Non-Player Characters, abbreviated as NPC. As the name suggests, it is not a player, but an AI or a bot that was given a task to do something.
That is the Auctioneer of some auctions in the Trading Sector, especially the ones that are in the lower wrungs.
These Auctions do not have anything worth watching for, but a good source of income to the Trading Sector.
But today, something changed.
There were moments when participants are given time to sell their own items: loots or drops can be sold, and auctioned off if the Trading Sector deems it fit for the ongoing auction.
And items, although common, has some hidden things in them that makes it worth the money they are being paid for.
One of them, is the ability to harness energy, also called as Energy Conduction. Mythril is the leading ingredient of things that has Energy Conduction.
Energy Conduction, is a stat that raises the user's output of energy. It can be used in other things, but the primary ones are for weapons and armor.
And the usefulness of the said stat can be seen in many ways.
Let's say a two Level 120 players faced off. Same class, same stats, no armor, no buffs, no titles, nor hidden and specials that alters their stats.
They were given the same weapon, with same stats, but the other one gets 1% of Energy Conduction.
Both of them put all of their stats into Attack Power, which is 5,315 Stat Points.
And the stat of the gun adds 300 to Attack Power Stat.
The one without Energy Conduction will have an output of 5,615 points, no more, no less.
But, the one with the 1% of energy conduction will have 5,615, plus 54 points from the base Attack Power, and 3 from points from the Attack Power of the gun, totalling to 5,672.
That's just the theory at the start.
But, Energy Conduction is a rare stat, for it also includes the Energy that is used.
So, if we take the example above, and change the variables:
The first one will have no Energy Conduction, with all stat in the Attack Power Stat, will have 5,315 output damage.
The second one, has 4,000 points on Attack, and 1,135 on Energy Stat, will still have 5,672 output damage, because Energy Conduction adds both of the stats.
And, in the game, no one places all of their points in one stats, and move too slow, or have too little defense; but everyone uses energy.
That's precisely the reason everybody needs an item with Energy Conduction and that it's too much of a buff.
And now, the thing that shows up in a Lower Auction has 20% Energy Conduction, and that's the lowest percentage.
One item, which is a dagger, almost hit 40%, and the grade of the said Dagger is already Rare.
This sparked a controversy about the Trading Sector, that their best goods were given to the poor ones, and the poor ones are trying to overturn the chaebols of the game.
And the culprit for selling these items?
Sitting on a rocking chair, with headphones on, playing "Can't St*p the Feeling" and is sipping on his soda while munching on his snacks.
Unlike any other auctions that waits for the event to end before giving the item that was renumerated, Trading Sector can send the item the moment the buyer has bought it.
In short, Zaon has gotten the item without hassle.
The item was an accessory - a ring that has three thin metals that was braided like hair, and with three different energies flowing on them - the Triune Ring.
The effects of the Triune Ring is simple, to give a skill, a spell, a manifestation or an ability another type of energy.
For example, a sword Skill will need Aether, but with the Triune Ring, it can add Mana into it, creating a skill that involves both mana and aether, like Fire Slash or Lightning Stab.
But, Zypher, with his boundless knowledge of the game, decided to break some rules, or bend it in his favor. That's the only first requirement - his actual knowledge of the game.
Even if you can think of something, but is too impossible, like slaying a dragon with one slash, catching a leviathan barehanded, or standing atop clouds, the system of the game won't adjust to it.
Yet, Zypher overcame it.
With the second requirement - his item, Solomon's Brace.
Right now, this is just a normal item, because it is not upgraded yet, but it already adds 10% of stats to the Triune Ring, as it is counted as one accessory too.
If Zypher uses the Triune Ring into one of his attacks, like the Triple Lightning Stab, the output damage will have yet another 10% increase.
But, that's not all.
The third requirement is the Skill: Trigger.
This skill triggers a skill's, an abilities', a manifestation, or a spell's hidden potential.
And the target of this now is the ability he uses when forging - Dwarven Style Forging.
The ability then became a tiger with wings - Dwarven Style Forging is the most primitive way of forging: using muscles and hammers, but it's potential lies at the dexterity of the forger.
But blacksmithing has different paths - Forging, Artificing, and Refining.
Forging is the way of using strength to mold the metal.
Artificing is the way of completing the item with accuracy and steadiness.
And refining is the way of precision and softness to balance the item.
In short, forging uses strength, artificing uses speed, and refining uses dexterity.
If someone has strength, he will be a forger and if one has dexterity, he is a refiner, but if he has both, he cannot do blacksmithing at all because one wrong move can destroy many items at once.
But Trigger awakens the potential. It is an addition, not something that exist exactly at the same time.
And that's where the Triune Ring comes to play.
Energy, can be transferred from one to another, but the process makes it risky. A sudden burst of energy is an attack, and a soft one is like a tap.
In forging, he uses strength, and it can be viewed by the system as an attack to the weapon he is forging, and with added energy, it destroys the item.
But the Triggered Dwarven Style Forging lets the softness in, and so to speak, the energy.
With this, Zypher created items that have Energy Conduction with 10% and above.
Additionally, the items he used were susceptible to energy as they were already having so much energy in them: mutation energies.
And so, Zypher just tapped to their potential, and they shone like stars. And just like that, he became the man who sold fifty Rare items with Energy Conduction stat.
And this also makes his blacksmith class get the resources he needs to rank up - he bought as many items as he can that is rare and above in the shop.
And because he stayed for two days inside the game, the Notice to Rest panel appeared before him.
As what it was said, Tablet Inc. wants their players not just to be healthy mentally, but also physically, and so, they want them to have at least eight hours away from the capsule.
This is also hygienic as the helm, the seat and the pod has processes of cleaning when the player is off the pod. Although the materials are high-end, it does not mean i lt can't cause unnecessary conflict.
That's what made Tablet Inc. the most trusted brand of pod in the market.
Now that Zypher is out of the pod, he is basking himself with the sun, relaxing and enjoying his life.
While the other side of the coin is too restless.
Project: Zerø.
Four thrones, all facing one person who is standing up.
"So, you sold items to commoners that has the Energy Conduction."
"No, we did-"
"So how will you explain these?"
Fifty photos of items: daggers, knives and shortswords with different names, and different stats.
The items presented were of low stats, but the Energy Conduction is still a must have for them, as it bridges the stats of Attack Power and Energy stats.
And, the most eye-catching thing is the Unique Item: Wailing Knife, with the 40% Energy Conduction.
Plus, the very annoying thing that made the four people on the thrones move: the items do not drop, but it can be given - Soul Transfer.
Each and every smith has this kind of, not skill, but a way to protect their items from being stolen and all.
It means that a very powerful blacksmith has come to them, but they did not realize it.
"We did not know that he will sell--"
"Then why did you not call us?"
Another voice said, as he looked at one particular item that caught his eyes.
"We thought of calling, but we do not know if he still has stocks."
"Are you dumb? Are you not using your common sense?"
A lady said as she hurdled insults to the man, who was now trembling in fear.
"I-I did not kno--"
"Then why are you here? Call someone who knows!"
The first voice said.
"Calm down, don't rush, maybe, we can talk to him with few information in our hands."
"Ha?! Don't rush? Are you telling him not to rush when someone just escaped his claws?"
Yes, the first voice belongs to Charles Baltinoir.
"Hedescua dog, is your intel so poor that you believe in rumors?"
The Hedescua, is the female third voice.
"You are the dog. Your whole family are dogs!"
"Shut up! I am not a dog!"
"Ah, yes! You're not a dog! There are no breeds of dogs that are bald!"
"HEDESCUA!!"
"SILENCE!"
The fourth voice boomed as the two stopped bantering.
"Is that how a patriarch should act? You are too arrogant, Charles, but you can't even admit a small slip-up."
"You, Hedescua. Aren't you a bit cocky? You just won the championship and you act like that? You're wrong if you think that you stand beside us."
"And you, Llorund, who lost to the dark horse? Are you still going to just be in the dark?"
The three then stopped bantering as the fourth person on the throne now looked at the person standing on the front.
"Any information you can give us about this person?"
Yes, person.
Not the item.
Because Soul Transfer needs too much resources to use, and even then, one must be willing to give the said item.
But, having the person who makes the items will be a different story.
He created fifty items with the said stat, and getting him means a supply of he said items for a lifetime.
"Sorry, we don't divulge inf--"
The fourth person, the Saimenda, grabbed the person in the neck and raised him up.
"Kkkhhkk! Khkk!"
The person was surprised as he struggled to grab the hand that was in his neck to at least raise himself to breathe, but the arm that holds him is much stronger.
"I just only ask one thing, and you better say it before I crack this neck of yours."
The person being held wildly tossed his body to grasp air as he pulled down the hand that chokes him.
"We...d-don't...know...."
He uttered as he gasped for more air.
The other three are now looking at him like a piece of trash that he is in their eyes.
"What..we know...is he..."
"He what?"
The Saimenda said as he loosened up his hand.
The person then took this opportunity to wiggle out of his hand. He flopped to the ground, holding his neck while greedily inhaling the oxygen he was deprived of seconds ago.
"He...bought a...Triune.. Ring."
Then, he fell down and lost consciousness.
The four, who heard this, smiled with anticipation.
"Triune Ring, huh?"