Chapter 21: Other Crystals
It didn't take me long to reach uncle's store.
The store was packed. Uncle weekend helpers managed the flow of customers pretty good. I spotted uncle pretty soon and waited for him to finish attending a customer before I went to him. He saw me and said, " Mortimer what happened." I quickly told him the story.
"Oh, yes. I heard that some idiot get hot headed but I never had something like that happen to me. So how can I help you?" he said with a wide smile.
"I got two crystals and I want them identified," I answered him while laying the two crystals on the counter. He looked at them and said, "oh, you already got an improvement crystal." he exclaimed while picking them both up.
"Improvement crystals?" I asked while he put them into the machine.
he turned his head and said, " Oh you don't know about them. they are another type of crystal that improve your skill I'm some way, there are two types of improvement crystals generally called the greens and alignment, you can improve a single skill only with one of each. what you have here is a green crystal."
He looked at what the recipe the machine printed and then continued while he returned to the counter." this is a two-choice turquoise crystal. It can only be used to improve rank 2 and below skills. I can give you 500$ for it. the other one is a blue level 2 with 2 choices. for it, I could give you 250$. I must say this is a pretty good sum for a beginner, but after what you and the girl went through I must say you were underpaid."
Surprised at his remark I asked, " why do you think we were underpaid?" he handed the recipes and crystals over to me and answered, " it is known, that if you were closer to death you will get a better reward from the dungeon, that is also why the rescue teams are always full and have such high requirements." I thought for a moment and then said to him, " I will sell the blue one and keep the green for myself." After handing the blue crystal and recipe over I asked, " are there other crystals than those?" uncle then told me, " Yes there are others, like the prismatic crystal, clear crystals and some we haven't even seen yet. I heard someone found a pink one some years back, but have never heard about that one after the one instance. Is that all or do you need something else?" I looked at my PAS and saw that the money was there. I thanked uncle Kim for his service and went home.
when I entered the living room at home mom looked at me and asked, " Mortimer, what happened." I told her the story after the story she told with a serious tone to her voice, " Mortimer, I know you want to become a successful diver, but I think you should stop for now and try something else. Something a bit safer." I could feel that mom was worried about me and I understood why she was so worried but I still wanted to conquer a dungeon. So I said to her, " I will not stop, at least not till I conquered a dungeon."
"why do you want to conquer a dungeon? why isn't your goal something else?" she raised her voice at me. I was surprised at her outburst and just told her, " because I promised it" and just left. I could hear mom as she went after me. she grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. now the tears I wanted to hide from her were there for her to see. She was perplexed and I didn't know what to say. Mom just hugged me and I cried for some time. when I finished mom asked, " do you wanna talk about it." "No, mom. I want to be alone for a bit." with that I went upstairs.
For the next hour, I thought about uncle Even and the promise we made to each other before he left for his last dive.
I remembered it clearly he always was what I wanted to be. He was a good friend to me, had many friends and was a successful diver. but on the day he went missing inside the dungeon, I asked, " Uncle Even, what is your secret?"
"my secret?"
"yes, I want to know how to become a successful diver like you."
"Oh, I just prepare before every dive."
"how do you know what to prepare?"
"I just prepare for most things."
"why?"
"mmmh, let me think for a moment. I think because it doesn't hurt."
"It doesn't hurt to be prepared?"
"Yes let me show you."
after this, he showed me how he prepared for a dive, there were so many small things that help in insane situations, like a silver knife or a flask of acid. after he had shown me he asked me, " So why do you wanna know my secret?"
"because I want to be a diver one day."
"So what is your goal as a diver?"
"My goal I never thought about it what is yours?"
"mine is to conquer all the dungeon in the world and return peace, " he said with a big inspiring smile on his face.
I wanted to just as awesome and said, "then I will be first to conquer a dungeon."
at this, he had a wicked smile on his face and said, "as if. I will conquer a dungeon long before you."
I tried to glare at him and said, " No one will conquer a dungeon before me. Even if it is the last I will do."
he showed me a bright smile and then said, "then let's work towards our goals. when I return I will show you the basics of being a diver."
this was the last of him that I remember.
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