Coven was somewhat between 40 and 45. At least I assumed it. Believe it or not, even a normal barkeeper in the outskirts had a higher level than me.
And only players with a high levelled [Appraisal] skill could peek at the status of a stronger opponent or ally.
I had a system based one which wasn't even called appraisal but [Low level understanding]. It granted me a slight chance of identifying lesser items. Shortly said, it was useless! If I had enough money to spend, I maybe would have brought an [Appraisal] skill roll or even a whole skill book. Skills could be levelled by using them, finding hints to improve the potency or scriptures like scrolls, books or treasure chests or if someone [taught] one the skill. Most of the options I stated needed a literal treasure trove of coins to be useful or a lot of luck and real opened treasure chests. I couldn't afford even one of both ways.
There were dozens of opportunities to raise a skill. But for me, it was quite a journey. I was too poor to buy the scrolls or books from the magician guild and had not enough opportunities to improve the level of the skill [low level understanding].
The drawback was, that I had to go to different appraisers to find out which was the one with the best price in comparison to the offered service. It wasn't cheap to have a good appraiser.
But since I knew Coven I didn't have to go to one of the local appraisers: Coven was a decent amateur who could appraise almost anything I found. Thanks to him I earned quite a lot more and he gave me a bulk discount: With more than five items I had to pay him only 1 silver instead of 1 silver and 5 bronze coins.
Most appraisers took 5 bronze per appraisal and not just 3 bronze like he did. Some appraisers also measured the basic yield (a subskill some appraisers used to make the appraisal more expensive). Then they wanted 10% of the yield if the object exceeded 5 silver coins.
Because of the clause of yield they often asked one bronze less for their appraisal.
But I stopped using their service after I had to pay a whole silver more after I found an item worth one gold coin.
Only Coven was my exception. I wanted to give him a bonus of 10% because he always gave me so much discount. At first he declined, but as I kept on wanting to repay him for his help, he insisted only to take 5% percent so I would earn more, get stronger and make him more profit with better gains.
So I avoided telling him how truly terrifying my spending habits on sweets were. Or else, he'd skin me alive.
I walked to the bar and sat down while he counted the money he earned the last few days. The business was stale. Since the few in game months I lived here, I never saw the tavern filled or even more than a handful of guests. So the revenue was out of the world. Meaning: A hellish lot of small coins. I was his only stable income. Sometimes, maybe two to three times a month some other low class adventurers (often even less talented than me), came to use his service as an appraiser.
But since the items they carried were bad and they often made only meager gains, they seldom came to appraise something.
Maybe this caused Coven's eyes to glint in amusement and excitement as I took out five pieces which weren't appraised yet. He made me my favorite beverage before sitting opposite me to appraise the items.
"Little one, good job! You're getting better at finding stuff that is not totally worthless." While 'praising' me like this, he lowered the piece of ivory carving that could be sold for about 4 Silver and 5 bronze. Only to shake his head at the next two treasures, a part of half a rusty armor and a well polished bangle which was made with cheap materials. Luck wasn't really smiling at her.
But then Coven sucked in the air sharply.
"My my, what did you kill, little Mysty?"
"[Guardian of the Forest] if I recall it right." I beamed at him. He almost dropped the bottle with the green hair dye.
"With a little apprentice added at the beginning."
"How did you even kill such a beast? They are ferocious predators!" I opened my inventory and took out the corpse to show him the 'atrocious' beast. The body looked small and I avoided to look at its empty eyes.
"Does it matter how it died? I won, survived and even made a little profit. So, what is the worth of this trashy hair dye? The body is a little present for you."
"I'm not sure. Maybe 10 or 12…"
"Bronze?" I should just dump all the status points I would get in the future in luck! How could I always be unlucky and stay so poor? I drank a large sip of the beverage Coven mixed for me. Ah, so nice.
"Gold, naturally." I dropped my jaw, spilling the liquid in my mouth.
"What?!" I literally screamed in his face. He looked as if his ears were ringing from my scream. Maybe one or two drops of liquid landed in his face.
"Please refrain from making me deaf and coating me in your slobber. And If you want to give the body to me, I'll make it a meal for both of us." he grunted and set the bottle to the table to wipe his face. Meanwhile I picked the bottle up like a soft little baby and cradled the glass in my arms.
The status of the bottle was changed after the appraisal:
[Name: Bottle full of hair dye [[appraised]]
Description: A rare cosmetic which can dye your hair permanently. It is a [rare] drop of a [unique] species.
The worth of the hair dye is 10 - 12 gold coins. This estimation is relying on the assumption that there are under five other similar items on the current local market.
Effect: Leaf green hair dye that lets your hair look like soft and glossy grass. Varying by the light, the colour may appear with a tint of purple and a brighter green shade.
> Camouflage: You aren't spotted easily in pastures and woods. +15 Stealth Attribute (as long as the hair dye is worn)
> Softness: Your hair is shiny. And green. Either from pity others feel towards you or the fluffiness, your Charm Attribute is increased by 25 points.
Permanent: This hair dye is permanent. Only a good old shaving your head bald or a character reset can make this colour disappear. But the hair may regrow in the same colour if the shaving is carried out while missing the scalping of all body parts containing hair.
Remark: Colours can hurt. Really! Just try this dye and watch yourself in the mirror. Your heart will bleed.]
Since I bought this appraisal, I could watch the results Coven found out at any time. Giggling excitedly I almost didn't notice how the barkeeper appraised the last thing I layed out. It was the almost worthless book the rabbit dropped. Even in its [appraised] state it seemed quite useless:
[Name: Trickery for beginners [[appraised]]
Description: An old book that looks like the pages will brittle under your fingers. The author is long forgotten but if you research a bit you might find out that this is the first volume of a series. The series was thought to be lost in time. You found the first of 77 volumes. [[Quest]: Are you ready to embark on an adventure to find the remaining 76 volumes? [Yes] [No] [Maybe later]]
The book might be a grimoire. But an old one. The magic sealed inside could be lost already.
The worth of this grimoire is 5 bronze coins. This estimation is relying on the assumption that there are under hundred other similar items on the current local market.
Effect: By reading the book you will get random knowledge out of it. It may contain skills, hidden maps or other secrets of Falan. Try out your luck to get the following possible rewards. [Expand/Collapse]
After reading the book, the features of the acquired Skill, maps or secrets will replace the now stated effect.
Remark: Beware of bookworms. Some of them will eat you whole.]
After deducting the fee of appraisal, I could barely make a profit by earning 3 bronze coins.
Thus I stuffed the book in my inventory and listed the valuable items in the local player market of Daybreak. Later I would bring the item to the trade center where one could store the items until they were sold or the selling period of an in-game month was over.
After this, I stuffed the items in a box I pulled out of my inventory.
The box was almost flat but also about 1 meter long and the short side of the rectangle was half a meter in width. It was an item I bought with my hard earned money for 1 gold coin. This investment saved me a lot of money until this day.
Players with the class [thieve] could steal anything from oneself. Clothing, items, even money. Thus one could use a base to store their coin and precious treasures, be ready to kill thieves or be robbed of their precious money.
So equipment like the box was very expensive.
The status window that popped up read as followed:
[Name: Lesser anti-thieving device [[appraised]]
Description: A box-shaped item that is woven in magical patterns to hinder anyone from robbing you of your items. The style resembles a mini dimensional portal.
The worth of this magical equipment is 1 gold coin. This estimation is relying on the assumption that there are under thousand other similar items on the current local market.
Effect: Classes focusing on theft and people with the [theft] skill are unable to take any item placed inside the box. With every attempt to steal any item out of the box or your death, the durability will be reduced.
[Durability: 248/350]
[Hidden in distant dimensions: Up to 5 items can be stored inside. It is equivalent to one item slot in the inventory. 10 to 100 monetary units can be stored in one slot.
Remark: Be it dentures or your sex toys, nobody will know and even want to steal it, you dirty minded pervert! Only put precious things inside or you'll anger the creator!]
But this was my lucky charm so that my precious babies would not be stolen before I got the rewards for them. I snuggled the chest against my cheek, lovingly rubbing it a bit, before storing it in my inventory. Getting horny from large backpacks and inventories can be a sexuality, too, okay?
Coven rolled his eyes at my halfway sane and halfway straight up mad behaviour.
"Little one, you're back for dinner today, right? I'll cook up your prey." he asked and in my opinion it was the most caring thing anyone did for me in the last few days. Both in-game and in the real world.
"I- I'll be there. Don't feast without me. I'll just head to the trade center at the marketplace and be back in a jiffy." My voice cracked at the beginning but I swiftly hid my emotions behind a joke. The NPCs weren't real people. Algorithms created to give a human-like talking experience. But for me, Coven was the only one left in my circle of friends and family. The only one willing to spend time with me or talk to me. He gave me a home when I was homeless and was the only one to believe in my growth and even supported me mentally, physically and financially.
He became my father-figure, friend and mentor in one.
I smiled brightly at him and left the tavern.
Not knowing that gold can attract the most vile desires in human nature. And what this greed may cause, if once unleashed.