Back in the relative safety of Crimsonwood Village, Jason slipped into a shadowy alley behind the tavern, secluded, silent, and perfect.
At last, he could examine his hard-earned loot without interruption.
He took a deep breath and opened the Fine-Gold chest from the Elder's Trial.
The first item he pulled out was the pitch-black sword.
[Abyssal Blade]
Rank: Magic Weapon (Growth-Type)
Attack Power: 22-34
Attributes: Strength +10, Agility +10, Endurance +5
Skills:
[Phantom Kill]: Creates a doppelganger with 50% of the user's attributes.
Duration: 20 seconds.
Cooldown: 5 minutes.
[Abyssal Bind]: Binds a target for 3 seconds, reducing their defense by 30%.
Cooldown: 1 minute.
Curse - [Soul Corrosion]: When the user is logged out, all attributes are reduced by 10% for 3 hours after logging back in.
This curse can be weakened.
Bound to player 'Jason Henry.'
Cannot be dropped.
Jason whistled.
The stats were outrageous, far beyond anything Bronze gear offered, and even superior to the elusive Mysterious-Iron tier this early in the game.
But the curse was just as terrifying.
A 10% stat reduction was crippling.
Still, he remembered the blacksmith Silas and the Celestial Shard Jay had found.
There was a way to manage this curse.
For now, he equipped his trusty Novice Sword again, keeping the Abyssal Blade as a hidden ace.
The chest also contained two books.
One was the [Aegis Plating Forging Manual], a rare blueprint for a Level 5 Bronze plate armor set, renowned in his past life for its unmatched defense and durability.
The other was the [Journeyman's Potion Compendium], a valuable tome packed with recipes for powerful mid-tier potions, perfect for an alchemist on the rise.
These two items were, in their own way, even more valuable than the sword.
They were the foundation of a future empire.
"Time to go into business," Jason said to himself.
He advanced into the Trade Plaza.
The area pulsed with chaos, crowded, loud, and alive with constant motion.
Hundreds of players filled the streets, shouting, bartering, and proudly flaunting their pitiful Level 1 and 2 loot.
Stalls crowded the square, hawking everything from slightly burnt bread to dull, rusted daggers.
Jason found an empty spot and set up his own stall.
He set down a single item for display: the [Aegis of the Depths], a Level 5 Bronze shield looted from the fallen Crystal Tyrant.
Then, he set the price.
Price: 20 Silver Coins.
The effect was instantaneous.
A crowd immediately gathered around his stall.
"Twenty Silver?! Is this guy insane?" a Ranger laughed off.
"I haven't even seen one whole Silver coin yet!"
Look at that shield, though.
"Level 5 Bronze! The stats are insane!" a Guardian Knight salivated, his eyes wide.
"It's good, but not 20 Silver good.
This guy is dreaming," another player added.
"He's probably just showing off."
Jason leaned against the wall, calm and silent, a faint smile playing on his lips as he tuned out the noise around him.
He knew the value of his item.
In these early days, a single top-tier item could make or break a guild's main tank, giving them the edge to dominate dungeons long before anyone else.
Twenty Silver was a steal for any serious guild.
He just had to wait for the big fish to bite.
His wait wasn't long.
A group of players pushed through the crowd, their expressions angry and entitled.
At their lead was Blazing Fang, his face a thunderous mask of fury.
He had just respawned, back to Level 4, dressed in a patchwork of cheap, common gear.
"You! he snarled, pointing a shaking finger at Jason.
That shield.
I'll give you 1 Silver for it as compensation for the gear my men and I lost because of your dirty tricks!
The crowd gasped.
They recognized Blazing Fang as a leader from The Phantoms, a moderately powerful workshop.
Jason simply raised an eyebrow.
Compensation? I think you should be paying me for the free fireworks display.
It was quite entertaining.
The price is 20 Silver.
If you can't afford it, please stop blocking the view for my actual customers.
Blazing Fang's face turned purple with rage.
" You arrogant little… Do you know who I am? I will make sure you can never set foot in this town again!"
Just as he was about to order his men to attack, a foolish move in the safety of the town square, another, more organized group arrived.
They moved with a quiet confidence that The Phantoms lacked, their gear noticeably better.
They were from the Crimson Scythes, one of the most promising workshops in the region.
At their lead was the Assassin Jason had met in the challenge race, Viper.
Viper ignored Blazing Fang completely.
His sharp eyes landed on the shield, then on Jason.
A flicker of recognition and respect crossed his face.
"Twenty Silver is a bit costly, friend," Viper said, his voice smooth and professional.
But it's a fair price for an item of this quality.
However, my guild is willing to offer 25 Silver.
Not just for the shield, but as a gesture of goodwill.
A player with your skill is someone the Crimson Scythes would rather have as a friend than an enemy.
The crowd broke into a wave of quiet whispers.
Twenty-five Silver! , unbelievable! That was a fortune! And the Crimson Scythes were trying to recruit this mysterious Swordsman!
Blazing Fang stood frozen, completely speechless.
He'd tried to use his reputation to intimidate Jason, but ended up ignored, outclassed, and utterly dismissed.
Viper hadn't even recognized he was there, like he didn't exist.
The public humiliation was a thousand times worse than dying to the Goblins.
Jason smiled at Viper.
A pleasure doing business with a reasonable man.
He accepted the trade.
Twenty-five silver coins appeared in his bag.
"And that debt you owed me from the other day? Consider it paid."
Viper nodded, a look of appreciation in his eyes.
He knew Jason was not just skilled, but also smart.
He had just made a powerful friend and humiliated his rival in one fell swoop.
"If you ever need anything, send me a message."
With that, the Crimson Scythes turned and left, leaving Blazing Fang and his crew fuming, burning with rage and powerless to act.
Jason calmly packed up his stall, not bothered by the angry glares burning into his back.
With 25 Silver in his pocket, he went on a shopping spree.
He bought stacks of Astral Iron Ore and Tough Leather Strips, the main components for the Aegis Plating.
He also bought several stacks of Spiced Apple Pie, a food item that gave a small +1 Endurance buff for an hour.
Every little advantage counted.
He met up with Jay by the town fountain.
Jay was looking at the prices of gaming helmets on a virtual panel, his expression glum.
"Bro, this is impossible," Jay groaned.
The cheapest helmet is 8,000 Credits.
A decent one is 15,000.
How are we ever going to afford two of them in ten days before our trial ends?
Jason just grinned and opened his trade window, placing 10 Silver Coins into it.
Jay's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
"Ten… Silver?! That's… that's like 10,000 Credits! Where did you get that? Did you rob the city treasury?"
"Better," Jason said, canceling the trade.
I sold a shield.
And this is just the seed money.
He held up the [Aegis Plating Forging Manual].
We're done grinding for scraps, my friend.
Things are about to change.
We're going to be manufacturers.
By the end of this week, Crimsonwood Village's entire armor market is going to belong to us.
Jay stared at the forging manual, then at the confidence radiating from Jason.
The worry that had been gnawing at him for days finally melted away, replaced by a surge of electrifying excitement.
This wasn't just a game anymore.
This was the start of their empire.