After returning from the Training hall, most students dispersed into the school grounds, determined to explore what it offers.
After all, an institution funded by the Pegasus Empire couldn't be plain and unremarkable.
Among these was Kaiser who walked straight towards the Violet Mall. This was noted as the biggest trading center in the academy. The building stood tall in all its glory as several adverts ranging from basic amenities to sophisticated weapons decorated it.
Entering, Kaiser could not help but be amazed by the vast amount of shadows around, signifying the quantity of items within.
"This is just the first floor..." With a calm whisper, he explored each section. The grocery store had over a hundred thousand different commodities to offer with each and every product tempting in it's own way.
A few fools splurged their allowances on anything that caught their eyes, earning a sigh from Kaiser. His eyes dimmed as he realized that there was an attraction rune hidden within the store. It's effect, though subtle, influenced the students to purchase whatever they find interesting.
'Hmm.'
Closing his eyes, he heightened his senses, feeling the soft shift of essence in the surrounding. A faint unnatural pulse attracted his attention as he traced it up to the CCTV camera which was staring directly at him. He gave it a dull look before turning away and moving to another section.
The next one was an accessory store with beautiful products ranging from earrings made from rare and precious metals in the Nirad Realm, to bracelets formed from the bones of Nirad Creatures.
A lot of girls were in this section, most of them admiring them rather than buying because of the expensive cost.
'The enchantment is absent here.'
Observing closely, he realized that majority of those here were upperclassmen, people more sensitive to essence flow.
'They would have noticed.'
With a last fleeting glance at a particular bracelet, he left to the last section/floor.
The Item Store.
Even before he entered, he could feel the vast and overwhelming presences within. The inside was made like a museum, it's items contained in transparent glass. Kaiser's eyes roamed around, taking in the designs and aura of both man-made and System-made weapons and armors.
An armor to his left looked like it was made of marble, being exquisite from it's look.
"Would you like a tour?" A middle aged man walked up to him and asked.
Kaiser simply nodded in reply, and the man smiled.
"This..." The man said, pointing at a dark green blade with a single jagged edge "...was a reward from the system to one of our former expedition group who conquered a Nirad gate of the Evolved Rank."
'An evolved, no wonder it's emitting so much essence.' Kaiser realized, his eyes glinting faintly.
"Quite a heavy feat isn't it?"
"Hmm." Kaiser nodded in acknowledgement.
'Conquering an Evolved gate as Awakened, indeed this school is quite interesting.'
No wonder it was ranked as one of the top three Awakened Academy in the world despite its late start.
Moving forward, the man pointed at a white scarf that seemed to suspend itself in the air. "That's a support type item. It was crafted by the House of Valor a few months ago. It's helpful in generating body heat in extremely cold weather, also, it can heal a few minor injuries and one major injury before the enchantment goes dormant."
'That could be quite useful.' Kaiser noted.
"It's price is 12,000 points" the man added.
Kaiser's eyes twitched slightly at the price but he only hummed as they advanced.
"This armor..." Gesturing at a dull brown leather armor, the man said with a solemn look, "...is a cursed artifact. Every time a student buys it, it helps them tremendously for a year before they suddenly die during battle but it has always returned to this place again and again. It's so powerful it can make a Rank 1 Awakened kill a Warrior Nightmare. Its origins are also unknown but its effectiveness has made it a hot commodity so it's price is 500,000 points."
'That's ominous...'
Kaiser activated his first Soul Trait [Keen Insight] and stared at the armor again. Only, this time its components and innards were visible with the runes glowing red.
'It's a consumer. It devours a human's lifespan in exchange for more power.' Realizing that, he couldn't help but be intruiged by the craftsmanship.
"So let's move on..."
Following the man, he explored countless artifacts and weapons for an entire hour, expanding his knowledge of how vast the resources of the institution was.
"Feel free to come by when you decide on what to buy." The man said as Kaiser left with a hum in response.
"Does that guy even speak?" He mumbled as he returned to his spot.
...
Kaiser meanwhile, returned to the first floor to buy the basic things he needed and a bit of food supplies. Although he wasn't used to being thrifty, he decided to be so for now.
As he was paying at the counter, he spotted someone familiar.
Hazel Kane.
And it seemed she spotted him too.
"Tch. This is surely an unpleasant surprise."
Kaiser tilted his head, perplexed.
'Unpleasant?'
"I didn't know you were a thrifty spender. I thought you were like those fools."
She said coldly, unbothered if her words had hurt him.
Kaiser didn't react much, only glancing at her own basket.
"You're worse. You even picked free items. How laughable."
Hearing the sarcasm in his voice, Hazel's eyes twitched.
"You cannot compare yourself to me. I know what I'm doing."
As soon as she uttered such prideful words, Kaiser immediately lost interest.
'She's a naive and prideful girl. Cute, but unpleasant.'
After all, although her attitude left a bad impression, she was relatively beautiful. Unconsciously, his gaze drifted to her chest.
'I wonder... it seems like a C-Cup, right?'
"You. Are you thinking something rude?"
Her tone sharpened, seemingly sensing his naughty gaze and thoughts.
However, Kaiser was right. She possessed a modest bust, perfectly in harmony with her regal poise.
'What am I even thinking?'
Exasperated, Kaiser facepalmed, then ignored her after paying for the purchased goods.