Chapter 198 Ordeal of the Divine
Eric had only tested the waters with a paltry 10 stacks, a mere fraction of the demand surging through Silvercrest Dominion.
Seeing the speed at which they were snatched up, he listed another 10, this time setting the starting bid at 12 silver coins and the buyout at 15. He needed to gauge the market's ceiling, to find that sweet spot between profit and demand.
As expected, the buyout option remained untouched. Bids trickled in, slow and measured, each increase a cautious exploration of the invisible ceiling.
A minute crawled by.
The price inched upwards, from 12 silver to 13, then finally settling at 13 silver and 30 copper. It was a stalemate, a clear indication of the absolute limit players were willing to pay.
"13 silver it is," Eric mused. "Far more than I'd hoped for, but it seems that's the saturation point."
His initial investment of a measly 30 copper per stack now yielded a return of 13 silver, a markup of over 40 times the original price. Greed was a powerful motivator, but Eric knew better than to push his luck. He was content.
He settled into a rhythm, listing batches of 20 stacks every ten minutes or so. Based on his calculations, factoring in the daily consumption and financial limitations of the Silvercrest Dominion player base, the demand hovered around 1,600 to 1,700 stacks per day.
Selling 1,000 stacks daily would not only satisfy a significant portion of the demand but also prevent a price crash, ensuring a steady stream of income.
At 13 silver per stack, 1,000 sales translated to over 100 gold coins per day. Real gold, not those paltry credit points. It was an income that dwarfed even the most successful guilds, securing his guild's future and then some.
With the auction house system humming along, he swiped his finger, summoning the semi-transparent communication panel. He tapped Tonny's contact icon.
"Tonny, how's that reputation quest coming along? Finished? If so, meet me at the portal. Dungeon time."
"Quest's done," Tonny's voice crackled through, tinged with an excitement that spoke volumes about his eagerness to test out his newfound skills. "But… there seems to be a slight hiccup. We're stuck in some kind of closed map. Gotta clear a trial to get out."
"A closed map?"
Eric frowned. That didn't sound right. There shouldn't be any closed maps where Tonny and his team were questing.
Tonny's explanation, however, quickly painted a clearer, if somewhat unbelievable, picture.
They had stumbled upon one of Divine Realms: Legends' legendary random encounters: the Ordeal of the Divine, more commonly known as the Hero's Trial. A test of worth, a chance for mortals to ascend to hero status, bestowed upon a select few by the game's capricious gods. These trials could appear in any level 10+ map, but the chances were astronomically low, less than one in ten thousand.
Lady Luck was smiling upon Tonny and his team. Whether it was a genuine smile or a predatory grin, however, remained to be seen.
Each Hero's Trial was a double-edged sword, a gamble with potentially life-changing rewards… or devastating consequences. Equipment, experience points – these were mere participation trophies. The real prizes, the ones that could rewrite a player's destiny, were permanent attribute boosts, ultra-rare skills, skill enhancements, weapon masteries… treasures that money couldn't buy.
Weapons and equipment were fleeting, external factors. Permanent attributes, ultra-rare skills – these were the hallmarks of true power, their value eclipsing any temporary advantage offered by mere gear.
"What color was the gate you entered?" Eric asked, his voice tight.
Tonny, unsure of the relevance but picking up on the urgency in Eric's tone, racked his brain. "Four… four colors, I think."
"Four colors?" Eric couldn't help but blurt out. "Are you insane?"
The gods' trials were a delicate dance between risk and reward. Fortune favored the bold, but it also had a nasty habit of crushing the reckless. Divine Realms: Legends, for all its wonder, was a cruel mistress. There was no such thing as a free lunch. Even if it fell from the sky, chances were it was rigged to explode on impact.
Hero's Trials were categorized into seven tiers, each represented by a color. One color, the first tier, was considered relatively straightforward. With each additional color, the difficulty increased exponentially.
A four-color gate signified a fourth-tier trial, a challenge estimated to be at least eight times more difficult than its first-tier counterpart. Success meant rewards beyond measure – Mithril-level equipment at the very least, a high chance of Obsidian-level gear, and the tantalizing possibility of permanent attribute boosts or skill enhancements.
The price of failure, however, was steep. Experience point loss, potentially severe enough to cause several level drops, was the most merciful outcome. Permanent attribute reduction, skill proficiency loss – these were the scars that could cripple a player's progress, leaving them lagging behind for weeks, months, even years.
It was a gamble, and it was this very risk that led many players, even those fortunate enough to stumble upon a trial gate, to sell the information to major guilds for a hefty sum.
"Eric… are we in trouble?" Tonny's voice was small, a tremor of fear replacing his earlier confidence. Eric's reaction, the tension radiating from him even through the digital interface, spoke volumes.
His words had a sobering effect on the group. FlameDancer, Cola, the others – their expressions turned serious, the gravity of the situation sinking in. This was no ordinary trial.
"One piece of advice," Eric said, his voice firm. "Know your limits. Don't aim for the top. Aim for survival. Make sure everyone understands that." He softened his tone slightly, offering a sliver of reassurance. "Tonny, that Mephisto's Guardian Shield you have… it's a game-changer. Your chances of success are higher than most. But don't rush. Take your time. This isn't about brute force. It's about skill, about strategy, about using your brain."
He couldn't guide them through it. Every Hero's Trial was unique, a puzzle box with no instruction manual.
The collective wisdom of countless players, accumulated over years of trial and error, had boiled down to one prevailing strategy: caution. Don't rush. Don't let the potential rewards cloud your judgment. Beyond that, you were on your own.
'Four colors… FlameDancer and Cola are no slouches, and with Tonny's shield… they might just pull it off,' Eric thought, weighing their chances.
'But it'll be a while before they're back.'
Hero's Trials were notorious for their complexity, their length. Spending a month inside one wasn't unheard of.
A renowned expert had once compared the trials to the game's most challenging quests: a five-color trial was on par with an Epic-level quest, a six-color trial rivaled a Legendary quest, and a seven-color trial… that was the stuff of nightmares, a challenge akin to the most grueling Legendary quest the game had to offer.
In the ten years since Divine Realms: Legends had graced the world with its presence, no player had ever conquered a seven-color trial. Not for lack of trying, mind you. They were simply too rare, a legend whispered in hushed tones.
The highest recorded successful trial completion was six colors, achieved by a select few, among them the legendary divine priest, Violet Mistflow, a name whispered with reverence in the upper echelons of the game's most skilled healers.
The thought of Violet Mistflow, even in her current, underdeveloped state, being part of Tonny's team offered a sliver of comfort. Her potential was undeniable. Maybe, just maybe, they could pull this off.
"Worrying won't change anything," Eric sighed, pushing the thought away. "Looks like I'm soloing this dungeon run."
He opened the auction house, his fingers flying across the interface, browsing through the endless list of items. It was a habit, a way to kill time, but also a chance to stumble upon a hidden gem. The auction house was a treasure trove for those who knew where to look. Many players, unaware of an item's true value, would practically give away valuable gear for pennies on the dollar.
He scrolled through page after page, his eyes scanning the listings.
And then he saw it.
"Solar Flame Scriptures."
The title, emblazoned across a crimson, gold-gilded ancient tome, jumped out at him, sending a jolt of excitement through him. He had to have it.
'Who in their right mind will sell something like that?'
His eyes darted to the price displayed in the upper left corner.
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