the bottomless canteen in stock, Cedric feels a rush of adrenaline overcome him. He must obtain this item, even at the cost of going to the trial naked. As his father always told him: Survival is the main priority, once you manage to survive, coming up with a solution is always possible.

Turning to Siegward, he sees the elf's ring-finger flash, a seemingly ordinary metallic flask appearing in his hand. The elf starts waving the canteen from one place to the other, teasing Cedric.

Siegward asks: "So, big boy. You ready to go farm up some points?"

"Yes, let's go to the testing area. I'll be damned if I leave this ship with empty hands."