Episode 31
031. Authentication Complete
His eyes, which had been blazing like furnaces, began to be shot through with red veins.
His iconic red beard, trembling as if convulsing, unable to contain the rage.
“You… called this sword ‘crude’?”
“H-Hyik! Th-That was…!”
The moment Durin tried to explain, Dusar’s anger exploded.
“Did this magnificent masterpiece look like some mere Unique grade to your rotten eyes?! Have you defiled the honor of Kratum, this holy land of blacksmiths?! Have you insulted every artisan in this city and blasphemed the blessing bestowed by the God of Steel?!”
CRASH-!
Unable to restrain his fury, Dusar slammed his fist down on the reception counter.
That single impact made the entire auction house reverberate, and the weapons hung on the walls clattered.
He said nothing more.
He simply gestured with his chin towards the guard captain standing nearby.
“Seize that wretch’s hammer and anvil, melt them down in the furnace, and banish him from Kratum forever.”
“P-Please, not that! Have mercy… please forgive me just this once! I was momentarily blinded by greed! He’s an outsider, isn’t he?! An outsider possessing something beyond his station…!”
“Hmph, a dwarf judges only the item. Your eyes were fixed on something else. Be thankful we’re not gouging out those rotten eyes.”
For a dwarf, having one’s hammer and anvil seized is a punishment akin to having one’s soul ripped out.
Moreover, it meant being completely buried in dwarven society.
Durin wailed and pleaded, but not a flicker of hesitation showed on Dusar’s face.
Durin’s screams echoed long through the auction hall as he was dragged away by the guards.
By the time Durin’s screams faded,
Dusar had regained his composure as if he’d never been angry and bowed deeply to Golden Hand.
“Young artisan, the fault is mine. I failed to manage my people properly, allowing you to be gravely disrespected. I, Redbeard Dusar, sincerely apologize on behalf of all the blacksmiths of Kratum.”
For a dwarf, especially a proud master artisan like Dusar, to bow his head to an outsider was an extremely rare occurrence.
Golden Hand could feel his sincerity.
“It’s alright. Since the misunderstanding has been cleared up thanks to you, that’s enough.”
At Golden Hand’s composed reply, Dusar looked even more apologetic.
His eyes lit up as he looked past Golden Hand’s shoulder at the Iron Walker.
“Is that steel giant also your work? You seem to have deep expertise in Magical Engineering as well, beyond being a mere blacksmith. An outsider, yet you surpass most dwarves.”
Dusar laughed heartily and pulled out a black card and an ornately patterned parchment scroll from his bosom.
“An apology with mere words lacks sincerity. Consider this my token of remorse.”
First, the black card.
Dusar handed over a premium card edged with gold.
“With this VIP card, you will receive the highest treatment in all shops in Kratum. Well… any dwarf who knows my name might offer some conveniences.”
[Acquired Kratum VIP Black Card.]
The Kratum VIP Black Card.
Of course, it would be useful for transactions, but it wasn’t just that.
It was a kind of letter of introduction.
Meaning, the bearer of the Kratum VIP Black Card is someone certified by Redbeard Dusar himself.
Moreover, it’s hard to find a dwarf in Leption who doesn’t know Dusar.
Therefore, it also meant he could invoke Dusar’s name to receive goodwill when meeting dwarves in the future.
‘I got something huge from a single apology.’
But that wasn’t all.
The second item Dusar offered was a sheet of parchment scroll.
“And this is an invitation to an exclusive VIP auction that will be held soon. It’s a gathering of rare items from across the continent, so it should help broaden your perspective. Your item will also be exhibited there.”
[Acquired VIP Exclusive Auction Invitation.]
Golden Hand was momentarily surprised by the unexpected gifts but did not refuse.
Refusing under the pretense of politeness would be wrong.
Given dwarven culture, refusing a gesture of goodwill itself might be perceived as an insult.
Satisfied with Golden Hand’s attitude, Dusar smiled and shouted to the auction house staff.
“Register this ‘Moonlight Venomous Serpent Greatsword’ as Legendary grade under our auction house’s name! Keep it securely in the special exhibition room until the auction begins, and conduct large-scale promotions as well!”
At Dusar’s command, the staff began moving with seamless efficiency.
And finally, Dusar left one last statement.
“If anyone questions this item’s grade, bring them to me. I, Redbeard Dusar, will deal with them personally.”
Redbeard Dusar.
The supreme ruler of Kratum.
The Moonlight Venomous Serpent Greatsword, recognized by him.
Now, it was no longer just a greatsword coveted by players.
Even major figures in Lepione like Collector Calis would be targeting the Moonlight Venomous Serpent Greatsword.
“Are you satisfied with this outcome, young artisan?”
The one who had caused the commotion in the first place.
Calis merely gave Golden Hand a playful wink.
Simultaneously, footage of Golden Hand and Dusar was being streamed live on Repinet.
And the moment Golden Hand’s Moonlight Venomous Serpent Greatsword received Dusar’s authentication,
The Repinet forums went into a frenzy.
[Title: I told you to trust Golden Hand hyung, right? Where are all the guys who said it was fake? (Kratum Live Footage)]
└ Insane… Dusar’s presence is otherworldly.
└ So the legendary item wasn’t fake? How is it possible to already craft a legendary-grade item?!
└ Go watch the video. Dusar guaranteed it, what’s this nonsense about it being fake?
.
.
.
[Title: Today’s Kratum Auction House Summary: No_One_To_Trust_In_This_World.mp4]
└ Serves the appraiser NPC right lololol He was a total scammer.
└ What kind of connections does Golden Hand have? Why is a noble taking his side?
└ But Lepyon freedom of interaction seems high. An NPC just backstabbed a player lololol
.
.
.
[Title: So, what do you think the starting bid for the Moonlight Venomous Serpent Greatsword will be?]
└ Won’t it be at least over 100 million? It’s the server’s first player-crafted legendary.
└ I heard the starting bid was set at 10 million? But no one knows the ending price. There’s more than one or two people aiming for it.
└ Golden Hand is set for life with just one sword? How does that make sense?
└ He must be the GM’s son or something lol
.
.
.
Players who saw the live footage began chiming in one by one.
Among them were utterly nonsensical comments, like absurd inferences about connections to the game’s administrators.
However, there were those scrutinizing even those nonsensical comments with care.
[Yeokcheon (Reverse Heaven) Guild, Emergency Top Executive Meeting]
“Damn it!”
Guild Master Kang Moo-jin slammed his fist down on the hologram screen.
The scene on the screen, where Dusar was proclaiming ‘Legendary,’ crackled and distorted.
“If he even gets Dusar’s certification… it becomes even harder!”
The Moonlight Venomous Serpent Greatsword.
Without a doubt, it was a weapon capable of replacing, no, surpassing the role of the destroyed Stormcaller.
He intended to buy it, but it had become too famous.
“Sang-soo?”
“Yes, Guild Master.”
“You know what I’m going to say, don’t even bring up the money issue. Even if I have to pour all my personal assets into it, we are getting that greatsword. Understood?”
Kang Moo-jin’s resolve seemed absolute.
However, Vice Guild Master Park Sang-soo seemed to be trying to calm Kang Moo-jin down a bit.
Or rather, pointing out practical problems.
“But the Asura Guild and Mirae Group have announced their participation as well. The price will…”
“So what. What if the Asura bastards or Mirae Group join in? Especially Mirae… since when was Mirae an enemy?! Don’t you know the chaebol rankings have changed?”
The chaebol rankings hadn’t changed.
Chaebol ranking number one: Mirae Group.
Mirae Group remained solidly in place, but Kang Moo-jin, his pride wounded for some reason, reacted strongly.
Kang Moo-jin stood up from his seat and spoke decisively.
“That sword isn’t just a simple weapon. It’s something that can maintain my position at the top… no, it can lead me to a position of overwhelming supremacy! Do you still not understand that?”
Lately, places for private tutoring or academy classes had begun appearing within Lepion.
Meaning it was gradually permeating society as a whole.
In such a Lepione, the meaning of holding the top position was significant.
Not only would it serve as publicity for the HS Group just by holding it, but it would also solidify his standing as the group’s successor.
That’s why Kang Moo-jin couldn’t give it up.
He began desiring Golden Hand’s ‘Moonlight Venomous Serpent Greatsword’ more fervently than ever before.
Accordingly, the Yeokcheon Guild also plunged into an unprecedented all-out effort.
However, Asura, whom Kang Moo-jin was wary of,
Their atmosphere seemed a bit different.
“Kang Moo-jin must be sweating bullets. This… makes it too easy to sabotage him, doesn’t it?”
Asura Guild’s Master, Choi Jin-woong, wore a serpentine, cunning smile as he watched the footage.
Instead of getting excited, he was coldly analyzing the situation.
“Chief of Staff, current status?”
“Yeokcheon has issued a full mobilization order for guild funds. Mirae Group has already urgently dispatched a negotiation team to Kratum. It’s shaping up to be a full-scale war.”
“Is that so? Good. Then we move in three directions.”
Choi Jin-woong held up three fingers.
“First, the auction team will drag Yeokcheon along to the very end. It doesn’t matter if we don’t win the bid. We need to exhaust Kang Moo-jin’s financial resources as much as possible. That way, his staying power weakens.”
Folding one finger, he continued.
“Second, the contact team will secretly approach ‘Golden Hand.’ Impersonate Yeokcheon and threaten him into a deal. The more unpleasant the process, the better, right? Just sowing resentment towards Yeokcheon is a success in itself.”
