Chapter 23: Inventory
Ini and Arike returned to the guild, heading straight to Ini's sub-penthouse. As they entered, Temi received a notice from her mentee, Omotola, and immediately made her way to Ini's residence. She arrived with a tablet in hand and rang the doorbell. After receiving permission, she entered to find Ini seated and Arike standing behind him.
Temi greeted them and began, "Without a doubt, you hold the highest merit in the colossal raid. The total number of beasts killed is three hundred and fifty-seven, excluding the boss. The fifty-seven would be shared amongst the clean-up crew, while you'll get the remaining three hundred." She paused, then asked, "Do you have any problems with this?"
Ini nodded thoughtfully before speaking, "I feel bad taking all the merits; it wasn't intentional. I was just trying to reduce the odds as the team seemed scared. I'll take 200." Temi felt a wave of relief wash over her; Ini wasn't being greedy, which was a welcome surprise. She replied, " They were scared because that was an abnormal number for collosals. Even though they were low ranks, they would only be fifty to hundred but that was over three fifty. I'll let them know they're getting a bonus. They'll be thrilled. But I have to tell you, ten percent of all merits belongs to the guild."
Ini nodded in agreement, and Temi continued, "That leaves you with one hundred and eighty magic cores. The remainder is to be shared between the guild and the government. Since the cost of the core is twice that of all the useful parts combined, I think it's fair." Ini interjected, "Could you just convert it into money for me?"
Temi smiled, "Since you want that, it means you want to sell it to the guild. One C-rank core is worth one million naira. You have one hundred and eighty, that's one hundred and eighty million. Now, the boss is a B-rank, and you get all the parts of the boss, including the core. The core is worth fifty million, the fangs are quite sharp and large enough for daggers, worth ten million each. The rest of its body is just worth about seven million five hundred thousand. So, your total comes to two hundred and fifty-seven million naira. That'll be all. I'll let you know if anything comes up."
Ini expressed his gratitude with a simple "Thanks," watching as Temi departed.
As soon as Temi left, Ini turned to Arike, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "How much did you get?" he asked, referring to the merits she had earned during the colossal raid.
Arike replied, "Around four million." Ini nodded thoughtfully, his mind already racing with the implications.
"What if it was a group effort?" he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of intrigue. Arike's expression turned thoughtful as she considered the question.
"That'll depend on the S-rank leading," she replied, her voice measured. "If it's an S-rank with more close-range ability, although it won't be a challenge to them, they'll be slower, allowing us to gather more kills. But for someone with a wide-range ability like yourself, we usually get little kills."
Ini's eyes narrowed slightly as he processed Arike's words. He asked, "Explain." Arike took a deep breath before launching into a detailed explanation.
"When an S-rank with close-range abilities leads, they tend to take their time, focusing on taking down enemies one by one. This gives the rest of us a chance to catch up and take down more enemies. However, when an S-rank with wide-range abilities leads, they can take down multiple enemies at once, leaving the rest of us with fewer opportunities to earn kills."
Ini nodded thoughtfully, his mind racing with the implications. "They were all C-ranks, making it easy for those above you. All of you are A-ranks, so those with wide-range attacks should get decent kills."
Arike's expression turned wry as she replied, "You didn't give us much of a chance." Ini's eyes sparkled with amusement as he said, "Sorry for that. In return, I'll start your training."
Arike's eyes lit up with excitement as she nodded eagerly. "Could I know what powers you have?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. Ini waited for a moment before replying, his voice low and mysterious.
"In short, I have fire, mind, and space. Now, let's work on your inventory." Arike's eyes widened as she processed Ini's words, her mind racing with the implications. She wondered what kind of attack he had used in the colossal raid, and how he had managed to earn so many merits.
As Ini stood up, heading towards the gym, Arike followed closely behind. "It was a mixture of fire and space," Ini replied, answering her unspoken question. Arike's eyes sparkled with excitement as she asked, "If you can use both to that capacity, it means you have high mastery over them."
Ini nodded, his expression serious. "I do. I only used too much power because I'm used to going all out." Arike nodded thoughtfully, her mind racing with the implications.
As they entered the gym, Ini turned to Arike, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What ways do you use your lightning?" he asked, his voice tinged with interest. Arike replied, "As a projectile, and maybe to distort the enemy."
Ini's expression turned thoughtful as he nodded. "You're limiting your powers, only using it in just two ways. The first training would be to increase your inventory and attacks, which will make you better and have a better chance of survival."
Arike's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked, "How?" Ini's smile grew wider as he replied, "Have you ever thought of materializing your lightning?" Arike's face scrunched up in confusion, and she shook her head, indicating she didn't understand.
Ini's smile never wavered as he raised his hand. A small line of fire formed, taking the shape of a rope. Arike's eyes widened in shock as Ini used the fiery rope to retrieve one of his swords from its sheath, attached to a mannequin wearing his suit.
"Since we can control every bit of the element, it makes it like our little helper," Ini explained, his voice low and soothing. "Don't forget, it's fire, and it burns. If it was a beast, it would either be screaming or have its limbs cut off." Arike nodded intently, her eyes fixed on the fiery rope as it dissipated into thin air.
Ini's smile grew softer, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "This is just one of many skills I'll teach you," he promised. Arike's determination was palpable as she nodded her head, her voice firm. "I'll do what it takes."
Ini's smile faltered for a moment, and he gazed at Arike with an unreadable expression. Then, his mask slipped back into place, and he smiled lightly, his eyes glinting with amusement.