Episode 3
#3
The moment I heard Noah’s words, the first thing that came to mind was food.
On top of not having eaten anything for three days, I had just run with all my might because of that monster, so my body had reached the point where no more strength would enter it.
‘I’m sure…… you said that was the dining hall over there, right?’
My gaze turned toward the semicircular building.
According to Noah’s words, she had definitely said that was the dining hall.
If so, there should be something to eat.
I immediately trudged toward the dining hall with powerless steps.
Soon, upon entering the dining hall, I couldn’t help but open my eyes wide.
“This is…… the dining hall?”
The dining hall Noah described boasted a considerably large size.
Tables were arranged in a row, and right beside them was something like a restaurant kitchen.
What should I call it…… It was just unnecessarily spacious.
I was the only one here anyway, yet there were so many tables and even a kitchen…….
But if there’s a kitchen, could it be that I have to make the food myself?
No, more than that, I need water right now.
I immediately asked Noah.
“Noah, is there any water here?”
[Yes, Master. Water can be purchased with Points. Generating list.]
{Purchase}
[Bottled Water 5 Points]
[Americano 300 Points]
[Orange Juice 200 Points]
[Apple 20 Points]
[Pear 30 Points]
[Potato 10 Points]
.
.
.
Along with those words, a list related to food appeared before my eyes.
I didn’t know what principle it worked on, but without hesitation, I purchased the bottled water first.
The moment I purchased the bottled water, about 500ml of bottled water was summoned into my palm.
My pupils widened greatly in an instant, and I immediately opened the cap and gulped the water down my throat.
“Whew…… I thought I was going to die.”
I thought I was going to die of thirst.
Feeling it was a bit insufficient, I bought one more water, quenched my thirst, and looked over the list.
Although it was called a dining hall, the list didn’t sell food, only simple seasonings and ingredients.
I asked Noah with a puzzled expression.
“Do I have to make the food myself here?”
[That is correct.]
I had thought it was strange there was a kitchen, and as expected, it seemed I had to make it myself.
‘Still, that’s a relief.’
Should I say that fortune was smiling upon me…….
Who would have thought that a pack of Predathons would suddenly smash their heads against the barrier and die.
Thanks to that, Points came in and I survived.
I purchased a few simple fruits, and while eating them, slowly came out of the dining hall.
-Kieeeek!!
-Kyaaah!!
-Kieeeek!!
When I came outside the dining hall, the remaining four Predathons were still howling ferociously and smashing their heads against the transparent barrier.
I asked Noah with a slightly anxious expression.
“That barrier…… it won’t break, right?”
[It possesses durability capable of withstanding the strength of a 4th-grade demonic beast. Currently, there is no chance of the protective barrier breaking.]
That was truly fortunate, but the situation had returned to square one.
Thankfully, three Predathons had smashed their heads and earned me Points, but there was no telling how long I could last with these Points.
While I was thinking such thoughts, Noah opened her mouth.
[Master. I recommend the production of the management robot, Tia.]
“Tia? What’s that now?”
[It is a robot in charge of the management and protection of Sky Island. Capable of combat including cooking, it can hunt demonic beasts approaching Sky Island.]
A robot? It can hunt?
At Noah’s words, my gaze turned toward the pack of Predathons still throwing themselves against the transparent barrier even now.
Then that robot could hunt those demonic beasts?
“Hmm…… all right.”
My deliberation wasn’t very long.
The fact that it could hunt demonic beasts was also the only means to earn Points in my current situation.
I spoke to Noah.
“Got it. I’ll buy it.”
[Generating list related to robot production.]
Along with Noah’s words, a list related to robots was created before my eyes.
{Purchase}
[Management Robot Tia 5,000 Points]
[Combat Robot Alt 20,000 Points]
[Sky Combat Robot Eria 40,000 Points]
[Sky Combat Robot Meradon 90,000 Points]
.
.
.
But Tia wasn’t the only robot.
Alt, Eria, Meradon…….
I didn’t know what they were, but there were other robots boasting considerable prices as well.
And when I scrolled down the list, it seemed there were other robots too…….
[Locked (Cannot be purchased.)]
[Locked (Cannot be purchased.)]
[Locked (Cannot be purchased.)]
[Locked (Cannot be purchased.)]
For some reason, they were locked and couldn’t be purchased.
Well, anyway, Tia was the priority for now.
The Points I currently possessed were 5,500 Points.
Purchasing Tia would leave only 500 Points, but I decided to trust Noah’s words.
If Noah’s words were true, the produced Tia would hunt the remaining Predathons smashing their heads against that barrier.
Without hesitation, I purchased Tia first.
Soon, the moment I purchased Tia, a notification window I was seeing for the first time appeared.
[Beginning production of autonomous management robot, Tia.]
[Production time required (01:00:00)]
[5,000 Points will be consumed.]
Production time required?
It seemed robot production required time, after all.
Just as I thought that, Noah’s explanation continued.
[Production of items including robots takes place in the Workshop. Depending on the robot and item being produced, there is a required amount of time. In Tia’s case, 1 hour is consumed.]
“Ah, I see…….”
I had been acting according to the flow of things, but thinking about it again, this was a truly strange place.
Was this really a skill?
To think a single skill contained such bizarre and extraordinary functions.
In the first place, the fact that summoning an entire island was a skill made even less sense.
[Master, if it is alright, may I begin the guide to Sky Island?]
“A guide?”
[Yes, that is correct. It seems Master still lacks sufficient understanding of Sky Island, hence why I ask.]
It was true that there were many functions of this Sky Island that I didn’t know.
Since Tia’s production would take an hour, it wouldn’t be bad to learn about Sky Island in the meantime.
I answered Noah.
“Yeah, guide me.”
[Yes, understood. Then I shall begin the guide to the Workshop first. Please head toward the Workshop.]
At those words, I headed toward the pyramid-shaped building that appeared to be the Workshop.
* * *
The interior of the Workshop was emptier than I had thought.
It was merely spacious, and aside from some wide white table visible in the center, there was nothing to see.
I headed toward the table visible in the center for now.
Soon, Noah’s words continued.
[The table currently visible before Master is the Workshop’s workbench. Please place your hand on the workbench.]
I placed my hand on the workbench as Noah instructed for now.
In that instant, a notification window appeared before my eyes.
[Please select a production method.]
(Shop Purchase / Customization)
Shop Purchase? Customization?
I asked Noah with a puzzled expression at the appeared notification window.
“Noah, what are Shop Purchase and Customization?”
[Shop Purchase is a method where weapons are produced based on existing blueprints and purchased with Points, while Customization is a method where production begins based on the weapon or accessory form desired by Master. Furthermore, Shop Purchase can generate a list from any desired location without needing to come to the Workshop, whereas Customization is only possible at the workbench.]
“Aha…… I see. Then is Tia also produced here?”
[That is correct. Furthermore, while the list sold in ‘Shop Purchase’ can be generated anywhere you wish, since the production location is the Workshop, you must come directly to the Workshop to retrieve the items. The dining hall is the same in that regard.]
Hmm…… in other words, it seemed produced items weren’t summoned directly in front of me.
I had to personally retrieve the finished goods…….
But more than that, Shop Purchase?
Could it be what I know?
I checked the Shop Purchase list with a puzzled expression.
In that moment, my pupils widened greatly.
{Purchase}
[Dagger 100 Points]
[Longsword 500 Points]
[Mana Dagger 500 Points]
[Mana Longsword 1,000 Points]
[Mana Pistol 1,500 Points]
[Mana Rifle 3,000 Points]
[Elemental Sword 2,000 Points]
[Elemental Magic Revolver Blue Shot 4,000 Points]
.
.
.
My mouth opened involuntarily.
“No, why is this here…….”
Why is this here?
If my thoughts were correct, this was definitely the Shop System.
The Shop System created on the 10th day of the Cataclysm.
The Shop System that the Constellations opened for those who survived for 10 days.
But how is that Shop System here?
No, looking closely, there were other items besides those sold in the Shop System.
Wait? The prices even seemed cheaper than the Shop System?
No matter what, admiration was bound to come out involuntarily.
“Wow…….”
Only then could I feel the greatness of this Sky Island.
It certainly is an EX-grade skill…….
Who would have thought there would be a shop.
I could tell that the protective barrier I had seen earlier was merely a taste of things to come.
While I was briefly marveling, Noah’s words continued.
[Master, may I continue the guide?]
“Huh? Ah, y-yeah.”
[Please head to the Tower of Enhancement next.]
Tower of Enhancement?
It was definitely referring to that building shaped like a tower, right?
I headed toward the tower-shaped building right beside the Workshop according to Noah’s words.
“It’s spacious.”
The interior of the Tower of Enhancement was wider than expected.
Well, from the outside alone, it was an especially massive building compared to the others.
As I briefly looked around, Noah’s words continued.
[The Tower of Enhancement is a space designed to help with Master’s combat experience and stat improvements. It is possible to conduct combat training by summoning virtual demonic beasts, and possible to strengthen stats by paying Points.]
“S-stat strengthening is possible?”
No, that’s possible?
The ways I knew to strengthen stats were largely divided into three.
One was a method of raising stats by overexerting the body through combat with demonic beasts, and one was a method of raising stats through level-ups while overexerting the body.
The last one was a method of strengthening stats with items, but I never thought I’d be able to simply strengthen stats with Points without such processes.
‘Just what kind of place is this?’
No matter how much this was my skill, I couldn’t fathom what kind of place this was.
Wait? If stat strengthening is possible, couldn’t level-ups be possible too?
I immediately asked Noah.
“Then is it possible to level up by paying Points too?”
Honestly speaking, strengthening stats through level-ups was more efficient than raising individual stats by paying Points.
Noah answered my question.
[The level strengthening function does not exist. Furthermore, even if you summon and defeat virtual demonic beasts, your level will not rise, so please take note.]
It seemed there were no functions related to levels in this Tower of Enhancement at all.
Since they said defeating summoned demonic beasts wouldn’t result in level-ups.
Well, according to Noah, they were virtual demonic beasts, so perhaps that was only natural.
Then that means all stat strengthening except levels is possible?
Huh? Does that mean?
“Is it possible to strengthen the Divine Power stat too?”
Divine Power is a power that bestows divine attributes onto the human body in the Myeolsokhoe.
It was also a stat that I couldn’t raise beyond 3 even in the game.
That was how difficult the process of raising the Divine Power stat was.
I waited for Noah’s words with momentarily expectant eyes.
And the next moment.
[It is possible.]
“I-it’s possible?!”
I couldn’t help but be surprised at Noah’s answer.
I had thought maybe, but never that this would be possible…….
It was such a huge advantage that it wouldn’t matter even if leveling up didn’t work.
To think that arduous process of raising the Divine Power stat could be resolved with mere Points.
[However, with Master’s current Points, Divine Power stat strengthening is impossible.]
“Ah…… how much is needed to strengthen it?”
[1,000,000 Points are needed to strengthen Divine Power.]
One million…….
Honestly, it was a somewhat hard-to-fathom number, but I understood.
If it was the Divine Power stat, it seemed worthy of that value.
In the first place, the very possibility of being able to raise it with Points was a gain in itself.
[Master, may I begin the next guide?]
“Huh? Ah, yeah.”
[Proceeding with the guide. Please head to the Control Room.]
I exited the Tower of Enhancement and headed toward the Control Room according to Noah’s words.