Chapter10 The Abyssal Being

After ending his call with Tonny, Eric glanced around and saw that no players had noticed his sudden appearance. He slipped into an empty alleyway.

 

Opening the Adamantine-tier Chest would definitely cause a stir.

 

In the crowded square, boldly opening the chest would be something only a newbie would do. In the game world, there were no constraints like in the real world. The desire for super treasures was evident among major factions. Players without strength often ended up being killed back to level zero if their treasures weren't well-hidden. Eric wasn't an Assassin, so he couldn't sneak around to avoid being hunted. Without sufficient strength, he had to keep a low profile.

 

In the empty alley, Eric observed quietly for a while. After confirming no one was following him, he took out a black longsword.

 

Looking at the black longsword, Eric frowned.

 

Abyssal, a Demonic Weapon, required for Swordsman class. Should he bind this equipment?

 

"To equip or not?" Eric looked at the Abyssal in his hand with some concern.

 

He was very familiar with Demonic Weapons. Unlike common equipment, they had no quality distinctions. They were rarer than Epic-level equipment and possessed unparalleled power, but they also came with side effects—backlash. A slight misstep could render the character useless, making it a double-edged sword.

 

In his previous life, several experts in Eldoria became top players because of Demonic Weapons. Even at Eric's peak, he could only look up to them. However, after some time, two experts who owned Demonic Weapons became useless due to mishandling the backlash effect, and they had to start over.

 

"Forget it; I'll put it aside for now. I can't take risks right now." Eric shook his head and put away the Abyssal. He needed to earn 16,000 credits in the game in the next ten days, and the pressure was immense. If something went wrong, all his previous efforts would be in vain.

 

Then Eric took out the Adamantine-tier Chest.

 

Looking at the gilded treasure chest, Eric couldn't contain his excitement. "In the past, they found potion formulas and forging diagrams in the Mithril-tier Chest. I wonder what good things the Adamantine-tier Chest will reveal?"

 

Having played Divine Realms: Legends for ten years, Eric had rarely seen more than twenty Adamantine-tier Chests. Every struggle for an Adamantine-tier Chest was a major battle. To possess one alone was almost unimaginable.

 

Eric slowly opened the chest, and suddenly, a golden light radiated from it, illuminating the entire alley like a dazzling beacon in the night, attracting everyone's attention.

 

Not daring to be careless, Eric immediately took everything out of the chest, and the light gradually faded away. Luckily, it was an empty alley, and no one would notice the brief glow.

 

"The treasure chest setting in Divine Realms: Legends is tricky. Good thing it's daytime." Eric glanced at the treasure chest beside him, then shifted his gaze to the three items in his hand.

 

There were two ancient books and a piece of armor.

 

The armor was Mithril-level equipment, much lower than expected.

 

Sky Battle Armor, Mithril-level, plate armor, requires strength of 20 points, equipment level 5, defense +25, strength +6, endurance +3, agility +3, durability 30/30, with the attribute "Weakened Power," which reduces physical damage taken by 15% when equipped.

 

Seeing the attributes of the armor, Eric was surprised. Although it was much lower in level compared to the equipment he had obtained in his previous life, the attributes of the equipment were top-notch. When worn by a warrior, it provided extremely high defense, and the "Weakened Power" attribute made it easier to withstand physical boss attacks. Selling it now would definitely fetch a high price.

 

"Great, I have a level 5 armor now." Eric happily put away the Sky Battle Armor. Swordsmen also wore plate armor, and with this equipment at level 5, he could easily become a Shield Warrior.

 

Upon seeing the names of the two books, Eric was instantly shocked.

 

The Book of Forging and the Secret Record of Alchemy were both invaluable treasures.

 

It was well known that forging and alchemy were very difficult to learn. Each master in these fields symbolized the strength of a guild. Even the ShadowForge Guild, which controlled ten major cities, had only two forging masters and five alchemy masters, all of whom were revered by all players. But with these two books, one could become a master of forging and alchemy.

 

"I remember there is a hidden quest in Darkmoon Valley where you can learn forging for free and be rewarded with a forging talent. With a forging talent and the Book of Forging, you can quickly become an advanced apprentice in forging and make a fortune crafting Bronze Equipment." Eric recalled how a player in the ShadowForge Guild made a fortune because of completing that hidden quest.

 

Darkmoon Valley was a level 4 monster area, and the quest was not easy, taking up a lot of time.

 

"Looks like I need to buy some things and prepare well before I try it." Eric put away the two books and sent a message to Tonny to meet at the trading area before heading in that direction.

 

At this time, there were many players in the trading area. Many players would come to the trading area to rest after killing monsters, sit down for a drink, and chat, and some would sell the materials they obtained from killing monsters.

 

Eric found an empty spot, laid a white cloth on the ground, placed the herbs he had picked and the equipment he wanted to sell, and began his stall.

 

Selling a level 4 common cloth robe for 1 silver and 20 copper, and a bronze shield for 21 silver, these prices were considered fair at this stage, quite cheap.

 

"Rare herbs, high-level equipment, come take a look if you want to buy." Eric called out casually.

 

There were many players setting up stalls in the trading area, but they were mostly selling materials such as herbs and ores. No one was selling equipment at the moment, so with just one shout, Eric became the center of attention.

 

"What? Real equipment, and it's a bronze shield!"

 

"This luck is unbelievable. I don't even have a piece of Common Level equipment yet, and he's selling Bronze Equipment."

 

"This is level 5 equipment. Are you kidding me?"

 

"What's the big deal? Don't forget there's a master who killed the mayor, a level 15 elite. Now, the whole town's players can't get the mayor's quest. Some players who accepted the mayor's quest are so angry they're spitting blood. They wish they could kill that master."

 

"21 silver is too expensive. I don't even have 1% of that money."

 

Many players watching were amazed. The game had been open for less than ten hours, and a player had already obtained such high-level equipment and was selling it. What was even more incredible was that he was selling it.

 

Major guilds and studios usually kept the equipment they obtained to enhance their advantages and would never sell them. Right now, most players were only at level 1, and even thinking about level 5 equipment was beyond their dreams, let alone a level 5 bronze shield. However, 21 silver was too high a price; the average player didn't even earn 20 copper in a day, so 21 silver, which was 2100 copper, was simply unaffordable.

 

Eric watched as more and more players gathered around him, but he didn't say anything.

 

He didn't expect ordinary players to buy from him; he was looking for the publicity effect.

 

Soon, a group of players arrived, led by a Shield Warrior.

 

"Since we're from ShadowForge Studios, we'll buy everything on this stall. The rest of you can leave." The members of the ShadowForge Studios team made way for the Shield Warrior to approach.

 

Eric scanned the group and recognized the Shield Warrior, Blazeclaw, the leader of Willowbrook Town. In the previous life, he couldn't rise quickly and was used as cannon fodder multiple times, with three of those missions due to Blazeclaw's "efforts." He didn't expect to encounter him so soon.

 

"Are you the stall owner?" Blazeclaw looked at the blue cross shield, slightly excited. Then he glanced at Eric, unable to determine his level without the observation eye. Eric was wearing newbie equipment, had no guild emblem, and appeared to be just an ordinary player. But being able to obtain such equipment through luck was impressive.

 

Eric nodded. "That's right."

 

"Alright, I'll take everything at a fixed price of 1 silver," Blazeclaw arrogantly declared.

 

It was as if the items on the stall were trash, worthless. Offering one silver was a sign of generosity.

 

"I'm not bargaining. Please don't interfere with my business," Eric replied calmly, ignoring Blazeclaw.

 

Blazeclaw's face turned red with anger as he stared at Eric, then coldly said, "Are you sure you want to go against us, ShadowForge Studios? I'll give you one more chance. Think carefully before you speak."

 

Immediately, five other members of ShadowForge Studios surrounded Eric.

 

Eric glanced at Blazeclaw and bluntly said, "Idiot!"

 

Blazeclaw was furious. His eyes turned bloodshot, and he wanted to kill Eric on the spot.

 

"How interesting. A level 5 bronze shield; how can the Assassin Alliance miss out on this?" Just then, more than ten people arrived, each with the emblem of the Assassin Alliance. Thornheart, the speaker, saw the stall owner and was momentarily stunned.

 

Eric, a top player who had previously challenged and defeated him through a bronze medal, was now here and had obtained a level 5 Bronze Equipment. Thornheart admired Eric even more now.

 

"Here's 24 silver. I'll take everything. Let's be friends, and in the future, if you have any good equipment, consider the Assassin Alliance." Thornheart didn't hesitate and immediately traded 24 silver. Although it was the guild's hard-earned money, being able to befriend a top player like Eric was worth it.

 

"Okay, forget about the 50 coppers. Let's keep in touch." Eric understood that Thornheart was trying to make a good impression. Working with such a large guild was a good opportunity.

 

The surrounding players were all awed by the Assassin Alliance's generosity. Offering 24 silver without blinking an eye, they were all stunned. This was a major guild. Many players now wanted to sign up. In contrast, guilds like ShadowForge Studios had no future and were met with disdainful glances.

 

Being scorned by Eric and outdone by the Assassin Alliance, Blazeclaw's face turned red with anger. He called an Assassin over and coldly said, "Shadowfang, keep an eye on that kid. I want him to know the consequences of going against ShadowForge Studios."

 

Meanwhile, Eric, who had left earlier, was now shopping in the trading area.

 

With over 24 silver on him, more than the entire wealth of a normal guild in Willowbrook Town, he was now a big spender, buying things generously.

 

He bought 20 bottles of black iron beer, each valued at 25 copper.

 

He purchased 30 smoke bombs, each priced at 20 copper.

 

He got 100 Apple Pies, priced at five coppers each, which restored 30 health points per second for 10 seconds.

 

He also bought 100 Magic Waters, priced at five coppers each, which restored 30 mana points per second for 10 seconds.

 

Eric spent most of his wealth, leaving only three silver.

 

"Eric, you finally arrived. What should we do now?" Tonny, who had been waiting in the trading area, looked dark and resentful. Divine Realms: Legends had been open for over 9 hours, and apart from obtaining the Explorer title, he had not gained anything. Tonny was feeling extremely frustrated.

 

"Let's go monster hunting," Eric smiled and sent a team invite to Tonny.