Chapter 50: Cost of a Skill

I remained silent for several moments.

The more I thought about it, the more obvious the answer became.

Vibranium wasn’t valuable simply because people were willing to pay a fortune for it.

Its price was so high because even the System considered it extraordinarily difficult to create.

If producing a single gram required one hundred million Magicules, then creating an entire kilogram would consume one hundred billion.

As for two hundred and fifty kilograms I didn’t even bother doing the math.

The number would be ridiculous.

Another thought crossed my mind.

“Research Assistant.”

“Awaiting instructions.”

“If creating Vibranium costs that much… can the operational cost be reduced?”

The Research Assistant remained silent for a moment before responding.

“Possible.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

“Affirmative. The operational efficiency of a Skill may be improved through optimization. However, optimization follows the law of diminishing returns.”

I frowned.

“Explain.”

“For example, if an inefficient Skill requires one hundred Magicules to produce one unit of output, this unit may optimize the Skill until the cost becomes ninety… then eighty-five… then seventy-eight.”

The voice paused briefly.

“Eventually, the Skill will reach its theoretical efficiency limit. Beyond that point, no further optimization is possible.”

I slowly nodded.

“So you can’t reduce one hundred million Magicules to one million.”

“Negative. Such optimization exceeds the limitations of the Advanced tier.”

That made sense.

If optimization had no limits, every Skill would eventually become free to use, and the entire progression system would lose its purpose.

Clearly, the System had been designed to improve efficiency, not ignore its own rules.

“So optimization improves efficiency…”

“But it doesn’t break the rules.”

“Affirmative.”

I nodded slowly.

Even that was an incredible advantage.

A ten or twenty percent reduction in Magicule consumption might not seem impressive for a single Skill, but over years of continuous use—and across dozens or even hundreds of Skills—the savings would become enormous.

Another question crossed my mind.

“What determines whether a Skill is Basic, Intermediate, Advanced… or beyond?”

“This unit currently lacks authorization to disclose information regarding higher Skill classifications.”

A helpless smile appeared on my face.

“I figured.”

That wasn’t exactly surprising.

I’d already seen that the System had higher Skill classifications.

What interested me was something else entirely.

Even the Research Assistant didn’t have unrestricted access to the System’s information.

Which meant there were still parts of the System locked away, waiting until I fulfilled whatever conditions were necessary to unlock them.

Good.

That meant there was still plenty left for me to discover.

I rose from the chair and stretched, my gaze sweeping across the abandoned camp.

The place was completely silent.

There was nothing left to do here.

The operation had ended exactly as planned, and every loose end had already been taken care of.

Only one thing remained.

“Research Assistant.”

“Awaiting instructions.”

“Calculate the total cost of the development path you recommended. I don’t need an exact breakdown right now. Just tell me how much I’ll need before I start.”

“Confirmed. Calculating recommended development expenditure.”

The Research Assistant fell silent for several seconds before the familiar calm voice echoed in my mind once more.

“Calculation complete.”

“Go ahead.”

“The recommended development path consists of three immediate purchases.”

I nodded.

“Go ahead.”

“The recommended development path consists of three immediate purchases. Superior Magicule Body. Increase Diablo’s release percentage. Acquire one additional Primordial Demon.”

I gave a small nod.

“Let’s hear the costs.”

“First purchase: Superior Magicule Body. Required expenditure: ten trillion United States dollars.”

I wasn’t surprised by the price.

Ten trillion dollars was an enormous amount of money, but after everything I’d learned about Magicules today, it was also the most important investment I could make.

“What remains afterward?”

“Current Active Balance: twenty-four trillion, eight hundred ninety billion, one hundred twenty-three million, nine hundred fifty thousand United States dollars. Balance after purchasing Superior Magicule Body: fourteen trillion, eight hundred ninety billion, one hundred twenty-three million, nine hundred fifty thousand United States dollars.”

I mentally noted the figure.

Still plenty.

“Continue.”

“Second purchase: Increase Diablo’s release percentage.”

I nodded.

“What’s the recommended level?”

“Twenty-five percent.”

“Can i purchase that directly?”

“Negative. The System requires sequential progression. The one percent, five percent, and twenty-five percent release stages must be purchased in order.”

I slowly nodded.

So that was how it worked.

Even if I could afford a higher release stage, the System wouldn’t allow me to skip the earlier ones.

“What’s the total cost?”

“Two trillion, eight hundred billion United States dollars.”

That was more than I’d expected, but considering the amount of power Diablo would regain in return, it was still acceptable.

“And my remaining balance?”

“Twelve trillion, ninety billion, one hundred twenty-three million, nine hundred fifty thousand United States dollars.”

I slowly nodded.

Still over twelve trillion dollars.

More than enough for the final recommendation.

“The third purchase?”

“One additional Primordial Demon. Required expenditure: five hundred billion United States dollars.”

“Five hundred… billion?”

“Affirmative.”

I frowned.

“Then why did Diablo only cost five hundred million?”

“The host acquired Diablo using the System’s first-acquisition privilege. The privilege permanently reduced the purchase cost of the first Primordial Demon by a factor of one thousand.”

I blinked.

“So Diablo was never actually worth five hundred million.”

“Correct. Standard acquisition cost for every subsequent Primordial Demon is five hundred billion United States dollars.”

A slow whistle escaped my lips.

“That’s one hell of a discount.”

Looking back, it explained a lot.

If Diablo had truly cost five hundred billion from the beginning, I wouldn’t have been able to summon him until much later.

The System had effectively handed me an overwhelming head start.

“And my remaining balance after completing all three purchases?”

“Eleven trillion, five hundred ninety billion, one hundred twenty-three million, nine hundred fifty thousand United States dollars.”

Silence settled over the abandoned camp.

Even after spending more than thirteen trillion dollars, I would still have over eleven trillion left.

I couldn’t help but shake my head.

“When I first received the System, I thought one billion dollars was an impossible amount of money.”

The Research Assistant remained silent.

“And now we’re casually discussing spending more than thirteen trillion.”

“Financial perspective adjusts according to available resources.”

A laugh escaped my lips.

“I guess it does.”

Still…

There was one final objective.

“And after I purchase everything you’ve recommended…”

“…how far will I still be from Great Sage?”

There was a brief pause before the Research Assistant answered.

“Following completion of the recommended development path, the host will possess eleven trillion, five hundred ninety billion, one hundred twenty-three million, nine hundred fifty thousand United States dollars.”

“Additional capital required to purchase Great Sage: eighty-eight trillion, four hundred nine billion, eight hundred seventy-six million, fifty thousand United States dollars.”

I let out a quiet breath.

“So even after spending more than thirteen trillion…”

“…I’d still need another eighty-eight trillion.”

“Affirmative.”

Oddly enough, the answer didn’t discourage me.

If anything, it only strengthened my resolve.

The System had simply shown me the next mountain to climb, and mountains were meant to be conquered.

My gaze drifted toward the darkening sky above the abandoned camp as I mentally reviewed the roadmap one last time.

First, upgrade my Superior Magicule Body.

Then strengthen Diablo by increasing his release percentage.

After that, acquire another Primordial Demon.

And finally…

Great Sage.

The path was straightforward.

It wasn’t the cheapest, and it certainly wasn’t the shortest, but according to the Research Assistant, it offered the highest probability of maximizing my long-term growth.

There was one last thing I wanted to confirm.

“Research Assistant.”

“Awaiting instructions.”

“If cost wasn’t a factor… would Great Sage still be your first recommendation?”

“Affirmative. Great Sage provides the greatest overall increase to the host’s analytical, developmental, and operational capabilities.”

I smiled.

“I thought so.”

“But I can’t afford it.”

“Affirmative.”

“So we move to the next best option.”

“Affirmative.”

That settled it.

There was no reason to hesitate any longer.

Every minute I delayed was another minute spent with an inferior foundation.

The sooner I began following the roadmap, the sooner every future investment would start paying dividends.

“Research Assistant.”

“Awaiting instructions.”

“Let’s follow the plan.”

“Awaiting purchase authorization.”

“The first recommendation was my Magicule Body…”

I paused before shaking my head.

“No.”

“The second recommendation comes first.”

There was no guarantee my next evolution would be any gentler than the last.

If I ended up unconscious or unable to defend myself, I’d need Diablo at his strongest to stand guard.

“Purchase Diablo Release.”

“Specify target release percentage.”

“Twenty-five percent.”

“Sequential progression required. Purchasing one percent, five percent, and twenty-five percent release stages.”

I nodded.

“Proceed.”

“Purchase authorization confirmed.”

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

The Research Assistant remained silent as the System processed my request.

Then a series of purchase notifications appeared one after another, confirming that the upgrades had begun.

Purchase Confirmed

Diablo Release (1%) Acquired

-$50,000,000,000

Before I could even finish reading it, another notification replaced the first.

Purchase Confirmed

Diablo Release (5%) Acquired

-$250,000,000,000

A third followed almost immediately.

Purchase Confirmed

Diablo Release (25%) Acquired

-$2,500,000,000,000

The numbers in the corner of the interface rapidly adjusted before finally settling.

Current Active Balance: $22,090,123,950,000

The instant the final purchase was completed, I felt something deep within my soul tremble.

It was the contract.

Unlike before, the reaction wasn’t subtle.

The invisible connection linking Diablo and me pulsed violently, as though an enormous seal had suddenly shattered.

A terrifying surge of demonic energy rushed through the bond, so dense that I could feel its pressure despite Diablo being hundreds of kilometers away.

The overwhelming presence lasted only a heartbeat before gradually settling back into calm.

A smile found its way onto my face.

“It worked.”

Almost immediately, the Research Assistant spoke.

“Release restrictions successfully adjusted. Diablo’s maximum manifested strength has increased to twenty-five percent of his original capability.”

Before I could respond, the soul contract stirred once more.

This time, however, it wasn’t power flowing through the bond.

It was a familiar presence.

Diablo.

He was trying to contact me.