Universal Power System

The vendor was confused, as he wasn’t really saying anything interesting. He was just trying to console Nathan, who wouldn’t be able to afford the Nanite Suit Bundle, by stating how absurdly priced each individual item in the bundle actually was.

"I said... that I believe the prices are quite outrageous too," The vendor replied, unsure as to what had sparked Nathan’s change in attitude.

"No no... What did you say about that neural thingy?" Nathan asked again, this time specifying his question.

"Uhh... that the neural interface transmitter alone is worth 400 special tokens...," The vendor replied.

A huge smile appeared on Nathan’s face as he heard those words.

"That’s great! It means that the suit and the additional cartridges cost only 400 special tokens... I’ll take them!" Nathan said enthusiastically.

The Vendor couldn’t help but let out a chuckle after hearing Nathan’s brilliant workaround. Even though he was sad that Nathan wouldn’t be able to make a purchase, he couldn’t stop himself from laughing at the absurdity of Nathan’s idea.

"he he... Listen, kid... that neural transmitter is the only way to operate the nanite suit and without that the suit is nothing, you can’t control it nor use any of its functions." The vendor explained.

However, Nathan already knew this and had a unique workaround that nobody would expect and that was his Hack ability. He could use his ability to communicate with the suit directly the same way the neural transmitter would and control it far more efficiently.

After realizing that Nathan’s mind hadn’t changed about purchasing the nanite suit, the smile on the vendor’s face quickly disappeared.

"Wait... kid, are you serious?" The vendor criticized Nathan with a quizzical expression.

"Yup... a 100%," Nathan replied.

"I don’t know what you’re planning kid, but this suit won’t work with any other control device and it is pretty sensitive so don’t even think about trying to work on it yourself," The vendor said trying to persuade Nathan to not a make a stupid mistake.

"Listen, man... I know what I am doing. I can use the suit without the neural transmitter and that’s all that matters to me. Please stop wasting my time and approve the purchase already," Nathan said now clearly annoyed by the vendor’s presistance.

The vendor was left speechless at Nathan’s confidence.

On one hand, he was genuinely concerned for Nathan as using the bare suit as armor was a dumb purchase as that was all it was without the neural transmitter that would allow him to access all of its controls and functions. There were some very strong and powerful armor pieces still available that would cost less than the nanite suit and would more greatly help Nathan.

However, on the other hand, the vendor hadn’t been able to make a single sale the entire day, which his boss would most definitely not have been impressed with. His lackluster sales skills would likely result in him getting fired...

So choosing between continuing to help and persuading Nathan to make the smart choice or finally making his first sale of the day, the vendor chose...

*

*

*

"Pleasure doing business with ya, kid... *Have fun with your unusable suit*," The vendor said as Nathan finished his purchase.

Happy with his purchase, Nathan left the stall to now scout the best support items that he could buy with his remaining 100 special tokens which would further help him during the special test.

*******************

Lastly, there was Isabella...

Having three elemental abilities, she was quite set in the ability department; however, she was severely lacking in the armor and weapons department; which was critical for her to be able to perform well during the special test.

She was quite impressed with Mako’s intelligence as he calculated all of the various items they would need to survive while they were on their test planets and still left them with a considerable amount of tokens to spend on personal items.

Isabella was a decent fighter evidenced by the time she was able to maintain her own against the storm of robots on the very first day at the military school so she wasn’t in dire need of overpowered armor pieces or weapons to help her fight beasts.

With limited credits, Isabella had very few options when it came to buying armor sets as they were all priced almost or completely out of her range.

It would have been nice to buy a complete armor set as it usually came with added stat and skill bonus for wearing the whole set but out of the ones that she could afford, none were looking too good for her.

In the end, she gave up and decided to buy individual pieces of armor. Even though the pieces wouldn’t grant any additional bonuses, they still offered great stats and two of them even had an active skill which was quite handy to have.

After blowing through 330 special tokens on armor, she only had 170 left to spend on a decent weapon.

The weapon that she had chosen in her power weapons class were dual batons which were lightweight, blunt, and very versatile.

She had accumulated a great amount of experience using them in her classes and was quite happy with her choice even though she had picked them because of a dare from her friends.

They acted as an extension of her body during close combat and she had become quite comfortable with them under the guidance of Magnus.

However, Isabella always felt that something was missing. Despite her talent with the batons, she frequently found herself overanalyzing her movements, pinpointing flaws that seemed inherent to the weapon itself.

For example, by extending her arm forward to strike an opponent with her blunt batons, she was wide open for any attack that could come from the flanks and since the baton was a blunt weapon, there was less risk of a critical injury, enticing the opponent to find those weaknesses and counter instead of retreating.

These weaknesses made her question whether the baton was truly the right weapon for her which was why she was now searching for a new weapon. She wasn’t really a fan of bladed weapons so she was in search of something that was just as lethal but wasn’t a blade.

After thoroughly scanning through the available weapon selection, Isabella found herself in a dilemma. Most lethal weapons came with blades, and while they were undeniably effective, they didn’t match her style. She needed something that provided reach, precision, and lethality without sacrificing her mobility or relying on sharp edges.

Her gaze eventually landed on something different a high-tier whip. It was sleek, flexible, and surprisingly lethal, capable of cutting through most materials when charged with the aura, yet it could also be used in a non-lethal, controlled manner. It was an uncommon weapon, not often seen in traditional combat, but one that could easily complement her agility and instincts.

She picked up the whip, its hilt buzzing slightly with untapped potential. As she examined it closer, the display panel showed the stats:

[High Tier Voidstrike Whip]

[A whip made from the crystal of a high-tier beast and reinforced void threads, perfect for precision and lethality. ]

[Active Skill: Void]

[After casting this skill, the whip covers itself in void energy. For the next minute, the whip can completely neutralize any incoming elemental attack as long as the level of the attack is lower than the level of the user’s aura. This skill has 1-hour cooldown before it can be used again.]

The whip’s active skill to be able to cancel any elemental attack was what drew her in. It would be quite handy when facing tens of beasts at a time, all having different elemental abilities.

With her three elemental abilities, she could also infuse the whip with whatever power she needed at the moment. Whether it was Earth for heavy strikes, Lightning for speed and precision, or Wind for long-range slashes. It was the versatility she had been craving, and it didn’t rely on sharp blades, staying true to her preference.

After a quick test, she knew this was the weapon she had been looking for. It would take some getting used to, but the fluidity of its movements already felt natural in her hands. Its unique combat style and her elemental abilities would make her a force to be reckoned with, especially during the upcoming special test.

With the whip in her hand and her armor pieces purchased, Isabella felt more confident. She wasn’t seeking overwhelming power like some of the others. Her strength lay in her adaptability and intelligence. The whip was just another tool to refine those strengths.

Next, she would need to train and train hard. The whip required precise handling, and with only a short time left before the special test, every second of practice would count.

The same held true for the rest of the team, as time was very precious now. They would have to train and learn to work well with one another before heading out into the field where the danger was very real.

With all six members having sorted out their gear, they would now start training every single day as all classes were off until it was time for the special test to begin.