Episode 7 – Home Repairs Cost Money
“Wait… so you’re saying we have to buy this?”
“Yes.”
The representative mercenary guild of Illusion, Blackout.
Its guild master, Argos, looked rather unimpressed as his vice master, Elena, made her case.
All this fuss… over a single chair?
“Just buy it if you want. It’s not like our guild is too poor to afford one chair.”
“Sigh… look at the price.”
“The price? Come on, how bad could a chair—”
“…”
“Okay, okay. I’ll look! Don’t glare at me like that…”
Under her sharp gaze, Argos backed down.
It was practically insubordinate for a vice master to stare at her superior like that—
if it had been anyone else, he would’ve punched them by now.
But with Elena, he couldn’t.
“Our guild can’t survive without her.”
If she ever quit, he’d have to take over all her responsibilities himself—
a nightmare scenario.
“No way. That’d ruin us…”
She was a talent they absolutely couldn’t lose.
That’s why he couldn’t pull rank on her carelessly;
she always seemed just one step away from walking out.
“Guess I’ll have to give her a raise soon…”
Reluctantly, Argos opened the auction list and checked the price.
[Auction Price: 30 Gold 566 Silver]
“Thirty gold? For one chair? Are you kidding me?”
“It’s real. And the price is still rising.”
“A chair that costs that much?!”
In real-world currency, that was over 300,000 won—for a chair.
Ridiculous.
[Comfortable Rocking Chair]
Grade: C
Description: A rocking chair made by a traveler, imbued with nostalgic memories. The warmth of its wood and delicate balance relax both body and soul.
Created by a rare artisan’s touch.
Requirements: Level 10+
Durability: 200,000 / 200,000
Options:
-
HP Recovery Speed +100% (while seated)
-
MP Recovery Speed +100% (while seated)
-
Sleep Efficiency +200%
-
After 20 minutes seated: “Vigor Enhancement” buff
“…”
Argos’s eyes went winded.
He thought it was just a chair—but those stats said otherwise.
“A chair with these options? Double HP and MP recovery while resting?”
“Impressive, isn’t it?”
He nodded.
It wasn’t flashy like some equipment,
but its utility was undeniable.
Recovery speed mattered.
If normal natural recovery healed 1 HP per second,
this chair doubled it.
“That means we can cut downtime in half.”
Of course, HP and MP could be replenished with potions,
but that came with the risk of potion addiction.
Most players preferred natural regeneration during downtime—
and for that, recovery-boosting gear was coveted.
Now, with this chair, waiting time could be drastically reduced.
Which meant…
“More hunting time equals more profit.”
“Exactly. And after twenty minutes, you get a buff too.”
“‘Vigor Enhancement’? What does that do?”
“I looked it up—it boosts focus and revitalizes you.”
“Really?”
Argos rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Even now, the auction price was rising—
other players had caught on to its potential.
“We have to buy it. This is an opportunity.”
“An opportunity?”
“Think about it. For someone to craft an item like this,
they must have a special class.”
The chair’s stats were too advanced to be made by an ordinary crafter.
“So you’re saying a player with a unique profession made it.”
Exactly.
Of course, at that time, Aren—the real creator—had no job class at all.
But neither of them knew that.
“So that means they’ll probably keep listing more of these.
Maybe even better ones later.”
Argos stroked his chin again.
Guilds were always desperate for talent.
A special-class player was someone you’d welcome with open arms.
“We start by buying from their listings… and end by—”
“Recruiting them. Before another guild does.”
Argos grinned.
“Yeah. I’m definitely giving her a raise.”
“Alright!”
“So, shall we—”
“Proceed!!”
“Yes, sir!!”
Elena almost jumped for joy.
Argos, watching her enthusiasm, smiled proudly.
“So devoted to the guild… she deserves a bonus later.”
But her real motivation was something else entirely.
“Sleep efficiency +200%! It even looks cozy… I bet I could actually sleep on it!”
Her excitement?
A full 500% pure personal interest.
‘A skill?’
“Got another one?”
After hunting rabbits and wolves, Aren had apparently fulfilled some hidden condition without realizing it.
“Check!”
[Star Modification – Lv.1]
Grade: A
Type: Active
EXP: 0.00%
Description: Modifies wooden items to reconfigure their attributes.
Mana Cost: 100
Cooldown: 100 sec
Duration: 110 sec
Effect:
-
Modification Efficiency +10%
-
Modification Duration +10%
“Modification, huh?”
Aren tilted his head.
Even after reading the description, he didn’t really understand how it worked.
“Guess I’ll just try it out.”
“Star Modification!”
[Star Modification activated.]
[Select an item to modify.]
“This one.”
[Selected: Hector’s Hunting Bow]
[Choose a property to modify:]
-
Attack Power
-
Effective Range
-
Projectile Speed
-
Accuracy
“So I just pick one?”
He selected Effective Range.
[Select modification rate.]
[0–100%]
“Let’s try 50%.”
[Confirmed.]
The bow began to shimmer faintly,
and the light slowly seeped into its surface.
[Modification complete.]
The glow faded.
“Is that… it?”
He stared at the bow, curious.
The experiment had just begun.