Another salesman, dressed much like Adrian, overheard the question. He smiled politely but avoided giving a definitive answer.
"You probably saw it being talked about in the newspaper," he said carefully. "Well... it’s not really confird."
The blue‑haired young man shook his head... It seed as if his eyes were filled with desperation.
"But I heard it from the mbers of the Taurus Faction! They said that if soone found the Divine Gene’s blueprint inside the Virtual World, they would reward that person with treasures, dicines, and anything they wished for..."
"..."
This ti, even the salesman had to pause.
His smile wavered, and for a mont, he looked uncertain. He knew of the rumors surrounding the Divine Gene... everyone in Caron City had heard of it by now, but there had never been any real proof.
’The Taurus Faction... I think this is the first ti they’ve openly said sothing like that.Did they find definitive evidence that it exists inside Perfect World?
The salesman had no idea. He hadn’t entered Perfect World in a long ti, and the rumors were always shifting.
Kai and the others exchanged glances. The ntion of the Divine Gene made them curious.
They knew about the Alpha Gene, Crimson Gene, Erald Gene, Super Gene, Pri Gene, and even the Mutagenic Gene that could heavily alter soone’s physical appearance.
i stepped closer to Adrian. "What exactly is this Divine Gene? Is it real?"
Adrian hesitated, then sighed. "I can’t say for certain. All I know is that people call it the most perfect Gene enhancent imaginable. Unlike the stimulants and serums you’ve seen, the Divine Gene is said to have no side effects, no instability. It’s... flawless... It’s like you can beco a divine being. That’s why so many factions are obsessed with the rumor. But whether it truly exists inside Perfect World... no one has confird it."
The group fell silent, absorbing his words.
Claire frowned. "So it’s just a legend?"
Adrian spread his hands. "Perhaps. Or maybe it’s waiting to be discovered. That’s why the pods are also sought after. People believe Perfect World holds more than training simulations and trade hubs. They believe it hides secrets that could change humanity’s future. But we’re not allowed to advertise that since we’re also unaware..."
As Adrian said that, he gestured to the posters nearby.
The slogans read...
"Escape the chaos. Enter Perfect World."
"Train, trade, thrive... all inside."
"Your future begins here."
There was indeed no ntion of Divine Gene.
But still, Kai and others could understand why there was a huge reward just for finding the blueprint itself.
In Kai’s mind, the decision was already made.
’I’ll purchase the Neural Gear later... I need to understand how this Perfect World actually works.’
Still, he knew that simply owning the equipnt wouldn’t be enough. The Neural Gear Interface alone couldn’t grant him access... he needed the proper application installed to enter Perfect World.
Kai turned to Adrian. "Do you sell just the application? Sothing that can be installed in the pod?"
Adrian blinked, montarily caught off guard by the question. Most custors ca here to buy the pods themselves, not the software separately.
His curiosity acted up. He was curious if the man was actually a chanic and capable of fixing a broken Pod.
’Did he assemble one?’
But in the end, Adrian reminded himself it wasn’t his job to pry into a custor’s intentions. He kept his professional smile.
"Yes," Adrian replied smoothly. "For those who already have compatible equipnt, we do sell the installation package. It cos in the form of a storage stick, if you will. Once connected, it installs the Perfect World access program directly into your pod or device."
Kai nodded. That was exactly what he needed.
The salesman retrieved a slim, tallic stick from a locked drawer and placed it carefully on the counter. "This is the application installer. With it, you’ll be able to enter Perfect World, provided your equipnt is compatible."
Kai studied the item. It looked simple, almost ordinary... yet he knew how important it was. Without it, the Neural Gear Interface would be useless.
"How much?" Kai asked.
Adrian’s smile didn’t falter. "Ten C‑Grade Cores."
Kai exhaled slowly. It wasn’t cheap, but compared to the price of the pods themselves, it was manageable. He reached into his pouch and placed the required cores on the counter. The faint glow of the crystalline fragnts reflected off Adrian’s polished suit.
The salesman counted them quickly, then nodded. "Transaction complete. This installer is now yours."
Kai picked up the device, feeling its weight in his hand. It was light, but it was definitely an important item.
Behind him, his team exchanged uneasy glances.
Farrah whispered, "So... with just that stick, you can enter Perfect World?"
Kai nodded. "Yes. As long as I have the right equipnt."
Claire frowned. "You have a VR Pod?"
"Hehe..." Kai chuckled.
In any case, he slipped the stick safely into his pouch.
He didn’t know yet what Perfect World truly held, but he was certain of one thing... this was the first step.
’If the Divine Gene really exists inside... then I want to find it too...’
***
After everything was able to satisfy their curiosity, it was finally ti to leave.
But then, Adrian’s eyes focused on Kai for a mont, and then he gave a suggestion.
"You might also consider visiting the shop next door," he said. "They have Transference Nodes there... selling them quite cheaply."
Kai blinked, confused. "Transference... Node?"
Adrian smiled, realizing Kai had no idea what he was talking about.
"Think of it as a bridge. Once you’ve entered Perfect World, you’ll find trading hubs where rchants sell items. They were mostly virtual items you can see inside the ga. But there were so rchants there who were also players like you. They could be selling real-world items. With a Transference Node, transactions inside Perfect World can be linked to reality. The node allows items to be transferred into the real world... provided both parties know each other’s coordinates."
"Oh? Is that possible?" Kai asked in surprise. Even the others were also interested.
"Correct... It may be pricey, but if you tell them that I recomnded you, you can get a discount. Of course, if you have no plans to transact within the ga, then you can just ignore my advice."
Kai nodded at this and thanked the man again... He wanted to check out that specific store.
However, as their group ca out of the Imrsion Hub, the blue-haired young man blocked their path!
"Mhmm? What’s wrong with this kid?" Alfie muttered as he was prepared to shoo him away.
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