[Item Information]

  ? Name: Skill Book - Authority of the Legionnaire

  ? Grade: Epic (Heroic)

  ? Restriction: Level 10 or higher, All Classes

  ? Effect: Instantly summons 3 elite guards infused with Matus's soul, the 'Black Tooth Assault Squad'. The summoned goblins inherit 120% of the caster's stats and last for 15 minutes. (Cooldown: 30 minutes)

  ———

  '......Crazy.'

  My breath hitched. This wasn't just hitting the jackpot. This was a disaster-level skill that would destroy the early game's ecosystem.

  A mere level 10 requirement item, but it lets you command three elite soldiers inheriting 120% of your stats?

  Whether you were a tank, DPS, or healer, reading this book meant you instantly became a 'one-man army'.

  Being able to output the firepower of a full party all by yourself in the early stages was a 'cheat code' guaranteeing growth three, no, ten times faster than anyone else.

  'On top of that, it's for all classes......'

  It was on a completely different level from class-exclusive skills with a limited demand pool.

  This was a commodity that every ranker on the server would rush for with bloodshot eyes.

  The duplicated skill book that entered my inventory clearly bore the tag [Account Bound upon Acquisition].

  'Nice......!'

  I cheered inwardly.

  If it had been a tradable item, as the party leader, I would have had to swallow my tears, sell it, and split the profits four ways.

  The agonizing pain of having to tear up a winning lottery ticket and share it with others. To a gold farmer, nothing hurt the stomach more than that.

  'But this is entirely my share, acknowledged by the system.'

  A perfect 'monopoly' with no need to share, no need to walk on eggshells.

  I couldn't contain my joy at the fact that I could swallow this absurdly OP skill for free, all by myself, without anyone else claiming a stake.

  Forcing down the corners of my mouth that were trying to ascend to the heavens, I turned my gaze, pretending to be nonchalant.

  Right next to the skill book, still spewing a red aura, was the other jackpot.

  Matus's massive greatsword was there.

  [Item Information]

  ? Name: Greatsword - Matus's Red Predator

  ? Grade: Epic (Heroic)

  ? Restriction: Strength (STR) 50 or higher, Greatsword Mastery possessor

  ? Attack Power: 380 ~ 450

  ? Unique Effects:

  ? [Berserk: Blood Thirst] Can be activated.

  ? When the skill is active, the user's health continuously decreases by 2% per second.

  ? Attack Speed increases by 30%, and Physical Attack Power increases by 40%.

  ? [Life Steal]: Instantly recovers 10% of the damage dealt to enemies as Health.

  ———

  The words I had spoken trying to look cool in front of Succubus and Jude on the day we formed the party flew back and stabbed me like a dagger.

  "If a class-specific item drops, we unconditionally yield it to that class."

  Why the hell did I set that damn 'class priority rule'?

  It was too late to beat the ground in regret. I didn't even need to scrutinize the options.

  Anyone looking at this brutally ignorant greatsword, even a passing dog, would know it belonged to 'Ian'.

  'Ah, my stomach hurts. This is driving me crazy......'

  It was beyond heartburn; it felt like my insides were burning up.

  Look at those vicious options. If I put that on the auction house, I couldn't even fathom how many '0's would be attached to the price tag.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  To think I had to just hand this over for free.

  Just then, Ian, who had been staring intensely at the detailed information, desperately cried out to me.

  "Savior!! Th-that's...... a greatsword, right?!! It's a greatsword, isn't it?!"

  Ian's eyes were already half-crazed.

  Like a starving puppy in front of a food bowl, he was agonizingly waiting for the word 'Yes' to come out of my mouth.

  "......Yeah, that's right. A greatsword."

  I forced the corners of my mouth up.

  It was a timing where I should rightfully congratulate him as a comrade, but my facial muscles, steeped in capitalism, refused to budge as if they were on strike.

  With trembling hands, I handed the greatsword to Ian.

  Every joint in my fingers seemed to scream in refusal.

  The moment the hilt was grasped in his hand, I hallucinated the sound of zeros pouring out of my bank account.

  'Farewell...... my baby......'

  Swallowing tears of blood inwardly, I struggled to change the subject.

  "Instead, let's sell the shared skill book we picked up earlier and split the profits equally."

  At my proposal, the three of them smiled brightly and nodded, as if it were obvious.

  Then, when I cautiously brought up the story of the 'bound skill book received as an achievement reward', they cheered without a single second of hesitation.

  "Wow! Really? That's great! Of course you should use it, Leader!"

  "Congratulations, Savior! As expected, lucky people get all the luck!"

  Fools. Such kind-hearted idiots. I was monopolizing this precious item, yet instead of being jealous, they were rejoicing as if it were their own business.

  As soon as we entered the village, a quest completion notification popped up as if waiting for us.

  Finally, it was time to say goodbye to this worn-out 'Common' grade practice bow.

  The reward that entered my inventory was a whopping 'Rare Weapon Selection Box'.

  Out with the clunker, in with the Benz.

  "What is there to think about?"

  I didn't need to look at other weapons like warrior or mage gear. Without a single second of hesitation, I pressed the 'Bow' icon to confirm my reward.

  [Previous Weapon]

  ? Name: Worn Practice Bow (Common)

  ? Attack Power: 12 ~ 15

  ? Options: None

  ———

  [New Weapon]

  ? Name: Cold Moonlight Longbow (Rare)

  ? Attack Power: 85 ~ 110

  ? Additional Options:

  ? Agility (DEX) +12

  ? Attack Speed +10%

  ? [Unique Effect]: When attacking, has a 5% chance to inflict the 'Freeze' status on the enemy for 1.5 seconds.

  ———

  The attack power of the worn practice bow was a mere 15. But the newly acquired 'Moonlight Longbow' was a whopping 110.

  'Now this will finally make hunting worthwhile.'

  I immediately unequipped the old bow slung across my back and equipped the new bow radiating a blue glow.

  [System: Equipped 'Cold Moonlight Longbow (Rare)'.]

  At that moment, a sensation washed over me, as if the gravity crushing my entire body had faded.

  "Oh......"

  It wasn't just a feeling. As soon as the 'Agility (DEX)' option attached to the weapon was applied, my body became as light as a feather. It felt like I could take flight right this second.

  The Premium Shop and Auction House I had been waiting for were finally unlocked. I first scrolled down the shop's lineup.

  From 33,000 won to 110,000 won. Flashy 'gacha' packages filling the screen were targeting my wallet.

  Under the vicious commercial tactic of selling even common convenience items like server megaphones or premium potions for cash, the 'Lumina' recharge window—the very lifeblood of the game's economy—was subtly tempting the users.

  The essential currency for Auction House transactions and Premium Shop usage.

  [1,000 Lumina: 11,000 Won]

  [5,500 Lumina (+500 Bonus!): 55,000 Won]

  [11,000 Lumina (+1,500 Jackpot Bonus!): 110,000 Won]

  A typical sales tactic where the larger the amount, the bigger the 'bonus' bait they hung, ultimately making even people who intended to spend pocket change press the large payment button.

  Past the flashy banners, my gaze landed at the very bottom of the list.

  [Constellation Egg Package: 55,000 Won / Monthly Purchase Limit: 2]

  A product shining alone, as if declaring it was on a different level from the other items.

  The price tag of 55,000 won and the monthly limit of 2 were, paradoxically, proof that the value of whatever came out of that egg would be astronomical.

  Leaving the Premium Shop behind, I finally opened the Auction House window, which could be considered my main base.

  Among the simple trading systems for buying and selling items, what instantly caught my eye was none other than the 'Bidding Auction System'.

  A method where the seller sets a timeframe—starting from a minimum of 6 hours, to 12 hours, 18 hours, and up to a maximum of 24 hours—and buyers freely compete on price and place bids during that time.

  'This is it!'

  A sharp invoice was drawn up in the head of a 10-year veteran gold farmer.

  It was on a completely different level from 'Buy It Now', which simply sold at a fixed price.

  Especially for an item like an Epic-grade skill book, of which there was only one on the server right now.

  As time passed, it would stimulate the buyers' anxiety, causing the price to skyrocket. This system would be the perfect stage.

  'Starting bid... how much should I set it at?'

  My lips twitched with a happy dilemma. The calculator in my head spun rapidly.

  '200,000 Lumina?'

  In cash, that was roughly 2.2 million won.

  It might be a rather heavy amount for a starting bid.

  But given the caliber of the item, I had to show at least this much guts to whet the appetites of the rankers.

  It also served the purpose of cutting off the riffraff so they couldn't even attempt to bid.

  'Alright, let's just go for it. If it doesn't sell? Well, I can just lower the price then.'

  Without hesitation, I typed five '0's after the number '2'.

  As soon as I pressed the register button on the auction house, I looked back with a lightened heart.

  "Alright, the item is listed. Shall we get going?"

  The trio vigorously nodded their heads the moment my words dropped.

  Among them, the absolute highlight was Ian.

  He already had an expression that said he was going crazy with anticipation, practically bouncing in his seat.

  The way he kept fondling 'Matus's Greatsword' slung across his back made him look like a little kid who had just received a new toy.

  "Ah, I'm getting dizzy! Let's hurry up and go test out this baby's performance, Leader!"

  "Understood. Let's head out immediately. The location is this way."

  I smiled and checked the quest information with the party members.

  [Main Quest: Source of the Dark Aura]

  Mission:

  1. Move to the entrance of the 'Abandoned Mine'

  2. Talk to Scout Veron

  Progress: 0 / 1 | 0 / 1

  Obtainable Rewards:

  1. [Equipment] Unidentified Accessory Box (Advanced) x1

  2. [Experience] 5,500 EXP

  3. [Currency] 50 Gold

  Just as we confirmed our objective and were about to take a step toward the hunting ground, what grabbed me by the ankle was a clear, ringing system notification sound.

  [Ding!]

  [System: A 'Bid' has been placed on your registered auction item.]

  "Huh?"

  There wasn't even time to be surprised. Before the lingering sound of the first notification could fade, a second and third notification followed suit.

  [Ding!] [Ding!]

  [Notice: The highest bid has been updated.]