Artifact Devouring Player-Chapter 50: Rising Airflow - (3)

[Chapter 50]

"Can I take a look at the options?"

"Of course. Do you think I'd sell an artifact without letting you see its information?"

"Is this artifact yours, Jiyeon?"

"No. There are more players supporting our orphanage than you'd think. Someone said they would donate the sales proceeds of this artifact."

"That's very generous. It must have been a difficult decision to make."

"I think so too. That's why I don't regret spending time running the orphanage. It's the joy of my life."

Seeing Ham Jiyeon's face brighten like a child, Sanghyun's mood also lifted.

He was curious about the contents of the talisman.

What kind of artifact was it that made it difficult to deal with, like the last one?

『Flame Talisman - Shield Exclusive』

■ Artifact Grade: Diamond

■ Artifact Description: A talisman that can enchant shield-type artifacts with fire attributes.

When applied, it allows the enchanted shield to activate the 『Small Flame』 skill.

The Small Flame skill can evolve into Blaze, Great Flame, Inferno, or Super Inferno.

'Of all things, it had to be a shield-exclusive enchantment? No wonder it didn't sell.'

As soon as Sanghyun saw the name of the talisman, he understood.

Some talismans could be used universally, but others were restricted to specific types of artifacts like this one.

The type of players who mainly used shields were those like Jo Jinho, a defense-specialized swordsman.

But even they only used shields when extreme tanking was required.

Furthermore, there weren't many defense-specialized swordsmen to begin with.

'Just like before, if I consume an artifact with a specific designation, I should be able to apply it to my desired body part or artifact.'

Sanghyun knew that as soon as he consumed the talisman, he could eliminate the penalty. So, there was no downside for him.

"Let's settle at 3 billion won."

Sanghyun named the price he considered reasonable.

For a diamond-grade artifact, the basic market price was around 5 billion won.

However, given its lack of rarity value, he had lowered the price to just above half.

He believed it was a fair price.

A reasonable amount that acknowledged its value without causing a loss for the seller.

Of course, Ham Jiyeon might think differently, and he was prepared for negotiation, just like before.

"Alright! That's exactly the price the person who left it with me was expecting."

"Really?"

"Yes. They said if it was priced any lower, they wouldn't sell it."

Whoever had entrusted Ham Jiyeon with the sale seemed to have a solid sense of judgment.

A deal was quickly made. Since there was nothing else to consider, Sanghyun immediately transferred the payment to her account.

Ham Jiyeon bowed repeatedly in gratitude.

At that moment—

"Mister! Here's a present!"

A little girl came running from somewhere and held something out to Sanghyun.

It was a ring made of flowers strung together with a small string.

Thinking about how she had carefully crafted the flower ring with her tiny hands, he found it very endearing.

"Is this for me?"

"Yes! I made it because you're a nice mister! I don't make them for bad misters!"

"Thank you. Can you put it on for me?"

Sanghyun handed the flower ring back to the girl and extended his finger. She carefully slipped the ring onto his finger with her chubby little hands.

"How is it? Pretty, right?"

"I'll treasure it. Thank you so much. I'll wear it well!"

"Hehe! Are you my sister's boyfriend?"

"Minseo! Where did you learn words like that? Get inside right now! He's not my boyfriend!"

"Hehe! Sister's face turned red!"

"G-go, you little brat!"

Ham Jiyeon turned bright red, clearly flustered by the unexpected attack(?) from the little girl.

Sanghyun saw a certain innocence and purity in her reaction.

Compared to his past life, where he had endured 55 years of hardship, he was now a 25-year-old man wearing the mask of youth.

Perhaps that was why, even in the face of the child's innocent teasing, he didn't feel even a hint of embarrassment.

Maybe this was what it meant to have a seasoned middle-aged perspective on romance.

As he watched the little girl run away with her tongue sticking out after Ham Jiyeon's scolding, Sanghyun smiled.

Then Ham Jiyeon, having regained her composure, asked him casually.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No, I don't."

"Don't you feel lonely? Well, I suppose someone like you wouldn't have time to be lonely. I was so late in realizing how popular you are!"

"I wouldn't say I'm popular, just that I get a bit of attention. Haha."

"Since I spend all my time taking care of the kids, I rarely watch TV or go online, so I hardly know what's going on in the world."

"That makes sense."

Sanghyun nodded.

That was how he had been in his past life.

When he was busy working as a porter, even watching TV or reading internet news felt like a luxury.

Ham Jiyeon must have been the same way.

She would feel that the time spent taking care of the children was more precious than the time spent for her own leisure.

"Anyway, thank you. You have a use for it, right? For the shield?"

"Of course."

He had no intention of telling her that this talisman artifact could be used in an entirely different way.

She wouldn't even be able to guess that its effect would be worth more than ten times the price it was sold for.

'Attacks that utilize fire are always helpful. Especially since the monsters in Kaeseong are weak to fire. Though freezing effects probably won't work on them at all.'

Sanghyun recalled the ecosystem of the monsters spread throughout Gaeseong and reassessed its value.

It was a timely acquisition of a fire attribute talisman. It seemed like it would be of great help in the Kaeseong subjugation battle.

Sanghyun spoke.

"Let me know if you come across any other good items. The harder an artifact is to handle, the more you should consider me."

"You really do have a use for it, right?"

"Who would buy something they don't need?"

"That's true. Thank you so much! I really benefit a lot from you, Sanghyun!"

Ham Jiyeon clapped her hands like a seal and repeatedly bowed to Sanghyun. It was a gesture filled with genuine gratitude.

As soon as he returned home,

The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.

He immediately consumed the fire talisman.

Perhaps due to the name of the artifact or the preference of its original owner,

The materialized food turned out to be a bowl of extremely spicy fire chicken stir-fried noodles, as if several spoonfuls of capsaicin had been added.

He somehow managed to eat it, but he felt like he would regret it when he had to go to the bathroom later.

Since he had eaten fire through his mouth, it was only natural for fire to come out somewhere else.

『Small Flame』

■ Skill Level: Stage 1 (0.0%)

■ Skill Description: Allows conditional skill activation limited to a designated artifact.

Maintaining a small flame consumes 1 mana per second.

As the skill level increases, it evolves into a flame, a great flame, a blazing inferno, and a super inferno.

"Even if it's not quite at the level of a fire-specialized flame sword, this is still excellent."

Sanghyun smiled in satisfaction.

A flame sword was essentially a sword known as the incarnation of fire. A sword that was fire itself.

It was an artifact that allowed the user to freely make flames explode and subside at will.

Such swords were at least of epic grade, making 3 billion won seem like a laughable price.

"I should do some review."

Sanghyun positioned himself in the open space in the middle of his living room.

It was to recall the five exchanges he had with Shin Taeri the other day.

Image training wasn't just about imagining scenarios. It was also possible to review and replay them.

"That competitive spirit. Well, now that it's come to this, I can't just let it slide either."

Sanghyun clenched his fists tightly.

Shin Taeri's visit.

It was unlikely to end as just a simple meeting to deliver the Kaeseong Field information booklet.

Anyone could see that her visit had a clear and obvious purpose.

Past 10 PM.

Shin Taeri handed over a neatly organized information booklet to Sanghyun and also attached a separate file.

Since it was unexpected, Sanghyun asked about it, and Shin Taeri calmly explained.

"I once visited unofficially, so I added some related data."

Her voice was cold, in contrast to her short bob with gentle waves and her cute bangs aligned with her eyebrows.

"Thank you."

"It wasn't just for you, Sanghyun. It was shared with all the guild members participating, so there's no need for any misunderstandings."

"Of course."

He wondered what kind of misunderstanding she thought he might have, but he didn't particularly care.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

Flipping through the booklet quickly, he found it filled with highly useful information on Kaeseong Field.

'A boss-level monster probably hasn't been found yet. Those things are smart enough to stay hidden.'

The information wasn't completely perfect. Some details were missing compared to what Sanghyun knew about Kaeseong Field.

But it wasn't due to a lack of intelligence from Eden Guild or the Player Union. It was simply because these enemies had never been encountered before.

Sanghyun respectfully expressed his gratitude to Shin Taeri.

"Thank you for providing this information. Please make sure to pass my thanks to the master of Eden Guild and the other officials."

"I will."

If they were to stick to their original purpose, their meeting should have ended here.

A simple exchange of greetings, and then each returning to their own path.

But Sanghyun could feel Shin Taeri's unwavering gaze on him, and her stance showed no intention of leaving.

She spoke first.

"I..."

Sanghyun smiled and held up five fingers. He already knew what she was going to say.

Shin Taeri nodded.

"Hmph."

Then she burst into laughter.

It seemed even she found it amusing how predictable the situation was. Sanghyun also laughed along.

'Was Shin Taeri always like this?'

In his past life, Shin Taeri was someone who never let herself get involved with others at all.

Her nicknames like 'Ice Princess' and 'Stone Buddha' weren't for nothing. He had never imagined she had such a competitive and challenging spirit.

"Five moves, right?"

"Right."

"To make it more interesting, how about we add some conditions this time?"

"Conditions?"

"Nothing too absurd, but I think adding at least one would make things more motivating."

"What do you want?"

"If I block all five of your moves, I get a one-day pass for Shin Taeri. How about it?"

"A pass... meaning?"

"Nothing weird. Just that you spend a day helping with my training."

"You want me to be your sparring partner?"

"That's right. When would a player like me ever get the chance to train with someone on the verge of level 500?"

"Alright."

Shin Taeri accepted Sanghyun's condition without hesitation. In fact, she looked intrigued.

"What's your condition?"

When Sanghyun asked, Shin Taeri tucked a lock of her black hair behind her ear and answered briefly.

"Join Eden Guild."