Chapter 6
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Exchange
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In a corner of the status window, two glittering tabs had appeared: ‘Community Board’ and ‘Exchange.’
Seong-hyeok, who had intended to use it from the start, clicked on the Exchange without a second thought.
[To use the Community Board and Exchange, you must set a unique player nickname.]
※ Warning! Your unique nickname can be changed later, but it cannot be a duplicate. A significant fee will be charged, so please choose carefully.
Setting a unique nickname.
Although a warning popped up about the difficulty of changing it later, Seong-hyeok already had a nickname that had followed him for a long time.
Honeybee.
Lived by the bee, died by the bee, utterly mad for bees.
Yu Seong-hyeok, who had dedicated his 24 years to the single path of the honeybee.
Those who knew him often called him Honeybee.
“It’s not like I hate the nickname, either. So, whatever.”
[Your unique nickname has been set to Honeybee.]
If he liked it himself, what could be the problem?
After deciding on his nickname without much thought, Seong-hyeok turned to the problem at hand.
“So, what would be a reasonable price to sell them for?”
Coins were a completely different concept from the currency of the old capitalist society.
Naturally, prices and market rates would have changed to fit this chaotic new world.
Moreover, Seong-hyeok was a player who had yet to hunt a single monster.
As a beekeeper with plenty of products and processed goods but zero coins, it was only natural for him to hesitate before listing anything on the Exchange.
“Hmm. I guess I’ll browse around first.”
To resolve his dilemma, Seong-hyeok started rummaging through the Exchange.
After all, understanding the market was the most basic of basics when it came to setting prices.
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[Goblin Hide (★-)] x 2,329 - Lowest Price 1 Coin ~ 3 Coins
* Sellers: Middlelane, Ugak······.
* Category: Material
* Description: A ★- grade hide obtained from killing a goblin. It seems like you could craft decent clothing by patching several pieces together.
[Two-Headed Hound's Fang (★)] x 582 - Lowest Price 3 Coins ~ 8 Coins
* Sellers: Saintmim, Topkals······.
* Category: Material
* Description: A ★ grade fang obtained from killing a Two-Headed Hound. If processed well, it could become a formidable weapon.
[Food Bundle (★-)] - 20 Coins
* Seller: Mister Jam
* Category: Consumable
* Description: A ★- grade food bundle created by a Packager who gathered various food items. The expiration date has been extended. Upon use, you will acquire the packaged food.
※ Package Contents: Rice Balls (x5), Canned Tuna (x2), Cup Noodles (x1), Bottled Water (x3), Hot Water (x1), Wooden Chopsticks (x2)
[Powerful Two-Headed Hound's Bone Sword (★+)] - 1,450 Coins
* Seller: Fergus
* Category: Weapon
* Attack Power: 14(+3)
* Penetration: 28%(+6)
* Durability: 55 / 55(+10)
* Description: A ★+ grade bone sword crafted by a skilled blacksmith who ground a Two-Headed Hound's fang, imbuing it with the 'Powerful' keyword. It boasts high durability and great strength, making it suitable for use.
[Combat Enhan······.
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“Wow, there’s surprisingly a lot.”
The sheer volume of goods seemed to prove that humans hadn't reigned as the lords of creation for nothing.
Among the sea of items pouring in, quite a few caught Seong-hyeok’s eye.
“Well, having weapons and armor would greatly increase your chances of survival.”
To research bees and learn more about the Honeybee Guardian, he had to ensure his long-term survival.
To do that, acquiring the right equipment was the logical next step.
* Coins Owned: 0
But before that, he first needed to sell his items and secure some coins.
“Whew, since there’s no clear comparison, I have no idea what the market price is.”
Even the prices for common materials like goblin hides, which were everywhere, were all over the place.
In such a situation, guessing the market price for Seong-hyeok's unique bee products, which had no equivalents, would be difficult for anyone but a master merchant.
“Still, this isn't exactly a bad situation for me.”
But the lack of similar items could also be seen as a privilege.
In a capitalist society, didn't they say the power of a monopoly was so obvious it didn't even need explaining?
[Register 'Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Tea (★+)' on the Exchange for 3 Coins? YES / NO]
[Register 'Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Soap (★+)' on the Exchange for 8 Coins? YES / NO]
“Okay. Let's test the waters with these prices.”
So, Seong-hyeok listed the honey tea and honey soap, the easiest items he could process, just to feel things out.
“Gulp...”
A brief moment of silence followed.
This was practically his grand opening as a beekeeper.
The tiny bees had diligently gathered honey, and Seong-hyeok had processed it without waste, creating a refined product.
A sense of anticipation.
And then, after about a minute had passed?
To his relief, the 'market's' response was more than enough to satisfy him.
['Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Tea (★+)' listed on the Exchange has been sold.]
[You have acquired 2 Coins after a 20% commission fee.]
['Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Soap (★+)' listed on the Exchange has been sold.]
[You have acquired 6 Coins after a 20% commission fee.]
* Coins Owned: 8
“I-It sold!”
His first sale as a professional beekeeper, a combination of his bees' diligent efforts and his own processing skills.
The rewarding feeling of business, experienced for the first time!
Was this the thrill of a lifestyle class?
“Alright, I should keep selli... ah, no!”
Just as he was about to list more items at the same price.
Seong-hyeok suddenly stopped, as if he'd thought of something.
“I'm not the one who's in a hurry, am I?”
While Seong-hyeok was currently sitting on a mountain of dead stock, no one else knew that.
And as mentioned before, Seong-hyeok was the only one on the Exchange with beekeeping-related items.
Moreover, these weren't just any beekeeping items; they were products that had been meticulously handcrafted by Seong-hyeok, earning them the 'Guardian's' keyword.
“...With this, can't I afford to be a little selfish?”
Seong-hyeok had lost his parents at a young age and grown up in an orphanage.
Because of that, when it came to money, he was, without a doubt, more meticulous than anyone.
In capitalist society, buying books or gathering data for research had strictly required money.
That's why the choice Seong-hyeok made was to find his own appropriate price point.
[You have listed 'Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Tea (★+)' on the Exchange for 6 Coins.]
[You have listed 'Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Soap (★+)' on the Exchange for 15 Coins.]
Prices that were a whopping double the initial amount.
But Seong-hyeok only listed one of each and waited, timing it.
10 seconds, 20 seconds, and then, when about 30 seconds had passed?
['Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Tea (★+)' listed on the Exchange has been sold.]
[You have acquired 5 Coins after a 20% commission fee.]
['Guardian's Ruby Gem Honey Soap (★+)' listed on the Exchange has been sold.]
[You have acquired 12 Coins after a 20% commission fee.]
Despite being listed at a much higher price, the items sold out in just 30 seconds, even faster than the previous one-minute sale.
Seeing this, Seong-hyeok's eyes gleamed with a peculiar light.
“I knew it. I was right.”
The value of Seong-hyeok's processed goods.
It was worth more than enough for players to pay a considerable amount of coins for them.
And above all, the greatest advantage of Seong-hyeok's products with the 'Guardian's' keyword was this.
The weight of a monopoly.
In a way, in this chaotic world, it boasted a power on a completely different 'level' than in the old capitalist society.
It made sense. As long as Seong-hyeok was the only 'Honeybee Guardian'—a unique class that existed solely for him in the world.
It meant that whatever price Seong-hyeok named for his products would become the standard.
[A certain sales threshold has been reached. You have acquired a certain amount of experience.]
It seemed the Exchange's function wasn't just limited to sales; it could even spit out experience points on occasion, not just coins!
“...Bees. You adorable little things! Come to papa!”
Bzzzz— Bzzzz—
Bzzzzzz—
A path to becoming rich in coins and leveling up even a little bit faster.
The bees had opened that path for him.
Seong-hyeok's smile bloomed as he hugged the bundles of affection that were his bees.
* * * * *
#1 The arrival of the Exchange through the chapter update.
Many people expressed their joy over it.
“Finally, our chance has come!”
“If I sell this, I should be able to make some coins, right?”
“Patience pays off!”
From those who had chosen production classes like Blacksmith, Tailor, or Cook as their first class,
“Ah, I was so hungry. If I'm lucky, I might be able to get some food from the Exchange.”
“This is what I've been farming for.”
to those who had steadily hunted monsters and accumulated a decent amount of coins.
But one must not forget.
This was a world where might had become right.
It went without saying that where there was power, everything else would concentrate.
Among them, the ones at the very top were those who had gathered a great force and established a shelter.
“Kekeke. If this goes well, I could rake in some serious coins.”
The leader of a shelter, who had obtained the 3-star unique class, Drug Lord.
Kim Tae-soo, who had taken over an entire city in the Incheon area, wore a sinister smile.
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[Combat Enhancer (★+)]
* Category: Consumable
* When consumed, the 'Combat Enhancement' effect is applied to the individual.
※ Combat Enhancement: For 30 minutes, Strength and Durability increase by 5. However, Control and Mentality decrease by 3. (No cooldown)
* Description: A ★+ grade Combat Enhancer specialized in boosting combat power. Upon consumption, judgment is impaired, but physical power is greatly increased.
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The pill he had created, named 'Combat Enhancer'.
Just from the description, one might think it was a useful combat buff item, but as mentioned before, Kim Tae-soo's class was 'Drug Lord'.
It went without saying that the pill he created was no ordinary buff item.
※ Warning! Causes withdrawal symptoms upon consumption.
The warning written in a corner of the Combat Enhancer's description.
The 'withdrawal symptoms' mentioned in the effect were truly cruel beyond compare.
“Hee, heeheehee.”
“Eheheheheh...”
“M-More, please! I'll do... I'll do anything.”
Players who, just a short while ago, had been crying and begging for their lives.
“Tsk. These guys are useless now.”
At first, their innocence had made them fun to tease, but now that they were completely hooked and had become junkies, Tae-soo had lost all interest.