Hammer of Merciless Destruction (Magic)

Weapon Type

One-Handed Hammer

Attack Damage

15~20

Durability

31/50

Weight

60

Usage Restriction

More than 180 Strength

A hammer with a sharp, steel-forged edge, it is difficult to deal with the massive weight, but the power is outstanding. It boasts power mighty enough to reduce decent armor to scrap.

Option: +10% Armor destruction, 150% more damage to Undead.

Spirit of Separation (Magic)

Defense Type

Steel Helmet

Defense

40

Durability

11/45

Weight

45

Usage Restriction

More than 200 Strength

A helmet with overlapping layers of thin steel and specially made magic-resistant gold plate in between. Boasting strong defense, it has the effect of protecting the mind from mind-related magic.

Option: Mind-related Magic Resistance +30%.

Penalty: Agility -10, no penalty if used by a Combat related profession.

Magic Scroll 'Lie'

Usage Restriction: Intelligence +60

Scroll made a long time ago by a notorious Rogue Magician, when used, one can change their information for other people to see at will. Can even fool NPCs of their alignment, level, stats, and profession. However, level can only be adjusted to within the range of 10 levels of actual level.

1 hour duration. Single use item.

Magic Scroll 'Robbery'

Usage Restriction: Intelligence +60

Scroll with the ability of a notorious Pirate from a long ago. When used, one can designate an item from a user's bag. While the scroll is in effect, killing the opponent will have a 100% drop rate of designated item. Duplicated items are treated as one item. Note, an equipped item cannot be designated. Effect disappears if the caster dies.

1 hour duration, single use item.

The items Leo and Hargen had dropped were very useful, but Ark's attention was drawn to the scrolls.

'There were scrolls such as these?'

For a user who planned and chose to be Chaotic, wasn't this the best item?! Only then did Ark roughly understand the situation.

The reason why chaotic players like Leo and Hargen were able to enter the village, and why Sid, who even checked their information, didn't know their identity. It was because of the scroll 'Lie.' Also Sid's terror was because of the scroll 'Robbery'. Since Leo used the scroll, he would have dropped all his silk if Sid had died. If he'd lost the silk he bought by investing his whole fortune, there'd be no hope for Sid. He could only declare bankruptcy.

'If I died to Hargen, I would have lost all my pearls.'

Belatedly, just thinking about it caused cold sweat to trickle.

"You get it now, right?"

"Yes, I'm sorry for misunderstanding."

"Not at all- in any case, I would've gone bankrupt if not for you, Ark-nim."

"But the items Leo and Hargen dropped..."

In the craziness, Ark quickly claimed ownership of the items. Before there was talk of something else later, it was better to nail it down now.

Sid nodded as if there was nothing to think about.

"Of course, Ark-nim should get them. And when we arrive in Giran, I'll be sure to repay you for all this. My margin is low so I can't give you much, but I can give you at least 15 Gold."

"Why go so far... Well, though I'd take it if you're offering."

Unlike Hyun Woo, refusal wasn't in Ark's dictionary.

"Yes, I'll be sure to repay you. Ark-nim was almost in big trouble because of me, those bastards, just when will such guys disappear." Sid ground his teeth as if his rage was exploding again.

"Anyway, it's a relief it was settled well."

"By the way..." Sid blew out a sigh as he slumped his shoulders. "If we try to go back to the village and take the safe route, it'll take a few more days. That's the worry. I heard silk prices are falling a lot right now."

"Let's just keep going this way. I need to get to Giran anyways, so I will protect you."

"What? But Ark-nim alone..."

"Don't worry," Ark replied with confidence. "It might take longer than when there were three people, but at this level of difficulty, I can protect you just fine."

Of course, Gray Ridge had a high difficulty. As Sid had said before, at least 3 players between level 50 to 60 were necessary to pass through safely. But it only applied to those who blindly charged in like Leo and Hargen. There was no reason for Ark to do something so idiotic.

If he lured them out one at a time with Dedric and took them down with a concentrated attack with Skull, they weren't very difficult opponents. After all, Ark had hunted even more difficult monsters alone.

Granted, now that the situation had turned out this way, there was really no need to look after Sid. But Ark had his own plan. Even if you fall, you never get up with an empty hand.

"Ah, but..." Ark stopped walking and made a suggestion, "If I take the role of Leo and Hargen..."

"If we can get to Giran, I'll give you the protection fee I promised to give those guys. For both of them combined, I promised 25 Gold," quickly answered Sid, quick on the uptake.

"Of course the reward you promised would be separate?"

"Huh? Ah. Yes..." A look that said Ark was taking it too far surfaced in Sid's eyes, but when Ark spoke as if he would get what he should definitely get, all Sid could do was nod. "Of course I'll give it to you."

"Then, for the trust between us, let's write up a contract." Immediately using what he'd learned, Ark's caution shone.

In the end, Sid had no choice but to reluctantly write up the contract. But it was not the end of Ark's demands.

"Ah, and Merchant bag space is spacious, right? It's just that I don't have room for japtem..."

In other words, he meant to take all the items from hunting for himself! Sucking his victim down to the marrow once he caught them, Ark's tenacity was aroused.

Sid nodded with a sullen face. "I- I will see and do it for you. Since I have some space."

"I'd be thankful if you did that, now shall we go?" Ark turned vigorously and went over the ridge.

Only then did Sid realize how horrible a person Ark was.

As soon as the bag space was acquired Ark's attitude did a 180 flip. When they found monsters, they never just went past. And no matter how long it took, he annihilated them and stored away in the items. That wasn't all. He collected all the grasses and fruits that caught his eye.

Needing to get to Giran even one hour faster, Sid stamped his feet, but Ark acted like he didn't even notice. Sid wanted to spew curses at least, but somehow, Ark was his life's savior. Plus, they were already in Grey Ridge. He'd get killed by monsters if he got separated from Ark, so all he could do was keep his rage bottled up inside.

"Now, please hold onto this as well."

'Waaah, can't you even see I'm in a hurry? Am I just a bag? Are you treating me like a bag? Is that how it is? Dammit, this is the first time I've regretted my choice to be a Merchant this much.' He hadn't been this bitter even when he was being chased by Leo.

But no matter what Sid thought, Ark liked him. He liked Sid's cute appearance and pleasing personality. Plus, Sid was going to give him 40 Gold as a reward and protection fee when they arrived at Giran, so there was no way Ark couldn't be fond of him. The fact Sid had a lot of information was also helpful.

'To think that New World had such scrolls. In the future I shouldn't judge people by level.'

If the 'Lie' scroll could hide more than 15 levels, then even Ark wouldn't be able to do anything but die. 'Robbery' was also a scary scroll. Though they didn't impact the battle directly, they showed enormous power depending on their use. Merchants probably feared these two scrolls the most. Even so, Ark hadn't even known such scrolls existed.

'There's definitely a limit to getting info from a meager site forum.'

This experience made Ark keenly realize the best way to get information was to interact with other players.

But Ark didn't trust players. The case of Leo and Hargen alone was a testament how untrustworthy a player was. Therefore, as he headed to Giran with Sid, he tried to get as much info as possible. Knowledge was now a matter of life and death.

"A red scroll that can be misused on a player isn't sold in a normal village."

"Then where can they be obtained?"

"There is a village only Chaotic players can enter. In the Schudenberg Kingdom as well, there's a Chaotic village called the Lawless City Kairote. Since Merchants don't have much to do with it, I don't really know where it is. Anyway, they say there are lots of various scrolls and items there. 'Lie' and 'Robbery' are famous among them. For the most part, Chaotic players set on PKing use them."

"What other scrolls are there?"

"It's also good to be careful of the 'Trace' scroll Leo used on me earlier. As long as you know their name, it's a scroll that can find someone's location within a 1 kilometer radius. And there's also 'Null-Recovery.' If you get hit by this scroll, potions and recovery magic have no effect."

There were many more. 'Peek' let you look at the items inside an opponent's bag, and it was frequently used in combination with 'Robbery' by Bandits.

Of course, there were also scrolls that countered them. A typical one was 'Sword of Truth.' If another person was using 'Lie,' it was a scroll that dealt powerful damage while dispelling the effect. But 'Sword of Truth' was expensive and the places that sold it were limited, so it was too much to use every time you hired a mercenary.

"There are more, but that's about all I know."

"Even so, it was a great help."

'Until now, I didn't have any interest in scrolls, but it's not something I can overlook.' Ark realized the value of information anew.

In fact, scrolls were such a specialized field that there was even a separate profession related to it. There were hundreds of types of scrolls, and among the Rare-class scrolls, there was even one that could deal a fatal blow to your opponent. And since the indirectly applied ones were also dangerous, even if he didn't use them himself, he needed to know them all to not be a victim.

'Kairote, huh...'

A village where only Chaotic players can enter. Since it was indeed a game with infinite freedom, it seemed there was a way for Chaotics could live with other Chaotics. Plus, countless scrolls with unknown effects were only sold in Kairote. If he could use those scrolls freely, it would definitely show an immense effect.

'I should go look for it one day.'

Ark also asked for information on various regions of the Schudenberg Kingdom, its specialties, and hunting grounds. Each time he asked, Sid answered him freely.

For a Merchant, information turns to money. Merchants who cleared routes alone didn't divulge such information lightly. No, other professions were the same. The reason why the information site forums were scanty was because information hoarding. Since Ark didn't share information about hidden dungeons, he couldn't blame them. But since Sid owed Ark a huge debt, so he couldn't refuse sharing information. It was valuable information money can't buy.

"Ah, do you by any chance know about a place called the Underground World?"

"Underground world? I wonder?"

Ark asked on an off chance he might know, and Sid scratched his head. "I haven't been there, but I heard that among the Dwarven villages, there's even a place under the ground."

"No, I'm talking about a Beast village."

"If it's a Beast village, there's none I know, either. I haven't even seen a Beast myself, and players who choose to be Beasts start in the Sinius Principality."

"I'm not looking for a player village."

"Really? If I get some info later, I'll tell you by mail."

"Thank you."

"But can't we please move a little faster?"

Of course, Ark pretended not to hear Sid's last words. Even so, since they were moving, their goal steadily got closer. After about 20 hours, Grey Ridge finally stopped and the sight of the commercial city Giran came into view from the base of the hills .

Giran was larger and more grand than any city he had gone to.

Encapsulated by thick walls, Giran was divided down the middle by canals, marking off several regions, such as Trade, Production, and Magic. Each of the areas was bigger than Jackson Castle.

As soon as they arrived in Giran, Sid rushed over to the trading post.

"Ah, thankfully silk prices haven't dropped yet."

After a long time Sid came out with a much brighter expression. "Thanks to selling the silk, Ark-nim's japtem, and the pearls, my level went up by 5. Jewelry and Textile trading skill proficiency both went up by 40, and my silk share went up by 2% as well. All in all, this trade was a huge success."

"Congratulations." Generous with free lip service, Ark confirmed the ample money sack in Sid's hand and also felt good. "Then it's time to divide the money?"

"Ah, yes, of course." Sid smiled bitterly as he nodded.

Just the japtem in Ark's bag and what he had left with Sid totaled 50 Gold. Along with selling the 800 pearls at a 15% high price, the total was 418 Gold! It was more than the price of the trade goods Sid had brought while flinging himself around the Kingdom like crazy. Moreover, Ark's earnings had mostly no investment, so his margin reached 90%.

He received more than half the money bag. But Ark still eyed Sid's money bag with greedy eyes. It was his silent pressure to be given the promised protection fee and reward.

"Here you go. The 25 Gold I promised when I contracted Leo, and the 15 Gold special bonus." Sid handed over the money looking like he was going to cry.

Ark quickly took it, packed it away, and laughed. "Thank you. Then I'll see you again next time."

"Yes; well, I'm gonna be in Giran for a while, so if you need to see me just contact me."

Ark parted with Sid for now. However, there were still things he had to do in Giran. Even after selling off that many items, there were still three or four items left in Snake's belly. They were items he couldn't sell to the store because they were unidentified.

'Huhuhu, he said he was gonna be in Giran for a while, right? Then I should check all these items and get Sid to sell them. Sid's going to get EXP from selling them anyways. This is what they call a win-win situation. Knowing a Merchant makes a lot of things much more comfortable.'

He'd really caught a sitting duck this time. Whether he liked it or not, he'd come to know Sid, so he had to use him to the max!

Inside his bag, 650 gold coins jingled. Thanks to that, as Ark headed towards the item appraisal store, his steps were as light as air.

* * *

"How much did you say it was?"

"It's 184,700 Won (~$185)." The checkout clerk spat out terrifying words with a friendly voice.

A sigh puffed out on its own. Buying a 4 kilogram sack of rice, some vegetables, toothpaste, and a toothbrush totaled to over a 180 thousand Won.

It seemed prices had risen yet again, in short order, whereas workers' wages had been frozen for a year. The people's economy falling to ruin was like a textbook example. The electric, water, and gas fees also rose.

It had already been 10 years since the privatization of public services. In the name of improving quality, the utility fees had risen fifteen times. As a result, even though he only kept one light on at night in his tiny room, the shivering Hyun Woo was charged a bill of over 150 thousand Won (~$150) every month.

Though his mother was just lying in the hospital, having to pay a hospital bill of 3 million Won (~$3,000) a month was certainly an aftereffect of the privatization of health insurance.

Since Hyun Woo was busy making a living, he had no interest in the workings of national bond companies or whatever. Whenever a policy came out, there was a part could not understand the people who rose up in arms like a swarm of bees. But after taking personal damage from the aftereffect, his thoughts changed.

'Dammit, there's a reason why adults talk politics if they simply gather.'

However, he couldn't live without eating and using water just because money was precious.

'I'm jealous of Ark, who can use Survival Cooking.'

Granted, even if Hyun Woo could use Survival Cooking, it wouldn't make much of a difference. In a city where it was hard to even see grass, there was no way he could get ingredients.

In the end, although he valued them like his life, he handed over likenesses of Shin Saimdang (50,000 Won bill), Sejong the Great (10,000 Won), Yi I (5,000 Won), and Admiral Yi (100 Won) to the clerk.

[T/N: Ark is referring to famous figures in Korean history who are printed onto the currency. It's like talking about giving someone a Lincoln ($5) or a George Washington.]

Walking home with shopping bags, Hyun Woo's mind was busy calculating money.

His mother's rehabilitation treatment started this month too, so it would take about 4,500,000 Won (~$4,500)... On top of that, the utility bill was roughly 450,000 Won (~$450), rent and food expenses were 500,000 Won, loan payment and interest were 1,000,000 Won. In conclusion, the total expenses was at least 6,500,000 Won (~$6,500) a month.

With the 7,000,000 Won (~$7,000) he'd earned from selling items in the past and 3,000,000 Won (~$3,000) he received from Global Exos for two months, he had thought he could endure for at least another two months. However, now it would be tough to last a month and a half. It was dangerous if he couldn't step up his game.

'Still, I can't skimp on mother's hospital fees.'

After life became difficult, the biggest thing Hyun Woo realized was life wasn't so easy. Everything Hyun Woo had lived on and enjoyed for 17 years were not for granted. They were the result of his father earning with sweat and blood and his mother saving and saving again. They raised Hyun Woo with everything in a world with prices leaping like mad. He had to be grateful.

However that was then, now his pocket swung emptily.

Since he had to pay the hospital fee in advance, it immediately took a large sum. His loan payment date was also drawing very near. After thinking, Hyun Woo just shook his head.

'No need to worry. I still have over 2,000,000 Won left. And if there's no other way...'

There was still a final resort left to Hyun Woo. The 650 Gold he carefully kept in his bag!

It was an emergency card he could convert to 6,500,000 Won of real currency at any time. But just as money was necessary to live life, gold was necessary inside the game, too. At least for an unforeseen circumstance, he didn't want to touch the gold if possible.

'I still have time. Since I'm mostly set with my equipment, I'll put any worthwhile items I get on auction right away. Since my level went up too, there'll be more chances to get items worth money.'

Hyun Woo roughly finished cleaning his house and accessed the auction site.

Auction Complete. Reaper's Scythe : 600,000 Won (~$600)

Auction Complete. Sharply Shining Sword : 350,000 Won (~$350)

Auction Complete. Merciless Hammer of Destruction: 800,000 Won (~$800)

Auction Complete. Spirit of Separation : 700,000 Won (~$700)

'For now, I've scraped together 2,450,000 Won.'