Chapter 13
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Your Name Is?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
BEEP~!
Your 'Valentine 17-Year 700ml' (20 units) has been auctioned off in the Channel 4 Exchange.
The final bid amount is 47,800 points.
'Whoa...'
I followed Quick Fix Doctor's advice and put the booze and smokes up for auction.
Quick Fix Doctor told me not to sell alcohol and cigarettes to everyone, but only to a select few groups.
'He said that if everyone gets hooked on booze and smokes, they'll gradually lose the will to live.'
He explained that this environment, where you're at war with machines every day, was the key factor.
So, Quick Fix Doctor suggested a strategy of selling only to a small group through auctions.
'He said that the groups who get the booze and smokes become the envy of others.'
On the flip side, he mentioned that the buying groups solidify their status, but honestly, I didn't quite get what he meant.
'Should've studied harder.'
Anyway, the Valentine 17-Year was a whiskey worth about 200 points per bottle.
I bought 20 of them for 4,000 points, and it sold for more than ten times that.
'Let's put up another batch for now.'
Quick Fix Doctor had given me a few more tips here.
1. Auctions twice a day.
2. Give at least a few months' break after listing something once.
3. When listing booze and smokes, clearly state their original value and explain it to everyone.
There were more, but these were the key ones to watch out for right now.
'Maybe makgeolli this time.'
I bought 60 decent-looking bottles of makgeolli and packed them into boxes.
Then I headed to the Channel 4 Exchange, listed the makgeolli, and carefully wrote up the description.
[Hainam Rice Makgeolli 900ml - 60 bottles.]
This time's booze is a rice wine called makgeolli.
Made by fermenting top-grade rice, it has a charming sourness blended with a subtle sweetness and a slight fizzy kick.
With a relatively low alcohol content of 9%, even light drinkers should be able to enjoy it without worry.
Also, based on pre-apocalypse prices, each bottle is worth 14 points.
Total of 60 bottles, so starting bid at the base 840 points.
'This one probably won't fetch a high price.'
This was another piece of advice from Quick Fix Doctor, by the way.
Not just expensive booze—mix in some cheap stuff to differentiate.
'If it goes well, maybe around 10,000 points.'
Even selling for 10,000 points would be a huge success, of course.
After listing the auction in the Channel 4 Exchange, I checked the points I'd earned so far.
Points: 172,493
'170,000 points...'
Just looking at it made me feel full.
Friend 'Quick Fix Doctor☆' has requested a 1:1 chat.
At that moment, Quick Fix Doctor's chat request popped up, and I happily accepted.
If you can, translate this for me.
About ten photos came up along with the request to translate.
They were all listings from other channels' exchanges.
[Bracelet imbued with spirit energy]
Sale price: 1,000 points.
[Zarath's 'Fivefold Exploding Flame' incantation]
Sale price: 5,000 points.
[Mana Shield Summoning Gloves]
Sale price: 2,500 points.
[Heart of Raistal]
Sale price: 1 point.
Purchase limit: Channel users only.
...............
......
One by one: Bracelet imbued with spirit energy. Zarath's...
I typed out the text from each of Quick Fix Doctor's photos.
Separately, the fourth item, 'Heart of Raistal,' was hard to guess what it even was.
'What's Raistal? And why list its heart?'
At 1 point, anyone could buy it, but there was a [limit].
If it was listed on Channel 2, it'd have sold ages ago, so probably another channel.
'I'll look into it later.'
Thanks. Bought just what I needed thanks to you.
Needed items?
What kind of items do you need?
Items for fighting bugs.
Channel 4 was a world where bugs infected and controlled machines.
'So he's looking for magic items immune to bug infection.'
I didn't know how great magic items were, but personally, I thought firearms might be better.
If you had guns or bombs, you could wipe out bug-infected machines, right?
Also aiming to figure out how they work.
How they work?
If I figure out the principles, I can make magic items myself.
For a moment, I wondered if that was even possible, but Channel 4 was a world far more advanced than modern Earth.
It occurred to me that they might even produce magic items there.
'Ah. That's not the point.'
I thought of the 170,000 points I'd diligently saved up.
Quick Fix Doctor, any other good products like the guard dog robot?
That guard dog is top-tier. Can't even pierce it with regular bullets.
The products I'd bought on Channel 4 were the [Guard Dog Robot] and [Thunder Bolt].
But feeling like two weren't enough, I asked for more recommendations, only to get a negative response.
Or are you looking for something like a Plasma Pistol?
Plasma Pistol?
You can buy regular firearms pistols yourself, right?
Quick Fix Doctor said I could just get guns with my [Modern Item Purchase].
'Uh...?'
Could I get guns with Modern Item Purchase?
I tried searching just in case, but...
-Airsoft pistol: 4 points
-BB gun pistol: 5 points
-Nerf automatic pistol: 15 points
...............
......
Ridiculously, only toy pistols showed up.
'Looking closely, this [Modern Item Purchase] feels just like copying an online shopping site.'
You can't usually buy real guns and ammo online.
Similarly, my [Modern Item Purchase] didn't sell them either.
Even if I gave you a Plasma Pistol, charging issues mean you couldn't fire many shots.
In the meantime, Quick Fix Doctor explained the Plasma Pistol's drawbacks.
'Charging... Huh?'
Hold on. What about Rover?
Rover's the guard dog robot's name? It'll run fine for 3-4 months. After that, feed it charging battery feed.
Charging battery feed?
'All kinds of weird stuff out there.'
Anyway, I circled back to the Plasma Pistol Quick Fix Doctor mentioned.
The thought of killing someone with a gun I fired made me hesitate, but insurance was necessary.
'Only pull it out in the absolute last resort.'
Having decided that, I chose to buy the Plasma Pistol too.
I'll take the Plasma Pistol too.
I have one, so I'll give it to you.
Thanks. How many points should I send?
No points needed. It's my item.
'No points?'
I tilted my head at the response and asked again.
What about the guard dog robot then?
Told the owner to list it for 10,000 points.
"......"
If it was mine, I'd have traded 1:1. Why list on exchange?
I was surprised the guard dog robot wasn't Quick Fix Doctor's, but it didn't change anything.
Either way, the guard dog robot—now Rover—was by my side, so the details didn't matter.
Still, shouldn't you take points?
I have plenty of points.
I figured he was just saying that.
But the next words proved otherwise.
High-protein nutrition jelly. That's mine.
...Pardon?
I'm the seller.
Hearing that, my mind went blank for a moment.
This guy was the one supplying food to Channels 2-4 at minimum.
So how many points do you have?
Not as many as you imagine. I earn points and redistribute them to people.
Can you redistribute points to people?
Possible in this channel.
In other words, giving points back.
Then why not sell the jelly for 1 point instead of 5?
5 points controls quantity. Channel 4 needs enough to eat at least.
I was on Channel 2 standards, but now I realized people had fewer points than expected.
'Most don't have points unless they're monster-hunting scavengers.'
5 points seemed like the minimum to prevent everyone from other channels from hoarding the jelly.
Plus, Quick Fix Doctor could price it at 100 points if he wanted, but didn't—seemed considerate.
Also need to unlock gallery features.
Gallery features?
From what I've checked, posts, comments, point collection unlock features. But point collection is dumb—it eats resources.
Point collection was something almost everyone, including me, used for dumping trash.
But separately, Channel 2 folks earned points by killing labyrinth monsters and submitting corpses.
'Channel 4, though...'
Bugs infect and control machines.
Knock one down and submit to [Point Collection], and the whole machine gets scrapped.
'Even Channel 2 said monsters on floors 1-4 are wiped out.'
In a way, monsters as a resource were depleting.
Any reason you're trying to unlock gallery features?
What's this gallery called?
Gallery name?
Doom Salvation Gallery.
Doom Salvation. Guessing the key to salvation is in the gallery.
'It can be interpreted that way too.'
Thinking about it, each channel's situation alone could call it a 'Doom Gallery.'
There had to be a reason for sticking 'Salvation' in the middle, but I didn't know yet.
Anyway, take the Plasma Pistol.
Anything else?
How many more weapons do you want?
The channel admin is this Hero guy coming after me.
Hero gonna eat you?
Given my ability, he's prepping as much as possible.
Even after explaining, Quick Fix Doctor seemed to get it all and shared his situation instead of questions.
Got it. But I don't have many weapons left.
Can't hook me up like with the guard dog?
Possible, but they'd demand insane points. Know how strong the Hero is?
At the question about the Hero's strength, I pondered.
I hadn't seen it myself, but after 8 years of fighting, he couldn't be weak.
Not sure? Fought monsters for 8 years, so pretty strong, I guess.
If Hero's super strong, need military-grade. Hard for me to crack military stuff.
...Aren't military products usually worse?
What? Military is several times better than civilian.
Apparently, different from what I knew.
I'll look into it. Take the Plasma Pistol for now.
Got it.
Trade completed.
I received the Plasma Pistol, and Quick Fix Doctor had one last thing to say.
8 shots and it's done. Remember that.
1:1 chat ended.
Finishing the 1:1 chat with Quick Fix Doctor, I sank into thought for a moment.
What came to mind was Quick Fix Doctor's recent mention of the 'Doom Salvation Gallery.'
'Doom Salvation Gallery...'
Thinking of the Doom Salvation Gallery naturally brought my friend's face to mind.
If my friend really sent me here, I wondered what the reason was.
'No way he wants me to save it from doom, right?'
Is that why he asked what ability I wanted?
'Possible. I actually got the ability I named.'
Even though it was nonsense like 'healing water.'
But suspecting other reasons too, I mulled over my friend.
Friend, friend...
"......"
Wait, what was my friend's name again?