feiniaonovel Chapter 1096: Eligible Product Detected
Chapter 1096: Eligible Product Detected
Ah.
But unfortunately for everyone involved, Luca was deathly serious.
In fact, he was so serious about this entire operation that Xavier outright refused to let him go alone and only reluctantly agreed after deciding they would remain physically tied together during what increasingly resembled a suspicious ransom exchange rather than a simple vending transaction.
"Well, Brother..." Luca scratched awkwardly at his cheek while looking equally conflicted himself. "I honestly don’t think we have much choice right now."
The little chipmunk sighed softly.
"The prompt just won’t stop appearing, and D-29 can’t even properly run several of its normal processes anymore because the unsolicited notifications keep interrupting everything."
"..."
"..."
"But Brother—!"
"I know," Luca interrupted gently before Ollie could fully spiral. "Of course, I’m worried too."
Then the golden-eyed cadet paused thoughtfully.
"But I still think it should probably be okay."
"Huh?"
Ollie blinked rapidly.
"Why?"
"Well..." Luca looked surprisingly serious now. "Doesn’t the [VENDING] skill have a cooldown period?"
"A cooldown?" Ollie repeated blankly.
"Yeah."
Luca nodded immediately.
"I distinctly remember it saying: ’All listed items must remain available for sale for a minimum of seventy-two hours before they can be removed, replaced, or replenished.’"
The dungeon owner looked increasingly thoughtful as he explained his reasoning.
"If the dungeon’s intention is for us to continue selling things regularly—especially since there’s even an [OVERCHARGE] skill tied to it—then I don’t think it would force us, the supposedly repeat vendors, into something outright harmful...right?"
"..."
The explanation was too sound for anyone’s liking.
In fact, that exact line of reasoning had also eventually cornered Xavier earlier.
The Imperial Crown Prince very clearly disliked this entire situation.
He was perturbed enough that his normally calm and gentle (?) expression had visibly darkened once Luca laid out his logic because, unfortunately...
It actually made sense.
More importantly, if they continued to refuse to comply, Luca would simply remain trapped under a relentless barrage of notifications from the increasingly aggressive vending prompts.
The others weren’t fully aware of just how constant the interruptions had become.
But Xavier knew.
And honestly, the Prince was genuinely astonished by how patient his little wife remained despite enduring what was essentially nonstop noise pollution directly inside his head.
Even while the system repeatedly screamed at him to sell the products already, Luca calmly continued preparing the goods to a quality level he personally found acceptable.
No frustration.
No irritation.
Just endless diligence and smiling persistence.
At that point, Xavier had quietly decided that he would personally handle whatever came next if possible.
At the very least, it would ease the horrible sensation lodged in his throat while watching his beloved potentially walk into something dangerous.
Unfortunately, Luca wasn’t fully convinced that the workaround would succeed.
"I might need to actively use the skill myself," the cadet admitted apologetically. "So it might not actually let you perform the transaction on my behalf..."
"..."
Which naturally made Xavier’s mood worsen further.
But what do you know?
Instead of only Luca and Xavier heading toward the gate, Ollie and Kyle similarly insisted on accompanying them just in case something happened.
__
And well...
Something really did happen.
Just not quite in the horrifying way they had initially expected.
Because the moment Luca stepped close enough to the gate, the familiar prompts he had already practically memorized finally changed.
Instead of the usual:
[VENDING ELIGIBLE PRODUCT DETECTED.]
[PUT UP FOR VENDING?]
[YES] [YES]
What appeared this time was:
[WELCOME! CHALLENGER ID: H-9241964]
[NO OVERCHARGE SKILL AVAILABLE FOR USE]
[USE VENDING LV. 1?]
[YES] [YES]
"!"
Unfortunately, the prompt still very clearly maintained complete control over his choices.
As such, Luca quickly warned the others that the system was now actively asking him to use the [VENDING] skill itself.
And since there weren’t exactly any real alternatives available, the little dungeon owner could only hope for the best as he selected [YES].
Much to the apparent delight of the deranged prompt.
Yes.
The prompt specifically.
Not even D-29 itself.
The little system was currently suffering indescribable emotional damage because this hijacking interface actually dared to use celebratory poppers—the little manager’s personal signature effect—despite having absolutely nothing to do with the nonstop yapping tormenting them earlier!
However, before D-29 could properly voice further complaints, something massive suddenly appeared before the group.
[ENGAGING BRIDGE CONNECTION...]
[27%...]
[64%...]
[98%...]
[100%]
[CONNECTION COMPLETED]
[BRIDGE CONNECTION NOW ESTABLISHED.]
The gigantic dungeon gate suddenly erupted with light.
From the very top of the suspicious structure, a concentrated beam of spiritual energy burst outward, illuminating the surroundings so intensely that the four cadets instinctively braced themselves.
The pressure alone was immense, and they had to actively resist the force threatening to drag them off the ground.
Even Xavier narrowed his eyes slightly.
Meanwhile, Ollie had outright attached himself to Kyle while silently praying not to die today of all days.
Thankfully, the terrifying display lasted only a few moments before the light gradually faded.
Then the gate slowly opened.
And the sight waiting beyond it left all of them too stunned to react properly.
"!!!"
"???"
Where were the vast landscapes like the ones they had encountered inside D-64?
Where were the monsters?
Where was literally anything?!
"Uhhh?"
See, instead of some dangerous new environment, all they could see beyond the gate was an oddly shaped room with a strange pillar standing directly in the middle.
That was it.
No dramatic scenery.
No enemies.
No ominous beasts.
Just...a weird room.
Naturally, the group immediately became suspicious.
Unfortunately, before anyone could voice their probably very valid concerns, the strange pillar inside the room suddenly shifted.
Then something resembling a shimmering bridge slowly extended outward from the center of the room.
The pathway lengthened steadily until it breached the frame of the dungeon gate itself before finally stopping directly in front of the cadets.
"???"
"What?"
It was a bewildered mutter, and yet, as if answering the dungeon owner, another prompt popped up.
[PLEASE LOAD PRODUCTS FOR FINAL ASSESSMENT.]
Unlike the earlier aggressively threatening prompts, this one appeared entirely in gold.
Welcoming.
Almost inviting.
And more importantly, the "bridge" now resembled a landing platform divided into five clearly separated zones.
Luca blinked in surprise.
However, before he could react further, Xavier finally spoke up.
"I think I can load the items for you," the Prince said calmly. "So please stay there while I handle carrying everything."
"But—"
Xavier interrupted gently, correctly predicting how his beloved would likely react.
"Shouldn’t someone remain free to carefully observe for changes?" he reasoned. "What if we miss something important because you’re also busy carrying items around?"
The Imperial Prince gestured toward the gate.
"If it’s only this much, then I can handle it. Besides, it doesn’t seem like we even need to get too close to the gate itself."
Then Xavier smiled reassuringly at his visibly conflicted wife before carefully placing one small glass jar of honey onto the nearest designated zone just to see what would happen.
Well, apparently...
A miracle.
Because the little money-grubber who had been spiritually assaulted by nonstop screeching prompts suddenly felt his entire soul become cleansed by the next thing appearing before him.
[ELIGIBLE PRODUCT DETECTED... CALCULATING...]
[QUANTITY: 1]
[PRICE: 20,000 CP]
[VEND 1]
[INCREASE QUANTITY]
[C_NCEL]
"Twenty thousand CP for one jar?!"
Luca’s golden eyes nearly popped out of his face.
Meanwhile, Ollie outright gasped dramatically.
"Brother!" the blonde cried out in disbelief. "Did you accidentally discover the fountain of youth?!"
However, the budding entrepreneur immediately knew that wasn’t the case.
Because didn’t they actually end up with something even better?!