Chapter 69

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 69

Chapter Title: Rumor (2)

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'Let's start with the magic power amplifier first.'

I opened my sub-space and pulled out the magic power amplifier inside it.

An artifact that boosted the wearer's magic power by 1.5 times.

According to what Lee Seojun had told me, it was worth somewhere between 100 and 200 billion.

'Doesn't look like it at all.'

No matter how I looked at it, it was shaped like a large, thick shackle.

And now that I was holding it with this body, I could tell it was heavier than I'd expected.

'Feels like about 3 or 4 kg.'

Weight-wise alone, it was a stretch to call it a wrist bracelet.

Anyway, after inspecting the magic power amplifier this way and that, I first used the miracle I'd obtained in the 9th world, [Item Duplication].

"Item Duplication."

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠planned to give the magic power amplifiers I currently had to the women in my arms—Kang Ju-young, Ha Chae-jung, and Ga Se-yeon—so I needed three of them.

I'd thought about using Item Duplication to make one more at a time, but the reuse time that popped into my head made me cancel right away.

'Reuse time is 20 days.'

Long if it was long, short if it was short.

But if I wanted to duplicate three including spares, that would take 60 days.

'Can't go 60 days without using Item Duplication.'

Looked like I'd have to call the personal merchant Langsi again this time.

-Lee Seongmin. What's up?

"Tried Item Duplication on the magic power amplifier, but the reuse time is 20 days."

-Just call the personal merchant.

"Yeah, I guess. But buying registered items isn't free either."

-Huh? Oh. Right, it deducts from the account.

I nodded.

Of course, there was a ton of money in the account.

Still, you never knew what could happen if I splurged ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠recklessly.

-No idea how much is in there, but no way to refill it?

"There is. I can sell stuff to make some back."

The problem was that the personal merchant was also an online game ability.

So I had to balance it according to online game fairness.

"But the sale prices are pretty low. If it sold at market rate as an online game ability, regular trading between people would dry up."

That's why people didn't sell to the personal merchant.

Not that I cared, since it was a system I'd added purely for my own use in reality.

"Probably faster to just show you."

With that, I summoned the personal merchant, Langsi.

Pababat!—

"Yes! Your always cute and startling merchant, Langsi, at your service!"

"Register this for me. Category: [Artifact from the 15th World]."

"Got it!"

The moment I registered the S-rank magic power amplifier, I bought three.

"And give me three of the registered magic power amplifiers."

"500,000 gold each, total 1.5 million gold. Deducting from your account."

The account balance dropped, but I'd easily gotten three magic power amplifiers. I asked about the sale price.

"How much would you buy this magic power amplifier for if I sold it?"

"100,000 gold!"

The 500,000-gold purchase had turned into 100,000.

Lee Seojun looked shocked at the 80% cut.

-Whoa. Buys at like 20% of the price.

"That's 'cause I'm VIP top tier."

Normally it's 5%.

"Exactly! As our top-tier VIP customer, Lee Seongmin, we give you the absolute best sale rates!"

-No matter how you slice it, sounds like highway robbery. Am I wrong?

"Depends on how you look at it."

Anyway, after buying the three magic power amplifiers, I registered the Blue Moon Flower liquor next.

"Register this too."

"Blue Moon Flower steeped liquor, 15-year vintage. Registered."

"How much?"

"170,000 gold."

The Blue Moon Flower liquor wasn't cheap either.

-Lee Seongmin. Just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hit me—why not sell the artifacts we stole from the Geneva Cult and the shop?

Selling those artifacts would net a decent amount, like Lee Seojun said.

Even at 20% of original price, volume would cover it.

"Might be useful ones, so planning to sort 'em later and sell."

No time to sort right now.

Lee Seojun got it and nodded.

"For now... Blue Moon Flower steeped liquor? Gimme eight."

"170,000 gold each, total 1.36 million gold. Deducting from account again."

Blown through nearly 3 million gold in a flash.

I thought it wouldn't hurt to make some real money sometime, then sent Langsi off.

"Good work. You can head back now."

"Yes! Call anytime!"

Once Langsi was gone, Lee Seojun asked about the Blue Moon Flower.

-Why buy eight bottles of Blue Moon Flower?

"Planning to use [Artifact Evolution]. Need eight for three evolutions."

-You can evolve liquor too? Gets better effects?

"Beyond better effects, it can gain new ones. It's evolution, after all."

I answered and used [Artifact Evolution] to merge all eight bottles of Blue Moon Flower liquor.

After three evolutions, the flower's shape had changed a bit, and the blue glow was deeper.

"Not bad."

-Any changes?

"Magic Power and Resistance stats up 50~65, Magic Power operation and recovery skills up one level each."

-Operation and recovery? That's elixir territory.

"Gotta be this good to be worth it."

With the liquor done, I turned to finishing the magic power amplifiers next.

'Not much to tweak on these.'

I glanced at the amplifier briefly, then pulled out one of the many authorities I'd gotten from the 5th world, just like with [Artifact Evolution].

"[Shape Change]."

Exactly as named: an authority that changed only the form while keeping performance intact.

The shackle-like bracelet turned into a somewhat more refined chain bracelet.

'But ending it here feels like a waste.'

It was just a cosmetic change to the magic power amplifier.

Not satisfied with that, I pulled specific gems and powders from my sub-space and imbued abilities.

'This should do...'

Seemed decent enough.

And yeah, the "MP" in the description was online game MP.

But since magic power filled that role here, it applied as magic power recovery.

In short, it had become a magic power recovery bracelet.

'Just hand these to Kang Ju-young, Ha Chae-jung, and Ga Se-yeon.'

FYI, registering these with the personal merchant wouldn't work.

He registers items in base state, so gem and special mods get stripped.

'Other abilities are fine, honestly.'

Gem and special mods were online game system quirks, so that's how it worked.

Otherwise, online game users would make OP items and register them.

"Anyway, done."

I'd spent more time than expected on what should've been quick work, so I stowed the amplifiers and liquor in my sub-space.

Now, as the healer body, I could open the sub-space and pull them out naturally to hand over.

'Kinda like a clone utilization trick.'

After that, I contacted Kang Ju-young as the healer, but she said she was busy and didn't come.

"......"

Couldn't push since we'd agreed to respect her instructor duties when we signed the contract.

'Can give it next time.'

Not super urgent anyway, so I'd hand it over later.

Kang Ju-young really was busy, just like she'd told the healer.

"Oh? Instructor Kang Ju-young. Your eyes are better, and... even the minor scratches are gone?"

The magic power operation instructor Yu Na-eun, with her long straight hair and striking fresh-faced beauty, looked at Kang Ju-young in surprise.

Not just her—all the other instructors had heard the rumors about Kang Ju-young's changes and crowded around, asking what happened.

"Heard you fought a Destroyer. You okay?"

Kang Ju-young frowned as the hand-to-hand combat instructor Kang Ji-hoon brought up the Destroyer.

"You hear about the Destroyer from the Hero Association?"

"Yeah. Got a contact there."

"......"

Truth be told, Kang Ju-young hadn't expected total secrecy.

But she hadn't thought it'd spread this fast in just a day either.

"More than that, heard they let the Destroyer slip away. Shame."

Apparently the Hero Association had said they'd let it get away.

"Wasn't 'let slip'—it was a failure."

The Destroyer had killed every hero who went after it and strolled out.

Couldn't call that "slipping away," so Kang Ju-young corrected him.

"Heard even Grand Mage Na Ser-ha joined in. Still failed?"

Then the cold beauty with glasses and neatly upswept blue hair, Cha Serin, spoke up.

"Na Ser-ha wasn't much help either."

"......Hard to believe."

Na Ser-ha was an object of respect for Cha Serin, who walked the mage path.

And knowing his skill, she couldn't easily buy "wasn't much help."

"No, why's everyone only talking about the Destroyer? Don't you wonder how Instructor Kang Ju-young got better?"

Yu Na-eun, on the other hand, was more curious about Kang Ju-young's treatment than the Destroyer.

Kang Ju-young didn't answer, but Instructor Kang Ji-hoon relayed what he'd heard from his Hero Association contact.

"Apparently a healer Seo Do-kyung brought treated her."

"A healer? World got one like that?"

"Yeah. That's why everyone's hunting for this healer."

Meanwhile.

"......"

Instructor U Yun-hak, sitting quietly off to the side, stared at Instructor Kang Ju-young with sunken eyes.