Shadow Author

It took a couple of minutes for everyone in front of me to finish paying for what they wanted before it was my turn.

Stepping up I began placing all the items I wanted to purchase on the large platform like those ahead of me had done.

The platform was slightly raised above the ground and of a decent size as it seemed like it could support anything in the store.

Placing the utensils on the platform first it lit up with a flash and then a number appeared beneath the platform under my feet.

I hadn't seen it before but now that it was being used there was a small screen where I stood that displayed the total cost of the item.

Overall I was quite impressed with the design. The platform was big enough to allow for an item to be scanned. Then the cost would be displayed below the student's feet so that no one other than them could see.

Liking the idea I began placing all my items on the platform. There were the supplies, the tent, the dive suit, the food, and other things I found interesting resting on top of it.

However, I soon realized that there wouldn't be enough space for everything. Although the platform was big it wasn't big enough to hold everything.

Finding a flaw I was slightly disappointed as it meant I had to rearrange how I placed everything so that it would fit on the platform.

However, I realized that I was the one doing it wrong and that there was no flaw.

The moment I picked something up to move it I noticed that the price on the floor didn't drop.

That meant that the cost of the item had already been secured and it didn't matter if I left the item on the platform or not.

Knowing this I started removing everything from the platform since it had already registered that I was paying for it.

While taking the last of the stuff off and putting on the items I had yet to scan, a thought crossed my mind as to how to remove an item that one didn't want after it had already been scanned.

Although I had everything I wanted if I wanted to put something back or couldn't afford it I wondered how one might go about fixing it.

Testing a hypothesis I grabbed a random idea and put it back on the platform after it had already been credited.

When I saw that the total amount decreased I knew I had found the answer.

Putting the item back on the platform the number rose another time and by this point, I had everything scanned that I wanted.

Just having to pay for everything I looked around for a place to do so. Luckily I had watched the people in front of me so I knew where to pay. Had I not seen them I would have been left in a pickle.

Doing as others had, I rested my smartwatch on the platform and I was immediately notified if I wanted to accept the purchase or not.

[Confirm payment of 132,500 credits]

I pressed accept and watched as the total amount of credits I had depleted by a large amount.

In all honesty, I did not care too much about the cost. The items I bought seemed fair in price and it wasn't like I had an attachment to them as I had when I spent SP.

SP was incredibly difficult to gather and getting large amounts stemmed from altering the novel while credits could be provided for the simplest of things.

Plus the credits weren't mine in the first place, they were Elijah's and it felt extra good knowing I was spending the money I scammed from him to benefit my life.

With everything complete, I gathered my things and left the store to head back to my dorm.

Once I got there I placed everything on the floor of the room and began sorting through them while testing out some of the items.

I made the tent first and although I didn't stake it into the ground it still held up well. The size was perfect as I had just enough room to squirm about but would still be cozy.

Once I was finished with the tent I tore it down and went through everything else I bought.

I removed some of the coverings and wrappers that gave a layer of protection to the food and held the utensils in place.

Then I tried on the dive suit to make sure it fit and boy did it. The suit was tight on my skin but allowed me to move around without any problems. Plus it outlined my toned body.

Wanting to test it out I went to the bathroom and turned on a cold shower. Once it was freezing to the touch I hopped inside expecting to feel at least a bit of chill but I was pleasantly surprised that the suit blocked all of it out.

Although the shower could only get so cold and I only spent around five minutes in it I was happy with the result. I just hoped that it would survive the harsh environment of the Black Wild Lands.

Drying off and walking back into the quarters of the room where all the supplies were laid out I went through everything and organized it.

Once I double checked that I had everything I needed I pulled out the one treasure that I bought last second.

It was an item that cost me the most as it was a staggering 100,000 credits alone but I knew it was worth it as once I saw one in real life I had to get my hands on it.

It was none other than a… spatial ring.

Like Evelyn, I now had one of my own where I could store anything I wanted inside.

Looking at the random assortment of things laying on the floor of my room I put the ring on my finger and infused a tiny amount of mana into it.

I watched as a white wisp of mana followed through it before my mind was connected to it.

Once it was set I aimed it at the pile and in the next second the messy floor was clear, all the items had vanished.