Vol 2 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Win the hearts of the People
'Whew, it's really hopeless' Ark heaved a sigh
He stopped Merpeople at rando infor to be harder than expected Judging from past experience, there was only one way to solve situations like this He must raise his intimacy with the Merpeople
The probleh intimacy
Based on the Mermaid Guards' reaction, the favor he'd earned from just a feords was no use In addition, he didn't kno to increase intie Underwater City
'The first thing to do is to gain information about Merpeople other than Christin'
Ark decided to relax and took a stroll around the city
Nodelesse was slightly different coes, no matter how small always had a tavern, inn, and various shops However Nodelesse even though it was 3, 4 tie, only had one restaurant and a General Store
'Should I clean out my japtem for now?'
After wandering in the ocean for nearly half aand Snake's stomach were full of items
”Oh, you're a Huht, what are you looking for?”
As soon as he entered the store, an elderly Mery beard, the Merht, but Ark still sported a friendly smile
”I have sos to buy May I look around the shop?”
”Go ahead”
Ark went through the goods in the store
All of the ites he had never seen before It was inevitable since he was in an Underwater City, and because all the materials could only be acquired in the ocean shi+elds made out of seashells, bows made out of Whale bones, Spears carved from tuna bones, etc
Theto them Perhaps because it was a difficult city to coination
Clam shi+eld
Gear Type
Shell shi+eld
Defense
190
Durability
60
Weight
30
Usage Restriction
Level 50, Warrior Related
This shi+eld was e Clam shell sturdy as steel, so it cannot be broken by any sword It was made with a streamline surface, so it is easy to carry it and swim
Price
1, 3777P
Electric Eel Breastplate (Magic)
Gear Type
Leather Armor
Defense
70
Durability
55
Weight
50
Usage Restriction
Level 55
Ar in the ocean depths Attacks will slide off its slippery surface The characteristic of Electric Eel remains; it will emit an electric shock with a fixed chance when hit
Attack Nullification: 30
10 Chance of counter-attacking with an electric shock when hit
Price
2,500P
Even a norear, Clam shi+eld, had an enormous defense of 190
Well, shi+elds were originally set with high defense since the defense was added when the player actually blocked with it Even so, 190 was definitely an incredible defense
The added special effects of the Electric Eel Breastplate were also no joke
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it rare It is attractive enough to want to buy 1 or 2 if the price is right But strangely enough, the price was in units of ”P”
”What does P mean?”
”Hm?”
The store owner twisted his head around wondering what Ark was talking about After staring blankly at Ark for awhile, the store owner nodded in understanding
”Ahh, you are a Hu as an eyeball ”Here at Nodelesse, Pearl is used as currency”
”Then for 2,500P, you need 2,500 Pearls to buy the item?”
”Of course”
Ark's jaw dropped unconsciously
He had gathered 3 or 4 pearls when he crossed through the ocean At that tiht they could be sold for a really high price So far, the jewels he'd occasionally earned were 10 Silver for the low-quality ones, and the high-quality rare ones orth 5 gold
But he need 2,500 of those Pearls to buy one arht it for a cheap price, it would still aood the performance of the item was, it was an unbelievable rip-off
But Ark soon changed his way of thinking
'No, it ht be because the the value of the Pearls are unbelievably low in this place'
If so, there was nothing more to desire If he acquired Pearls in bulk in this place and took advantage of the value difference, he could amass a sizable fortune
Ark thought of this and opened his bag
”If I sold all of this, how et?”
The bag was filled with Clas like the flesh of marine monsters
But the store owner muttered in an uninterested voice, ”Why would I buy them?”
”What? What do you mean?”
”Those things are everywhere outside, so there's no need for me to buy them”
The store oas turning his head uninterested, but then he flinched He pointed at one item with fascinated eyes
”Wh-what is that?”
”What? This shoe?”
”Shoe? Ooh, you call it a shoe? It looks marvelous Do humans wear those on their feet? But I think this is the first time I've seen such material What is it made out of?”
”What do you mean It is just animal hide…”
While answering with a flummoxed expression, Ark suddenly had an epiphany
'Right, this is an Underwater City!'
An Underwater City, the City of Merpeople who spent hundreds of years without any contact with the outside world
Just like how the Underwater City ite to Ark, the ite to the Merpeople; even if it was just a ragged leather shoe Since they lived underwater, they never had a chance to glimpse at land animal leather before
In other word, scarcity! No oods
Indeed, the store owner's eyes were filled with desire
”Interesting! Very interesting! Are you saying this is an animal hide? Why did you only show oods? I don't need the other things, but if you'll sell that or siood price too”
The store owner shook the bag filled with Pearls to say he wanted to trade immediately
The items Ark currently possessed were no oods with only 1 durability, since he used thee, it was difficult to receive even a few coppers But the shop oas saying he would buy theood price
This was definitely a bonanza
But Ark's hand that was taking out items suddenly stopped
'Wait, if these iteood value here, then I don't really need to sell theain information… What if I sell them to Merpeople in the city?'
He could raise inti inti But if he raises his intimacy to a certain level, he would naturally earn the favor of the Merpeople and ht come to learn of another method to raise intimacy
”I'm sorry I will return”
”H-hey, wait!”
Ark quickly packed his things and left the shop
The place Ark sought was the plaza situated at the center of the city, where athered Then he found a decent place and spread out land ite out items they have never seen before, Ark became the center of the Merpeople's attention
”Huh? It's a human”
”How did it get here?”
”But what are those goods? What exactly are they made of?”
”It is sparkling? Perhaps it's what you call iron?”
In Nodelesse, iron was solimpse of, there was no way to mine iron ores and refine them underwater Clam shells, rock, and bones were substituted for iron
Ark sent out a greeting to the Merpeople who gathered like clouds around hi he had done countless of times in reality
Of course it was his first ti fishes as customers
”Merpeople with beautiful silver tails, I greet you I a the gorgeous city of Nodelesse They call me Ark”
”Beautiful silver tail, hmm, it's the truth”
Merpeople are siuards Just a little bit of sugar coating can instantly raise inti was also instantaneous
”Today, I will show everyone a couple of items found on land”
Ark skillfully explained like a celebrity who hosts a shopping channel
”What you are seeing now are various armors made of animal hides which cannot be acquired underwater In addition, there are iron weapons made with the hearts and souls of Hu the perfor, are not meant for you to use”
”Are you saying we should buy so to use?”
”You do not understand? Think carefully again The perforreat weapons of the Merpeople, but they are all made of materials unobtainable underwater In other words, no hly you look, only one of these items exist in Nodelesse! Only those who purchase theht to possess them”
”So that's how it is!”
”For those who still don't quite get it, close your eyes and ili across the plains has been defeated after a fierce struggle by a Warrior Then it left its hide and was changed into gear such as this These aren't just items They are items filled with the history and a touch of the adventurer who hunted thedown the plains You can decorate your living room with this When will there ever be such a luxury underwater again?”
The light in the eyes of the Merpeople looking at the iteed
Land monsters which cannot be seen or heard underwater! There was no practicality for either a glove or a shoe But siine a world they had never seen
This mentality stimulated the Merpeople's desire to purchase the items
Of course, Ark's Art of Coe influence on convincing the Merpeople Art of Communication didn't demonstrate much of an effect in normal stores But in a special case such as now, it caused profound influence
”What is this love as it asked
Ark sported his most friendly expression as he answered, ”Ah, it's a leather of a al Wolf Its whole body is covered with black fur, and countless sharp canines are eantic mouth They looked like they can s a person whole Try touching it You can iht?”
”Whoa, feels a”
”H-how much is it?” A Merman who couldn't wait anymore fretted as he asked
'They're hooked! The fish is hooked!'
”There isn't a set price The quantity is limited, so please understand I will award the honor to the one who calls out the highest price First, this glove this cute child showed interest in!”
”50P!”
”60P!”
When he finished talking, the Merpeople called out prices frighteningly
At best, they were goods he could only get 10 Silver on land But 60P! One pearl was 10 Silver, so it amounted to 60 Silver, 10 times the price!
Ark wanted to hit the ground and wail
'If I knew this was going to happen, I should have brought anything and everything japtem'
Not even a few minutes later 20 or so japtem were sold like hot cakes
Whenever his florid speech raised the price, his Art of Cooods, his Art of Coathered 450 pearls Of course, all the Merpeople who bought the goods left with satisfied faces, so his intimacy also rose considerably
But they still wouldn't tell him about Christin
Ark didn't worry 'There should be a strategy even in an unexpectedly ridiculous place!'
After finishi+ng his successful business, Ark became confident
'Cultural difference is money!'
Nodelesse was coy to raise inti co as he found out what those were, it was no problem to raise intimacy
Ark ih Nodelesse
What came next to Ark's attention was the restaurant
The Merpeople had no concept of cooking Even if you ordered food at a restaurant, only raeed and shellfish were served
It was inevitable Fire cannot be used underwater
However it was different for Ark The Survival Cooking Pot Ark possessed could boil water without fire, and roast ingredients regardless of ti' i, you could even make ramen underwater
'They'll eat it Without a doubt, they'll eat it'
Ark immediately started a food stand in the plaza
He had so redients left, to the point where they'd rotted and became overripe
Aredients he had, Ark chose several good tasting dishes with decent effects The result was just as he expected
Merpeople had never even seen cooked food before
They couldn't even iredients The Merpeople went as far paying an exorbitant fee of 1P per serving and ate the food And the word-of-mouth of the Merpeople who had eaten it once spread fro lines formed day after day at Ark's food stall
Ark orating meal with the effect of Health recovery and a nutritious uard Those special food were priced at a colossal price of 3P! It was really a gimmick to raise the price and receive more profit
”Ohh, what is this?”
”Wow, it's such a fascinating taste”
”Is this what they call land meat?”
”For soth rising”
In a single day, the ingredients from land became scarce But the business stayed as prosperous as ever
”This is the seaweed I've always eaten, but the taste is completely different!”
”I can't believe it How can you make such distinctive taste with shellfish!+”
From children to elderly, from Guards to nobles of the Merpeople, they didn't spare their praises
Soht their lovers and strutted as they ordered food Of course Ark, who had a sense for customer treatment, satisfied the Merpeople with services second only to first-class restaurants
Thanks to his customer service, his popularity soared evenenough to surround the plaza
”Welcome!”
”Give me the baked shellfish I ate yesterday”
”You need to wait 10 minutes”
It was difficult to handle the custoh he made food without rest In just a few days, Ark becale Merperson in Nodelesse who didn't know of him
But it was only the beginning
”Ah, this is also al Do I need to buy a new one?”
Guards who sought out the stall sighed while looking at the tattered armor
Ark rapidly approached and put on a friendly smile
”If it is okay, could I repair the equipment?”
”What do youyou'll fix it?”
”Yes, it won't be in the same state as before, but you'll still be able to use it for awhile”
”But I have never heard of a hu Merpeople's equipment?”
”For now, please give it to me”
The Guard took off and gave him the seashell armor with an expression of disbelief
The concept of maximum durability didn't apply to the equipment of Merpeople Since the materials used to make them were seashells, they couldn't be fixed after they were broken Even for someone who learned the technique from a Blacksmith cannot repair a seashell with a haic Restoration It wasn't the concept of repair, but restoring to its original state
”Magic Restoration!”
When the skill was used, the tattered arinal condition
At the sight, the Merpeople couldn't hide their astonishinner skill, it didn't coinal 10 penalty was applied and durability only recovered by 90
A player would refuse the services even if they were paid But this alone was a shock to the Merpeople Since one equip was over 1,000P, replacing one was a big deal
”You are truly incredible! Even a Magician wouldn't be able to do so like this!”
Ark spoke while gasping, pretending to be tired, ”Huff huff huff, it's very difficult when I use this technique”
”No wonder, since you did so remarkable This isn't much, but take it”
The guard readily pulled out 50P
It was better than selling 20 special cooking!
Ark's pupils flashed with golden light again
'Nice I was getting worried since there's a liredients'
”It's too regretful to sireat equipment of the Merpeople when they are broken It's difficult forit to me any time If it's a normal item, I will repair it for a cheap price”
When the ruht their equipment and swarmed around Ark
'Hahaha this is truly a cinch'
He was so happy, he ht turn insane
He used ingredients he couldn't sell in the store to earn Pearls Was that all? Every ti skill As he used Magic Restoration while earning Pearls, he was also able to raise its skill proficiency As a result, the proficiency rose insanely and he raised the Magic Restoration level in three days
Magic Restoration has risen to Interreat deal of experience
The usual penalty you received when repairing norical Iteic item, its maximum durability will decrease by 10
Mana Consumption: 20
Since both the Nursing and Magic Restoration skill have become Intermediate, you have learned Purification Restoration as an effect of set skills With Purification Restoration, you can purify curses on any kind of item
'Set skill effect!'
In the past, he learned Sword-Hand Combat as a set effect of Sword Mastery and Hand-to-Hand Corow to a certain level, a set effect is given But seeing it was a skill to lift curses, with Nursing and Magic Restoration being uncommon skills, this set effect was rare kind Now he could release the curse of ite money to the Cathedral
'Lancel's Sword!'
Lancel's Sword immediately came to mind
Until now, it wasto wonder what kind of sword it was
”Alright, Purification Restoration!”
Once the Sword's curse was lifted, a epopped up with a new sound effect
- Once the curse was released, the Sword's original appearance has materialized
Lancel's Sword (Magic Sword)
Weapon Type
One-Handed Sword
Attack
20~30
Durability
50/50
Weight
25
Usage Restriction
Dark Attribute, Level 50
A Sword used by the Mercenary Lancel, as famed in the past The reason why Lancel beca his mind Lancel realized this and didn't utilize the sword for a long tiain to exterminate Kundalini, where he then drew his last breath and died
'It's it's the jackpot!' Ark's mouth ide open with surprise
Ark was still using the Sharply shi+ning Sword he had earned fro the Black Bear Mouse The sword's attack is 8-12, whereas Lancel's Sas 20-30
Just by looking at the attack power, it was a perfect sword to use at level 50 Unfortunately, there was a restriction of Dark Attribute
The players Ark kneith the Dark Attribute were so few that he could count the a rare-class iteh price at the auction However, there was no reason to be disappointed
'Lancel's Sould immediately raise collective attack power by at least 30 percent'
That alone gave it plenty of value
Just then, another new epopped up
The Magic Tool's ability was drawn out by the Dark Walker's job characteristic
Netherworld residents who are at least Intermediate class all possess their own artifact, which they call Magic Tools Players can activate Magic Tool once a day You can suic Sword, who hides in the Netherworld No kinds of environic Sword's host
However, the Magic Sword's host is not friendly to players
Job Special : If the player ns the sword has the ability to summon creatures of the Netherworld, you are qualified to ic Sword duel If the Familiar wins, you can coer Familiar
If the player attacks and uses hostilethe duel, the duel will automatically end in a defeat In the cases the Familiar loses, it will be forcefully recalled and the appropriate penalty will apply
Lancel's Sword's (Magic Sword)
Special Effect: Once a day, you can summon the low-class Vampire Dunphil
'What is this?' Ark had a puzzled expression when he saw the never before seen e
After reading it a couple of tis he exclaimed
'A Farowth!'
They ords that htly doubtful about developing his Familiars, since the condition to develop Familiars was too peculiar
Newlysucceeded, if the added effects were negative, the Fah he had created about 80 new dishes, his Familiars' stats had only risen about thirty times And since Skull and Bat split the consumption, it was only fifteen times
If the risen stats were converted to levels, they were only about level 15, even though Ark had leveled up over 30 ti ceaselessly Moreover, no redients there were in New World, there was a limit
In conclusion, the amount of new dishes Ark can roould stop
Right now they were overcoainst monsters with tactics, but it would also reach its limit one day
When it happens, he ive up on his Familiars But before it happens, he has to develop thehts of rushi+ng up to level, treht of food…
Anyway, it was regrettable for Ark, who had special affection for his Familiars
'But now there was another method!'
After ending his sale in the evening, Ark went outside Nodelesse
The reason being: combat cannot be done inside the city
”Magic Sword summon!”
Once Ark released the seal, a ht It had the appearance of a ed man in a suit
Dunphil glanced around, studied Ark, and smirked ”You summoned me? What is your business?”
Its expression and ant
It hen Ark was about to say so
”DU-DUNPHIL!” While staring blankly at Dunphil, Bat screamed
But Dunphil's response was apathetic
”Who the hell are you?”
”Y-you don't know me?”
”You are a strange one, I wouldn't know the likes of a bat without even a name”
”WH-WHAT? THIS bastard!”
Without even a chance to interfere, Bat charged at Dunphil
It seemed it was decided Dunphil would be Bat's opponent
Once the fight between the Fae came up and all Ark could do atch He couldn't even use Nursing or recall his summon
Ark took a step back together with Skull and used Eyes of the Cat to watch the fight Dunphil's level was 25 On the other hand, when looking at Bat with its level 15 stats, the level difference was apparent throughout the fight