After going through the list of items in the system store and seeing their prices, Silas felt he now understood why the system gave him the recent mission.
He knew that there was no way to be able to continuously afford the things in the system store with just rebate rewards. It felt very impractical and impossible.
Silas wanted to close the system store and go to bed but he couldn't, as he was feeling too active to do so, and the temptation to look at what could possibly be in the information section was too strong.
Few seconds later, the temptation became so strong that Silas couldn't hold himself back anymore.
Taking a deep breath, Silas decided to open the [Knowledge] section.
[Quantum Computing]
Description: Revolutionizing computation, quantum computing employs quantum bits (qubits) to process vast amounts of information simultaneously, solving complex problems at imaginable speed. Ideal for simulations, cryptography, and optimization tasks. (Cost: 500,000 SP)
[Nanotechnology]
Description: This is the manipulation of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale. The use of nanotechnology ranges from medicine, industry, military and space travel. (Cost: 400,000 SP)
[Artificial General Intelligence]
Description: Artificial intelligence systems that possess cognitive abilities, learning from experience, reasoning, and problem-solving. These systems excel in data analysis, automation, and decision-making. (Cost: 250,000 SP)
[Superconductors]
Description: A material that has no electrical resistance and magnetic flux fields are expelled from it. Such a material exhibits superconductivity. It can store electrical energy indefinitely and is capable of lossless energy transmission. (Cost: 100,000 SP)
[Terraforming]
Description: This is the process of transforming the characteristics of a planet, asteroid or any planetary body to make it habitable, including atmospheric composition, soil, weather, and flora/fauna. It is usually preceded by some form of base or habitation on the planet. (Cost: 11,600,000 SP)
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The list went on and on, and just when Silas thought things couldn't get anymore ridiculous and expensive, he saw this;
[Teleportation]
Description: This is the transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. (Cost: 1,000,000,000 SP)
****
Silas just closed the system's interface and threw his head back on the bed.
Even before getting the system, Silas has never felt so shocked. He didn't know how to react to the things he saw.
'Just the cheapest item cost $100 million and the cheapest knowledge cost $1 billion. Like how?!....'
'I really hope I can get system points from the lottery or there's no way I would be able to afford anything in the system store.'
"Phew... Time to get some sleep." Silas felt extremely tired from the events of the day. He tucked himself into bed and it didn't take long before he drifted off to sleep.
******
The next day, Silas woke up feeling very refreshed. He was no longer feeling the fatigue he felt yesterday and he felt that his mind had become clearer.
He got up from the bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up. While he was still at it, from the massive wall mirror in the bathroom, he saw that his appearance had improved greatly.
His skin has become fairer, his chest and abs now have well-defined muscles giving him a nice figure. Not just his abs, but he noticed that even his shoulders have become broader than before; his face also looks better than before.
After he was done freshening up, he put on some clothes before going downstairs to the dining area for breakfast.
When he got to the dining, he saw that his food had already been prepared and placed on the dining table. Curiously, he looked around and saw the girls busy in the kitchen.
He smiled when he saw this. He knew that the girls must have a lot of questions about what happened yesterday, but there's a problem; he has no way of explaining what happened yesterday.
Thinking of this, he let out a sigh and took his seat, and started eating. While eating, Silas noticed that his appetite had increased.
The amount of food that he would normally make him fill before, now only makes a dent in his current appetite.
Due to his increased appetite, Silas felt full only after eating twice the amount of food that he would normally eat.
After he was done eating, Silas stood up and went to the library. He did not want to continue wasting anymore time and start completing the mission that he got from the system.
He didn't want to waste anymore time as he want to start working on the new mission he got from the system. Getting to the library, he walked towards the table where he placed his laptop and took his seat, and switched on his laptop.
After his laptop was switched on, he started researching for a business that could possibly achieve an evaluation of $1 billion in a year.
After a few hours of doing his research, he was unable to find anything. His research made him feel that it was even more impossible for him to complete the mission.
After his research, Silas found out the reason why the rebate wasn't applied to the donation he made, but was applied to the research funding. The reason for this was because the donation falls under the category of gift and not expenses.
"If that's the case, why was the rebate applied to tips I gave? Is it because the money was spent together and not separately like I did for the donation?"
"Ughh... This is so confusing and tiring. I wish there's a way for me to confirm my theory."
"Maybe I should ask the system? It's already at max level, it should be able to respond now, right?"
"System?...."
[Yes, Host.]
".... You replied?..." Silas was shocked when he suddenly heard a voice in his head.
[I did.]
"Wow... I called you a number of times before but you didn't reply, why?"
[I was programmed not to respond to you until I hit max level.]
"I see. So what can you do now that you can reply?"
[I will respond to any relevant question the host has. Unnecessary questions shall be disregarded.]
"Ok, that's good enough for me. I actually do have some questions that I want to ask. The rebate, how does it work? It says that it will be applied to all expenses made by me but it was not applied when I made a donation but it was applied to the research funding."
[Just like you said, host, it was a donation. The rebate was not applied to the money because you were intentionally gifting out the money and not actually making an expense.]
"That's true but what if I buy a building, let's say an apartment building and rent it out. Will the rebate apply to the building purchase?"
[Yes, the rebate will be applied to the building purchase because it's an expense made by you.]
"I thought that the rebate won't be applied because it's actually a capital expenditure and not a personal expenses?"
[You're misunderstanding something host. It says that the rebate will be applied to any EXPENSES MADE BY HOST. The rebate won't be applied to any money the host gifts out, only expenses.]
"Ok. So, let's get this straight. The rebate will be applied to any money as long as it's not intended as a gift. Which means, as an example, if I buy a skyscraper for $1 billion, the rebate will be applied to it?"
[Yes, as long as it is you're the one making the expenses and it's not a gift, the rebate will be applied to it.]
"Wow, this actually makes things easier for me. I no longer need to worry. Thank you system."
[You're welcome host.]
"System, I have another question. When I read the description of the Gene Enhancement Serum, I saw something about it allowing a natural awakener the ability to absorb dark energy without risk of mutation or death.
What does that mean and what is this dark energy? What does it do? Can I also absorb it?"
Silas shot out multiple questions at once.