Eight Billion

Eight billion.

Eight billion—a sum so enormous that a hundred million had to be counted out eighty times just to reach it. Even so, if a single high-grade gem was the prize, Yujun was willing to spend as many points as it took.

Think of it as trading even for one piece of Mythic-grade equipment, and it isn't a losing deal.

High-grade gems, especially, were so rare that people said even money couldn't buy them.

"Very well. We'll deal at eight billion."

Capcom and Yujun closed the trade with satisfied smiles.

"Is there anything else that catches your eye?"

"Not for now."

"Your standards have climbed quite high."

"Can't be helped."

"I understand."

That was when Shoman cut in.

"Shin Yujun. I have a gem as well. Supreme grade."

"Supreme... grade?"

Shoman smiled the smile of a man laying down his trump card.

"Indeed. Supreme grade."

The claim threw both Yujun and Capcom.

"You have a Supreme-grade gem on you right now?"

"Do I look like a man who lies? If you doubt me, I'll show you myself."

Shoman set a single gem on the table. Large and luminous, it unveiled a brilliance almost blinding to look at.

"There. Mine is a skill gem. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Supreme grade, as you can see."

"......"

"You... where did you get that?"

Capcom asked, looking dazed.

"That is none of your concern."

"Supreme grade. You went to some trouble."

"If you mean to roast an old fox and serve him up, you have to go at least this far. Well then, Shin Yujun. Will you buy, or won't you?"

"How much?"

"Twenty billion."

"...Hmm."

"It is every bit as expensive as you think. But you know as well as I do that nowhere else can you buy a Supreme-grade skill gem for money, yes?"

"I know. I'll take it. Before that, I'd like to check the item."

"Of course. I'll show you just as Capcom did."

The corner of Shoman's mouth twisted as he looked at Capcom.

"Hngh..."

Shoman casually shoved Capcom's goods aside and began laying out his own. Capcom's gaze went sharp, but Shoman didn't so much as blink.

"There. Look."

He spoke with complete confidence. Yet just as with Capcom, nothing among the wares caught Yujun's interest. If he had found even one thing—

"This Synchronization Marble. Where did it come from?"

"One of my employees picked it up somewhere, but we don't know what it's for. I nearly left it behind. I brought it in case the grade might interest you."

"Is this the only Synchronization Marble?"

"It is. Do you happen to know its use?"

"I don't. But I'd like to have one."

"Buy the Supreme-grade skill gem, and I'll give you this for nothing."

At that, Yujun's eyes went wide.

What kind of windfall is this?

He kept his face as blank as he could and nodded.

"I'll buy it."

"A fine deal. You have my thanks."

A direct trade carried no fee, which was pleasant in its own right—no sense of money bleeding away for nothing. A vast heap of points vanished in an instant, but Yujun didn't lose his smile. Points existed to be spent, and once they had bought him good items, there was no room left for regret.

One Supreme-grade skill gem, a High-Grade Trait Gem, and a Synchronization Marble on top of that.

The greatest gain, in truth, was the Synchronization Marble. He had grown anxious lately precisely because he hadn't been seeing any, and he had never ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠expected to find one on a Great Merchant here.

Put this in the inventory now, and synchronization starts right away, doesn't it?

As Yujun kept turning the Synchronization Marble over in his gaze, Shoman spoke.

"You are not the first player to come looking for that Synchronization Marble."

"What? Some other bastard— no. There was someone besides me?"

"There was. But that player..."

"Who?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"A Great Merchant. A monster among monsters, who has piled up more wealth than that old man Capcom or myself. Pool every coin we own, and we still would not reach him."

"Which is why you and I may eye second place in this market, but we don't so much as glance at first. Isn't that right?"

If the two of them said as much, the merchant in question had to be extraordinary.

"Where would I go to see that Great Merchant?"

"Not a man one sees easily. Even I have laid eyes on him in person only twice."

"In all my years I've hardly seen him either. He keeps his face covered at all times, so even if you passed him in the street, recognizing him would be next to impossible."

That was a problem. A Great Merchant above Capcom and Shoman would surely be carrying even finer goods, and more than that, the fact that someone was going around collecting Synchronization Marbles was not a thing Yujun could comfortably ignore.

"He's that hard to see? Then there's no point in looking?"

Do I come back later?

He had come here to join Atradeon at the Sky Castle. The extra profits had been considerable, but that had been the original purpose. Waste time hunting some unidentified Great Merchant, and there was a good chance the whole errand would end up backwards.

"If I see him, I'll tell you at once. So how about registering our messengers?"

"That works for me."

Shoman and Capcom sent their messenger codes at the same time. When Yujun glanced over, Shoman was staring off elsewhere, pretending it was nothing to him. After exchanging messengers with both, Yujun announced that he was leaving the market at once.

"Right away? Why not look around a little longer?"

"I have urgent business. Once it's done, I mean to come back."

"Very well. Be sure to contact us before you do."

"I will."

He slipped out of the market without catching the other merchants' eyes and sent a message to Manuela.

While he waited for her, Yujun decided to use every item he had just bought.

First, the Synchronization Marble into the inventory.

"Ah, right."

Before he used the Supreme-grade skill gem and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the High-Grade Trait Gem, something else came back to him.

"Paranet."

"Yes?"

"I bought your item, remember. Take this."

"You are giving it to me, and not to Tapagol?"

"Obviously. You're more useful right now."

"Master! I am truly moved!"

"Which means, the moment you stop being useful... forget it."

"Must you always throw cold water on the moment?"

"Yeah. So you're not taking it?"

"I-I will! Of course I will!"

Premium Summon Feed. He had bought three of them for a full 1.5 billion.

"You'd better be worth what I spent."

"Of course!"

It looked like dog food, but Paranet already knew the effect. Without a moment's hesitation, he swallowed all three at once.

"Ooh...! I feel as though I am evolving again."

"Don't make a fuss."

It had been a while. Maybe he ought to check Paranet's stats.

"Oh."

It wasn't only the raw numbers that had climbed. The jump in stats was staggering enough, but the grades of his skills and traits had changed in ways that stood out.

Has there ever been a summon like this?

His level alone had risen past anything that could be compared to the days of War of the Gods, and his skills and traits were no less extraordinary. The quality of his abilities outstripped that of most top-tier players.

The real jackpot is that those stats don't even have item effects applied.

Raising Paranet had clearly been the right choice. His usefulness had been meager only at the start. Now he had reached a point where Yujun would not be ashamed to send him out in his own place.

Yujun smiled, satisfied, and drew out the two items he had been waiting on: the skill gem, and the trait gem. He opened his status window first, to see whether he had any ability worth spending a gem on.

For the trait gem, Ruler of the Wind, Grain Finding, Swift Sword, or Magic Comprehension would all do.

He turned it over, then decided almost at once.

I'll use it on Magic Comprehension.

He hadn't originally meant to invest any further in magic, but crafting a spell for Yenil the other day had changed his mind. With Ancient Magic already at EX++ and GX not far off, putting something into magic was hardly a bad choice. Magic Comprehension, in particular, was the framework underlying every spell. Socket a gem there, and the odds of an especially large return were high.

It'll help when I make magic, too.

That was the biggest reason, truthfully—though it was also true that, aside from Magic Comprehension, he didn't have a trait that particularly needed the gem. He drove the trait gem straight into Magic Comprehension.

Pabat!

The sudden flare was familiar by now. Yujun shut his eyes at once, then opened the status window again to check the change. Magic Comprehension had risen to SSS+.

Two whole grades?

He had expected something of the sort. The gem he had just used was high-grade, yes, but Magic Comprehension's proficiency had climbed a great deal as well, and that must have played its part.

What's left is the Supreme-grade skill gem.

He could use it on Sword Barrier, Weapon Earthquake, Flash Cut, or Frozen Field, more or less.

Should I save this one?

There was no skill that made him think, this is the one. Weapon Earthquake had tremendous destructive power, but it did nothing to an opponent who had left the ground. Sword Barrier was already enough as it stood. In truth, the sword's own performance mattered more than the skill's grade, so the gem wouldn't amount to much there. Flash Cut and Frozen Field were skills he rarely used, which made them even more awkward, and Rapid Advance was the same.

I'll use the Supreme-grade skill gem later.

As if someone might snatch it, he dropped it straight into his inventory.

"Instead..."

Yujun took out a Fruit of Evolution—another item he had been keeping unused. He meant to use it now.

Strike while the iron is hot.

Since he had already invested a gem in Magic Comprehension, he intended to push Ancient Magic up one grade further. If that skill reached GX, nothing could be better. A high-grade gem was already socketed in it, which made the investment all the less of a waste. He used the Fruit of Evolution on Ancient Magic.

Once again, a flare announcing the change burst before his eyes.