As Daisuke browsed through the prices fic bags in the General Store, his mental depi of Wallet-kun shifted drastically. Now, she appeared as a frail, withered old woman on the verge of fading away into oblivion.
________________________________________________
[Agate Magic Bag] - 50,000 Gold | Owned: 0
[Utilizing the rudimentary principles of alchemy and ruhing, a small pocket of space-time has been intricately woven into this satchel.
Items be stowed or retrieved through a mere exertion of will, and the satchel be encrypted or locked by infusing it with mana. However, this security measure be easily unraveled by someoh greater mana than the designated owner.]
Avaible Slots: 10
Weight Capacity: 4,000lbs/1,814kg
Special Effects: None]
________________________________________________
[Jasper Magic Bag] - 200,000 Gold | Owned: 0
[Utilizing the rudimentary principles of alchemy and ruhing, a small pocket of space-time has been intricately woven into this satchel.
Items be stowed or retrieved through a mere exertion of will, and the satchel be encrypted or locked by infusing it with mana. However, this security measure be easily unraveled by someoh greater mana than the designated owner.]
Avaible Slots: 40
Weight Capacity: 6,000lbs/2,722kg
Special Effects: Slows internal time by 9.09%]
________________________________________________
[Citrine Magic Bag] - 400,000 Gold | Owned: 0
[…]
Avaible Slots: 70
Weight Capacity: 9,000lbs/4,082kg
Special Effects: Slows internal time by 18.18%]
________________________________________________
[Amethyst Magic Bag] - 800,000 Gold | Owned: 0
[…]
Avaible Slots: 100
Weight Capacity: 13,500lbs/6,124kg
Special Effects: Slows internal time by 27.27%]
________________________________________________
[Gar Magic Bag] - 1,600,000 Gold | Owned: 0
[…]
Avaible Slots: 130
Weight Capacity: 20,250lbs/9,185kg
Special Effects: Slows internal time by 36.36%]
________________________________________________
Daisuke’s soul was just about ready to depart from his mouth by the time he reached the bottom of the list. This ’t be real, he thought incredulously. Are you seriously tellihat the starting price for a magic bag is 50k gold? Oh, hell no! I ’t afford that! He excimed before taking a deep, calming breath.
It’s fine, he reassured himself. I have all the space I could possibly need inside my iory. It’s just a shame I won’t be able to test if it’s possible to store more monsters if they’re inside of a magic bag. Oh well.
Shifting his focus, Daisuke navigated to a different category of items and sifted through the listings until his gaze settled on a robust tent with enough room to fortably aodate three people. With a decisive nod, he added it to his cart before proceeding to repce all the cooking equipment and ingredients he had generously gifted to the Beastfolk at Elmridge.
After seleg a small makeshift table, several pots, utensils, an array of seasonings, and parting with 145 gold, Daisuke emerged from the store with his purchases in tow. Then, with purposeful strides, he set off towards his destination.
***
A weathered wooden sign hung proudly above the entrance of the bcksmith’s store, depig an intricately fed hammer and anvil against a backdrop of swirling fmes. The sign bore the unmistakable marks of tless years, its once-vibrant colors faded to a rustic patina by the passage of time.
“It took only two months, but I’m finally here,” muttered Daisuke.
Upon stepping ihe atmosphere shifted from the bustling streets of a rge town to an enting realm of craftsmanship and industry. The interior of the shop was dimly lit, illuminated primarily by the flickering glow of the fe at the back. The air was heavy with the st of burning coal aed metal, mingling with the sharp tang of oil and sweat.
Rows of gleaming ons and armor adorhe walls, each piece a testament to the skill and dedication of the bcksmith. Swords, axes, and shields stood proudly on dispy, their polished surfaces refleg the dang fmes of the fe. The rhythmig of metal oal echoed throughout the shore, punctuated by the occasional hiss of steam as a freshly fed on lunged into a queng trough.
At the ter of the workshop stood the bcksmith’s anvil, its surface scarred and pitted from years of use. Behind it, a burly figure a leather apron and soot-staitire worked tirelessly, hammer in hand, shaping molteal into works of artistry and utility.
“Wele,” the man grunted, his hammer striking the metal in a precise arch. “What I getcha?” He asked without shifting his gaze, the heated metal casting a fiery glow across his bearded face.
“I was hoping to buy and sell some equipment,” responded Daisuke.
“Take a look around,” the man ihe indest metal sizzling upon the anvil with each droplet of sweat from his . “I’ll join you once I’m finished here.”
Before Daisuke could approach the wide array of equipment ad the walls and mannequins, a vibrant blue holographiu materialized within his field of vision, capturing his attention.
“Should’ve expected as much,” he murmured, his toinged with resignation before he shifted his focus. As he began browsing through the catalog, a frown gradually creased his brow.
[Bronze Sword] - 450 Gold | Owned: 0
[Rank: Normal
Type: Sword
Melee Attack Power: 115~129 | Durability: 79/79 | Attack Speed: +4%
Simple in desig funal, the Bronze Sword serves as a faithful panion to those taking their first steps into the realm of adventure. With proper care and skillful wielding, it prove to be a dependable tool for fag the trials that lie ahead.
ditions of Use: Lvl 30+ | Strength 35+ | Stamina 20+]
________________________________________________
[Iron Give] - 565 Gold | Owned: 0
[Rank: Normal
[…]
________________________________________________
[Steel Knuckles] - 670 Gold | Owned: 0
[Rank: Normal
[…]
________________________________________________
Swords, polearms, hammers, shields, and armor pieces—everything listed carried a staggeringly high price tag, even down to the humble arrows and whetstones.
To add insult to injury, their stats were far from impressive. Yet, this revetion hardly surprised Daisuke. Typically, in the realm of MMOs and RPGs, items peddled by NPCs—ons, armor, and accessories, often fell short, g any special effeodifiers and anding exorbitant prices.
It was like purchasing a brand-new car—expensive, with all parts standard-issue. If one sought fancy rims, spoilers, side skirts, or performance upgrades, aftermarket pos were a must. In the world of video games, there were several ways to supply those aftermarket pos, or items with rare and special attributes.
The most ethod entailed hunting monsters. Four out of five times, it’s likely that the items dropped by a mob not only had options, but its Base Attack, Defense, Critical Hit Rate, and other primary stats were higher in parison to the same items sold by NPCs.
The seost popur method was to ission a skilled craftsman, such as a bcksmith, te ons or equipment using special materials. These items are almost always guarao boast special or unique modifiers, which made this option especially entig to Daisuke.
After seleg all but a few of the two months’ worth of irrelevant monster materials, ons, and equipment he hadn’t gotten the opportunity to sell before now, Daisuke took one final appraising look at a particur staff.
[Grimhorn Totemstaff (Bouem)]
[Rank: Unique
Type: Staff
Melee Attack Power: 4 | Magical Attack Power: 209~255 | Durability: 34/43 | Accuracy: 69
A relic of goblin legend, the Grimhorn Totemstaff is an a artifact that ands the power of transformation. At its peak, a menag skull adorned with twisted hazes out with eyes abze, its eye sockets fitted with shimmerihat pulsate with are energy.
?? HP & MP Regen Speed +10%
?? Unlocks the ?Intrinsic Transformation? skill.
ditions of Use: Lvl 20+ | Strength 3+ | Stamina 10+ | Intelligence 50]
[Intrinsic Transformation]
[Ehe wielder to shape-shift into various forms, from an i human child to a savage beast. Mastery of this ability requires a deep e to the primordial forces of nature and the ing intellect of the Goblin Shaman.]
Without hesitation, Daisuke attempted to add the staff to the list of items designated for sale. However, with each attempt to check the box or and the item to select, the menu window momentarily flickered and shifted from its ary blue hue to an ominous shade of red.
“Sorry, kid, but I won’t be able to buy that item off your hands,” the bcksmith paused his hammering to inform. “It’s bound to its previous owner.”
“Previous owner?” Daisuke murmured in surprise, his brow furrowing as he skimmed through the on’s description. There, he took note of two annoying bits of information: [Grimhorn Totemstaff (Bound Item)] and [Mastery of this ability requires a deep e to the primordial forces of nature and the ing intellect of the Goblin Shaman.]
Are you freakin’ kidding me right now?! Daisuke fumed inwardly. Even ih this damn goblin tio be a headache!
His teeth ground together with a murderous frown, but as he firmed the sale of all the other items and took note of the amount of gold he made, his expression transformed. Suddenly, he seemed to radiate an angelic glow.
3,874 gold! He beamed, the words ringing out like wind chimes in his mind. When I add that to my current funds, that’s a whopping total of 7,532 gold! Holy Moly! Is this for real?!
“Ohh~” excimed the bcksmith, finally stepping away from the anvil as he assessed the edge of a pair of throwing axes Daisuke had just sold. “This is an impressive assortment of items. It looks like you’ve had your fair share of adventures.”
“Some of which I’d much rather fet,” admitted Daisuke with a hint of weariness.
The burly man nodded sympathetically, raking his rge, calloused fihrough his thick beard. “I uand that—once upon a time, I used to be an adventurer myself. Now, you mentiohat you were ied in buying something?”
“On sed thought,” Daisuke began, his tohoughtful, “would it be possible for you te a item for me instead?”
Daisuke’s expression hardened as memories flooded back of the arduous battles against Volturax and the stone golems. It was incredibly frustrating, a was but a matter of time before he once again entered such monsters. Before that moment arrived, he needed a more effit way to defeat them.
“Of course!” the bcksmith agreed, his chest swelling with fidence. “What sort of item did you have in mind?”
Daisuke rubbed his ptively. “A on, preferably a pair of daggers. Would that be possible?”
“sider it dohe man boomed with ughter, giving Daisuke a hearty sp on the back that sent him flying. “Where do you think you are? This is the fi bcksmith in all of Wonderelle! My hammer and anvil will craft the perfect pair of daggers for you! Just you wait!”
Daisuke scratched his cheek with an awkward smile. “I’m gd to hear it. I’ll leave everything in your capable hands then.”
“If you’re requesting a on, I’m guessing you’ve alsht the materials you wao use?”
“ht,” Daisuke muttered, retrieving Volturax’s fangs and tail, which he pced atop a nearby worktable.
It took but a single gnce before the bcksmith pursed his lips and began breaking into a sweat, his once ruddy plexion turning white. His head slowly pivoted around like an old, creaking door. “I ’t do it.”
Daisuke’s expressioled into a poker face, a cold draft drifting through the o workshop. Where did all that fidence go? “What do you mean you ’t do it?”
“…I tell that these are very high-quality materials,” the bcksmith expined with a touch ret in his voice. “And while it paio admit, I gotta say a bcksmith of my caliber wouldn’t be able to do these materials any justice.”
“Then—”
The man regarded the materials once more, his firag thoughtfully through his beard. “My reendation is to visit the capital,” he suggested. “There, you’ll find bcksmiths with the expertise to haerials of this caliber.”
Daisuke crossed his arms and tiled his head in ption. Damn, this is pretty disappointing, but I guess it ’t be helped. I was even thinking about upgrading my armor, but if the best bcksmith in town ’t craft the ons I hen it’s unlikely I’ll find top-notch armor either.
He sighed inwardly, weighing his options. sidering all the equipment stores likely source from local bcksmiths, I doubt I’ll find anythier elsewhere. It’s frustrating to think everything will be just as expensive and subpar as the ons being sold here.
You know what, this is fine, Daisuke reflected. I mao snag the Swift Leather Boots as a monster drop in the dungeon. There were plenty of other drops ter on, too, but since I ying support and Gavrid the others were doing all the hunting, I let them keep the equipment they received.
Unfortunately, none of the gear I got was patible with my build. But now that I’ll be hunting solo, I should have a better ce of finding equipment that suits me. Plus, with winter approag, it’s probably a good idea to start saving as much gold as possible.
Vaughn_RR_Seider
