Searching through the system's shop he found many cultivation manuals and body refining techniques, but he was astonished to see that all of them were very cheap.
'Why are mana stones and so on so expensive compared to these manuals? Is it really only to shorten the time to cultivate?'
Shane was extremely confused and this was mainly because the [Tier-1 (Gold)] techniques he wanted to purchase were cheap, compared to the resources he had to accumulate to create a flawless physique.
With his 596 gold coins, he initially thought that he could at most purchase one [Tier-1 (Gold)] manual. But he had completely forgotten that he had only paid 35-60 gold coins for his [TIer-1 (Bronze)] techniques. Now that he thought about it, he clearly remembered the price for all cultivation resources and the [Mortal-(Mythic)] perfect body refining manual to be 500 gold coins.
The [Tier-1 (Gold)] mana purifying manual to reach a purity of 30% was priced at 120 gold coins. However, Shane didn't want to reach a mana purity of 30% for now as it could disqualify him from accomplishing or even requesting the [Apprentice-(Mythic)] mission.
As such, he purchased a mana purifying manual with a mana purity of 28% for 100 gold coins while the [Tier-1 (Gold)] mana gathering technique was also priced at 100 gold coins.
The only more expensive manual was the [Tier-1(Gold)] body refining manual for 150 gold coins.
He purchased all of them at once, for which he had to shell out 350 gold coins. It was a huge sum for everybody else, except Shane. Though, that didn't make him feel any better because he was a close-fisted youth.
"WHAT?" He exclaimed furiously, as he saw the manuals appear within his spatial ring.
"Why is being perfect so expensive?!!?" He mumbled to himself, and his voice echoed through the cave, bouncing off the walls before it died away. He took out the three manuals gloomily in order to learn them.
As he began learning the three manuals, they slowly dissipated while a vast stream of information appeared in his memory. It would have normally motivated him, but not today.
'While others can enter the expert rank with the same amount of gold coins, I have to use them to establish a perfect Mortal Physique.
What could others accomplish with the funds I need to construct a flawless foundation?' He began to estimate, with a crestfallen face, as he picked up his pickaxe.
He shook his head in disappointment when he reached a figure and had a sudden urge to check the price of the [Tier-2 (Gold)] mana purifying technique with a purity of 60% within the system's shop.
In the end, a [Tier-2 (Gold)] mana purifying technique was the best technique one could obtain without completing missions or meeting other requirements. This was the reason for most parents to purchase it for their children as the first thing when they entered the Primordial Dimensions.
Shane didn't have this support, but that was not a problem. Accumulating funds was the least of his worries. He knew he was stalling but Shane gave in to the impulse and checked the price for the 60% mana purity technique.
[Tier-2 (Gold)] mana purifying technique [60%]=1000 gold coins
'Should I cry now or be happy about this?'
Even the price for the [Mortal-(Extraordinary] Beast sealing card with the [soul connection] effect was almost as expensive as the costliest mana purifying technique without any other requirement, leading Shane to feel more depressed.
Sighing deeply, Shane decided that he would purchase the [Tier-2 (Gold)] mana purifying technique soon.
After that, he might have some peace for some time, without anything reminding him of the unfairness he had been subjected to by paying astronomical prices for almost everything…
Facing reality was not easy for Shane. Instead of waiting for the merchant to message him back, he would rather mine more crystals in order to increase his fortune further, only for the gold coins to vanish once again when new cultivation resources would be required.
Sighing deeply, he cursed himself for researching the prices for his future cultivation resources, which hurt his heart, soul, and entire being more than expected.
"F**k this bulls**t!! If a flawless body is not essentially stronger than a flawed physique I want a refund!!!" Shane kept mumbling and he felt like he was about to go insane, as he swung his pickaxe at the crystals, simultaneously releasing his anger.
Hours passed until his anger subsided and Shane smiled faintly to see a mountain of resources within his spatial ring that seemed even higher than the previous one.
He completely lost track of time and didn't even glance at the system's clock, while something else attracted his attention.
The merchant he had messaged about the goods he required, sent him the cultivation resources and Shane had to ponder with what he should begin now.
'In the end, everything comes back to my physique! Once I reach a perfect mortal physique, I can rush through the Apprentice stage!!'
Creating a flawless physique took the longest and it was the most reasonable thing to do for the next few days. Thus, he decided to do the same while mining mana and elemental crystals in order to supply Umbra with more and earn more funds.
He was confident that his last purchase would be enough for the first step he had to accomplish. The rest of the steps could easily be rushed with a high mana purity, while a flawed physique could barely be labeled as a problem.
For now, he didn't seem to have any financial issues, because he had gained quite a lot of funds in the past few hours. Shane was confident to reach a high mana purity soon enough, once his physique was flawless.
'I can't think too negatively!! My flawless physique will bring me many benefits and even with a perfect 5th Mortal physique I already feel much stronger compared to before! THINK POSITIVE YOU IDIOT!!' Shane cursed himself in order to increase his rapidly declining motivation, as he took a basin out of his spatial ring, which he filled with water.
After that, he dissolved two [Mortal-(Extraordinary)] solutions inside the water, before he placed a few [Tier-1 (Trash)] mana stones around it.
Taking off his clothes, Shane slowly descended into the water, before he activated his [Mortal-(Mythic)] body refining technique. It greedily absorbed the nutrition inside the water and the mana around him, without caring about its origin.
He shuddered as the technique took its effect and he wasn't sure if his body could handle everything right now. Despite the pain, Shane decided to face it at once, without trying to slow down the entire process like before.
With his pores widened and black blood oozing out of them, Shane looked like the reincarnation of a devil, as his eyes turned bloodshot.
Without knowing why, a few words suddenly appeared in his mind, as he said
"Just wait everyone!! Even If I take longer to ascend, trash will remain trash, while a diamond has to be polished in order to show its true value!!"
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