A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 9

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 9

“Hm? You’ve returned already?”
The Merchant Guild Staff, for some reason, recognized me first and greeted me with a warm expression.
His gaze was fixed on my backpack, which was swollen to bursting.
“…It seems Silverpenn himself will need to come out. I’ll be right back.”
“Yes.”
Since the first transaction had gone well, there was no need to change merchants.
The quality of the goods they provided was impeccable, and they had even readily lent me a makeshift tanning station.
That was more than enough to earn my trust.
“My goodness! We meet again! I’m Silverpenn!”
Silverpenn, the merchant company owner, hurried out of the tent while throwing on his coat.
I would need his assistance to dispose of the Golden Fox carcass.
“I have something I’d like to sell. Would it be possible to talk somewhere private?”
“Of course! Please, come in!”
Following Silverpenn’s guidance, I entered the merchant company owner’s tent.
A simple table and various decorative items—apparently crafted by players—caught my eye.
Sculptures in particular.
“We have quite a collection, don’t we? The Russell Merchant Company has grown through our exchanges with outsiders. All the decorative pieces here were personally crafted by them.”
I wondered what kind of additional effects these decorative items might have.
Had they changed significantly from the previous version?
“May I touch one?”
“Of course.”
I picked up the crudest-looking sculpture, careful not to break anything.

[Ugly Rabbit Sculpture (Crude)]
[Your metabolism subtly becomes more active.]
[Durability: 3]
[When receiving a sculpture buff, durability decreases.]

A sculpture with a subtle effect.
As expected, the sculpture possessed durability.

[Will you accept the sculpture buff?]

Of course, I wouldn’t receive the statue buff.
Its durability would degrade otherwise.
“…What a cute rabbit.”
I realized that just like in the previous game, I could receive buffs through statues and totems.
At the same time, memories of a pathetic past surfaced.

-Take as many as you want. It’s fine since it’s you.

Sculpting was the specialty of a deceased individual from Egypt.
Every sculpture she created boasted tremendous performance.

-In exchange, when you come visit South Korea, spend time with me.

Back then, unemployed as I was, I couldn’t even accept such an offer, consumed by inferiority.
My only accomplishment was the version of myself within the game.
“Until a few years ago, Sculptors were a popular profession among foreigners. Now they’re difficult to find in Liam. Most have either switched to different professions or moved to larger cities.”
“I see.”
Small talk of this caliber would suffice.
Now it was time to shift into serious negotiations.
“I should show you this first.”
I opened my backpack and revealed the corpse of the Golden Fox.
“…Hah.”
Silverpenn hastily stifled the exclamation that had nearly escaped his lips.
He immediately recognized the value of the merchandise.
“Certainly something worth handling discreetly. The Golden Fox subjugated? This is an Achievement no one has accomplished.”
Silverpenn meticulously examined the Golden Fox’s corpse, his quiet admiration continuing unabated.
“And the fur is barely damaged this time either. I never expected to meet someone with such overflowing talent as a hunter.”
In truth, the Golden Fox had simply been resilient.
I’d thought that with stats inflated by buffs from the wooden sword, I could at least crack its skull.
“I was fortunate.”
I answered humbly.
I didn’t want to raise his expectations unnecessarily and end up receiving an impossible Quest.
“If I may, could I ask your name now? Of course, I’ll keep it to myself.”
“…It’s Kael.”
“Kael, then. One who will write a new legend in Liam. I’ll remember it well.”
A new legend.
That phrase implied there were existing legends.
Certainly, there were a few users mentioned repeatedly in the news as remarkable.
The subjugation of the Golden Fox was an Achievement on par with theirs.
“More importantly, I’d like to process this fox right away. Would that be possible?”
“You’ll need discretion for this processing, won’t you?”
“Yes. How much would that be?”
I had already considered a payment method from the start.
Transferring a portion of the fur seemed entirely feasible.
“I previously valued a private meeting with Kael at one gold, but I’ve come to realize that’s insufficient.”
“Hmm?”
“Rather, I regret not being able to provide you with a proper tannery. If you’ll make do with a basic one, I’ll simply offer it for your use as you see fit.”
Somehow, the processing fee had become free.
But I couldn’t let my guard down.
My counterpart was a merchant leader running a substantial trading company.
I needed to hear the approximate value of the Golden Fox.
“Silverpenn. If you were to purchase this entire corpse, what price would you offer?”
“Hmm… I should mention upfront that to finalize a transaction of this magnitude, the merchant company’s master would need to come personally.”
The Golden Fox’s value appeared far greater than I’d anticipated.
A boss was indeed a boss, it seemed.
“That said, if I were to venture a price for the corpse, it would be no less than forty gold.”
“…”
Forty gold. In cash terms, sixty million won.
I doubted my ears.
That a single boss creature could be worth this much.
“There are no useless parts. The heart infused with mana will attract active bidding from multiple Magic Towers, and the flesh, bones, organs, and blood will all be sought after by the Royal Court, influential nobles, and popular restaurants throughout the Capital. The fur, however, will command the highest price. Its brilliant golden luster hasn’t faded in the slightest. As for the fur alone, not only other kingdoms but the Empire itself will take interest.”
“…I see.”
It was I who needed to conceal my emotions now.
To put it roughly, the byproducts of the Golden Fox were items that would astonish all humanity, create addiction, wound neighboring nations’ pride, and tension the entire world—yet they were merely secondary products.
“Which is why, Kael, I strongly recommend preservation treatment for all the Golden Fox’s byproducts. If you wish, I can act immediately. Naturally, in complete secrecy.”
Silverpenn’s consideration ran quite deep.
Conversely, I wondered if it was truly this difficult to read an NPC’s true intentions.
The artificial intelligence level of NPCs was no different from that of people.
“Since you’ve said so much, I’d like to request the preservation treatment as well, but what would the cost be for that?”
“That too is difficult for me to price arbitrarily. Please use both processing and preservation entirely free of charge, and how about discussing this in earnest with the master afterward?”
Was this déjà vu?
I’d definitely experienced this situation multiple times before.
The question of who bears responsibility.
Come to think of it, this happened fairly often at the company.
“Even should the transaction fall through, you needn’t worry about processing costs. I stake my name on guaranteeing this much.”
It was a matter of responsibility.
He would take full responsibility within the scope of his authority, while delegating formal trade negotiations to the merchant company’s master.
Having received such assurance, there was nothing unfavorable about it for me.
“Very well. I’ll request the preservation treatment. I’d like to begin butchering the corpse right away—when can we start?”
“Thirty minutes. Within thirty minutes, I’ll prepare a dedicated workspace for you, Kael.”
“Thank you.”
After a brief farewell, Silverpenn left the tent and succeeded in creating a covert workspace—my own makeshift tannery—in just twenty minutes.
“Will this suffice?”
A crude yet spacious workbench, wooden logs with stakes and ropes stretched taut to secure the hides, three large wooden barrels filled with water, containers of salt and various medicinal herbs in jars, and even empty storage boxes of various sizes.
“The facilities are adequate.”
As for tools, everything was complete—from tanning knives to scrapers, even brushes.
The quality far surpassed what I’d used in the makeshift tannery before.
It seemed he’d hastily borrowed or purchased them from other merchant companies.
“The equipment is excellent. This is more than sufficient.”
In truth, it was more than sufficient—it was abundant.
Compared to where I’d worked previously, the environment was absurdly superior.
“I’m relieved then. Shall I begin the preservation treatment now?”
Silverpenn presented a small reagent vial as he asked.
“Yes.”
The process was simple.
A single drop of reagent onto the fox’s corpse.
For some reason, Silverpenn’s hands were trembling slightly.
I could sense his determination not to drop even a second drop.
“…Phew. This is a decay-prevention magical reagent. At the very least, it should pose no problems for a hundred years in the current state. However, it is vulnerable to external damage, so a separate salting process will be necessary.”
“What a remarkable reagent.”
I wondered what the value of a single drop truly was.
The vial alone must be traded in gold units.
I was afraid that learning the actual price would transmit the tension to me as well.
“It seems my work here is complete. How long do you plan to remain in this place, Kael?”
“For now, I intend to log out after completing the fur drying process.”
“In that case, it would be wise to hire additional personnel for a logout sleeping bag and security.”
“Hmm? Is that acceptable?”
“Please don’t burden yourself with concern. Rather, the loss of the fur would be my burden. Will you permit it?”
“I’m grateful instead. We’re in the same boat now.”
“Hehehehe.”
A costly decay-prevention reagent had been invested in the fox’s corpse.
At this point, I wouldn’t need to worry about theft.
Besides, the Russell Merchant Company was a merchant guild that had built trust with South Korean users over several years.
“Well then, I shall take my leave. May your work proceed comfortably.”
“Thank you.”
With Silverpenn’s assistance, a luxurious workspace had been prepared.
Now it was time to verify the performance of the Golden Fox’s various byproducts.
Could they become buff item materials of considerable utility?
Whether the results became potions or cuisine.

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