Artifact Devouring Player-Chapter 39: Open Market - (3)
Chapter 39 - Open Market - (3)
[Chapter 39]
「Ring of Acceleration」
■ Artifact Grade: Platinum
■ Artifact Description: Grants explosive acceleration that surpasses human limits.
Consumes 20 mana per second at 2x speed, 30 mana at 3x speed, and 40 mana at 4x speed.
■ Agility +10
It was the same scenario as when Yoon Daekyung had given up the Berserker Ring.
The artifact's effects were certainly appealing, but the ability to maintain them was extremely lacking.
Even for a level 2 player in the 300s, unless they were a mage-type player, their mana would barely reach around 100 at best.
So even if they tried to use the 2x acceleration ability, the effect would last only about 3 or 4 seconds before ending.
Just as they were about to savor the speed, the lack of mana would cut the effect short.
Because of this, it was inevitable that players wouldn't show much interest in this artifact.
In fact, even the additional stats it provided were embarrassingly low for a Platinum-grade artifact.
'Most players are hesitant to use artifacts that consume too much mana.'
The lack of popularity was understandable.
If Sanghyun were to consume this artifact, the mana consumption option would likely disappear.
Instead, the system would probably compromise by adding a cooldown period. That was fine with him.
Various possibilities came to mind.
What if he used acceleration while fully charged with power?
His dash speed would more than double, allowing him to overwhelm enemies in an instant. The force would also increase.
"Hmm. Ngh. Are you going to buy it?"
She wiped the sauce off her fingers with a handkerchief and spoke first.
Sanghyun immediately sensed that she wasn't a professional seller.
Negotiations usually began with a fierce power struggle, but she had already given off a vibe that she wanted him to buy it.
Even while pretending not to care, there was a longing look in her eyes.
The old stains on the artifact, showing signs of frequent use, were proof of her desperation.
"How much is it?"
"1.2 billion won."
The casual way she stated the price revealed a hint of greed.
When Sanghyun said nothing and just smiled, she quickly changed her tone.
"I'd love to sell it for 1.2 billion, but honestly, 1 billion feels like the right price!"
Sanghyun still didn't respond.
In truth, this artifact was something Sanghyun needed.
The acceleration ability had limitless potential for use. It was essential.
When there was still no reaction, she asked again, hurriedly.
"Isn't 1 billion the fair price?"
"I'll look around a bit more."
Without hesitation, Sanghyun turned his gaze away.
"800 million! That's a huge discount! Honestly, who sells a Platinum-grade artifact for 800 million?"
Sanghyun's ideal price was 700 million won. There was still one more round of bargaining left.
In his past life, Sanghyun had become a master at negotiations. He'd dealt with all sorts of people through tough experiences.
Even if he didn't want to learn, bargaining had been a survival skill for cutting costs.
Sanghyun spoke firmly.
"Let's be honest. If someone had accepted that price, it wouldn't still be here, would it?"
Her focus wavered at his words, as if struck right at the heart of the matter.
Sanghyun took advantage of that opening and sweetened the deal.
"700 million is a fair value for this artifact. I'll buy it immediately at that price."
"Really? You'll say deal right away for 700 million?"
"Deal. I'll take it right now."
Sanghyun smiled as he answered. He was certain now—she wasn't a seasoned merchant. She was practically a beginner.
Sanghyun bought two artifacts from her. Both had excellent strategic value.
First, the Ring of Acceleration, initially priced at 1.2 billion, was finally settled at 700 million won.
The second was a bracelet she presented, which started at 1 billion and ended at 600 million after bargaining.
「Bracelet of Potential Enhancement」
■ Artifact Grade: Platinum
■ Artifact Description: Consumes 10 mana per second to enhance the wearer's agility stat by 1.5 times.
If mana runs out, the enhancement effect is automatically canceled.
Like the ring, this artifact also consumed a significant amount of mana.
However, for Sanghyun, who was actively seeking ways to increase his agility stat, it was perfect—since he could eliminate the mana consumption.
It was easy to understand why players passing by her stall had ignored the artifact.
To handle this artifact without difficulty, a player would need to be at least around level 500.
But players at that level generally didn't show much interest in Platinum-grade artifacts.
"Thank you so much! I thought I'd never sell these... You're really a great buyer!"
She bowed repeatedly to Sanghyun, expressing her gratitude.
She had already been trying to sell at Hyunjung Market for a month, paying the expensive entrance fees.
Hundreds, maybe even close to a thousand players had passed by, but no one had shown any intention to buy.
She herself had realized that the artifact's penalties were too great for most players.
But suddenly, like a prince on a white horse, Sanghyun appeared and bought the artifact, leaving her with no choice but to feel grateful.
'I should be the one grateful.'
Sanghyun smiled subtly. The price he paid didn't matter to him.
What mattered was the artifact's configuration—how much synergy it could unleash once consumed.
If Sanghyun could use the acceleration ability and boost his agility without consuming mana, the benefit would be worth dozens of times more.
No one else might realize it, but Sanghyun was confident its value was worth at least several billion won.
"Did the transfer go through?"
"Yes! 1.3 billion won! Wow... Now I can finally enjoy some good food and even donate to the orphanage!"
"Orphanage?"
An unexpected word made Sanghyun ask cautiously.
"Yes! There's an orphanage where kids I care for are working hard to live happily. My friends are also having a tough time."
"Ah! That's very admirable."
"The happiest moments as a player are when I earn big money like this. I won't have to worry about operating costs for a while!"
Her bright, innocent smile radiated genuine joy.
Chomp. Munch.
In the midst of this, she stuffed a chocolate bar into her mouth and chewed eagerly.
Then she pulled out a crumpled business card from her pocket and handed it to Sanghyun.
"My name's Ham Jiyeon! I have the worst luck with artifacts—everything I get comes with terrible options!"
"A cursed hand, huh?"
"Hoho, that's right! If I find more artifacts next time, I'll contact you. You should share your number too!"
Their phone numbers were exchanged in the blink of an eye.
Sanghyun wasn't sure if he'd ever buy an artifact from Ham Jiyeon again... but who knew what the future held?
"Well then, I hope we meet again someday."
"Thank you for buying it! Goodbye! Ah, excuse me, but what's your name? I need to register it!"
"Shin Sanghyun."
Their belated introduction finally ended.
Even after continuing to browse Hyunjung Market, Sanghyun couldn't find an artifact with the cost-effectiveness that satisfied him.
In other words, there were no trash options that he desired—nothing that would turn to gold once consumed.
So, after finishing his purchase from Ham Jiyeon, Sanghyun ended his market trip and returned home.
When he checked Ham Jiyeon's profile picture after adding her as a friend on Talk, it became clear what kind of life she lived.
In her profile picture, she was smiling brightly with nearly a hundred children, arms around their shoulders.
Regardless of her circumstances, Sanghyun would have bought the artifacts anyway, but knowing it was a meaningful expense made him feel good.
As soon as he got home, Sanghyun immediately consumed the two artifacts.
As expected, the manifested food appeared as a savory pepperoni pizza and an insanely sweet chocolate bar.
Since he liked the salty-sweet combo, Sanghyun devoured the food in an instant and checked his internalized abilities.
『Acceleration』
■ Skill Level: 1st Stage (0.0%)
■ Skill Description: When using the acceleration skill, you can accelerate three times faster for 10 seconds.
Cooldown: 1 minute.
The ability from the Ring of Acceleration was inherited in this form, along with 4 points added to his agility stat.
The acceleration was fixed at 3x speed for 10 seconds, but now it came with a 1-minute cooldown.
'Psychedelic, if combined with Full Charge, should create a good synergy. It'll definitely be useful.'
He was satisfied. The ability to apply it in various ways was a clear advantage.
『Agility Mastery』
■ Skill Level: 1st Stage (0.0%)
■ Skill Description: Only in dungeons and rifts, your agility stat remains enhanced by 1.5 times.
Passive Skill.
The Bracelet of Potential Enhancement was inherited in the form of Agility Mastery.
It now activated under special conditions in a specific way.
Since there was no need to decide when to use it, being a passive skill made it function more like a title effect.
"I still have 2.6 billion won left."
He still had plenty of money. Of course, if he really wanted to, he could spend it all in a matter of seconds.
"For now, before meeting Kim Miso tomorrow, I should review my memories of the Black Gate."
Sitting down and getting comfortable, Sanghyun placed paper in front of him and picked up a pen.
The Black Gate raid was expected to yield an Epic-grade artifact.
Since it was a dungeon where teamwork with a partner was more important than anything else,
Sanghyun planned to prepare thoroughly.
If he didn't sync well with Kim Miso, the Black Gate wouldn't be a land of blessings and opportunities—it would become a land of death.
Scratch. Scribble. Scribble.
Sanghyun's hand moved busily as he carefully retraced his memories.
The next day.
As promised, Sanghyun headed to Gangnam Station, where Eden Guild's special training facility was located.
Known for its expensive real estate, Eden Guild's building was positioned right by Exit 1, one of the prime locations in Gangnam Station.
Directly across from it stood the building of Sun Guild, which was always in fierce competition with Eden Guild for a spot in Korea's top five guild rankings.
These two rival guilds were known for constantly competing to buy up surrounding buildings.
"Oh? Isn't that Shin Sanghyun?"
"I heard he even started his own guild. What's he doing in our building?"
"Kim Miso probably called him. She seems really interested in him."
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"Well, even reporter Park Jungmin, who's known for spotting promising players, is following him. He must be impressive."
"I heard the Player Union is also keeping an eye on him?"
As soon as Sanghyun stepped into the lobby, Eden Guild members began whispering upon recognizing him.
Sanghyun was starting to gain quite a bit of fame, and many people were beginning to recognize him.
In fact, it was surprising that Ham Jiyeon hadn't recognized him right away at Hyunjung Market.
After completing the entry procedure at the building lobby, a man approached Sanghyun.
He was around 185 cm tall, just like Sanghyun, but his build was much bulkier.
"Are you Shin Sanghyun?"
"Yes, that's me."
Sanghyun recognized him immediately.
Jo Jinho.
A renowned player, ranked among the top three swordsmen within Eden Guild's swordsman division.
As a fellow swordsman, Sanghyun couldn't not know him. Jo Jinho was a defense-specialized swordsman, more focused on protection than offense.
Jo Jinho's nickname, the Iron Wall, wasn't given without reason—he was a shield nearly impossible to break through.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jo Jinho from Eden Guild. Miso is currently busy with the Guild Master, so I'll guide you for now."
Jo Jinho spoke cautiously.
In his past life, Sanghyun had met Jo Jinho before—but back then, he had been completely ignored.
He had been someone far beyond Sanghyun's reach, someone he couldn't even dare to look up to.
But now things were different.
The man who hadn't even glanced at him in his previous life was now acting as his guide in this one.
'It really is worth living a long life for.'
Living long, and now, living again—it was truly something remarkable to witness such a change in fate.
