Immediately after logging in, Marcus ran to the Appraisal stand, the Mythic artifact he and Elara had pulled from the Bat Cave feeling heavy and promising in his inventory. This was it; his Level 30 weapon, the Bat Dragon Cloud Sword. He could already taste the insane stats.
The old Appraisal, now with spectacles perched on his nose, took the blade. He let out a low whistle, turning it over in his hands with practiced care. "Stonehaven. Another Artifact? Your luck isn't just good, it's obnoxious."
"Let's see it," Marcus said, grinning. "Do your thing."
"Appraisal fee for the Bat Dragon Cloud Sword will be eight thousand gold."
Marcus's grin vanished. "You're kidding me. My Adamant Shield was a Divine item and it only cost three thousand. What's with the robbery?"
"The shield was then. This is now," the Appraiser said, utterly unfazed. "Consider eight thousand a friends-and-family discount. For anyone else, it'd be ten. This isn't just any Mythic, kid. It's a High-Grade Mythic Artifact."
'No way.'
Despite the sting of the price, a thrill shot through him. A High-Grade Mythic. This thing was going to be a monster.
"Prices are rising across the board," the Appraiser continued, as if reading his mind. "If you brought me a low-tier Divine item today, the fee would start at twenty thousand gold. And it's only going up."
Marcus just stared, speechless. The guy was a pirate in a fancy shop.
The Appraiser gave him a look of pure pity. 'Amateur. Doesn't even know what game he's playing.'
'Rising prices. Right.' The system had flipped the switch on real-world currency exchange today. Marcus had almost forgotten. He pulled up the Wealth Leaderboard with a flick of his wrist.
His jaw nearly hit the floor. The board was a bloodbath, completely reshaped overnight.
1. CryptoWarlord – 38.42 Million Gold
2. InfernoFiend001 – 37.56 Million Gold
3. Hexium – 35.12 Million Gold
4. SoulfireBlade – 34.41 Million Gold
5. GoldDiggerIRL – 33.89 Million Gold
6. Demonic Dragon – 29.78 Million Gold
7. ThreeleafDad – 25.74 Million Gold
8. Slayer#Apex – 24.71 Million Gold
9. PantherTech – 20.42 Million Gold
10. CarterPrime – 18.45 Million Gold
Thirty-eight million gold. That was over three million real-world dollars. Old Vine hadn't been exaggerating when he said these guys treated millions like loose change. Marcus was getting a front-row seat to a new kind of arms race.
It all made sense now. The Appraiser wasn't scamming him; he was just adjusting to the new, inflated economy. Dominion was now a playground for the ultra-rich, and the fastest way to flex that power was to buy up all the best gear. For players like him, it meant one good drop could set you up for life.
"Fine, just appraise it," Marcus sighed.
Since this was the market rate, and the appraisal business was a system-sanctioned monopoly, what choice did he have?
He couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for Dragonfly Corp. They had found yet another effortless way to print money.
Fortunately, his recent quests had lined his pockets enough to cover the fee. He watched as the old man's hands glowed, unveiling the sword's true power.
Bat Dragon Cloud Sword: High-Grade Mythic Artifact. Requirements: Level 30, 30 Agility. Type: One-Handed Weapon.
A Mythic Artifact forged from the inner core of a Bat Dragon and the precious Cloud Iron Stone, possessing immense power.
Attack: 250
Attack Speed: +2
Movement Speed: +2
Affix: Agility +50
Affix: Attack inflicts 50 Wind damage
Affix: Attack inflicts 60 Poison damage
Affix: Accuracy +50%
Affix: Critical Hit +30%
Affix: Attack +10%
Skill: Blood Drain (Passive): 10% of damage dealt is converted to Health.
Skill: Bat Cloud Form (Active): Consumes 50% Mana, increases Speed by 50%.
'Holy hell.'
It absolutely lived up to the hype. With stats like these, it was brushing up against Divine-tier territory. The damage output was even higher than a two-handed Cabaro's Greataxe. His days of plinking away at enemy health bars were officially over.
A slow, satisfied smile spread across his face. He immediately socketed his only two Dreamland Gems, adding another twenty points to his Attack.
He admired the blade for another moment before storing it safely in his Storage Vault. After a quick inventory tidy-up and a restock of potions, he was ready to grind. His mission was simple: hit Level 30, and do it fast.
A glance at the Dark Violet Sky Dragon Pet Egg in his inventory was a splash of cold reality. Thirty years to hatch. What kind of sadistic developer thought that was a good idea? It was beyond frustrating.
Pulling up Silas the Wanderer's map, he pinpointed a leveling spot: the Stone Carving Forest north of Dragon's Peak Citadel, home to Level 30 Bronze Golems and Level 32 Stone Monsters. As a Knight with zero area-of-effect skills, he was stuck hunting solitary targets. If he were a Sorcerer, he'd be farming the swarms of Poisonous Red Wasps in Star Valley.
He summoned his sorry-looking Common Steed, with its pathetic +3 Movement Speed bonus. While his own speed was decent now, a Knight was defined by his mount, and this thing was an embarrassment. Getting a proper warhorse shot to the top of his to-do list.
"Ding, Stonehaven, the player FreshwindElara has sent you a private message. Connect?"
He accepted the call. "Elara. What's up?"
"Hey, Stone. Just finished up some stuff. Did you wrap that quest from yesterday?"
"Yeah, all done. I'm heading out to grind some levels. You looking for a party?"
Teaming with Elara was a no-brainer. The 10% bonus to Experience, Attack, and Defense was nothing to sneeze at.
"Absolutely. I was hoping you'd say that." He could hear the smile in her voice.
"Where are you now?"
"Just hanging around the Citadel plaza."
"Stay put. I'll come get you."
He'd already covered half the distance to the forest, but the efficiency of a good party was worth the backtrack. He triggered a Town Portal Scroll, the world dissolving into light before reforming at the central plaza.
"Ding, Stonehaven and FreshwindElara have successfully teamed up. Experience bonus +10%, Attack and Defense +10%."
As the party notification chimed, FreshwindElara remembered the system's other message; the one about her Intimacy Level with Stonehaven hitting 95. She felt a warm flush on her cheeks. 'It's just a measure of how well we fight together,' she told herself, annoyed at the game's overly romantic terminology.
"So, where's the hunting ground?" she asked, pushing the thought aside.
"Stone Carving Forest. Follow my lead. We're going to burn through these levels."
"Lead the way."
The only downside was that Elara was only Level 19 and couldn't summon a mount yet. So they set off on foot, the sprawling landscape of Dragon's Peak unfolding before them. The journey was scenic, and having a capable partner made the trip feel shorter.
As they walked, other players often did a double-take, noticing FreshwindElara. Marcus caught a few envious glances from other guys as FreshwindElara kept his buffs active, a faint, focused glow surrounding her hands. He ignored them, his focus on the road and the grind ahead.