Vol 2 Chapter 7 (2/2)

”Market share?”

The lives of combat professions relied on EXP and items, but Merchants relied on profit and market shares Market share was a kind of reward provided to players who consistently traded one type of good A Merchant with a set aet all sorts of bonuses They can also be exeet profit frooods If they held theprivilege with a Lord

The additional effects of that were enormous You acquired info about which iteained aht to raise market share first was vicious

Some Merchants even went as far as to suffer a loss to lowerin with trade goods from afar

Even if it wasn’t from player interference, prices plummeted and skyrocketed if New World’s econoed Because of this, Merchants always have to be keen and able to read the flow of the whole continent

Information soon becomes money To Merchants, this is common sense

Sid held vast information as an effect of that

“One day, I will get a dom”

Sid stamped his foot as he boldly revealed his ambition

Although seeing a s

In any case, Sid was risking everything on this journey

He poured in his whole fortune in order to raise ht silk with a loan from the Merchant Guild If the market value plummeted before he arrived, it was instant bankruptcy for hi peanuts in a corner of the city

'Being a Merchant isn't an easy profession either'

Ark felt it was actually hter

Then, while Ark and Sid were talking, Leo and Hargen hispering a that e

'I have a really bad feeling about this'

Out of nowhere, he suddenly got an unco

Ark's ominous sense hit the mark

2 hours after leaving village, the party had reached the entrance region of Grey Ridge After sweeping another e suddenly popped up

- You have been kicked out from the party

Leo, as coht in the front, had the position of party leader In other words, Leo kicked Ark out of the party, and it wasn’t just Ark Sid, who also got the expulsion e, tilted his head

“Excuse me, Leo-nim I’ve been disbanded from the party?”

Leo suddenly changed his expression as he said, “We aren’t going any further”

”Huh? What are you talking about?” Sid blinked as if he did not understand the situation

Leo grinned and swung his hammer around

“Since there’s noya to hand over all the silk and fuck off Ark, if you leave all your pearls and scraht of our time so far You understand without further explanation, yes?”

”Per-perhaps fro…?”

“Of course Do you think I, Hargen, followed you this far just to earn peanuts?”

”Y-you can't These goods are what I’ve bought with o bankrupt I would rather die!”

“If you say that h this is expensive”

Leo took out and ripped a red scroll ”Target Sid, designated mark: silk”

Then, a strea out and hit Sid

'Is it an attack scroll?'

Ark flinched reflexively, but Sid didn't receive any dae It doesn’t seem to be an attack scroll However Sid's face i Tears poured from his round eyes

”Please let ive you 50”

”Why would I do so that difficult when there is an easier way to earn money?”

Ark couldn't comprehend the current situation at all

When a character becae penalty They can’t buy or sell anything froer than a certain size They also received criminal status

If they beca in jail for a few days and paying a fine Of course, the jail time and the fine were based on their Chaotic value and their level For those above level 60, the jail time as well as the fine would be no small amount

No matter howinto a Chaotic player So although Ark had been suspicious of the two’s attitudes, he hadn’t iined the worst case scenario

That wasn’t all he couldn’t understand Since he was a Merchant, there would be sos besides the silk Even if Sid waswas rare However, Leo and Sid both seeuaranteed to drop

'Just what exactly is going on here?'

”I’m sorry, but it’s unavoidable since we also need to survive!”

As Leo abruptly rushed forward swinging his two-handed axe, Ark still hadn't come up with a plan If they were monsters, he was confident he could take doo or three even if they were level 70

However, his opponent were players, two of them were too much to face even for Ark

'Should I run away?’ Ark was thinking that, but then—

”Dammit, then I will have to prepare for some losses!”

Sid quickly took out a scroll and, when he ripped it, disappeared with light It was the effect of the incredibly rare and expensive [Warp] scroll

”That bastard, he was hiding a warp scroll”

Leo ground his teeth after slaround

”Hng, did you think I’ll let such easy prey get away? [Trace]!”

Without delay, Leo quickly used another scroll and his eyes glowed red With glowing red eyes, Leo looked around and found Sid scra all sorts of scrolls

Leo shouted while chasing Sid, ”Hargen, you take care of robbing him! You can face him alone, yeah?”

”Of course” Hargen laughed as he looked at Ark ”You don’t intend to obediently hand over the pearls anyways, right?”

Hargen did the sa as Leo— he took out a scroll and ure out the scroll’s identity, but it seeen ied

It was an absurd situation

‘What’s with this guy? What does he believe in, to think he can stand up against me?'

Hargen was 3 levels lower than Ark He definitely knew that fact So why is he trying to take Ark down alone?

'Does he think he can take me down because I’m a Thief?'

If so, it was actually welco Ark had been worried because there were two level 60+ players If there was one opponent, even if the opponent was a higher level, he was confident he could defeat him

Ark quickly did an evasivehis sword

A heavy sound rang out, but Hargen iain as if he didn’t receive much impact Ark fended off the bloith this sword, but he still took an incredible ae

'Wh-what? Is this really dae of a level 62 player?'

It was cohting monsters Ark used Eyes of the Cat, and his face hardened

'Huh? What is going on?'

With Eyes of the Cat, he saw Hargen’s level was actually 71

In addition, he was a Chaotic player!

He was certain Sid checked their levels and status before leaving the village Level 62 with Neutral status But in just 4 hours, the info had changed to so his head for a moment, Ark finally understood the situation

'I fell for it Was Sid also a part of this?'

Sid had checked the info And since Sid, whom he had met by chance, had said the info was like that, Ark had just believed him That situation had been so natural that even the doubtful Ark had blindly believed it

So In the end, Sid and Leo had just been acting!

'They were ai damn bastards!'

Rage surged within him

'I definitely shouldn’t trust the likes of players!'

”Alright, let’s go at it then I willat me alone Dark Blade!”

Lancel's sword grazed a spot on Hargen’s side that was glowing red

- You have dealt a critical hit!

Hargen flinched and took a step back Even with his plated armour, he lost 10 of his Health in one blow

”This bastard, he has good luck Though it’ll be useless!”

Hargen stillconfidence

It seeen’s level was 71, Ark’s was 65 With a whopping 6 level difference, he believed there was no way he could lose But it didn’t take long for hi that was

The accuracy and attack speed he had polished underwater!

Ark's sword and kicks rained down like a flash

Ba-ba-ba-bam!

Kicks were different froave knockback, or a stun effect at a set rate In addition, the enemy was a heavily armored Warrior; whenever the shower of kicks iht and was pushed back as he staggered

”Wha-what? What is wrong with my body?”

Hargen shouted his frustration at the special effects of the kicks

The heavily aren couldn't follow Ark's movements He also couldn't defend himself properly Trained froaps of the armor

A heavily arhter was no different from a crab The joints in armor have very low defense In addition, the Dark Blade Ark occasionally released totally ignored defense

In an instant, Hargen only had 10 of his Health left

”H-how the hell did this happen?”

In front of the suffering Hargen’s eyes, Ark lifted his leg It paused in the air for a split second before falling like a thunder bolt down on Hargen’s head

HAMMER KICK!

Stunned, Hargen fell to one knee His body flashed red

Double Critical Chance!

- With Double Critical Chance, you have landed 2x a critical hit

Ark seized the opportunity and killed Hargen

”There’s no way this can be”

As if he couldn’t believe it, Hargen sta out

- You have defeated a level 71 Chaotic player Fame +40

The hel tumbled down

”Dedric, turn into a Bat and find Sid and Leo!”

Ark suround his teeth

If they’d been playing Ark, they would definitely be waiting nearby for the fight to end The bastards had conspired and tricked Ark He was of a e If he didn't kill thee would not subside

'They can never be forgiven!'

”They’re not too far from here!”

”Lead the way”

Ark equipped the Guardian Ar and had Dedric take the lead

The Guardian Armor couldn’t be repaired by repair boxes The only way to repair it ith Magic Restoration, but he’d tried not to use it since that was only Intermediate But the current situation was different

After entering the forest, he saw a strange scene unfolding

He’d been certain the tould be giggling together, but the situation was no different fro as if his feet were on fire Leo was chasing after hi curses As if he’d already taken a few hits, Sid had only about 30 of his Health left

'What is going on? Aren't they on the same side?'

At that moment, Leo's hammer hit Sid's back

It wasn’t an attack a Merchant could defend against with their incomparably lousy defense

Sid collapsed as he instantly fell into a critical condition

”Dammit, you nasty bastard!”

”Huhuhu, isn't this also one of the enjoy a vile smile

At that moment, Leo's face was covered by Dedric

”Wh-what is this? A Bat?”

Ba-bang!

At the sa attack landed on Leo’s back

He’d been watching the situation froap in a moment and let fly a Backstab attack He couldn't understand as going on, but for now he decided they weren't allies

Leo turned his head and his facial expression turned twisted

”H-how did you?”

”Ask your friend after you revive”

Ark didn’t give him a moment and immediately poured forth a chain of Sword-Hand attacks

'The bastard’s level is 73, but if he’s around Hargen's skill, he isn't a tough opponent'

Leo was stronger than Hargen

First, his level was higher, and his equipment was better Additionally, because of his shi+eld, it wasn't easy to aiaps in his armor

But Leo was still not a match for Ark

”Uhh, what is this? A Bat?”

Dedric, trying to earn back some trust from Ark, desperately held on He repeatedly scratched Leo’s face whileoff

As expected, after receiving Ark’s rigorous training, Dedric's battle sense was outstanding In the current situation, he was deter what attack would be most helpful to Ark As Dedric continued with the attacks, Leo’s accuracy with his hammer dra counter-attacks As Leo swung his haap in the shi+eld

If a counter-attack succeeds, the attack power increases by 50!

No ood the armor was, there is no way it could handle 150 of the nor that can be continuously used Leo’s armor beca wildly

”Dammit! You're dead!”

Pressed to near critical state, Leo pulled out a potion

‘High-grade recovery potion!’

There were all kinds of potions There is the low class potion, which recovers 100 Health, interh class potion which recovers 500 Health There are also no specific restriction in ter as one had money they could recover Health anytime Ark had never once doubted a system like this

If so, didn’t that h-class potions like water? However, Ark soon found the flaw in this system

It lay in the ti and drinking the potion, they are in a coher chance of receiving a critical hit In the end, even if they drink a 500 Health potion, if they were to lose 500 Health while they were drinking it, it would do theood

That wasn’t the only disadvantage You could intentionally interfere with the player trying to drink a potion If you attacked the hand, you could make them drop the potion Ark had learned that when Bat had shoved hi to drink a potion

Because of this, Ark alplayers, ere smarter than monsters

'Idiot, he was just a high-leveled moron'

”Dark Charge!”

In fact, Dedric was of a higher level than Leo in the ability to deal with a situation A black aura poured from Dedric’s mouth and blocked Leo's vision Then, while Leo was confused, Dedric charged powerfully and sent a flying kick

”Agh! Oo, my head”

With a thuered about with a fist-sized lump on his head Leo, who’d been hurriedly about to drink the potion, shook and stumbled as if he’d taken quite a shock

Ark ordered without any delay, “Snake, it’s an item! Eat it!”

Wrapped around Ark’s waist, Snake opened its eyes wide and stuck its tongue out Like a frog catching a fly, it wrapped its tongue around the potion and sed it

The so-called Familiar combo attack!

After seeing Snake smack its lips, Leo shouted his shock

”EH! Wh-what is this?”

”What’s what? You're dead anyways Dark Blade!”

”Ah, no!” Leo quickly held up his shi+eld

But before Ark's blade reached the shi+eld, it vanished

Then it appeared in front of Leo's nose and dealt a Critical Hit

Defense was ignored, and since Dedric, who had been proic sword's owner, was sureater With a violent screaround until he hit the trunk of the tree and was forced to log out

Along with 40 bonus Fame, a hammer, two scrolls fell

”A-Ark-ni nervously, stammered with a surprised voice

Well, since the 8 level lower Ark had defeated Leo, of course he’d be surprised

”Th-thanks to you I survived I was almost robbed and bankrupted”

After collecting his wits, Sid jumped up and leapt onto Leo's corpse The reason why the corpse didn't disappear for 24 hours was probably because the developers considered a use like this

”This rotten bastard! shi+tface!”

After panting as he vented his anger, Sid scratched his head

”Because of er I'm truly ashamed”

By then, Ark had furtively packed up his ite but coldness in his eyes towards Sid

”Just exactly what happened?”

”What do you mean?”

”Sid-nim, at the inn you said they were lower level thanChaotic So, I thought you and those guys orking together”

“No, NO, I’M NOT! I was also tricked!”

“Tricked? Didn’t you use a scroll?”

“Well, Ark-nim may not know”

Sid thought for athe scrolls Leo had dropped

“First, check the items Leo dropped That would be faster”