The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 390: Becoming a member (3)

Chapter 390: Becoming a member (3)

Hex didn’t know why the Oldest Store had a rule that forced people to visit the store three different times. And you couldn’t just exit and enter right after that.

He had to spend an entire day walking around and visiting the store before he managed to fulfill the quota of having visited it three times. Of course, the three visits weren’t without results.

Once Trid regained consciousness, his father was more than happy to pay all his dues. Not only did he pay the ’spy’ the one million coins, he also gave Hex a million. According to him, the one million would help him become a member – it wasn’t hard for him to know that Hex was aiming for that with his requirement of three visits – and leave him some to buy a few more stuff.

The two million pained him, that much was clear from the creases in his forehead, but he seemed to place the worth of his son above the money.

Gaining so much from a simple task, which started because of a simple visit to the Challenger Hall, Hex felt extremely motivated. In return, he had explained in depth how and who had poisoned Trid. Unsurprisingly, it was Coralaine. She had used a Technique that had altered her body and water elements.

How she knew about Trid’s Technique and the counter plan was something Hex had no interest in. Another benefit was that he managed to leave a good impression on the Elder, who promised him more requests and help if ever needed.

The issue was the Dryad. The guy, one of the few ’daughters of Wrixia’ was clingy, unlike anyone Hex had met. His wish to learn from Hex left him stalking and chasing Hex all day long. Hex had to activate the Veil of Death multiple times, just to get rid of the guy.

...

Hex admired his collection. After completing his third visit, he had to wait before entering the Oldest Store to request his membership. In his mind, he rated the service of the store as the worst. If the place didn’t have all the things he needed, plus a lot more, he would have never returned to the place.

He sat in an Inn, inside a private room. He had placed the things he had bought on the table before him.

During his first visit, he had bought the Sun-Wielded Gauntlets. His primary fighting style involved empowering his fists or legs to punch and kick. The gauntlets would help him increase the power output and protect his hands.

The Sun-Welded part made the gauntlets fit extremely well and increased their flexibility. It also increased the damage he could wield by about ten percent. Ten percent didn’t sound like much but Hex’s physical damage rivaled the power of Transformation Stage Knights. With a ten percent added, he could even knock some weaker Transformation Stage Knights out cold in a physical brawl.

Just beside the Gauntlets, a bowl with mangos was placed. The skin was dark and the flesh squirmed. When Hex grabbed one of them, he sensed how it tried to absorb the energy from his body. A newbie Refined Knight might lose part of his energy and element without even realizing it.

Hex didn’t need the mangos. He bought them to have some explanation for his abnormal physique, to confuse anyone interested in knowing his purchases, the Tier requirement had disappeared for some reason – Hex believed it was related to an increase in demand because of the competition – and...because he wanted to taste them. He had debated buying only one but ended up buying three. He doubted one would explain his body.

It had cost him three hundred thousand Wrixian coins. A lot of money for something he didn’t actually need. But once he bit into the juicy flesh, regret left his mind. Delicious. They were damn worth the price.

The last thing he bought was the Lava Gargoyle Eye Pendant. The reason behind purchasing it was simple. He needed to buy one more thing. And none of the tier-less stuff interested him. At least the Pendant allowed him to move through landscapes rich with Earth or Fire Elements, undetected. He could use the Veil of Death but that required darkness. Another bonus the Pendant provided was that it could be used to control a stone creature, provided it was weaker than the wearer.

...

It was past midnight when Hex returned to the Oldest Store for one last time.

"Welcome back, esteemed Sir. You are one of the fastest to become a member of our store."

"Are there benefits in doing so?" Hex asked directly.

"No. But it’s an achievement nonetheless and –"

"Let’s skip it then," Hex grumbled. He had already waited an entire day before reaching this point. His patience for idle chit-chat was at a low point.

"I believe sir wished to become a member and enjoy the benefits then. The choice of rooms has increased. Would you like to adjust–"

"No need. Let’s wrap this up. And what are the benefits of each Tier?" Hex asked. He wasn’t that much in a hurry but he had to act the part.

The store skipped the introductions and proceeded with the process of becoming a member. Hex was given a medallion, the size of his thumb with the image of a winged human on it. He couldn’t discern the features of the person engraved on it.

The medallion served as proof of his membership and also acted as the portal to access the shop’s browsing option.

Aside from the medallion, he also received a thick booklet.

"The Oldest Store: All the information you will need," he read on the cover. It was too simple but he didn’t complain.

After making sure he had completed everything, he left the store. No matter how much he wished to make some purchases immediately, he refrained from doing so. All to hide any clue to the Method he was training in.

...

"I heard you saved that Prince of Sunken Isle," Sterling said the next day when Hex arrived at the dining hall. The others were looking at him with curiosity.

Hex explained briefly what happened. The ’spy’ had disappeared and luckily no one was interested in him. They were rather interested in his abilities. But Hex used his master as an excuse, which stopped the questions.

With everything taken care of for now, he waited for the competition to start.