Ring!
As the bell rang, a young man emerged from behind the door.
Upon entering the room, he spotted three unfamiliar people seated on the sofa, seemingly awaiting their turn.
"Please have a seat, young man. Your turn will come soon,"
The kind middle-aged man in green robes said.
The young man smiled and nodded.
He walked to the sofa and sat in an empty spot next to the green-robed middle-aged. Glancing around, he noticed that the room was elementary, with only a few sofas, a table, a flower pot, a vintage wall clock, and exquisite paintings and framed certificates on the wall.
He then glanced at the green-robed middle-aged man beside him and hesitated for a moment before asking: "Sir, do you come here often?"
The green-robed middle-aged man seemed taken aback for a moment before replying frankly, "Yes, I do. I'm practically a regular here. Not only me, but these two friends are regulars as well."
A tall woman with long purple hair and revealing clothes elegantly waved her hand at the young man while the stoic man simply looked at him without saying a word.
The green-robed middle-aged man couldn't help but notice the young man's caution and said, "Young man, I understand your worries. I was once in your shoes. However, once you meet the appraiser, your worries will disappear."
"I understand... thank you, sir."
After receiving those reassuring words, the young man's worries lessened slightly.
It's not his fault for being overly cautious; he had been cheated many times before.
Most of the wizards he encountered were sly and lacked morals. He wouldn't readily trust individuals based on just a few words.
The only reason he dared to come here was that he had heard many positive reviews about this store. He was hopeful that everything would go smoothly this time.
Time is passing by...
As the clock on the wall ticked, the number of people in the living room dwindled every few minutes. It took half an hour before the young man had his turn.
"Next!"
The call made the young man realize that he was the only person left in the waiting room. With a nervous face, he stood up and quickly entered the appraisal room.
Before arriving, he had heard that the appraiser in this store was young and very different from the other appraisers, most of whom were already in their mid-thirties and mostly grey-haired.
The sight of him in person was still surprising, especially considering how young the appraiser was. Not only that, but his appearance, posture, and the air he exuded were also nothing like those of people who worked in small shops.
'As expected from a member of Owl, he is on a whole different level!' The young man thought to himself.
"Welcome to Gil's Appraisal Room," Gilgamel smiled as he greeted the young man who had just entered.
Ignoring the young man's nervous expression, Gilgamel gestured for him to sit in the chair opposite him.
After his guest sat down, he said: "Please show me the item you want me to appraise!"
Without further delay, the young man promptly took out a creamy white fruit covered in delicate white fuzz from his robe.
He said, "I found this fruit somewhere, but it was guarded by a poisonous creature. I don't know what type of fruit it is, and I'm afraid to eat it. Can you provide me with some information about this fruit?"
Gilgamel did not respond immediately. He glanced at the fruit the young man was showing him, and then a prompt appeared before him.
[Do you want to spend 20 mana crystals to identify this object? Y/N]
'Only 20 mana crystals? So, it's just a Tier-1 object...' Gilgamel thought.
Throughout his years as an appraiser, Gilgamel developed a knack for accurately assessing the value of any object.
The cost of appraising a Tier-1 object is 20 mana crystals.
As the value of the object increased, so did the cost of appraisal.
'Yes!'
Gilgamel confirmed immediately without hesitating.
Twenty mana crystals are a negligible amount of money for him. Furthermore, he always obtained more mana crystals than he spent, so there was no reason to feel bad about it.
The moment Gilgamel confirmed, a panel with information appeared before him.
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Name: White Spider Fruit
Grade: Tier-1
Status: Edible
Description: The White Spider Fruit is an elixir produced from a tree called the Spider Nest Tree. This tree has a unique scent that attracts various types of spiders. This fruit is commonly used as a critical ingredient in making the Owl Tears Potion.
Effect: Consuming this fruit raw can level you up and boost your immunity to poison.
Market Price: 500 mana crystals.
————————————
'Hiss... it's unexpectedly this fruit!' Gilgamel silently exclaimed.
As a potioneer, Gilgamel had learned a lot about various elixirs. So, he naturally recognized the White Spider Fruit.
However, since he had never seen the White Spider Fruit before, he couldn't immediately recognize it just now. It was only after he read this information that he could see its similarities with the images he had seen in the books.
The Spider Nest Tree is a rare Tier-1 elixir that is typically found in highly toxic locations. The fruit it produces is precious and is known to have a profound effect on First Circle Wizards.
According to the result of the appraisal, the White Spider Fruit provides the exact benefits described. When consumed raw, it can elevate a First Circle Wizard's level by one. Even greater benefits can be obtained by processing it into Owl Tears Potion.
The Owl Tears Potion was a unique concoction developed by Owl, and its main benefit was to increase the level of a First Circle Wizard by two. However, this potion could only be consumed once in a lifetime by a First Circle Wizard. Consuming more would not enhance the effect.
Regrettably, despite its magical properties, this potion was rarely available within the organization due to the scarcity of White Spider Fruit.
Gilgamel stared at the White Spider Fruit for a moment, his mind filled with conflicting thoughts.
This was the first time he felt greedy for someone else's property. Instantly, he began thinking of a hundred surefire ways to trick the young man.
This thing before him was too alluring; it was difficult not to be tempted by it.
Suddenly, unbeknownst to Gilgamel, the page in the peculiar book began to glow. Gilgamel's vision, clouded by greed, abruptly cleared.
'God! That was dangerous... A greedy ghost almost possessed me!' Gilgamel was frightened by his own thoughts, risking the reputation he had diligently built over two years.
He instantly realized that he had been feeling too restless lately.
'It seems like I need to take a break,' Gilgamel sighed in silence.
Thinking about this, he gazed at the young man with a hidden guilty expression on his face.
"Please, pay 100 mana crystals!"
Although Gilgamel felt guilty, a routine is a routine. He must collect money before giving the information.
The young man reluctantly took out a red card, placed it on the table, and slid it in front of Gilgamel.
This card is a bank card issued by the largest wizarding bank in the world, Arcane Bank.
There are different categories of bank cards based on their colours.
The red card has the lowest status and can hold a balance of no more than 10,000 mana crystals.
Above the red card is the blue card, which can hold a maximum balance of one million mana crystals.
Then there's the purple card and the gold card, which are usually held by high-level wizards and can hold enormous amounts of balances.
Gilgamel's bank card was blue. He swiped it over the young man's card.
With a "PING!" sound, the transaction was complete. Then, Gilgamel and the young man pulled back their cards.
Without keeping the young man waiting, Gilgamel immediately shared the information he gained about the White Spider Fruit, including its name, grade, status, description, effect, and market price.
The young man was overjoyed upon hearing the information. However, considering the preciousness of the White Spider Fruit, he became even more cautious.
He was concerned that the young appraiser might try to harm him in order to keep his valuable treasure a secret.
Regarding the young man's concerns, Gilgamel quickly reassured him, saying, "Don't worry, my friend. While I acknowledge the value of your treasure, I will not compromise my principles and ethics. I assure you that this information will not be disclosed to anyone without your consent."
Gilgamel's comforting words did not alleviate the young man's worries; he even muttered, "That's what they said..."
Gilgamel's mouth twitched slightly.
It seems like this kid has been cheated many times.
"My friend, may I offer suggestions?"