Second World Online

The moment my feet stepped out of the wooden inn’s threshold, a digital breeze swept across my face, carrying with it the bustle of a city that felt far more alive than in the previous days. The system update that had taken place during the twelve-hour maintenance last night had truly brought a breath of fresh air to the Explorers of Second World Online.

StoneBrook’s main cobblestone streets were filled with a sea of players. However, unlike the mass panic of yesterday during the invasion event, today’s atmosphere was filled with enthusiasm and ambition. The sounds of bargaining, party recruitment shouts, and the clanging of hammers from the blacksmith district blended into the true symphony of an adventurer city.

Tightening the collar of my leather cloak, I walked leisurely through the crowd. My slightly pointed Elf ears caught various interesting conversations from the players who passed by me.

"Have you guys been to the southern crater? That place is insane! The Mutated Slimes there have a really good drop rate for copper!" shouted a novice Warrior to his friends.

"Forget the crater, we have to quickly reach Level 15 and gather silver coins! Didn’t you read the Patch Notes? The Hidden Village in Area 2 has been replaced with a Teleportation Crystal! We no longer need to hire high-level escorts just to get through the Forest of Death. Once we unlock the waypoint there, we can farm rare materials every day!" replied a Mage full of spirit.

Hearing that conversation, my faint smile returned. My prediction from last night had been completely proven true. The easier access to Area 2 made all players now race to gather wealth so they could pay the teleportation fees and buy adequate equipment to survive in that mid-tier zone.

And this was where my monopoly role would begin.

My current destination was the largest and most magnificent building in the center of StoneBrook City, right across from the main fountain square: the Auction House.

The building had classic European architecture with towering white marble pillars and a silver-plated dome that reflected the virtual sunlight. Above its main entrance hung a giant golden scale emblem, the symbol of the neutral Trade Guild fully managed by NPCs from the Chronos Tech system.

I climbed the wide marble stone steps, cutting through the sea of players who were busy entering and exiting the building. The moment I passed through the giant teak wood door, I was greeted by an extraordinarily spacious inner hall. Hundreds of interactive crystal tables floated throughout the room. Players stood in front of those crystal tables, busily swiping holographic screens with their fingers, searching for desired items or monitoring their auctions.

I walked toward one of the empty crystal tables located in a quieter corner of the room so as not to attract too much attention. Although the name ’Syl’ now sat in first place on the contribution ranking board, my avatar had no special markers above its head except for those who deliberately used high-level identification skills on me.

I touched the surface of the crystal table. Instantly, the Auction House interface appeared before my eyes.

The holographic screen was divided into several categories: Weapons, Armor, Consumables, Materials, and Misc.

Before starting to sell, the business instinct from the Hortensia family blood flowing in my veins took over. I had to conduct market research. I tapped the Materials category and looked at the current price trends.

As I had expected, the prices of basic materials from beginner monsters such as Wolf Pelt and Boar Tusk had plummeted drastically due to the large number of players who had survived yesterday’s event and harvested those items. However, the opposite happened with advanced materials and Rare-status equipment.

Because the players’ ambition to migrate to Area 2 as soon as possible had grown larger thanks to the new Waypoint system, the demand for high-durability armor and large-mouthed weapons had risen sharply. Craftsmen and blacksmiths were scrambling to find high-quality materials to fulfill orders from major Guilds.

"Perfect," I whispered while opening my personal inventory panel. "Let’s shake up this city’s economy a little."

I pressed the [Sell Item] button on the auction interface.

The first item I entered into the auction slot was the [Orc Shaman Staff – Rarity: Rare]. This darkness-element staff was highly sought after by Mages specializing in curses and dark magic. The system recommended a base price of 50 Silver Coins.

However, I knew market psychology. Rare items that appeared after an event carried prestige value. I set the Starting Bid price at 80 Silver Coins and the Buyout price at 10 Gold Coins. I would not have to wait long; the Sultans from major Guilds would definitely press the Buyout button immediately to arm their elite members for Area 2.

Next, I entered the [Thick Orc Leather] totaling 35 sheets. This thick Orc leather was the best base material for making mid-tier physical armor. Instead of selling it in one large package, I split it into seven packages, each containing five sheets, and set the buyout price at 10 Silver Coins per package. Splitting the goods into small quantities would attract solo players who did not have Guild-level budgets, ensuring my items sold out quickly.

Then came the ultimate material.

I moved ten sheets of [Venom-tail Wyvern Scale – Rarity: Uncommon] into the auction slot. I deliberately kept the remaining twelve sheets in my inventory for my secret purposes later. Wyvern scales had innate properties resistant to poison and fire elements. In this beginner area, materials from a Level 30 monster were something extremely unreasonable to obtain.

The system could not even provide a price recommendation because there was no previous sales track record for this item in StoneBrook. I smirked faintly. I set the price very arrogantly. Starting Price: 50 Silver Coins per sheet. Buyout Price: 1 Gold Coin per sheet.

Before pressing the confirmation button, I made sure of one important setting: [Hide Seller Identity – Fee: 5% Additional Tax Deduction].

I did not care about the additional tax deduction. Being famous as the event hero was one thing, but being known as the sole supplier of Level 30 monster materials would invite hundreds of annoying private messages from Guild leaders intending to recruit me, or worse, rob me outside the safe zone. Anonymity in the auction market was the best protection.

I pressed the [Confirm Auction] button.

Ding!

[System: Your items have been successfully listed in the Auction House. Duration: 24 Hours.]

Just as I closed the screen and intended to step away from the crystal table, a series of golden notifications exploded in the corner of my vision.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[Auction Success: 7 Packages of ’Thick Orc Leather’ sold via Buyout. You received 66 Silver Coins (After Tax).]

[Auction Success: ’Orc Shaman Staff’ sold via Buyout. You received 9 Gold Coins, 50 Silver Coins (After Tax).]

[Auction Success: 10 Sheets of ’Venom-tail Wyvern Scale’ sold via Buyout. You received 9 Gold Coins (After Tax).]

I was stunned for a moment. "Crazy... Sold out in less than ten seconds?!"

It seemed there were some kind of bots or officers from major Guild trading unions monitoring the market twenty-four hours a day. The moment materials from high-level event bosses or rare weapons appeared, they bought them immediately without looking at the price.

Leaving the Auction House with a satisfied feeling, I directed my steps toward the Crafting District located on the northern side of the city, near the Temple of Resurrection. Unlike the main streets filled with combat players, this district was dominated by the clanging of hammers, the steam of smelting furnaces, and multicolored smoke from the alchemy shop chimneys.

I stopped in front of a red-brick building with a wooden signboard depicting a mortar and pestle. This was the Master Alchemist’s Shop, the place where players could learn new recipes, buy crafting equipment, or rent private laboratory spaces.

I pushed the wooden door that produced a soft bell sound. The aroma of dried herbs, sulfur, and something that smelled like spoiled apples immediately assaulted my nose. Behind a sturdy oak wood counter stood an elderly NPC grandfather with a long white beard, wearing thick-lensed glasses.

"Ah, young Explorer. The scent of storm winds and poison still clings strongly to your cloak. What can Master Elias help you with today?" the NPC greeted me in his characteristic hoarse voice.

I smiled politely. "I want to upgrade my alchemy equipment, Master Elias. I’m looking for an Intermediate Alchemy Set."

The old man’s eyes widened slightly behind his glasses. "Intermediate level? You know, it is very rare for an Explorer still on the Beginner Continent to dare touch equipment of that level. The price is not cheap, and it requires a strong understanding of magic elements to control it. The price is 3 Gold Coins."

Without further ado, I opened my transaction panel and placed three pure gold coins on the wooden table. The clinking sound of the precious metal immediately made the Master Alchemist’s expression become very friendly.

"Hoo... it seems I am dealing with a professional," Master Elias chuckled, taking the coins with a very fast movement. He then bent down under his counter and lifted a heavy wooden box lined with velvet inside.

Inside the box was a very beautiful set of alchemy equipment. There was a black steel crucible engraved with heat-resistant runes, a dozen reaction tubes made of pure crystal glass that would not shatter from small explosions, a magic burner powered by a Mana crystal, and a set of extraction tools and silver pipettes.

[System: You have successfully purchased the ’Intermediate Alchemy Set’. Potion synthesis success rate increased by 15%. Enables extraction of materials Level 20 – 40.]

"One more thing, Master Elias," I said while taking the box and putting it into my inventory. "I want to rent an advanced private crafting room for two hours."

"Of course. 50 Copper Coins. Please use room number three in the basement. I just repaired the ventilation system yesterday," he said while handing over a small bronze key.

I accepted the key and immediately headed toward the basement door in the corner of the shop. The moment I opened the door to room number three, I was greeted by a very sterile stone room illuminated by bluish crystal magic lamps. In the center of the room stood a wide and sturdy basalt stone table.

I locked the door from the inside, ensuring no other players could enter and disturb me. High-tier crafting processes required full concentration. One small mistake in mixing reagents could cause an explosion that not only destroyed the materials but could also kill my own avatar.

This was the reason why the Alchemist profession was so rarely pursued by casual players; the cost was expensive and the risks were too great.

I took out the [Intermediate Alchemy Set] and arranged it neatly on the stone table. Then, I called up the inventory panel and placed the main materials for today’s extreme experiment: Twelve small bottles containing [Concentrated Spider Venom], and five monster organ glands in the form of purple fleshy sacs that were still pulsing, which were the [Wyvern Poison Glands].

"Okay, let’s see what happens if I mix the deadly poison from the Border Forest with the lethal venom gland from the King of the Sky," I muttered, feeling the enthusiasm of a mad scientist beginning to take over my common sense.

I began the process very carefully. I placed one of the [Wyvern Poison Glands] onto the silver extraction dish. This gland was extremely unstable; the game system simulated its texture still pulsing as if the gland were still alive.

I turned the valve on the magic burner, channeling my own Mana into the burner. A bright blue flame ignited beneath the black steel crucible. I put the gland into the crucible and began heating it slowly.

Once the temperature reached the magical boiling point, the fleshy gland did not burn, but began to melt, releasing a thick purple vapor that was highly corrosive. The room’s ventilation system immediately sucked up the toxic vapor quickly.

Using a silver pipette, I extracted the thick purple liquid remaining at the bottom of the crucible, then transferred it into a large crystal tube. This was the pure essence of Wyvern poison.

The next step was the cross-resonance process.

I took three bottles of [Concentrated Spider Venom] that had a glowing green color. Unlike the Wyvern poison that was hot and melting in nature, the spider venom acted by paralyzing the target’s nervous system, providing a damage over time (DoT) effect that drained HP.

I slowly dripped the green liquid into the crystal tube containing the purple liquid.

Hssssshhhh!

A digital chemical reaction immediately occurred. The liquid inside the tube boiled violently, foaming as it changed from purple to pitch black, then radiated a dazzling neon-green glow. The crystal tube vibrated heavily in my hand, withstanding the pressure of the colliding elemental energies.

This was the crucial moment (Quick Time Event). In my crafting interface, a red bar appeared, moving very quickly from left to right. I had to control my Mana flow and cool the tube temperature precisely when the bar touched the thin green zone in the middle.

"Concentrate..." I whispered, focusing the wind element from my class to wrap around the crystal tube, instantly lowering its temperature.

Exactly when the indicator touched the green zone, I stopped the Mana flow and sealed the tube with a special cork stopper.

The vibration on the tube stopped instantly. The liquid that had previously been boiling wildly now became calm. Its color changed into a gradient of pitch black at the bottom and radiated an emerald-green glow on the surface. This liquid looked extremely deadly yet also extremely beautiful.

A success chime rang clearly in my head.

Ding!

[Crafting System: Alchemy Synthesis Successful! (Outstanding Rank)]

[You have discovered a New Alchemy Recipe!]

[As the first player to create this potion, you have the right to name the item.]

I smiled widely, wiping the virtual sweat from my forehead. "Name it... [Corrosive Wyvern Toxin]."

[System: Item ’Corrosive Wyvern Toxin’ has been successfully registered in the Personal Alchemy Encyclopedia.]

I held the crystal tube and used my identification skill to read the complete statistics of this first masterpiece of mine.

[Corrosive Wyvern Toxin (Weapon Coating Item) – Rarity: Epic]

A deadly poison synthesized from Wyvern glands and spider essence. Can only be applied to sharp weapons (Sword/Dagger/Arrow).

Effect 1 (Corrosion): Every attack that hits the target will ignore 30% of the enemy’s Physical Defense for 5 seconds. Armor will melt.

Effect 2 (Paralyzing Decay): Deals 250 Nature Damage per second for 8 Seconds. Reduces the target’s Movement Speed by 20%.

Coating Duration: Lasts for 10 attacks per single bottle application. Crafted by: Syl.

Reading those stats, I even had to hold my breath. "Crazy. This... this is truly crazy."

Epic rarity! Even from yesterday’s event boss monsters, it felt impossible for any player to obtain an Epic-tier weapon. And I had successfully created it through an extreme alchemy experiment.

The 30% physical defense ignore effect was the worst nightmare for every Tank-type monster or boss with thick skin. For an Archer class like me who heavily relied on consecutive shots to penetrate the opponent’s defense, this poison was an exponential power multiplier. If I combined it with [Piercing Gale Arrow], every one of my arrows would be equivalent to an artillery cannon blast!

For the next full two hours, I did not leave that crafting room. Using the remaining four [Wyvern Poison Glands] and the remaining spider venom, I repeated the same process with extreme care. Thanks to the intermediate alchemy set, I did not experience a single failure.

In the end, I successfully produced five glass bottles containing [Corrosive Wyvern Toxin]. This was my secret weapon for exploring Area 2.

[System: Your Alchemist Profession Level has increased! Current: Alchemist Level 11.]

My crafting profession jumped drastically just by making five bottles of Epic-tier items. I cleaned my equipment, stored it back into my inventory, and stepped out of Master Elias’s shop with an aura far more lethal than when I entered.

I opened my communication panel and typed a quick message into the Party chat column that currently only contained me and Alya.

[Syl]: Yuuki, where are you? I’ve finished my preparations. Are you ready to try the new area?

It did not take long to get a reply from my super-active little sister.

[Yuuki]: I’ve been ready for a while, Brother! Arthur and I are currently near the city square. We’re pooling silver coins from some other players for the teleportation fee.

Reading that message, I slapped my own forehead. Of course, the teleportation fee.

Every time using the Teleportation Crystal between regions, the system charged a fee of 5 Silver Coins per person. For beginner players who on average only had a dozen silver coins from hard grinding, that fee was quite draining. They were definitely pooling money so that Arthur and his Mage could also depart to the new area.

[Syl]: Tell Arthur not to waste your silver coins. Save them to buy Potions. Meet me in front of the main fountain now. Big Brother will pay the teleportation fees for all of you.

I had more than eight gold coins in my pocket. Spending a few silver coins to finance my little sister’s and best friend’s party would not make me poor at all.