The morning in Bairan was thick with the scent of pine and the lingering, metallic tang of the forge.
Arthur walked toward the village's central square, his footsteps light and his expression unreadable.
To any passing NPC or low-level player, he looked like a handsome, albeit unassuming, adventurer.
No one could guess that tucked away in his spatial inventory were items that had just triggered a tectonic shift in the game's global economy.
He arrived at the local branch of the Satisfy Auction House. Unlike the grand, marble-floored halls of the capital, the Bairan branch was a modest stone building with a flickering holographic interface.
Arthur stepped up to a terminal, his fingers hovering over the glass.
"System, open the local and regional auction listings for 'Arrows'."
A cascade of data flowed across his vision.
[Current Listings: Jaffa Arrow (Normal)]
Quantity: 1,200
Current Price: 6 Silver per unit.
Status: High Demand.
Arthur chuckled. Six silver for a 'Normal' arrow with barely 20 attack power. It was a daylight robbery, yet the players—especially the high-ranking archers—were eating them up.
They had no choice. In the current meta, defense was an insurmountable wall, and Jaffa was the only sledgehammer available.
"Now," Arthur whispered, a predatory glint in his eye. "Let's introduce the world to a different kind of hammer."
Arthur knew the danger of his position. If he listed these items under his own name, the Tzedakah Guild, the giant conglomerates, and every information broker from New York to London would descend upon him.
He wasn't ready to be a public figure—not yet. He was an architect, and an architect works best from the shadows until the foundation is set. [Option Selected: Anonymous Listing]
He pulled the first bundle from his bag. The Special Jaffa Arrows. The light of the terminal reflected off their perfectly tempered, blue-tinged tips.
"List 100 units of 'Special Jaffa Arrow' (Epic). Set starting bid at 20 silver."
It was more than triple the market price for a standard arrow. To a common player, it was insanity. To a ranker, it was a bargain.
Then, his hand moved to the second bundle. This one didn't just reflect light; it seemed to swallow it. The Mythical Jaffa-Silver Arrows. The silver veins within the metal pulsed with a faint, rhythmic glow, a product of the Eternal Silver Sap.
"List 10 units of 'Mythical Jaffa-Silver Arrow' (Unique). Set starting bid at 5 gold."
Five gold for a single piece of ammunition. In the current economy, five gold could buy a decent level 20 Rare-grade sword or leather armor set. It was the price of a small house in a rural village.
Arthur confirmed the listing and stepped back. It's now the field for the buyers.
Meters away, Jishuka was checking her auction interface. Her long, crimson hair streamed behind her like a banner of war.
"Toban! Regas! Look at this!" she screamed over the wind.
The Tzedakah Guild members opened their screens. They saw the anonymous listings.
"Epic-grade arrows?" Toban gasped, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. "Attack power up to 42! That's... that's higher than a level 45 mace!"
"Wait," Vantner shouted, his voice cracking. "Look at the next page. Unique. Unique-rated arrows!"
Jishuka's breath hitched. She pulled her horse to a halt, her fingers trembling as she tapped the item description for the Mythical Jaffa-Silver Arrow.
[Mythical Jaffa-Silver Arrow]
Rating: Unique
Attack Power: 350~420
Special Note: 100% Guaranteed defense penetration.
"Four hundred and twenty..." Jishuka whispered. Her current bow, an Epic-rated masterpiece, only had a base damage of 280. A single arrow from this mystery smith was more powerful than her entire weapon.
"With my passive skills... with my 'Piercing' buffs... a single shot would deal over 15,000 damage to a boss."
"The bid is at 6 gold!" Regas yelled. "Guild master, the other guilds are noticing! The 'Giant' guild and the 'Seven Guilds' are starting to bid!"
"I don't care about the price!" Jishuka's eyes turned a fierce, competitive gold. "Buy them! Outbid everyone! If we don't get these, we lose the lead in the rankings!"
Back in the auction house, Arthur watched the numbers spin. It was no longer a sale; it was a feeding frenzy.
The Special Jaffa Arrows, originally listed for 20 silver, were being bid on by mid-tier rankers who couldn't afford the Unique ones. The price climbed: 25 silver... 30 silver... 45 silver.
The Unique arrows were a different beast. These were being contested by the titans.
"Bid: 6 Gold."
"Bid: 8 Gold."
"Bid: 10 Gold!"
The world had realized that these weren't just items; they were 'Boss-Killers.' A guild with ten of these arrows could clear a raid that was ten levels above them.
[Final Sale Results:]
* 100 Special Jaffa Arrows: Sold for 1 Gold per piece (Total: 100 Gold).
* 10 Mythical Jaffa-Silver Arrows: Sold for 11 Gold per piece (Total: 110 Gold).
* Player is requested to contact.
In less than an hour, Arthur had sold goods amounting 210 Gold. To put that in perspective, the average high-level player struggled to save 10 gold a month. Arthur had just earned enough to buy a minor noble's title or equip a small private army.
"Not bad for a night's work," Arthur said, closing the terminal. He walked out of the auction house, his hood pulled low.
As Arthur walked down the main village road, going towards an Inn to settle for tonight, a thunderous sound of footsteps approached from the opposite direction. The villagers scattered as seventeen high ranking players tore through the street.
At the lead was the woman he had seen in the memories of the novel—Jishuka. She was even more striking in person; her presence was like a sun, radiating heat, beauty, and an overwhelming pressure.
Arthur slowed his pace, stepping to the side of the road to let them pass.
Jishuka slowed her pace as she reached the center of the village. She was looking at her map, her face flushed with the thrill of the hunt.
Her eyes swept over the crowd, searching for a 'Master'—someone old, perhaps wearing a heavy leather apron, with the gnarled hands of a veteran.
Her gaze passed right over Arthur.
To her, he was just a handsome traveler, perhaps a swordsman or a mage based on his build. He didn't have the soot on his face or the characteristic 'Blacksmith's Hunch.'
As they crossed paths, a gust of wind caught Arthur's cloak, revealing for a split second the hilt of Arthur's prodigy sword that looked far too high-quality for a commoner.
Jishuka's eyes flickered to the blade, then back to his face.
For a heartbeat, their eyes met.
Arthur gave a polite, tiny nod—the gesture of a stranger acknowledging a ranker. Jishuka paused, a strange sensation washing over her.
As the number one archer, her 'Perception' stat was astronomical. She felt a "weight" coming from this man—a density of mana and presence that shouldn't belong to a random player.
"Jishuka! The Smithy is this way!" Vantner shouted from further up the road.
The moment was broken. Jishuka turned her head, her mind returning to the Unique arrows.
"Right! Let's go!"
Arthur watched them hurry away toward Smith's shop. He knew what they would find: an old, confused beginner blacksmith who had no idea how to replicate the miracles he had just witnessed.
"She has the arrows," Arthur whispered, a small, knowing smile touching his lips. "And now, she's realized that the man who made them is a phantom. Ciel, how long until she comes back looking for 'The Anonymous One'?"
"Good," Arthur said, turning toward the inn gate. "Let her wait. Let the legend grow. I have a greedy fool named Grid, who is about to become my best indirect employee let him come and satisfy Jushika's hunger."
As Arthur walked towards the Inn, he didn't look back.