Chapter 55 - 51: THE FIFTY-GOLD TRANSACTION, THE EARRING OF STRENGTH, AND THE TRIAL OF THE TITAN

The golden-orange virtual afternoon sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the windows of my "Waterwheel" shop in Silvergrass Village. Digital dust particles danced in the beams of light, creating a calm and slightly isolated rural atmosphere. Outside, the constant sound of the flowing river became a soothing background melody.

However, the peace outside did not match the frustration currently boiling inside my head.

I sat leaning back in the wooden chair behind the display counter of my shop. In front of me, the holographic Auction House interface floated in the air, displaying hundreds of lines of items currently being auctioned by players across the continent. My eyes moved quickly, scanning the search column that I had already filtered with the keywords: [Accessories], [Status: Strength], [Price Limit: 20 Gold Coins].

The economy of Second World Online was currently dominated by scarcity. Because most of the first-wave players were still in the transition phase toward the Level 20s, mid-tier equipment was extremely rare. Frontline fighter players who relied on physical defense and heavy weapons dominated the market, causing anything that provided additional STR status to skyrocket in price to irrational levels.

A dull bronze ring that only gave +4 STR was priced at 5 Gold Coins. Meanwhile, rare-tier earrings or necklaces that provided additional double-digit STR points could reach tens of Gold Coins numbers that only the treasurer of a major Guild could afford.

Of course, players with production professions like me could make accessories ourselves. But for now, the maximum status addition limit from player-crafted accessories was at +5. Handmade necklaces and rings could not yet compete with pure drop rates from Dungeon bosses. Even my own Oak Ring of Strength currently circling my finger only had a base value of +3 STR.

My biggest problem was not the items, but my own character.

I opened my character status panel, staring at the rows of numbers that always managed to make me sigh heavily.

========== STATUS ==========

Name : Syl

Gender : Female

Race : Elf

Trait : Albinism

Level : 22

EXP : 30 / 2200

Health : 90 / 90

MP : 300 / 300

Stamina : 100 / 100

========== ATTRIBUTES ==========

STR : 2 (+1.5)

INT : 37 (+6)

DEX : 36 (+10) (+6)

AGI : 3

VIT : 2

Attribute Points : 48

========== SKILLS ==========

Slow Walking Lv29

Stamina Regeneration Lv19, Stealth Lv10

Bow Mastery Lv29

Power Shot Lv19, Vital Shot Lv10

Eagle Eye Lv1

Wind Element Lv15

Piercing Gale Arrow Lv5, Wind Walk Lv3

Water Element Lv3

Water Ball Lv3

Carpenter Lv14

Blacksmith Lv1

Alchemy Lv13

Skill Points : 43

========== Equipment ==========

Whispering Ash Recurve Bow (Rare), Glade Walker’s Bracer (Epic), Wild Boar Leather Armor Set (Common)

Accessories: Oak Ring of Strength (Common), Pine Beaded Bracelet (Common), Carved Wooden Earrings (Common)

This Albinism Trait was a double-edged sword that was extremely tormenting. On one side, it doubled INT and DEX stats. But on the other side, the 50% penalty cut to all STR and AGI point gains truly left me physically crippled. My Oak Ring of Strength that should have given +3 STR only contributed +1.5 because it was halved by the system.

The problem was that my masterpiece longbow, the Titan’s Ironbark Longbow, lay useless in the back room because it required a minimum of 15 STR to be drawn. With my total of only 3.5 points, even lifting that bow made my avatar receive a weight-limit warning.

"Alright. There’s no point hoarding attribute points forever. I need that bow now," I muttered to myself.

I stared at the remaining 48 AP that had not yet been allocated. I began distributing them with careful calculation.

20 Points to INT: This was my lifeline for mana regeneration and elemental magic destructive power. The higher the INT, the deadlier my Piercing Gale Arrow vortex became.20 Points to DEX: Accuracy, hand speed, and critical chance were the foundation of a bow user like me. I could not compromise on this.8 Points to STR: Allocating these 8 precious points felt like throwing gold into a river because the Albinism effect would immediately cut them to 4 points. But I had no other choice. I needed an additional strength foundation so that my STR would not be too severe and could support new accessories later.

[Confirm Status Allocation? Yes/No]

I pressed Yes. My avatar’s body instantly glowed with alternating blue, red, and green light. I could feel the muscles in my arms becoming a little denser, my vision sharpening to an almost unreasonable degree, and the flow of mana in my virtual blood vessels feeling ice-cold yet rushing extremely fiercely.

However, even so, the effective additional 4 STR points were still not enough to lift the Titan. I still needed about 7.5 more STR points, which meant I had to find an accessory that provided a base value of at least +15 STR so that after the penalty cut, the value would be sufficient.

While I was leaning back casually thinking of ways to get additional gold to buy expensive accessories at the Auction House, the wooden bell above my shop door suddenly rang loudly.

Kring!

I looked up, a little surprised. I had deliberately not put up a large nameboard outside so that this place would remain quiet, yet it seemed the remote location had actually invited curiosity.

A male player stepped inside. He wore mid-tier iron chain armor and carried a large sword on his back. His account name floating faintly above his head was hidden using a special item, but the red wolf emblem on his shoulder guard showed that he was not an ordinary beginner player; he was definitely a member of a combat Guild.

He swept his gaze around the simple shop, his eyes narrowing when he saw the rows of colorful potion bottles and the strange objects I had arranged inside the glass display case that I had already cleaned.

"A player shop? In a quiet area?" he muttered softly, more to himself. He then walked closer to the display case, examining my merchandise.

My attitude immediately switched to Roleplay mode: cold, indifferent, and mysterious. I did not stand up to welcome him. I only propped my chin with one hand, staring at him with a flat gaze like an elite NPC who was bored.

"Prices cannot be changed," I said, breaking the silence, my voice flat without any friendly intonation.

The player turned toward me, his eyebrows raised. He looked back at the display case. For items such as [Basic Antidote] or weak paralysis poison, I had set average market prices. However, his gaze immediately locked onto the rows of soil clumps that I had neatly wrapped on the lower shelf.

He used his identification skill. His previously dismissive facial expression instantly changed. His eyes bulged.

"Wait... Bombs? Area of Effect with damage this high? You made these?!" he exclaimed, his voice rising an octave in shock. Pure explosion areas were extremely rare for those who had not delved into elemental magic at present.

But his surprise quickly turned into a deep furrow on his forehead when he read the price labels I had written there.

Because I was the only player who had experimented and successfully stabilized gunpowder, I held an absolute monopoly on this recipe. So, I set prices that were quite insane.

[Lesser Bomb] : 10 Silver Coins / piece.

[Standard Bomb] : 50 Silver Coins / piece.

[Greater Bomb] : 2 Gold Coins / piece.

"Hey, Miss, these items are unique, but these prices are extortion! Ten silver for the smallest single-use item? And two gold for the large one? Come on, let’s talk business," he said with an arrogant negotiator tone, trying to lean his elbow on the display case. "If you give a fifty percent discount, my Guild might consider..."

"Fixed price. Cannot be changed," I cut him off sharply, my eyes staring straight into his without blinking. "Buy or please leave my shop. The door is behind you."

The player fell silent, his jaw hardening from being offended by my blunt rejection. However, he did not leave. His eyes kept glancing toward the stats of the large bomb. For a Guild that was struggling to conquer a Dungeon boss that summoned many minions, physical AoE bombs were an invaluable key to victory.

"You’re stubborn too," he grumbled softly. He opened his inventory interface. "Fine. I’ll take all of them. All the stock of these bombs."

Now it was my turn to be surprised inside, even though my face remained flat. "Okay. There are 50 small sizes, 50 medium sizes, and 10 large sizes."

The player nodded stiffly. "Send the transaction request."

I called up the shop transaction menu. The calculation was immediately displayed clearly. 50 small bombs times 10 silver equaled 500 silver (5 Gold Coins). 50 medium bombs times 50 silver equaled 2500 silver (25 Gold Coins). 10 large bombs times 2 gold equaled 20 Gold Coins. Total: 50 Gold Coins.

When I confirmed the transaction, the virtual sound of gold coins falling into my pouch felt like a heavenly melody. The bomb display under the table immediately emptied completely.

Without saying another word, the large-sword player turned around and hurried out of the shop, as if afraid I would cancel his transaction.

The moment the door closed, I could not hold back my chuckle. "Go ahead and try to reverse-engineer that recipe, Friend," I said sarcastically to the empty air.

I knew exactly what was in his head. He or his Guild definitely intended to sacrifice a few bombs to be dismantled by their Alchemist in order to steal the mixing ratio. Unfortunately, the gunpowder inside the mud was extremely sensitive. Without a deep understanding of the sulfur, saltpeter, and peat soil ratios, their dismantling experiments would only end in successive suicide explosions at their own headquarters.

But that was no longer my business. Right now, my pouch was full with sudden wealth. 50 additional Gold Coins, plus my previous savings, gave me financial freedom.

I immediately reopened the floating Auction House interface screen. I scrolled to the top-tier accessories section and without hesitation searched for a specific item.

There, a roughly designed earring that radiated a strong aura was displayed: [Ogre’s Bone Earring – Rarity: Rare]. Its stats were simple yet brutal: +20 STR. Buyout Price: 20 Gold Coins.

Without thinking twice, I pressed the [Buy] button.

Twenty of my gold coins vanished, and a glowing package box appeared on my table. I opened it and took the roughly carved bone earring. The system limited me to only being able to equip three accessory slots at once. Currently I was wearing the Oak Ring of Strength, the Pine Beaded Bracelet, and the Carved Wooden Earrings.

I opened my equipment panel and removed the Carved Wooden Earrings.

Ding!

[Your Intelligence and Dexterity status have each decreased by 3 points.]

I winced slightly at the loss of those INT and DEX additions, but it was a necessary sacrifice. I immediately equipped the Ogre’s Bone Earring on my Elf ear.

A heavy and dense sensation suddenly spread from my head to my shoulders and arms. My avatar’s muscles felt as if pure energy had been injected into them.

I glanced at my status screen. My previously crippled STR number had now rocketed to 17.5. That number was more than enough.

With a wide smile that could not be hidden, I stood up from my chair and walked quickly to the back room. In the corner of the room, the Titan’s Ironbark Longbow leaned arrogantly against the wooden wall, its height almost matching my female avatar. The wooden masterpiece layered with Crimson Pine radiated a faint purple glow proof of its Epic rarity.

I stretched out my hand and gripped its leather-wrapped handle. If yesterday this weapon had felt like it was stuck to the floor because of the weight-limit warning, this time, thanks to my 17.5 STR, I could lift it steadily.

This weapon was extremely heavy, far slower and stiffer than the Whispering Ash. Every movement required extra strength. However, the aura of deadly power it radiated made my heart pound hard. This was not a bow for acrobatic maneuvering and running around; this was a long-range execution weapon.

"Let’s see how terrifying you are," I whispered.

I shouldered the giant bow and stepped out through the back door of the shop, heading directly toward the open area by the riverside. Across the river, about seventy meters from me, stood a giant oak tree with a trunk as thick as the embrace of three adult people. A distance this far was beyond the maximum shooting range of a standard bow.

I opened my stance, planting my feet firmly into the grassy ground. I nocked a pure Blood Oak wooden arrow (without poison) onto the thick Bog Troll sinew string.

I took a deep breath. My left hand held the bow handle straight forward like a concrete pillar, while three fingers of my right hand hooked the bowstring.

I began to draw it.

The pressure was extraordinarily insane. The Ironbark wood creaked loudly, resisting the pull of my muscles. It took a full three seconds to reach a full draw, a terrifying attack speed penalty if used in the middle of close-range combat. However, when the string reached my cheek, the special effect of this weapon activated.

My vision seemed magnified through an invisible telescope. The target seventy meters away felt as if it were right in front of my nose. No wind could deflect the trajectory of this arrow because of the extreme tension of its string.

I focused, not using any skills, purely relying on the basic attack of this Epic bow.

I released the string.

DDHAAAANG!

The sound of the sinew string whipping was like a thunderclap. The Blood Oak arrow was not even visible as it shot through the air. Its speed split space, leaving a momentary vacuum that produced a high-pitched whistling sound.

CRAAASH! BOOM!

Across the river, the giant oak tree shook violently until its leaves fell like rain. My arrow did not stick into its bark. The arrow pierced straight through the main trunk as thick as the embrace of three people, creating a fist-sized hole, and continued flying before finally slamming into a large rock behind the tree until it shattered into pieces!

I slowly lowered my longbow, my eyes wide as I stared at the absolute destruction I had just created from a distance of seventy meters with only a single basic attack. Ignoring 25% of the enemy’s physical defense plus the extra shooting range made this weapon feel completely unreasonable.

The afternoon wind brushed against my face, blowing my avatar’s silver hair.

A very cold crooked smile slowly formed on my lips. My first recurve bow had made me a hunter. But with the Titan’s Ironbark Longbow in my hands, I had just evolved into a god of death from behind the mist.