Returning to the dormitory, Allen sat at his workbench and took out a transparent container.
Inside was exactly that grayish-black gland extracted from the body of a Shadow Demon Spider. It was about the size of an egg, its surface seemingly shrouded in a faint, intangible shadow. The spider fluid within the gland was the final puzzle piece needed for the "Spider Slayer" to complete its conceptual sublimation. But before he could use it, he had a thorny problem to solve.
Allen pulled up the project information.
[Project: Spider Slayer (Competition Edition). Current Cost Estimate: 590 Low-Level Magic Stones]
The rules of the Black Tower New Star Cup were written in black and white, making it abundantly clear: the total cost of any participating Mechanical Body could not exceed one thousand Magic Stones. This meant the remaining price margin for this crucial gland was a mere 410 stones.
