Chapter 35

"Alright, Kasimir," I said, sliding the newly acquired storage ring onto my pointer finger, the cool weight of unimaginable wealth settling there snugly. "Let's talk about crafting rooms. I need something a bit more multifaceted this time."

Kasimir, his usual playful smirk replaced by a shrewdly calculating expression, steepled his fingers. "Of course, my dear Tereda. As I mentioned, prices have been adjusted to reflect the true value of my services."

He ticked off the costs on his fingers. "The enchanting chamber you previously enjoyed costs one medium-quality spirit stone for basic access. Adding an additional discipline doubles the price, another discipline after that brings it to eight, and for the full suite of blacksmithing, enchanting, tailoring, leatherworking, and jewelry crafting..."

He paused, tapping a finger against his chin. "That would be eighty medium-quality spirit stones. However," he added, his eyes gleaming with a salesman's glint, "might I suggest a slight upgrade? For a mere four high-quality spirit stones, you can access a room with enhanced facilities and resources that would allow you to add an extra discipline for no additional price!"

He let the suggestion hang in the air, a tempting bait designed to trigger my completionist instincts.

My mind raced, trying to calculate the benefits of such an upgrade. 

Six disciplines in a single crafting room with enhanced facilities? It was tempting, but what other profession could I possibly add?

"What kind of additional disciplines are available?" I asked, curiosity piqued.

Kasimir's grin widened. "Ah, my dear Tereda, the possibilities are endless! Alchemy, inscription, runecrafting, potion brewing, spirit summoning, golem construction, dimensional weaving..."

He paused, gesturing towards a seemingly endless expanse of bookshelves lining the bazaar's walls that seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Perhaps a browse through my collection might spark your inspiration?"

"Lead the way," I said, intrigued.

Kasimir led us through the labyrinthine maze of the bazaar, the shelves shifting and rearranging themselves as we walked, revealing a bewildering array of artifacts, ingredients, and knowledge from across the multiverse.

He waved a hand, and the shelves surrounding us began to shift, their contents rearranging themselves with a soft, whirring and whooshing sound. Books, bound in leather, parchment, and even exotic materials I couldn't identify, materialized before us, their titles a dizzying mix of languages and scripts.

Within moments, the nearby shelves were filled with volumes dedicated to various professions, their spines promising knowledge and power beyond anything I had ever imagined.

The sheer volume of information was overwhelming, a testament to the vastness of Kasimir's collection and the endless time he must have spent exploring and interacting with the multiverse.

"Take your time, Tereda," Kasimir said, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement. "Inspiration often strikes when you least expect it."

I began to browse the shelves, my mind already buzzing with ideas and possibilities, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder.

–

The shelves of Kasimir's bazaar seemed to stretch into infinity, I spent an hour browsing, my fingers tracing the spines of ancient tomes, my mind swimming with possibilities.

Finally, a spark of inspiration ignited within me.

"Construction," I declared, turning to Kasimir, who had been patiently observing my exploration.

"Construction?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow. "An interesting choice. May I ask why?"

"I'm thinking long-term," I explained, a confident smile spreading across my face. "Imagine Rem and I being able to build our own hyperbolic time chamber. No more reliance on your facilities- no offense."

Kasimir chuckled, "A noble goal, Tereda, but even with the 1000-hour amulet and the best manuals I have to offer, achieving such a feat would take decades, if not centuries. The intricacies of temporal manipulation inlaid with gravity and spatial separation are exceedingly complex."

I simply shrugged, my smirk widening. "We've got time."

I gestured towards the shelves overflowing with books on various crafting disciplines. "I'll take twenty of each type I already have," I said, "and a hundred on construction. Every variety you can find."

Kasimir's eyes narrowed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, a professional gleam returning to his gaze. 

He tallied the cost, his fingers dancing across a holographic calculator that materialized above the counter.

"Three high-quality spirit stones, ninety medium-quality, and fifty-five low-quality," he announced, his voice smooth as silk. "I was honestly expecting you to waste money on a singular powerful tome."

I retrieved the spirit stones from my storage ring, their vibrant energies pulsing faintly as I placed them on the counter. 

Then, with a flourish, I pulled out the enchanted box I had crafted to merge books, its wooden surface etched with runes that shimmered with a soft, blue light.

"Time to streamline things," I said, preparing to feed the stack of books into the box's input slot.

Suddenly, Kasimir's calm facade shattered. 

He lunged across the counter, his hand shooting out to grab my wrist, his voice a panicked shout.

"Are you trying to ruin those books?! Destroy an entire section of my bazaar?!"

I stared at him, bewildered by his sudden outburst. "Ruin them?" I echoed, my brow furrowing. "Why would merging them ruin them? What would merging them do to a portion of this place either?"

Kasimir released my wrist, his hand trembling slightly as he gestured towards the pile of books. "These aren't just ordinary books, Tereda," he explained, his voice laced with irritation I had never seen from him. "These are tomes of knowledge from across the multiverse. Worlds with different laws of physics, different magical systems, most of which do not go together."

He took a deep breath, his gaze hardening. "Some of these books," he continued, "are imbued with power beyond your current comprehension. Demi-divine texts, even a few actual divine tomes. Merging them haphazardly, using a device you enchanted early in your career… it wouldn't just ruin the books. It would trigger a catastrophic release of energy. An explosion that could level this entire section of my bazaar."

I stared at the enchanted box in my hand, a cold sweat breaking out on my forehead.

I had almost made a colossal mistake.

"Well, then," I said, my voice a bit shaky, "perhaps we should discuss a safer approach, shall we?"

Kasimir, his composure returning, offered a wry smile. "Indeed. Let's not tempt fate today, shall we?"

I stood up and made my way to the synthesis pot.

I found Rem sitting on a char with a pout at the front of the shop. "I look away for 20 seconds and you two walk off! Why did you leave me behind?!"

I grimaced and spoke up. "I actually thought you were following us and just being quiet. Sorry, honey."

Kasimir shrugged. "I apologize, that was my mistake, I thought you were following."

We paid the 4 High quality spirit stones and entered The room with the merged enchanting system, blacksmithing system, jewelcraft system, tailoring system, leatherworking system, and construction system compendiums ready to be used.

—

Two years spent within the time-dilated confines of Kasimir's multi-disciplinary crafting chamber. 

Two years of relentless learning, experimentation, and creation, fueled by the 1000-hour amulets and a shared passion for pushing the boundaries of our abilities.

We emerged from the chamber transformed, our skills honed to a razor-sharp edge, our understanding of crafting expanded beyond anything we had ever imagined.

I wore a suit, the finest black fabric I could weave, its threads infused with enchanted spider silk, granting it a durability that bordered on the indestructible. 

The suit itself was a masterpiece of tailoring, its lines sleek and elegant, its fit impeccable.

But beneath its stylish exterior lay a pocket dimension woven into the very fabric, accessible only to me and Rem, a repository of enchanted objects, weapons, and the necessities of our daily lives.

My engagement ring, once a simple band of Void-obsidian, now had a surface etched with runes that amplified my chi and chi training, enhanced my Nen and Nen training, and granted me a danger sense that reacted a full three seconds before I did. 

Rem's ring, a radiant Grand star-sapphire, mirrored its enchantments, granting her the same access and power.

Rem, beside me, was a vision of elegance. She wore a kimono, its silken fabric a breathtaking blend of white over her shoulders and to her stomach and starry night black at the legs and bottom, The kimono, enchanted to cling effortlessly to her shoulders, flowed gracefully around her, accentuating her slender form and framing her long, silky blue hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall of moonlight.

Kasimir, his eyes twinkling with a mixture of amusement and admiration, greeted us with a warm smile. "Welcome back, my friends," he said, his voice laced with a hint of pride. "I trust your time in the crafting chamber was productive?"

"Productive doesn't even begin to describe it," I replied, my voice laced with a quiet satisfaction. "We've learned more in the past two years than I thought possible."

He chuckled, his gaze lingering on Rem's breathtaking kimono for a moment. "Indeed. Your skills have clearly blossomed. Good work on the pocket dimension, not even I can feel what it contains."

He gestured towards the exit, the swirling vortex of energy pulsing with a familiar hum. "The world awaits, Hunters," he said, his voice laced with a hint of farewell. "Go forth and make your mark."

We stepped through the portal, the familiar surroundings of the scam shop fading behind us. 

As we emerged onto the bustling streets of Kokoroini City the same day we left it 2 years ago, I felt a surge of excitement, a sense of limitless possibility.

We were Hunters.

We were creators.

And the multiverse was our canvas.

I glanced at Rem, her smile as radiant as the star-sapphire on her finger, and felt a wave of love and gratitude wash over me.

We had faced countless challenges, overcome seemingly impossible odds, and emerged stronger than ever.

And we had done it all together.

The future was ours to shape.

"What next, love?" She asked, a radiant smile on her face.

I shrugged. "Let's go bounty hunting."