After four long hours, I finally exited the dungeon.
-HUSH!
If I pushed myself and sped through it, I figured I could clear it in just three hours next time.
I headed straight to the Town, the perfect spot to sell loot.
My plan was to sell everything except the Galanthus Nivalis flower—it might come in handy later.
But right now, what I needed most was cash.
I wandered around, looking for a good shop to trade my items.
When I saw the money, I couldn't help but grin.
I wasn't broke anymore!
I made about 40,000 coins in total, mostly from the Boss Monster Core and a rare Silver Lavender flower.
The core sold for 15,000 coins, and the flower brought in a whopping 17,000 coins.
"… Hey, you!"
I turned around, a little confused, and pointed at myself.
"Me?"
"Yeah, you."
Curious, I walked toward the voice.
It wasn't an old man like in those shady stories—this time, it was a young merchant with a cart full of random items.
His smile was bright, but there was something about it that screamed
"sales pitch."
"Why'd you call me?"
"I saw you looking around for something to buy,"
he said, leaning closer.
"Thanks, but I probably can't afford it,"
I said honestly.
"Oh, come on. My prices are way lower than the market's, and since you look like a decent person, I'll give you a special discount. A really good one."
"Seriously?"
I grinned.
If this guy had a storage ring on discount and it was 15,000 coins or less, I could actually buy it without emptying my wallet.
Maybe my luck was turning around—from scoring rare items in the dungeon to meeting this merchant.
Things were looking up!
"Excuse me, do you sell storage rings?"
"Storage rings? You're in luck! I just got one in stock, and it's only 10,000 coins,"
the merchant replied with a grin.
"Seriously? I'll take it!"
10,000 coins? That was way cheaper than any other storage ring I'd seen so far.
The merchant reached into his bag and pulled out a storage ring.
To prove it was genuine, he placed a small pouch inside the ring and then retrieved it again with ease.
"Perfect, I'll take it," I said, excited.
"Wait a moment,"
he said with a sly smile.
"Since you're buying the storage ring, you might be interested in this too."
He held up a small pendant with a glowing blue gem.
"What's that?"
I asked.
"This pendant is a rare artifact that boosts your stamina. Usually, it sells for 8,000 coins, but I'll bundle it with the storage ring for just 15,000 coins total. You're getting a big discount."
"Boosts stamina?"
I hesitated for a moment.
"Yes, it helps you last longer in battles and recover faster. You won't find a deal like this anywhere else,"
he added.
The thought of being stronger and more prepared for my next dungeon run convinced me.
"Alright, I'll take both,"
I said, handing over my coins.
With the ring on my finger and the pendant around my neck, I left the shop feeling ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.
I wandered around the shop, picking up supplies.
As expected, I stocked up on low-rank health potions and mana potions.
The last item I bought was an EXP-boosting potion for Rank 2-.
I was close to reaching the peak of Rank 2-.
Once I got there, I could use the Galanthus Nivalis to break through to Rank E.
This potion was supposed to speed up the process.
I took it out and tried to place it in my storage ring.
"Huh? It's not going in."
No matter how many times I tried, the potion refused to enter the storage ring.
Confused, I tested the ring by taking out some items and putting them back in.
it worked fine for everything else.
But when I tried the EXP potion again, it still wouldn't go in.
That's when it hit me: I'd been scammed.
My hand clenched so tightly in frustration that it hurt.
"Dammit, this storage ring is defective!"
It could store items, but its storage space was only three square meters.
A normal storage ring should have at least ten square meters.
Panic set in.
If the storage ring was fake, then the pendant I bought might also be worthless.
I rushed to an artifact appraisal shop and handed over the pendant.
It cost me 100 coins for the appraisal.
"This is a magic-enhancing item,"
the appraiser said.
"It increases magic attacks by about 5%."
"And the price?"
I asked, dreading the answer.
"It would typically sell for around 2,000 coins."
My stomach sank.
I had paid 5,000 coins for an item worth less than half that, and the storage ring's loss added another 3,000 coins to the total.
Altogether, I had wasted 8,000 coins.
Just thinking about it made my chest ache.
If I ever saw that merchant again, I wouldn't let him off so easily.
I will definitely Fuck that Merch...
After a while, I managed to calm down.
This was a lesson I wouldn't forget anytime soon—I had been way too naive.
I never expected to get scammed, especially by that merchant.
It was my first time in this town, and I didn't know much about the items or their prices.
This is what happens when you let your guard down.
I trusted a complete stranger without thinking.
Looking back, it made no sense for someone to sell an item at a loss.
But I got too excited about getting a storage ring at such a cheap price, and I let him deceive me.
I felt so frustrated.
Losing 8,000 coins was no joke.
Even losing 800 coins would've hurt, so this was a major blow.
I wasn't in the mood to keep shopping.
I realized that before buying anything else, I needed to learn more about this place—how things worked, what items were worth, and what prices to expect.
Otherwise, I'd just keep getting ripped off.
I decided it was time to study the prices of items and improve my bargaining skills.
I didn't want to get scammed again.
Up until now, I had only focused on getting stronger, but today taught me there's more to surviving than just brute strength.
Money.....
That's what I needed.