Aaron was finishing up his paperwork for Guild registration when he asked, "So, are there any other ways to acquire new abilities other than Contracts?"
"Well, first of all, Contracts are divided into three categories: Thaumaturgy, which involves the manipulation of magical energy; Alchemy, which is the transmutation of matter; and Magecraft, which involves the creation of magical constructs," the Guildmaster explained. "Most of the abilities you want to acquire fall into these three categories, such as acquiring a familiar or performing rituals. And based on your attire, I would say they would also fall under the Magecraft category."
"I see," Aaron nodded, "The more you know."
"As for your previous question about how the Hero System works," the Guildmaster scoffed, "It's a man-made thing. The Hero System is a combination of advanced technologies and magic created by some of the finest minds across the land to assist you on your journey. Great Heroes aren't always great warriors. They might also be amazing thinkers. Your Emblem contains a small Bounded Field, which connects to the central system."
"And where is this central system?" Aaron asked.
"It's on Floor Forty, the Wellspring of Knowledge," the Guildmaster replied, pointing upward. "It's the highest floor humanity has reached without further adventuring. There's a hard lock between the Fortieth and Forty-First floors."
"Why is that?"
"On the Forty-First floor, there is a Demon King, and the land is ravaged by demons. There's only one kingdom that maintains its hold against the bastion of turmoil, and most adventurers and great heroes lose all their memories on that floor. Although great Guilds want to expand, their understanding of magic and science has not progressed that far yet," the Guildmaster explained.
"What's the fastest way to get to the Forty-First floor?" Aaron asked, eager to claim it as quickly as possible.
The Guildmaster handed him his Emblem, which was specifically designed for him with a red and black color scheme and a beautiful skull signature with his greatsword driven into the middle. Super cool.
"Status," Aaron voiced, and his level, health, and mana appeared in his peripheral vision.
"Your Health is connected to your Spark, which is the amount of soul energy you have left. If your Spark is extinguished, you die. It's not a complete indication of your actual health, so don't rely on it too much, but it has been accurate for the most part," the Guildmaster explained.
"What about mana?" Aaron asked.
"Mana is the culmination of your Magical Circuits. That's much easier to tell because Magical circuits move across the entire body," the Guildmaster replied.
"Why don't I have any stats?"
"Stats are hard to calculate. It's much easier to calculate your level based on overall factors, but getting nuanced into each individual stat is hard. Other than that, the Hero System also provides you with interdimensional storage," the Guildmaster explained.
"I get it. Inventory," Aaron said, understanding.
A holographic screen appeared before him, showing his equipment.
"Nice," he said with satisfaction.
The Guildmaster smiled. "It seems you know how to use it quite well. That concludes my basic introduction to the Hero System."
Aaron extended a hand. "I totally forgot to ask your name."
"Garro," the Guildmaster replied, giving a firm handshake. "If you need anything at all, then come to me. The Kingdom provides many services, which you can find around. Blacksmithing, potion shops, anything you could need for your climb is here."
...
Aaron left the Adventurer's Guild, his first step being to acquire some potions.
Although he didn't have any money, he did have an Emblem, which meant that there should have been a bank where he could borrow money. It was only natural since adventurers needed some way to start off, right?
"Map," he said, and a map of the town appeared before him.
It was nice that basic functionalities that appeared in video games translated well here. He wondered if one of the people who made the system was also in tune with how video games worked. Most likely, because how else could they have come up with such a seamless interface?
Aaron set a checkpoint, and arrows appeared in his vision, leading him to the Viridian Bank.
Neat.
Despite the crowds of people walking about, he seemed to be able to activate passive skills or skills that improved his movement inside the Capital. It made his journey to the bank relatively hassle-free.
After several minutes, Aaron arrived at the beautiful bank, which was adorned with numerous green crystals. It was made of white marble and green limestone, but the green hue made it stand out from the other buildings in the area. The place was pretty grand.
As he stepped inside, he found that the interior of the bank was even more interesting. Green fauna and flora decorated the floors and sides of the building, with a grand glass dome that protected the inside of the bank. The dome acted as both a greenhouse and a protective layer, creating a stunning and vibrant atmosphere.
"Can I assist you with anything?" one of the bankers asked Aaron.
"What's the highest amount of currency I can borrow?" he replied.
The banker hesitated before asking to see his emblem. Aaron pulled it out, and the banker informed him he could borrow up to one thousand Green Mystcoins.
"You guys have your own currency?" Aaron asked in surprise.
The banker tilted his head in confusion. "Are you new to withdrawing funds?"
"No, I'm just new to your currency system," Aaron replied.
"Would you like a crash course?" the banker offered.
"Sure," Aaron said.
"Each Mystcoin contains a finite amount of mana. There are two parts to the coin. The golden metal is inscribed with a magical signature, telling us where it was created. Then, we have the actual crystal itself, which has been crafted to fit the coin's mold and contains a specific amount of mana based on color. The colors are Green, Blue, Purple and Orange. Ten Green Mystcoins equal one Blue Mystcoin." the banker explained.
"Ah, so basically, currency is mana crystals," Aaron said, understanding.
"Correct," the banker nodded. "Although with some regulation."
"And I'm guessing you keep the machine that inscribed the coins safely?" Aaron asked.
"That's correct," the banker replied. "We also have machines that transfer a mage's mana into crystal shards, but it's only one-tenth as potent."
"Are you limited on the mana you can transfer as a mage?" Aaron asked.
"Your only limit is how much mana poisoning you can take. Mages can only acquire a certain amount of mana per day before getting poisoned if they get too overloaded," the banker explained.
"How much can I buy exactly with one thousand of those coins?" Aaron asked.
The banker paused for a moment, considering Aaron's question. "It depends on what you're looking to purchase. Prices for goods and services vary throughout the floors, so it's hard to give you an exact amount. However, I can give you a rough estimate based on current market prices."
"Assuming you're looking to purchase equipment and supplies for adventuring, one thousand Mystcoin can get you a decent set of beginner's equipment, including weapons, armor, and potions. It can also cover your lodging expenses for a few weeks, depending on where you choose to stay."
"If you're looking to purchase more specialized or high-quality equipment, you may need to save up more. Prices for rare and powerful items can range anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of Green Mystcoin. Similarly, the cost of hiring a skilled mage or alchemist for their services can be quite steep, depending on the task at hand."
"Thank you for the information," Aaron said, nodding his understanding. "In that case, please give me a thousand of those Mystcoins. And could you also provide me with a rough idea of what the interest rates are?"
"Sure thing," the banker replied. "For someone with a high Arcane Quotient, the interest rate could be around 13-15% per annum, depending on the loan and the borrower's previous transactions."
"Okay, good to know," Aaron said, making a mental note. "And how about my interest rate?"
"Given that you are a B-rank adventurer and a first-time borrower with our bank, your interest rate would likely be around 12% per annum," the banker explained.
"Sounds fair to me," Aaron said with a nod.
"We will deposit the funds into your Emblem, and your magical signature will be required to withdraw them. However, the Hero System will automatically update your signature so you can trade with others," the banker added.
Aaron asked the banker another question, "Do you guys use fractional reserve banking?"
The banker raised his eyebrows in response, "No, we use blockchain technology."
Aaron continued, "What do you use for proof of stake? Magic crystals?"
The banker nodded and replied, "Correct. Every bank has its own storage, and we store 100% of the currency. However, each floor has limitations on what you can buy. A building on the first floor would be different from a building on the fifth floor."
Curious, Aaron asked, "Is it based on how many heroes congregate on each floor?"
The banker explained, "Since the magic can be shared through floors, the higher floors have greater access to magical crystals. This makes acquiring land on previous floors with profits from higher floors difficult to handle."
Pondering the issue, Aaron asked, "How do you fix that?"
The banker replied, "It depends on what you're buying. If you want to buy equipment found on the first floor, then it won't cost you much. However, buying land or housing is a different story. These are usually heavily regulated to average out the power of the different colored coins across all explored floors."
"How is the value of the different colored Mystcoins determined?" Aaron asked.
"The value of the different colored Mystcoins fluctuates depending on supply and demand, just like any other currency," the banker explained. "However, the amount of magical energy contained in each coin also affects its value. Coins with more powerful crystals are worth more."
"Are there any limits on the amount of different colored Mystcoins that can be created?" Aaron asked.
"Yes, there are," the banker replied. "Mystcoins are created by a process called crystal synthesis, which requires a significant amount of magical energy. The process is regulated to ensure that the total amount of different colored Mystcoins in circulation doesn't exceed the amount of magical energy available on all floors combined."
"What if I want to move money through floors? Is there a tax?"
The banker nodded, "Yes, there is a small tax for moving between floors, but it's not significant. It's typically around 1-2% of the value being transferred."
"Understood," Aaron said, nodding his head.
"If you plan on doing a lot of floor-hopping, I suggest looking into our special transfer packages. They allow for more frequent transfers at a discounted rate."
"Interesting, I'll keep that in mind," Aaron replied. "How many different colored Mystcoins can be in one floor at a time?"
"Well, there is no limit on the number of different colored Mystcoins that can be in circulation on a particular floor at any given time," the banker replied. "However, there are restrictions on the amount of different colored Mystcoins that can be used for transactions on a specific floor. These restrictions are put in place to maintain the balance of the different colored Mystcoins' value across all floors and prevent inflation. The restrictions are determined based on the demand and supply of goods and services on each floor."
Aaron chuckled, "Alright, that's all my questions."
As soon as Aaron received the money transferred to his Emblem, a tinge of excitement ran through him as he realized exactly what he wanted to do next. His first priority was to purchase some potions, but then he planned to set up a makeshift shop. If he could generate some passive income on the first floor, it would be a great start to his climb.
While he would love to join a guild, he felt that it was more important for him to start his own. After all, the saying goes, "if you want something done right, do it yourself," right?