LBS said creaking under torque is normal?
First, to respond to the issue of your LBS -- you shouldn't be made to feel foolish or to feel obligated to purchase expensive replacement parts. The lack of attention and reassurance you're getting suggests that maybe you need to take your business elsewhere (which can be difficult if there are few local options).

Second, your creak/tick is not normal (and, as many have rightly pointed out, could come from many components which carry your pedaling force). While there are a number of components which have a tendency to creak or tick while remaining safe and functional (your BB for example), what your LBS should have checked for is any integrity issues with your frame (though, they may have done so and not mentioned it. Who knows?) 

Bicycle frames (Al, CroMo, Ti, Carbon Fiber...) can develop cracks in a number of places which, when stressed by pedaling aggressively, can generate creaks or ticks in time with pedaling forces. Some bike frames will live decades with cracks while others can--and do--fail catastrophically (i.e. your head tube tearing off...though, thankfully, this is infrequent).

I recommend that you take your bike to a different bike shop and ask them to investigate this potential problem (more info on frame inspections here). If they're good, they'll give you sound advice about repairs or replacement (avoid trashing your other shop, though. It's bad etiquette.) 

If the noise is a component, a good shop will solve the problem; a mediocre shop will replace every component one-by-one until the issue is solved (and a terrible shop will try to sell you a new bike!) Understand, however, that nuisance squeaks and creaks can be quite common--even for experienced cyclists.