55 Chapter 49 ~ Party Expedition 1: Gearing up (1/2)
*Bumh *Bumh *Bumh
Yet another drum being pound.
The party was exhausted. With only a few coppers, they can get themselves enough food and water for the rest of the day.
Sitting under a shaft, their body dripping their own water.
”This place sucks…” said Dola, ”We need to go to the second layer if we really want to live here. At least there, they have an Inn.”
Kurira grunted, ”Hell no, it'll take us too much time questing for an ID.”
”Haa... dammit, it's so hot.”
Bursoli Kingdom has three layers of area. The third one being the outside, which is the one they currently on. There is no gate, it's basically just people building a village outside the real kingdom. The second layer, which is the real capital of the kingdom, and then the third layer which is the castle where people in power lives.
For Players to be able to enter the second layer, they need an Identification Card of that kingdom. Which unfortunately, can take a sweet amount of real-time days to make and it is hard to be done. Unknown force or barrier is keeping them from entering, and only guilds and people with high-level characters are living inside there.
”Come on, we need some gear. Then we'll head out.”
They two nodded at Kurira's command. They soon left the shaft and went around to the central marketplace, a player beacon is sitting at the center with an icon of Market lighting up in the sky.
With real money can no longer able to be exchanged for coins, the trio has no choice but to sell their items. Most of what they have from the Shared Inventory are junks and useless weapon, they managed to sell them all to several different traders.
All of them are players, and they too… are not looking so good.
People usually trade while traveling, but they have set up shop here. Mostly stalls and some of them even sitting on the heated stone floor so hot that they have to put multiple layers of cloth to sit on.
People like to roleplay, but it isn't because of that why those people are doing this. Some of them too, are dirt poor in real life. Dola does not know this, but there are free consoles for these people to use from so they can earn real-life money through this game. Those are available only in Normal Sect, however, just like a netcafé but completely free... except that they are charged with an additional fee of 10% to whatever they earn, and that is after the cut from the tax of living in their sector.
”2 Cerberus Cores” Kurira said as she lay them down on a stall's table, ”3 gold.”
”They're petty though?” said the trader.
”The thing can fill up a blue, ain't too high, hon.”
”Hrrmmph… how about 2?”
”Meh”
”Wait, can I ask something? Like, are you a streamer?”
”What made you think I am?”
”Hmm… can't promise you anything though.”
”That's all right…” putting 3 gold coins and a silver coin on the table, ”I'll just slip it in here, thank you for selling them to me.”
”…” After a paused, Kurira only took the gold coins and then left without saying a word. The man gazed at her for a moment before letting out a sigh.
With the rusted iron sword, old iron mace, and Petty Cerberus Core have been sold. With what they have on hand, in total, they have accumulated the amount of 3 Gold Coins, 26 Silver Coins, and 15 Copper Coins. Which can be translated into less than 5$... if it's in the Desolate Sector.
It might not mean much in a populated city where players roam around buying an ice cream worth 50$ but here it means something, to say the least.
Among the humid and exhaustion, Kurira tried to sneak a bit of a chance to soothe her spirit. She tried to grab Dola's wrist, wanting to walk hand in hand with her, but Rakuri quickly noticed it and slap her hand away. She then takes Dola with her and then shoves Kurira to the front again. Sighing, she already regretted her decision to stay as the leader.
They arrived at a blacksmith store. Unlike before, this time, they go to an NPC store. The general tip that people seem to ignore is that when it comes to buying things, NPC store is the best place to shop if the player is at a low level. NPC store will always charge a higher price point than what people sell, but in Ekolia, it's the opposite.
The players think that the price of the NPC sold is low, and with many varieties of items from them, are still lacking. The players took advantage of the marketplace the Devs have setup, and then populated the market, thus making the NPC stores less popular.
Though, almost no one is against it since what they have in store is always far limited than what the player can give.
The blacksmith store has no name, only a sign of an anvil slap at the top of the front door.
”I didn't know this place existed or did I just forget about it?” said Kurira.
”Not just you.”
Dola then responded, ”Yeah, this place was never here before. Either the devs have added this, or the people breed and make set up their own shop here.”
Kurira chuckled to her response, ”All new things keep popping up, I like this already.”