Cabaro's Greataxe: Golden equipment. Requirement: Level 30 Warrior, Strength 100. Two-handed weapon. Attack: 230. Increases chance to Stun by 5%.
Bonus: Strength +20, Constitution +10. Attacks deal an additional 50 Earth damage. Increases Attack by 10%.
Skill: Horizontal Slash; unleashes a Storm of Blades, capable of knocking down the target.
'A beast of a weapon,' he thought. 'A real shame I can't use it.' This should fetch a fortune.
Cabaro's Wolf Helm: Golden equipment. Requirement: Level 30, Strength 120. Defense +100.
Bonus: Strength +10, Constitution +10, Health +100, Mana +100, Luck +1. Dark Resistance +10. 10% chance to inflict 'Intimidate' on an opponent, reducing their Attack and Defense by 5%.
Cabaro's Tunic: Golden equipment. Requirement: Level 30, Strength 120. Defense +150.
Bonus: Strength +20, Constitution +20, Health +100. Earth Resistance +20. 10% chance to activate 'Solidify,' increasing Defense by 10% for thirty minutes.
Cabaro's Gauntlets: Golden equipment. Requirement: Level 30, Strength 120. Defense +80. Attack Speed +2, Luck +1.
Bonus: Agility +30. Water Resistance +10. 10% chance to activate 'Bloodlust,' increasing Health recovery speed by 10 for thirty minutes.
Cabaro's Greaves: Golden equipment. Requirement: Level 30, Strength 120. Defense +120.
Bonus: Strength +20, Constitution +20, Health +100. Fire Resistance +10. 20% chance to activate 'Wolf Form,' reducing magic damage taken by 50 for thirty minutes.
Cabaro's Boots: Golden equipment. Requirement: Level 30, Strength 120. Defense +80. Movement Speed +2, Health recovery speed +2.
Bonus: Agility +30. Poison Resistance +10. 20% chance to activate 'Wolf Stride,' increasing Movement Speed by 5 and Dodge by 20% for thirty minutes.
Marcus let out a low whistle as he scanned the full set bonuses. The power was undeniable. The 120 Strength requirement was brutal, a bar most Knights couldn't hope to reach by thirty. But Marcus wasn't most Knights. He had the strength. He pictured himself at level thirty, clad head-to-toe in the formidable Cabaro set, a force to be reckoned with. The mere thought sent a jolt of pure, undiluted excitement through him.
Marcus's mind was still racing with the possibilities as he made his way back to the Old Vine Auction House.
"Stonehaven! Back already? What did you find?"
Old Vine ushered him into the back room, his anticipation palpable.
"Not a huge haul for gear," Marcus admitted, feeling a slight flush under the merchant's eager gaze. "Just two Gold-tier pieces. The rest are fifty-five Blue-tier items, levels twenty-five to thirty."
"Just two? Stonehaven, most players are thrilled to find two Gold pieces in their entire inventory right now. Let's have a look."
He laid out the War Bear Armor and Cabaro's Greataxe. Old Vine let out a low whistle. "Level 20 and Level 30. My God, these are the best stat rolls I've seen on Gold gear, period."
He turned the items over in his hands, his expression one of pure reverence.
"This War Bear Armor is going to cause a riot. Any Warrior who gets their hands on this will power-level for a week straight. They'll be clawing each other's eyes out for it."
"As for Cabaro's Greataxe... I can't pin a number on it yet, but it won't go for a coin less than half a million. The stats are a dead giveaway, and the drop rate for anything above Level 20 has fallen off a cliff. Finding Gold gear now is like pulling a specific card from a million-card deck."
Old Vine trailed off, his hand stroking the haft of the greataxe almost lovingly.
"Stonehaven, with these two items, the reputation of this auction house is made. If you trust me, let me handle the sale. I swear on my reputation, you'll get every coin you're owed."
"Done. It's all in your hands, sir."
This arrangement suited Marcus perfectly. He didn't have the time to hawk his own wares, and while Old Vine was a merchant through and through, Marcus's gut told him the man was straight.
"Please, drop the 'sir' nonsense. Old Vine is just fine."
He paused, his tone shifting from professional to deeply curious. "Wait a second Stone. You said fifty-five Blue items? Levels twenty-five to thirty? How in the world did you manage that? Show me."
Marcus noted the quick, casual shift in address; from the formal 'Stonehaven' to something more familiar, and hid a smile.
He laid out the fifty-five pieces of Blue equipment. Old Vine stared, his mouth actually hanging open for a second before he found his voice.
"Good lord, son. You're not just a top player, you're a one-man loot factory. The drop rate is so abysmal that a single Level 25 Blue is a find. And you have a full set's worth? And every last one has maxed-out attributes? What is your Luck stat, anyway? Did you sell your soul to the RNG gods?"
Marcus could only offer a sheepish grin.
"Stonehaven... the gear you're wearing. That's the Skeleton Set, isn't it? And it's Gold-tier?"
"A few pieces are. You've got a sharp eye, Old Vine."
"Flattery won't get you a discount," the old man chuckled. "It's the job. To be any good at this, you need an eye for detail, good sources, and to know the market inside and out. Ever since Black Rock Spire opened, the Skeleton Set has been the white whale for half the players out there, but I've never seen a completed one."
"Holy hell, Stonehaven!"
The exclamation burst from Old Vine as Marcus toggled his gear's appearance to visible. A brilliant, fiery red from his Artifacts and a deep, burnished gold from his other pieces enveloped him. Well over half his slots were occupied by Gold-tier gear or better.
"So that's why you only brought two Gold pieces," Old Vine muttered, mostly to himself. "It all makes sense now. Crystal clear."
"Alright, Old Vine, I'll get out of your hair. The gear is yours to move. I've got a quest to handle."
"Go on, get out of here. Don't you worry about a thing. Though, the average player level isn't even twenty yet. Dumping this Level 25-30 gear now would be premature; we wouldn't get the bidding wars we want. My thought is we only auction the Guild Creation Token and the two Gold pieces for now. We'll sit on the Blue gear until the player base hits Level 25. The prices will be triple. What's your take?"
"Sounds smart. Let's do it your way."
Old Vine was practically vibrating with excitement. The Guild Creation Token alone would make his auction house the talk of the server. And once that initial wave of hype settled, he'd unleash the Level 25 gear. Players would forever remember the Old Vine Auction House as the place you went when you needed to get ahead.
Marcus left the auction house, restocked his potions, organized his backpack, and headed out the South Gate of Dragon's Peak Citadel. Following the directions on Silas the Wanderer's map, he set off for Red River Village.
He hadn't gone far when the system broadcast Old Vine's advertisement three times.
"Attention players! The first Guild Creation Token in Dominion will be auctioned at the Old Vine Auction House the day after tomorrow at 8 PM. If you wish to be the first hero to establish a guild in Dominion, to get a head start in developing your faction, then what are you waiting for? The Old Vine Auction House awaits you at 8 PM the day after tomorrow! Additionally, two pieces of top-tier Golden equipment are also waiting for their new owners. Don't miss this opportunity!"
Old Vine had spared no expense. The lengthy advertisement, broadcast three times, must have cost him thousands of gold coins.
At the Merchant Alliance Auction House...
CryptoWarlord, usually the picture of cool composure, heard the announcement and felt his carefully maintained calm shatter. A visible agitation took hold of him.
He had worked tirelessly to position the Merchant Alliance Auction House as the undisputed number one in Dominion. He was on the verge of cementing that lead and delivering a final, crushing blow to the Gold Coin Auction House. But this... this ambush from the Old Vine Auction House, a operation he'd always written off as a quaint little boutique, sent a jolt of pure dread through him.
"Old Vine Auction House... Guild Creation Token... world's top player," he muttered, the pieces clicking together in his mind with terrifying implications. What was the connection? A simple coincidence? A friendly favor? Or a deliberate, strategic partnership? Why would the top player auction the token instead of using it himself? The move made no sense, and that unnerved him most of all.
A cold sense of crisis washed over CryptoWarlord. He had calculated every variable, accounted for every competitor... except for the wild card. The one player whose actions could single-handedly upend the entire economy. He'd underestimated Old Vine, written him off as a harmless old man. A sudden, chilling thought struck him: just who was Old Vine, really? Establishing the third major auction house in the city was no small feat for a "simple" merchant.