Ideally, when given the choice, one should prioritize survival.

But had that been the case, then it would’ve been best if D-29 hadn’t shown its Host the shopping cart.

Yes.

The shopping cart.

As in the virtual projection of a shopping basket that almost sent the money-grubber to the afterlife.

Luca froze completely.

Then, slowly, he began to crack.

Like a statue about to shatter, his expression stiffened in utter disbelief. It must have been so serious that the people around him grew concerned as he stared without moving at the list they couldn’t yet see.

But maybe it was a reasonable reaction for a total that ended up being well over a million CP. Like well OVER.

That alone was enough to make anyone pause.

Now, it would have been understandable if the list were long.

But it wasn’t.

D-29 barely had to scroll.

It just so happened that each item simply cost a fortune, and just looking at it made his mind spin.

How many chicken coops could he build with that amount?

Actually, how many pigs and revive pills would they be able to buy with this?!

The numbers kept looping in his head.

But at the same time, the list was extremely interesting and frankly tempting.

His golden eyes remained wide, fixed on the projection as if he had been hypnotized.

Seeing this, Duchess Amelia stepped forward with concern.

"Son, what’s wrong?" she asked gently. "If there’s nothing available, or if it costs too much, then don’t buy it. Even without those, we’d be able to manage."

At that, the little money-grubber suddenly snapped out of this CP-induced trance.

His mitten-covered hand, which had somehow ended up in his husband’s grasp without him noticing, twitched slightly.

Right.

This was definitely not the time to hesitate.

Yes, the numbers were terrifying.

But shouldn’t he be glad that there were actually tools and materials?

Luca took a deep breath.

"It’s alright, Mom," he said. "I was just surprised there were actually things we could buy."

It would’ve been far worse if their search had ended up with nothing.

Yes, clearly, that would’ve been worse, as looking for such things would actually be more difficult and would likely cost more.

"Are you sure?" the Duchess asked, still worried. "There are other ways. If it’s too expensive, we can earn more CP first."

She spoke softly, trying to reassure him.

But just as she did, D-29 chimed in.

"Host! The current list is based on the search for Her Grace and Theo Belgrave, using the materials they interacted with earlier. I have not yet conducted a search for the others."

"!!!"

Luca’s eyes widened.

Of course.

There may be items for everyone else, too.

How had he forgotten?

The money-grubber swallowed hard, already feeling his invisible and relatively pitiful wallet shrink.

But he steadied himself.

"Okay, p-please search again later," he said. "But for now, let everyone see this list. The Elders should check it as well."

With just himself and D-29, they could not be sure if they were choosing the right things, as they weren’t even familiar with the items on the list.

So this needed proper approval to avoid wasting resources. Therefore, Luca shared what he was seeing with everyone.

But to their surprise, Elder Wei, in particular, let out a hearty chuckle.

"OHOHOHO! This is good for starters."

He looked genuinely pleased, hands resting on his waist.

"Not all the types just yet, but definitely enough to get proper practice in," he added.

This time, the other Elders nodded along.

Elder Shen even chimed in, "I see they sell Creation Guides. I wonder how different they are from what we already know."

Only then did the others finally look at the list.

Up until that point, they had been too focused on the Elders’ reactions. Most of them were not even sure they would understand half the items anyway.

But when they looked, one thing became very clear.

The price.

Gasps erupted almost immediately.

One from a price-sensitive blonde.

Another from a certain budding pharmacist who realized that most of the items were centered around his affinity.

Creation Guides.

Nine of them.

Potion Creation Guide I to III.

Elemental Potion Creation Guide I to III.

And an even more suspicious-sounding, Condensed Potion Creation Guide I to III.

Theo’s glasses nearly slipped off his face as he jolted in place.

Then there were the essences.

About ten different types, ranging from Neutral all the way to Shadow.

That alone was shocking, but what made him freeze was the fact that each one had three grades.

And all of them were on the list.

Low-grade at 5,000 CP.

Mid-grade at 10,000 CP.

High-grade at 15,000 CP.

Each.

EACH.

Meaning that to buy all thirty variations would cost about 300,000 CP.

Theo, the poor guy, almost hyperventilated.

"How can this be more expensive than Revive pills?!" he blurted out.

The Elders exchanged looks. They had an answer for that, but couldn’t explain things until the listeners reached a point where they’d be able to literally hear the right words.

Because the truth was, once one reached a certain level, mortal death was no longer the main concern. Revive pills were simply convenient for recovery.

But essence was different.

It was foundational.

It was required for higher-level potions, pills, and abilities.

And those with high cultivation would never casually give it away.

Much less sell it.

From their point of view, 15,000 CP for high-grade essence was already a bargain.

But that was not something they could say here.

So Elder Wei simply said, "It may not be obvious now, but once you understand how these are used and how difficult they are to obtain, you’ll see why they are priced that way. This is actually quite fortunate. While we can teach you some recipes, this kind of structured progression is extremely beneficial."

Theo, however, looked like he was about to collapse.

"But 50,000 for the first volume, 100,000 for the second, and 200,000 for the third?" he said weakly. "Isn’t that too much?!"

He had already learned a bit about CP and how things were priced.

And now he was looking at something that could rival entire barns.

Nine guides.

A total of 1,050,000 CP.

For recipes he was not even sure he could understand.

His lips trembled.

He did not even dare look at Luca.

But eventually, he had to.

Slowly, he turned.

And froze.

Because Luca was not panicking.

He was smiling.

A little pale.

But smiling.

"I think we should buy it, Theo."

"Actually, we should get at least two sets of the essence," Luca added. "This is something that requires practice. And my mom will need some of it for testing."

Theo blinked.

"What?"

But Luca only smiled wider.

"Think of this as your tool," he said. "The others got their biomechas. This is yours."

Theo’s eyes widened.

He almost cried.

The cost of his education—

"This is new for everyone," Luca continued. "Right now, you’re the one pioneering it. There will be difficulties, and it will consume resources. But in the long run, I don’t think we’ll regret it."

He looked straight at Theo.

And meant every word. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Because Luca had already decided.

If it were for learning... for discovery...

Then, supporting someone who was hardworking and sincere was worth it.

Even if the numbers had far too many zeroes.

They were going to be fine.

He pressed [YES] when asked to confirm the purchase, and the rest was history