I Married A Degraded Alpha
Chapter 36: Buying Rough Stones

Chapter 36: Buying Rough Stones

When the topic switched to alpha tiers, the scene went quiet once again. Everyone cautiously surveyed Tuss.

Tuss remained cool as a cucumber, acting as if he didn’t notice their gazes.

Ender clapped him on the shoulder, saying, "No worries, even without the pheromone, you’re still better than the rest."

Daleks quickly agreed, exclaiming, "Absolutely, you’re the best."

Amused, Tuss shrugged it off, saying, "There’s no need for that, I don’t mind."

Besides, his pheromone wasn’t necessarily worse than before. He hadn’t tested his tier since his latest differentiation, but his gut told him that he had only gotten stronger.

Seeing the twinkle in his eyes, Ender knew Tuss had taken things in stride. He reassured him, "We’ll be waiting for you and Yuri on Planet Alpha."

Already heading towards his mecha, Tuss waved without looking back, saying, "See you then."

The moment Tuss stepped into the mecha, it lifted off the ground, shrinking into a tiny black dot in the sky before disappearing entirely.

"Time to get going, Daleks," Kilana prompted, patting Daleks on the back.

Daleks refocused his attention and admitted, "Tuss seems different from before, doesn’t he?"

Kilana nodded, "I think he’s changed too."

Ender said, "He’s become more human-like."

Delamak disagreed, "No, he’s become more mysterious."

Everyone else was left speechless.

Inside the mecha, Yuri was laying in the safety cabin, engrossed in her elementary school lessons. If she could finish them today, she could start middle school lessons tomorrow.

Yuri was so excited.

Also, if her psychic power weren’t so strong, the sheer volume of knowledge might have made her faint in the restroom.

"Want to check out some nearby planets?" Tuss suggested.

Engrossed in her studies, Yuri looked up, "Hmm?"

"There are plenty of ore planets nearby, filled not only with metals but also various gemstones and energy stones. Quite a few of them are open to visitors. Interested?" Tuss asked.

Yuri’s eyes sparkled, "Definitely."

Unsurprised by her response, Tuss said, "Alright, let me find the nearest tourist-friendly ore planet."

After two days of interstellar travel, Yuri and Tuss landed on an ore planet that had been developed for several years.

"This is a private planet, primarily producing gemstones and then metals," Tuss explained, having researched the planet. "Tourism here only started last year. Visitors usually come for the gemstones first, then to enjoy the scenery and local cuisine."

"Buying gemstones?" Yuri glanced at their bank balance. They had a decent amount saved, but it could be spent quickly.

She had been planning on buying a house on Planet Alpha.

The cheapest houses on Planet Alpha cost millions of astracredit. With their savings, they could only afford a run-down house in a remote area.

Seeing Yuri’s dilemma, Tuss chuckled, "We don’t necessarily have to buy anything, just looking is fine too."

Eyeing him suspiciously, Yuri teased, "I thought you would boldly say ’let’s buy it, no matter the cost’."

Tuss twitched his mouth, asking, "Is that the kind of person you think I am? Or, is that the person you hope I am?"

Yuri looked at him leisurely and shot back, "So you’re saying I can look, but not buy?"

"No, no, that’s not it," Tuss replied hastily, "We can buy rough stones. They’re not expensive."

"You mean gambling on stones?" Yuri wasn’t confident, she only knew about metals and not much else about minerals.

"Just buy a couple for fun," Tuss suggested nonchalantly.

Considering his words, Yuri realized buying a couple of stones just for fun shouldn’t cost too many astracredits. Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and find a gemstone? If we do find a gem, I can then afford a house.

Excited, Yuri eagerly proposed, "What are we waiting for? Let’s go see."

A fond smile played on Tuss’s lips as he said, "We need to take their tourist shuttle first."

The shuttle ticket cost 500 astracredits per person, meaning 1000 in total for both of them. Yuri cringed at the price, asking quietly, "Can’t we take our mecha?"

Tuss shook his head, "Local people don’t allow that. This is one of their money-making strategies."

Mentally grumbling about the shrewd business, Yuri moved on to her next question, "Do they also require us to stay overnight?"

Giving her a knowing look, Tuss handed her a brochure, "We have to choose a package deal. It covers all expenses except for the cost of purchasing gemstones."

After reading the prices for the various packages, Yuri hardened her resolve, "I have to find a gemstone."

Otherwise, it would be a considerable loss.

"There’s no need to push it, I’ll handle the money-making part," Tuss reassured her. He had thought of a way to make money, but it required some waiting.

Yuri hummed in response, clearly not taking Tuss’s words seriously.

They boarded the tourist shuttle, sipping on drinks and enjoying the beautiful scenery as they traveled for two hours to the mining area. Besides the mines, there was a whole street dedicated to gemstone shops. The shops displayed a variety of gems, both locally sourced and brought from nearby planets.

The gemstones sparkled brilliantly in the shop windows, displaying a rainbow of colors that dazzled the eyes.

Everyone is attracted to beauty, and Yuri was no exception. The sight of so many beautiful gemstones made her eyes widen in awe.

Tuss, who hadn’t taken his eyes off Yuri, noted her reaction. He silently decided that if the rough stones they bought didn’t contain any gemstones, he would buy her a piece of finished jewelry.

Yuri checked out every shop, finally stopping at one selling rough stones.

The stones in the shop were divided into different sections, with prices ranging from 1,000 astracredits per stone to as much as 10,000 astracredits per stone.

"Rough stones? Back there, we sell by weight. Those are more expensive, but the chances of finding a gemstone are higher," the shopkeeper explained.

Yuri didn’t respond. Her Enova was already drawn towards the pile of stones.

Tuss squatted down, examining the rough stones like the other customers.

Half an hour later.

"Have you chosen?" Yuri asked Tuss in a low voice.

"I’ve picked out a few," Tuss simply showed her.

Yuri was surprised to see that two of the stones he picked out were the same as hers. "You liked these two as well?" she asked.

"Excluding those with metal in them, those with traces of metallic genesis, and those that are obviously ordinary stones, I chose these ones that looked pleasing to the eye," Tuss explained.

Yuri nodded, "I selected mine the same way. So, which ones are we buying now?"

Tuss pondered for a moment before saying, "How about we buy them all?"

"I don’t want to give up the ones I’ve chosen," Yuri said, indirectly agreeing with his suggestion.

"That’s good," Tuss replied, "because I don’t want to give up mine either."

They shared a smile, each placing their selected stones in the cart, and then pushed it together to the checkout.

Together, they picked out twelve stones. Five were priced at 1,000 astracredits each, five at 5,000 each, and two at 10,000 each, totaling 50,000 astracredits.