A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 56

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 56

“An unfamiliar face. Did you come after hearing the rumors?”
“Heh heh. So you came for that sharp, spicy kick. Ten boxes right from the start? Impressive.”
Certainly, 10 silver wasn’t a small sum in Beginner Village.
But this was an investment in gold from the very beginning.
Still, there was no helping it.
I’d learned that the gacha started from ten consecutive draws.
Amid the murmurs of the crowd, the Eccentric Merchant looked me up and down for a moment before accepting the gold.
“Hmm. I’ve received 1 gold. Do you have a preference for which boxes?”
“Surprise me.”
“Eh?”
“Choose whichever ones you think are best.”
I’d mimicked the local manner of speech well enough that there was nothing particularly awkward about it.
“You there. Bring ten boxes for this distinguished guest.”
“Yes, sir!”
Fortunately, the Eccentric Merchant seemed to accept it without question.
Who would refuse when someone was handing out gold on first meeting?
Thud. Thud. Thud.
As we moved to an open ground, the heavy boxes carried by the Laborers began to pile up before me.
I hadn’t expected much, but it was quite a spectacle.
“Opening them one by one is tedious. Open them all at once, please.”
“…Pardon?”
The lack of communication stemmed from a lack of funds.
So I flicked 1 silver to each of the Laborers to bridge the gap.
“Ah, a pocket dimension!”
“An expert like this came all the way to Beginner Village?”
“Shh! They seem important—lower your voices!”
The Laborers, who’d unexpectedly received 1 silver each, looked at the Eccentric Merchant with anxious eyes.
Meanwhile, the Eccentric Merchant’s gaze remained fixed solely on me.
I answered with a smile.
“Hmm.”
The Eccentric Merchant nodded.
With that, the spectators began to roar.
“Simultaneous box opening!”
“Waaaaaaah!”
The full ten-draw performance began in earnest amid the heated atmosphere.
“Opening the boxes!”
“I shall open the box!”
“Hwaaaaah!”
Clack! Clack! Clack!
A doll. A doll. A doll.
“Opening!”
A doll.
Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.
All ten consecutive draws yielded dolls.
With ten draws, at minimum one four-star item should have been guaranteed—did the Eccentric Merchant know nothing of merchant ethics?
“You there. Hand one of the remaining boxes to our guest.”
“Yes!”
I was mistaken.
The Eccentric Merchant understood the art of commerce.
Thump!
A fresh box materialized before me.
“Please open it.”
“Opening!”
This time, too, a doll emerged.
Yet the finishing touches felt subtly different.
Curiosity piqued, I examined its options.

[Artisan’s Queen Doll (Masterwork)]
[Luck increases by 30.]
[Durability: 7]
[Today was the child’s birthday. The child had prepared their gift with utmost care. It was a gloomy day.]
[When receiving the Plush Doll buff, durability decreases.]

“….”
Remarkably, what emerged this time was a masterwork doll.
Moreover, it bore the prefix “Artisan” at the front.
This was identical to the prefix adorning my own equipment.
It meant the doll’s creator possessed skill scarcely inferior to those masters.
“….”
Behind my mask, my expression remained hidden.
Meanwhile, all those purchasing boxes had transformed into spectators of the gacha.
Silently, I handed the Eccentric Merchant an additional gold coin.
“Ten more boxes.”
“Thank you, honored guest.”
As the boxes were transferred, I quietly activated the Queen Doll’s buff.

[Active Buffs]
[Luck increases by 30.]
[Duration: ∞]
[Name: Kael]
[Class: Eternal Adventurer (Hidden)]
[Level: 59]
[Unspent Points: 0]
[Strength: 72 Agility: 103 Vitality: 78 Wisdom: 92 Luck: 116]
[Eternity: 36 Mana: 6]

Luck had become my highest stat—something I never anticipated.
A three-digit luck value, no less.
At this level, there had to be some kind of compensation mechanic at play.
“…!”
And indeed, there was.
The moment I examined the Eccentric Merchant’s cart, faintly luminous boxes began to reveal themselves.
‘Is this… real?’
I decided to maintain my composure and focus on the boxes before me.
For now, the glowing boxes remained invisible to others.
“Let’s open them.”
“Opening them up!”
As expected, they were all ordinary high-grade dolls.
High-grade dolls were difficult to produce in the first place, yet seeing them mass-manufactured at this quality was impressive in its own right.
“Bring another box.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Eccentric Merchant’s service continued, and this time I resolved to mix in the faintly glowing boxes.
“Would it be alright if I selected them myself this time?”
“Of course. Feel free.”
The Eccentric Merchant granted his permission.
“This one. This one. And this one.”
I chose one faintly glowing box mixed among nine ordinary ones.
And then came the ten-pull gacha.
This time, I focused on the contents within the luminous box.

[Master Craftsman’s Warrior Doll (Masterpiece)]
[Strength increases by 30.]
[Durability: 7]
[The child resolved to escape. The warrior breathed courage into the child.]
[When receiving a plush doll buff, durability decreases.]

Once again, it was a masterpiece doll.
I had come to understand that the faintly glowing boxes guaranteed masterpieces.
I placed an additional order for ten boxes and applied the doll’s buff.

[Active Buffs]
[Strength increases by 30.]
[Duration: ∞]
[Strength: 102 Agility: 103 Stamina: 78 Wisdom: 92 Luck: 116]
[Eternity: 36 Mana: 6]

My Strength had finally broken into three digits.
Now I was certain.
Legendary items or otherwise—I would collect every single masterpiece doll.
“Ten more boxes.”
“Sir. Automatic selection?”
“No. Manual.”
I began clearing the boxes stacked on the cart, continuously mixing in the glowing ones.
With this method, I could secure every masterpiece doll.
The gold was a worthwhile investment without question.
“That pile of boxes over there. And that one as well.”
“Yes.”
This time, I also tossed two silver coins to the Laborers each.
“Thank you!”
“Excellent!”
The Laborers themselves were hardly beginners, after all.
It was a calculated move to build goodwill against any unforeseen variables.
“Shall we open them?”
“Yes! Let’s open them!”
Click! Click!
Once more, masterpiece dolls emerged only from the faintly glowing boxes.

[Masterwork Nun Doll (Masterpiece)]
[Wisdom increases by 30.]
[Durability: 7]
[The child drank water and filled their hungry belly. The nun prayed for the child’s happiness.]
[When receiving a stuffed doll buff, durability decreases.]
[Active Buffs]
[Wisdom increases by 30.]
[Duration: ∞]
[Strength: 102 Agility: 103 Stamina: 78 Wisdom: 122 Luck: 116]
[Eternity: 36 Mana: 6]

Each time I collected from the masterwork doll collection, unsettling item descriptions captured my attention.

[Today was the child’s birthday. The child had carefully prepared their own gift. It was a gloomy day.]
[The child resolved to escape. The hero breathed courage into the child.]
[The child drank water and filled their hungry belly. The nun prayed for the child’s happiness.]

What in the world was this description?
Rather than secrets hidden within the doll, it felt as though the doll itself concealed a distress signal.
“Good heavens! How much is that worth!”
“At this rate, a legendary item should appear!”
“Phew!”
Ignoring the crowd’s gasps, I continued with additional orders.
There were still glowing boxes remaining.
“This time, let’s do twenty boxes at once.”
To accelerate the pace, I handed the Eccentric Merchant 2 gold.
“2 gold. Confirmed received.”
As the gold doubled, vitality kindled in the Laborers’ eyes.
I did not disappoint them, doubling the silver distribution as well.
“Ooooh! Open them!”
“Open them!”
Naturally, a feast of superior dolls followed.
The fact that quality didn’t diminish bordered on madness.

[Master Archer Doll (Masterpiece)]
[Agility increases by 30.]
[Durability: 7]
[The child wishes to become an arrow and fly far away. But the child has no wings.]
[When receiving a plush doll buff, durability decreases.]
[Active Buffs]
[Agility increases by 30.]
[Duration: ∞]
[Strength: 102 Agility: 133 Vitality: 78 Wisdom: 122 Luck: 116]
[Eternity: 36 Mana: 6]

The doll’s concept had become increasingly clear.
It seemed to have been crafted with the feeling of today’s hero and the hero’s companions.
I found myself growing curious about the dolls made on other days as well.
If I searched through the auction houses in China, wouldn’t they turn up?
“Next, fifty pieces.”
“Thank you, Master.”
At this rate, I had a monopoly on the box.
A situation where someone could easily lodge a protest.
But the people remained silent.
They seemed convinced that I was no ordinary person.
After all, to the users here, the Six Heavens was far more fearsome than the Belhard Royal Family.
Click!
“Opening!”

[Master Knight Doll (Masterpiece)]
[Vitality increases by 30.]
[Durability: 7]
[Active Buffs]
[Vitality increases by 30.]
[Duration: ∞]
[Strength: 102 Agility: 133 Vitality: 108 Wisdom: 122 Luck: 116]
[Eternity: 36 Mana: 6]

Even after clearing away all the boxes piled atop the cart, no more luminescent boxes remained in sight.
It appeared I had collected the entire Master Craftsman’s warrior figurine collection.
I decided to conclude the gacha here, opening only the remaining boxes.
“Open it!”
Click!
“Ooooooh!”
“It came! It’s here!”
The crowd’s exclamations of wonder engulfed the surroundings.
“C-Congratulations! My lord!”
Even the Laborers gasped in astonishment, their eyes reflecting awe as they gazed upon me.
Inside the box lay not an ordinary figurine, but something entirely different.
“Congratulations, my lord.”
The fact that the Eccentric Merchant offered congratulations without my even checking the options meant one thing—a jackpot.

[Master Craftsman’s Silent Gauntlets (Legendary)]
[Defense: 11]
[Agility +3 Wisdom +1 Luck +1]
[Spell Incantation Seal]
[Any target touched by these gauntlets has their magical incantation instantly sealed. The effect persists for 10 seconds.]
[Even the plainest fabric becomes a legendary masterpiece when touched by the Master Craftsman’s hands. These gauntlets carry his profound melancholy and longing.]

Not only had I assembled the masterwork figurine collection, but I had also obtained legendary gauntlets.
Once again, accompanied by that peculiar description that gnawed at my mind.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————