NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 17: A Blessing and a Misfortune
The timer hit 9:59, signaling the final second of the auction. The current bid stood at $85,000, and this was the critical moment when all last-minute bidders made their moves. As the final second ticked away, a flurry of bids appeared, pushing the final sale price to a staggering $120,000.
"Damn it! I bid $110,000 and still lost?!" Bobby growled, his frustration palpable. He had expected the weapon to sell for around $100,000 and had even placed a higher bid to secure it, hoping to outsmart other bidders. Yet, despite his efforts, someone had beaten him.
"Damn, I'll find out who bought it and make them regret it," Bobby muttered angrily.
Meanwhile, Jeremy and his team breathed a collective sigh of relief. "You were right, Jeremy. Some people really don't treat money like it matters. Twelve grand for Black Iron gear in the early game—what's next?" Liam remarked.
"It's simple. Sealed knows how to pick the perfect timing. That weapon was in high demand, and we happen to have a few wealthy players in our village. Not every novice village has such deep-pocketed players. Once we get to the main city, competition will increase, and prices will stabilize," Jeremy explained calmly.
Harold sighed. "Being in the same novice village as him is both a blessing and a misfortune."
Everyone nodded in agreement. With their skills, they would have dominated any other novice village, but here, they were just playing second fiddle.
"According to official stats, over two hundred million players in Zentaria have joined the game so far, and that number is still climbing. So yeah, high prices for gear make sense. It's an opportunity for us too. Even though Sealed's presence overshadows us, thanks to him, many players in our village already have high-attribute gear. That gives us an overall advantage, and when we reach the main city, that advantage will shine," Jeremy concluded.
"Agreed," the others chorused.
On the other side of the village, Uncle Lee handed the [Tusk Greatblade] to Sophia Mueller. "Miss, with this weapon, our grinding efficiency will increase significantly. We should aim to reach level 10 quickly and secure a favorable position in the main city."
"Got it," Sophia said, marveling at the weapon. "Twelve grand... Sealed must have made tens of thousands of dollars just from selling gear in the past day."
"Exactly. By staying ahead of everyone else, he's raking in money easily. If we want to thrive in this game, we need to stay ahead of the pack too," Uncle Lee replied.
Meanwhile, Ethan was busy grinding silver wolves when a system notification interrupted him.
"Ding! The item you listed on the auction house has been purchased. Final sale price: $120,000. After deducting a 15% transaction fee, $102,000 has been transferred to your linked bank account."
Though the final price was higher than expected, Ethan felt oddly indifferent. "A Black Iron weapon sold for $120,000. If I sell that skill book when we reach the main city, I might have enough for a gaming pod."
Refocusing on his grind, Ethan checked his experience bar: 2340/8000. At level 8, each silver wolf granted 72 experience points, and with an average of three minutes per kill, he estimated it would take around four hours to level up.
"This is too slow," Ethan muttered. Though his solo grind speed wasn't much faster than other players, his key advantage lay in his ability to fight monsters several levels above him. Other players, even in groups, couldn't tank such high-level monsters, so they had to stick to monsters at or below their own level, which meant their experience gain was slower.
"I need to change my strategy," Ethan thought. With his current regeneration rate of 6 health points per second, he could recover 300 health points in 50 seconds—enough to tank three silver wolves at once. "Maybe I should try pulling multiple mobs."
Acting on his idea, Ethan lured three silver wolves together. He struck one wolf, preparing to hit the second when all three wolves attacked simultaneously. The sudden barrage caught him off guard, and he quickly retreated.
"Crap! Miscalculation. Run!" Ethan cursed, realizing that if each wolf landed a hit, he'd take nine strikes in total—more than he could handle. "Ugh, how did I forget they can attack together? I'd be toast if I stayed there." He shook his head in frustration.
"Guess I'll stick to the old method unless I can separate them somehow," Ethan muttered.
Just then, one of the silver wolves activated its [Swift Dash] skill, breaking away from the group and charging at Ethan alone.
Ethan's eyes lit up. "Perfect! This works." With the wolves now separated, he resumed his grind.
After two more hours of grinding, Ethan logged off for a quick breakfast before returning to the game. Another three and a half hours later, he finally leveled up to 9.
Health: 660
Mana: 140
Experience: 28/10,000
Unassigned Attribute Points: 5
Over the course of those three and a half hours, he had killed 79 silver wolves and looted two pieces of equipment:
[Silver Wolf Helmet]
Quality: White Label
Health: +60
Defense: +10
[Silver Wolf Ring]
Quality: White Label
Attack: +12
Attack Speed: +1%
Armor Penetration: +1%
Ethan equipped the [Silver Wolf Helmet], replacing his [Toad Helmet] and gaining an additional 20 health points, bringing his total health to 680. He listed the [Silver Wolf Ring] and the old [Toad Helmet] on the auction house. Unsure of their exact value, he set them both for bidding mode.
In the end, the [Silver Wolf Ring] sold for $15,000, while the [Toad Helmet] fetched only $5,000. Apparently, players had started acquiring similar gear, causing prices to drop. Previously, wild boar gear had sold for as high as $30,000, but now, even silver wolf gear was only fetching around $15,000.
"Not bad. At least it's still money," Ethan thought, unfazed. "Better to sell it than let it collect dust. Otherwise, I'd only get a few copper coins from the NPC shop."
Now, he only needed one more level before he could visit the village chief and head to the main city. Considering the game's mechanics, he figured the first player to reach the main city and complete their class advancement might receive a special reward.
However, at level 9, each silver wolf only granted 66 experience points, meaning he needed to kill 152 wolves to reach the next level. With an average kill time of two minutes, it would take about five hours of continuous grinding. The thought alone was exhausting.
"Well, no choice. Slow and steady wins the race," Ethan muttered, raising his wooden sword and preparing to lure more wolves.
Just then, a loud wolf howl echoed from deep within the valley. The silver wolves in the area suddenly became more alert, their previously lazy demeanor replaced by a disciplined readiness.
"Was that... a boss?" Ethan wondered aloud. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the source of the howl, deftly avoiding the wolves along the way. Even when he couldn't avoid them entirely, his impressive movement speed of 50 ensured they couldn't keep up with him.
"Let's see what's waiting for me," Ethan thought, gripping his sword tightly as he dashed toward the heart of Silver Wolf Valley.