After finalizing their choices, the group gathered together and began making their way toward the exit of the store.
"Before you leave," Amy said suddenly, stopping them near the corridor junction, "make sure to check out your books at the counter near the entrance."
She then turned to Rohit.
With a flick of her wrist, a small, dark storage bag appeared in her hand. She tossed it to him.
Rohit caught it reflexively.
"There's fifty thousand gold inside," Amy said casually. "This is your financial support for the first floor. Use it however you see fit."
Rohit froze.
"…Fifty thousand?" he repeated, thinking he'd misheard.
Amy nodded. "After you reach the second floor, you'll receive another bag."
The weight of her words settled in.
Then her tone sharpened.
"I've fulfilled my end of the contract," she continued calmly. "You are required to report your progress once every year. Fail to do so—"
Her eyes met Rohit's.
"—and you will face the consequences."
Rohit swallowed hard and nodded. "I-I understand."
He tightened his grip on the bag, still stunned by its value.
The others weren't faring much better.
"That's… an absurd amount of gold," Tim muttered under his breath.
Raya glanced at the bag, then at Rohit. "Don't waste it."
Divya exhaled slowly. "This really is a contract backed by a god…"
Amy turned away. "See that you survive long enough to make it worth the investment."
With that, she left them.
The group walked in silence for a moment before finally reaching the entrance of the store.
At the front sat a long counter made of pale stone.
When they had first entered the store, none of them had noticed the counter at all. Their eyes had been completely stolen by the grandeur of the place—the towering shelves that seemed to touch the ceiling, the countless glowing tomes, and the overwhelming aura of power lingering in the air. Compared to all that, the counter near the entrance had faded into insignificance.
Now, standing before it, they finally saw it clearly.
A long counter made of pale stone stretched across the entrance. Behind it stood a man in simple, unadorned robes, his expression calm and indifferent, as if nothing in the world could surprise him anymore. One by one, customers stepped forward.
Each time a book was placed on the counter, it emitted a faint glow as the man ran his hand over it. Strange runes flickered briefly in the air, confirming the transaction. Once the payment was complete, the glow faded, and the book was calmly returned to its owner—no longer a mere item for sale, but a bound possession.
The man slid the books back across the counter without a word.
"…Guess this is it," Rohit said quietly.
Arjun nodded. "Let's go".
They stood behind the counter, waiting to buy their books. The line moved slowly, and they waited for some time before it was finally their turn.
When they stepped forward, they placed the books on the counter.
"This is our first time here," Arjun said. "We're using our free pass on these books."
The man behind the counter nodded calmly.
"Place your hand on the circle."
Only then did they notice a small circular marking carved into the counter, about fifteen centimeters in radius. Arjun placed his hand on it first. A faint light flashed beneath his palm. One by one, everyone did the same.
When the last person finished, the man returned the books to them.
"Please come again," he said.
As they gathered their purchases, Arjun paused.
"Is there any book that contains information about the Tower itself?"
Without a word, the man reached beneath the counter and placed another book on the surface. It was plain, without any decoration, but extremely thick. On its cover, a single number was etched:1
"Five hundred gold," the man said.
Everyone was stunned by the price.
"Five hundred…?" someone whispered.
They were about to refuse when Rohit suddenly spoke.
"I'll handle it."
Ignoring their shocked looks, he took out a storage bag and placed it on the counter.
"Put the money into this bag," he said, then placed his hand on the circle.
Rohit did exactly as instructed. The man placed the storage bag onto another circle beside the first. A glowing number—500—appeared briefly before disappearing. The man then picked up the bag and handed it back.
Finally, he gave the thick book to Rohit.
They carefully stored the book in their storage bag and, without lingering any longer, left the store together.
Outside the store, the streets were bustling with noise and movement. Adventurers, merchants, and wanderers filled the area, their voices overlapping in a constant hum.
They decided to head toward the blacksmith's shop to collect Tim's equipment.
As they walked, Rohit suddenly spoke up.
"Now that we have money, why don't we buy the best gear available?"
Everyone hesitated.
Divya was the first to respond.
"That's your money. We can't just use it."
Rohit smiled and shook his head.
"Just return it after you earn more. Consider it a loan."
They exchanged uncertain glances. After a moment of hesitation, they finally agreed.
They hadn't gone far when the system's voice echoed through the streets.
[IN 2 MINUTES, A TEMPORARY TOWER ADMIN WILL BE SELECTED.]
A countdown appeared in the air, blinking red.
More than half the people on the street froze where they stood.
The same happened to their group. Silence fell as all eyes were drawn to the ticking timer.
As the timer continued to count down, the surroundings slowly came back to life.
Whispers spread through the street, then grew into loud discussions. Everywhere they looked, people were talking about the announcement—about the temporary admin, their authority, and how powerful they might be.
"Admin? That means control over the Tower systems, right?" someone muttered nervously.
Another scoffed. "Whoever it is will definitely be strong."
Not far from them, a man laughed loudly, clearly enjoying the attention.
"Hah! It's obviously going to be me," he boasted. "I'm already Level 4. Who else here can match that?"
A few nearby adventurers looked at him with shock, others with envy.
Level 4.
The number alone was enough to make people uneasy.
Arjun's group exchanged glances, the weight of the countdown pressing down on them as the red timer continued to tick closer to zero.