“Hello, Han. Welcome again. It has been just five days since we last spoke, and yet you are already here. Let us step inside to talk; this is not a conversation for the hallway,” Orzhan said, his eyebrows rising in surprise as he greeted me at the reception desk. He seemed genuinely taken aback by the speed of my return, likely assuming I was still in the middle of a lengthy and expensive experimental phase.
“Thank you, Orzhan. You see, I have already used up all of the skill crystals you provided to me the other day,” I replied, following him into the familiar corridor. We entered one of the private rooms, and I took my customary seat on one of the sofas, leaning back and exhaling slowly.
“You used all of them already?” Orzhan stopped mid-motion, looking at me as if I were a madman. “Han, you spent more than twenty skill crystals in less than a week. That is nearly ten platinum coins of capital. Are you really still eager to throw more money away? I told you before that the risks are astronomical.”
“Haha, you are speaking as if it were a guaranteed waste,” I said, letting out a small chuckle at his horrified expression.
“What else am I supposed to call it? Of course, it was a waste! I have seen seasoned merchants and even high nobles go bankrupt trying to force skill crystals into weapons. I told you before that many people already tried—wait, what are you doing?”
Orzhan had started to raise his voice, ready to give me a lecture on financial responsibility, but he cut himself off in a state of utter puzzlement. I reached into my inventory and began placing items on the trestle table between us one by one. He didn't understand the reason for the sudden display, so he just stared at me with a questioning look, his lecture forgotten.
“What do they look like? They are a set of equipment that I want to entrust you to sell,” I said simply. I didn't offer any further explanation, allowing the weight of the items to speak for itself. When I placed the final piece on the table, a complete kit was laid out: a long sword, a spear, a breastplate, a helmet, gauntlets, and footwear.
“... Don’t you think it is a weird way to change the topic, Han? What is so special about this equipment? It is decent steel, certainly, but why bring it to me?” He looked at the equipment and then back at me, his face a mask of skepticism.
“Huhuhu. Change the topic? No, Orzhan, this is the topic. You had better take a very good look at them,” I laughed. I had a very good reason for being so secretive about the process until this moment. I knew that the second he actually realized what he was looking at, he would be shocked to his core.
“... No way. Are you serious?” he whispered and made a crazy assumption.
“...” I remained silent, maintaining a smug smirk.
“I am going to have someone appraise these immediately. Just wait here for a few minutes. Don't move,” he said, his voice trembling slightly. He gathered up the heavy steel equipment in a hurry and practically ran out of the room.
Once the door clicked shut, I was left alone in the stuffy meeting room. I sipped the dregs of the tea left at the bottom of a cup on the trestle, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. It was fun to watch his reaction; it had been only five days since I collected those crystals from him, so I knew he hadn't expected me to make anything functional out of them, let alone a full set.
I had visited Yorik’s shop repeatedly over those five days to procure these specific items. Even though they were standard steel, it was surprisingly difficult to find pieces that possessed exactly three empty sockets all at once. It took three days of continuous searching and filtering through Yorik's inventory before I finally finished collecting the base equipment I needed.
Once I had the gear, the Enchanter job made the rest possible. I was able to add up to three skill crystals to each piece of equipment, provided I had the empty sockets and the mana to sustain the bond. As soon as I had verified the sockets, I began the implantation of the most suitable crystals I had in my stockpile.
Fortunately, my theory about the symbols on the equipment had been entirely correct. Not a single skill crystal was wasted during the process. Only one crystal remains unused in my inventory right now, simply because I couldn't find a way to pair it with two others for a coherent set. I decided not to use it until I have a full trio of crystals to maximize the item's potential value. To me, the most effective way to operate is to find an item with at least three empty sockets and fill them completely.
I knew that when Orzhan returned, he would make a scene. I planned to show off to him a bit more to enjoy the moment, but the real play was the long-term business. I would gain a massive profit from selling these prototypes, but my larger goal was to use Orzhan’s influence to advertise my new services.
Tap, tap, tap! Thud, thud, thud!
While I was waiting, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the corridor. I was certain Orzhan was surprised and would rush back the moment the appraisal results were in, but it sounded like there were multiple people with him.
“H-Han! W-what is the meaning of this?” Orzhan shouted before he was even fully inside the room. He walked in slowly, looking at me with a mixture of awe and suspicion.
Behind him, I saw several other staff members peering through the doorway with wide eyes. They must have witnessed the appraisal process in the back room and couldn't resist seeing the person who brought the items in.
That was exactly the reaction I had been waiting for. I watched the chaos with a smirk. When I saw Orzhan begin to calm himself, I glanced toward the onlookers at the door. He caught my gesture and understood immediately; he apologized to his colleagues and sent them away before closing the door firmly to secure our privacy. He sat across from me again, his hands shaking slightly.
“Here is your equipment. Now, Han... please explain. What on earth is going on here?” he asked, placing the items back on the table.
***
Steel Long Sword ? ? ?
- Mantis skill crystal: Increase slash damage by 20%
- Centipede skill crystal: Durability enhancement 40%
- Therianthrope skill crystal: Reduce the recoil of an attack by 20%
***
***
Steel-Tipped Spear ? ? ?
- Wasp skill crystal: Increase piercing damage by 20%
- Centipede skill crystal: Durability enhancement 40%
- Imp skill crystal: Bleeding effect chance by 10%
***
***
Steel Breastplate ?+?+?+
- Slime skill crystal (Enchanced): Repair over time slowly
- Turtle skill crystal (Enchanced): Decrease the impact power by 60%
- Centipede skill crystal (Enchanced): Durability enhancement 60%
***
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***
Steel Helmet ? ? ?
- Lightning skill crystal: Increase resistance against shock by 40%
- Bear skill crystal: Increase resistance against bloodlust by 40%
- Turtle skill crystal: Decrease the impact power by 40%
***
***
Steel Gloves ? ? ?
- Bettle skill crystal: Increase grip strength by 40%
- Therianthrope skill crystal: Reduce the recoil of an attack by 20%
- Kangaroo skill crystal: Increase attack speed by 10%
***
***
Steel Footwear ? ? ?
- Wolf skill crystal: Increase movement speed by 20%
- Insect skill crystal: Weight reduction by 40%
- Rabbit skill crystal: Increase jump force by 20%
***
These were the pieces of equipment I had enchanted over the last five days using the crystals I had purchased through him. The process was straightforward, provided I had enough MP to facilitate the bond. I had noted that the required mana for implantation increased significantly with every additional crystal added to the same piece of equipment.
I had purposely searched for equipment with exactly three empty slots. That was the most I could currently achieve; implementing skill crystals into equipment with fewer slots would be a waste of resources, and I am capped at three crystals per item unless I eventually obtain the master enchanter job.
“There is not much to explain, Orzhan. This is exactly why I was buying those skill crystals through you,” I explained, my tone casual as if this were a routine occurrence. “What do you think? You were so certain that it would be a total waste.”
“Fhuu, okay, I get it. It is indeed an incredible job... but how? Do you really think it is normal to walk in with six pieces of equipment, all with three skill crystals implanted? This breastplate even has all of its crystals enhanced! That is... it is nearly unbelievable,” he said, trying to find the right words to describe his shock.
It was true that seeing six pieces of equipment with triple-crystal implementations was an extremely rare sight. As for the enchanted crystals themselves, they weren't a big deal to me as long as I had goblin skill crystals to act as the catalyst, since they guarantee a successful upgrade. That was the reason they were so expensive—retailing for at least 50 gold coins each.
“Let’s just say that I have found an enchanter who has a very special, proprietary method to implement skill crystals,” I explained, establishing the cover story we would use. “That is how I managed to produce these items.”
“Is that so? That explanation is still not enough for me to truly accept this, but... fine. What do you want to do with them? Do you want me to sell them for you, or is there another purpose?” he asked, switching into his professional businessman mode the second we began discussing the logistics.
“Both,” I replied. “It would be a significant hassle for me to find suitable individual buyers for all of these items. Even if sold separately, they would bring in quite a sum of money. But as you can see, they can be sold as a complete set. I am certain nobles or high-ranking merchants would pay a premium for a family heirloom set or a gift for their favorite knights.”
“Hmm... you are right. I am sure if I show these items to the owner of the auction house, he would be overjoyed to showcase them at the monthly auction as a featured event. I will take care of it. The total amount will be more than 100 platinum coins for sure. Is the commission still the same?”
“Hahaha, sure. That means you will be getting at least 5 platinum coins for the sale,” I laughed. “We have known each other for a long time, so I am happy with those terms. Besides, I have more business that I want to leave to you after all.”
“Oh, right. You mentioned a second purpose. What exactly do you want me to do?” he asked, his curiosity clearly piqued.
“Yes, there is a larger goal. My main objective wasn't just to sell these six pieces, but to use them to start a new business venture. Since these items are so intriguing, I am sure they will attract a lot of eyes. We will use that attention to announce that we have a way to implement skill crystals that prevent the destruction of equipment in the case of a failed attempt.”
“A way to prevent destruction in case of failure, huh? Is that related to how you managed to produce all of these items?” he asked, as if he were piecing together a puzzle.
He is indeed clever. He immediately understood the connection between the two points. It was a pity his conclusion was wrong, but that was exactly what I intended for him—and everyone else—to think. Since I cannot truthfully explain that I can simply see the sockets, this "secret method" was the best possible cover.
“Yes,” I said. “We will grab the customers' attention with these set products first, and then we will prove our worth with our results. From what I have heard, market prices are generally 5 gold coins for the first crystal, 10 for the second, and 15 for the third. Anything beyond that is considered a high-risk gamble.”
I paused to let the numbers sink in before continuing. “We will ask for those same prices, but we will require something additional: a duplicate of the skill crystal they want to add. For example, if a customer wants to add a slime skill crystal as their second crystal, they must bring us two slime skill crystals and the 10 gold coins.”
“Huh? Wait, wait. That does not make any sense, Han. Even if your chances of success are higher, I don’t think people would be willing to pay that much extra,” he said, expressing his doubts.
“We don’t necessarily have higher chances. The probability of success is likely similar to any other enchanter,” I said blankly.
“Then why would anyone choose you? Do you think the public is stupid just because you showed them a few successful items?” he asked, his voice rising as if he found the whole premise to be nonsense.
“...” I watched him finish his questions and then finished the tea in my cup before answering. “Because that price is only in the case we succeed. If the implementation fails, we will return the equipment to the owner, along with half of the gold they paid—5 gold coins in that same example,” I said.
He looked unconvinced at first, but when he heard the final part of my explanation, his eyes shot open. He stared at me for several seconds without saying a word, clearly trying to process whether what he had just heard was true.
“What did you say? Would you return half the price and the equipment itself? Did I hear that wrong?” he asked, his voice dripping with doubt.
“No, you heard me right. While our service is indeed more expensive up-front than a normal enchantment, we guarantee that even if the implementation fails, the equipment will not be destroyed. This will be our main selling point.”
“W-wow... how is that even possible? Is it a new breakthrough in enchanting?” he asked, his excitement beginning to boil over. “This is incredible if it is true. Hmm... let me think. It is a fascinating concept, but there is a problem. I don't think most people would come to us for their very first skill crystal. It would be cheaper for them to risk their equipment being destroyed rather than providing two separate crystals, unless the equipment itself is of extremely high quality, like Bastion or higher.”
“Yes, I agree. Unless the equipment itself is more valuable than the skill crystal they want to implement, they would likely prefer to take the gamble elsewhere. But that is okay. That is the only downside of our method, and it is a trade-off I am willing to make,” I said, acting slightly regretful while not actually caring.
“... I understand. Give me a few minutes to organize my thoughts,” he said. He fell into a deep state of contemplation, resting his chin in his hand. I watched as different emotions flashed across his face: excitement at the potential profit, doubt about the logistics, a hint of regret, and then a dazed look of wonder.
“Alright,” he said eventually. “I will take these items and inform the auction house owner immediately. He will be delighted to have them. I will explain that he must present them along with an advertisement for your service in exchange for featuring such a high-tier lot. I am certain they will be the final lot of the month as a complete set.”
He continued, his merchant instincts taking over. “As for the business we will be doing afterward, we need to make sure a few things are ironclad. The first few customers will be the most important for our reputation, so you have to make sure your new way of implementing works exactly as promised.”
“Don’t worry. We have everything under control,” I assured him. We spent the next hour revising the plan to ensure no details were overlooked.
After the equipment is sold at the auction, the word will spread, and customers will begin to ask for the enchanter they heard about in the advertisement. Orzhan will act as the face of the operation; he will explain the procedure and collect the items, the two crystals, and the payments. Normally, his commission for auction business is 5%, but we agreed on a 10% rate for this specific venture. I was more than happy with that, as my primary profit wouldn't be the gold itself, but the massive stockpile of "failed" crystals I would accumulate.
I will visit Orzhan two or three times a week to collect the items he has received. Once the work is done, I will return them to him for delivery. He will also be responsible for explaining which implementations succeeded and which failed, handling the gold refunds where necessary.
Once everything was discussed and no further revisions were needed, I stood up to leave. Orzhan was still muttering excited comments to himself as I walked to the door. The second I stepped out into the hallway, I realized a small crowd had gathered. All of them were profit-seeking merchants who had heard the rumors of the triple-enchanted set. They rushed toward me with a barrage of questions, but I simply left them for Orzhan to deal with and ran away as fast as I could.
[Edited]
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Heroes:
Koreyn
NaTaS
sjturner79
Knights:
udrea radu-cristian
?yb48