Scammer (4)
The Gallery is open to everyone regardless of age, gender, or status. This, along with its anonymity, often acts as both its greatest strength and weakness. Scammers frequently pull off all sorts of cons through the Gallery.
Ah. Fuck, I got scammed. Saw some good wild ginseng in the auction house, bought it, and it was just regular ginseng. Fuck.
└lololol you too? Me too!
└Ginseng and wild ginseng do look similar lololol
└They deleted it right away, that fucker
One-on-one trades are limited to high-nics, but anyone can use the auction house. That's why there are plenty of criminals—scammers who don't feel a shred of shame ripping people off. Especially with high-value items, most people assume it's a scam. Scammers are usually in it for the quick buck, after all. You can't help but be suspicious.
└Why do scammers even bother? You can't withdraw the money from the Gallery anyway.
└They buy other stuff with it. Pretty much everything's available.
└The merit of bypassing distribution channels is huge. You can easily get stuff from other countries.
└Don't they get banned?
└They do, but it's up to the mods' discretion. Some guys get away with it for peanuts lol
└At least the current Judaek is better. She perma-bans scammers on sight.
└What about innocent people?
└Then they sort it out among themselves. Luckily, while Don'tAbandonHero was wearing the armband, scammers got the boot every time. Even small cons—no mercy. Straight to perma-ban for a lesson. But they don't ban blindly. If the parties reach an amicable agreement, they let it slide. The key is whether there's remorse or not. That's second only to verifying the truth. Thanks to that, scammer antics have dropped off quite a bit, but not entirely.
This fucking high-nic bastard. He's a scammer. Don't trust him. (photo of a bizarre plant) This is what grew from a seed I won for 1000 gold. Thought it was a rare plant, but nope fuck.
└Ugh;; what the hell is that? Nepenthes? Why does the flower have teeth lololol
└Nepenthes don't have teeth. What is that?
└Olfather It's a plant-type monster called Deathmeros, only grows in Mephisto. How did you raise it?
└Fuck it was a monster lololol
└OP still alive?
Scammers kept scamming, but on a bigger, more vicious scale. High-nics don't scam? Total bullshit. Plenty of people sell out their high-nic status for a quick score. Plus, auction winnings get paid out instantly—tied to the Gallery system, so even Judaek can't touch it. So auctions, especially bidding, demand utmost caution. Most folks stick to low bids, avoiding big money. Unless it's a high-nic with a big rep, high bids are rare.
What if Judaek scams? Fuck no
└That hardly ever happens, but yeah, there was a scammer Judaek about 100 years ago?
└100 years ago lololol demon or elf probably
└Elf from memory. Scammed with "World Tree leaves" lololol
└What happened? Hard to fire a Judaek.
└Nobody bought stuff from that Judaek. Guess they got killed scamming IRL and it changed one day
└lolololol serves 'em right
Like that, scams in the Gallery can't be rooted out no matter how much you want to. Gallery users cringe at the word "scam." Rumors of someone scamming—especially a high-nic? Instant backlash, truth be damned. Even if it's fabricated slander leading to false accusations. That's the Gallery for you.
"Heh heh. Bunch of idiots."
A middle-aged man muttered to himself. Distinct Jungwon features and attire. Rat-like mustache. Sly, fox-like eyes giving him a sleazy vibe.
"They're so damn easy to manipulate."
His view showed the Gallery. Lists filled with hate and vitriol aimed at YasaengGrill. All sparked by one little post he'd fired off.
They won't hold out long without settling soon.
The man was a merchant. Your run-of-the-mill small-time trader from Jungwon. But he'd snagged YasaengGrill's auction item and hit the jackpot.
Scraaaape—
He pulled his eyes from the Gallery and opened a desk drawer. Inside: assorted papers and a small ring case.
Click—
Carefully opening it released a faint chill and misty vapor. Nestled within was a bead gleaming with iridescent red light.
The item he'd bid on in the Gallery auction: an inner core.
Never dreamed it'd be the real deal.
Multiple verifications confirmed it. Definitely an inner core. Not some legendary one from myths, but still elixir-grade or better. Worth at least 1,000 silver nyang in cash.
Heh heh. If I keep this quiet, no way they know.
But the merchant was greedy. Insatiably so. He wasn't stopping here—he maneuvered to get his spent gold back too. Even with Cheonma's vouch, she was seen as a weirdo in the Gallery. Unless proven as the real Cheonma, her word meant squat.
Stirring up shit with lies is easy; clearing your name is hard.
The merchant knew the Gallery inside out. He grasped its hypocrisy perfectly. Slander spreads like wildfire; explanations fall on deaf ears. Especially after the flames had already scorched everything.
If Judaek pushes for a settlement, they'll have no choice.
For YasaengGrill, the Gallery was a lifeline. Without it, survival odds in the Four Seasons Forest plummeted. Better to settle than risk a botched explanation leading to perma-ban.
It was playing with lives on a scale, but the merchant didn't care.
Don't even know the guy's face.
Anonymity hid his ugly side. No pangs of conscience. If he knew the face, maybe—but in the Gallery, kindness is weakness. Sure, explanations could backfire against him. But he shrugged it off.
Fuck it, perma-ban at worst.
Gallery mattered more than real life anyway. Money was king. Sucks not enjoying luxuries, but hey—buy your way to fun.
The merchant waited gleefully. Prepared for any counter.
"Hm?"
He was endlessly refreshing when a post caught his eye. Not some rando floater—a big-name high-nic, SwordTasteStar. Had to check it out.
It's a real inner core from YasaengGrill.
SwordTasteStar (photo of a golden bead on her palm) YasaengGrill found a new inner core and gave it to me. This is definitely an inner core.
└No way;; found another one already?
└What, inner cores popping up like meals lololol can't believe it anymore lololol
└Four Seasons Forest, so maybe?
└Cheonma aside, SwordTasteStar vouching changes things?
└Golden this time. Caught a golden fish?
"What?"
Another inner core? The merchant's eyes widened. Total curveball.
He hurriedly typed a reply.
└You sure you didn't fake it? Why another inner core outta nowhere lol
└Why fake a kiss? Smack on the lips?
└Oh my. Naughty.
└No reason to fake it lololol And why would SwordTasteStar lie?
└Fr lololol she boosted the continent's inspectors' power lol
└Cheonma said one-on-one chat? Blackmailed her with that
└Blackmail what? She'd get axed by Judaek?
└Your imagination sucks lol
└OP's address matches the guy who posted YasaengGrill's a scammer
└Scared? lololol
Panicked, he lashed out and took a loss. The merchant frowned. Another inner core was unforeseen. Heart raced briefly, but he calmed. No rush.
Just deny it's real anyway.
They seemed to be playing the slander game too. Difference? A kernel of truth. Even if SwordTasteStar's was real, doesn't prove his was. Drag it out, exploit uncertainty—he'd win.
I'll explain.
Here it comes.
Public opinion splitting down the middle when YasaengGrill posted. Merchant dove in.
Explanation my ass. Pissed? Dox your address. Others can verify if it's an inner core or not. If it is, you're fucked. If not, full refund. You fucking shitstain stirring shit with your lame-ass agitation. Lowlife scumbag pulling scams. SwordTasteStar already vouched, so sell your high-nic if you're mad. Broke-ass bitch.
└Whoa lolololol savage lololol
└Upvoted cuz trust just skyrocketed lololol
└Me first lolololol
└Only someone confident posts pissed like that lololol
└Total like lolololol
└Every point hits. Dox and verify lol
└Thought I was sold... suddenly got slapped
Not an explanation. Pure rage-fueled rant. In normal places, it'd backfire—but this was the Gallery. That shit bought goodwill and trust.
Wh-what the hell is this guy?
Newbie, or so he thought. But writes like a vet. Merchant panicked briefly, then replied.
Can't back down.
└I'm the inner core buyer. Why dox my address? Ridiculous lol
└OP showed up yo.
└Pathetic lol
└Acting like this proves you're the scammer.
└You toyed with YasaengGrill's life? Stake yours. Gallery's my life.
└Your problem? And this ain't an inner core
└Dox your high-nic first, then talk. Or dox address lol
└You first.
└YasaengGrill's in Four Seasons Forest, dumbass. Come if you can.
└lololololololol
└lololololololol
└lololololololololololol
Roasted. Proper barbecue. Merchant rolled his eyes, bailed from the post.
Dox the floater who got the inner core. We verify. Up if YasaengGrill cool af lololol Scammers all fucked? Up lol
Stepping out, opinion flipped completely. Dox if legit—everywhere.
Crazy. Dox to die?
No way. Revealing address risks real-life doom. Merchant deleted his accusation post, logged off.
Wait till it blows over.
Pity. Coulda made bank.
Regretful, but pushing more wouldn't flip it. Better sell this inner core.
About 10 minutes later, he sneaked back in. Mouth said fuck the Gallery, but he was a true Gal-cre addict. Can't quit the drug.
Settled down a bit?
Logging in revealed:
Hold up. Next town over lololol Inner core munchies incoming! Jungwon folks so jealous. Scammer was a merchant, huh.
Ominous posts. Merchant sensed trouble, checked notices. Merchants gotta have quick wits or get weeded out.
First notice from Judaek:
Here's the address! Don'tAbandonHero YasaengGrill doxxed, but one guy won't. So I'll kindly share! Zhongwon Haan Province xxx area! YasaengGrill said prove it's fake for refund, so let's settle amicably!
"Uh..."
One thought hit the merchant.
I'm fucked.
Truly fucked. Never expected Judaek to dox.
Crash! Bang!
Ruckus outside. Merchant snapped his head up. Secretary burst in panting.
"Wh-what's the commotion!"
"I-I don't know! Evacuate first...!"
"Heard there's an inner core here!"
"Just checking, then return it!"
Voices closing in. Merchant paled.
Gallery irrelevant now.
Fuck...!
Real life only from here on out.