He considers his inventory of supplies, mentally cataloging: "[Navalia Wolf Jerky], [Healing Potion] x5, [Gotcha Pork Roast], [Miso Ramen with Extra Pork], and, of course, my emergency [Antidote].” Alex nods in approval. “Looks solid. The ramen even restores MP, pretty rare for healing items."
After a day with his family in their new home, Alex heads back into the Fantasy Realm. Today is his last day to prepare before his next mission starts tomorrow. To his surprise, it’s Tereza who calls him up, handing him a small stack of items.
“[Energy Bar] x5,” Alex notes, looking at her curiously.
[Energy Bar]
World: Fantasy Realm
Quality: Gray
Effect: Recovers a small amount of Stamina
Note: Cheap, mass-produced but somewhat effective.
Price: 200 FC - Limited to 5 per player inventory
“Thanks! This one’s interesting. I haven’t seen a Stamina-recovering item before since Stamina is a hidden stat. If there’s really a marathon, these are going to be extremely useful!” Alex says, genuinely grateful for Tereza’s thoughtfulness. Even though it’s a gray-quality item, a stack of five is going to come in handy for the long, demanding Hunter examination.
As they talk, Alex suddenly receives a message from Rishi:
[Rishi: Trading Hub, eastern street near the end - I think I found something. Can you come and check it out?]
Alex quickly says goodbye to Tereza and hurries off toward the Trading Hub. When he finally arrives, he spots Rishi, who immediately guides him over to a nearby stall, which seems to belong to a member of a small group. The stall has a large number of white and green-quality items, but Rishi directs Alex’s attention to a specific belt displayed at the very top. It actually looks like a champion belt, paraded around by pro wrestlers.
[Champion Belt]
World: Final Fantasy
Quality:Blue
Type: Belt
Required Stats: STR - 10, PHY - 10
Durability: 30/30
Effect:Increases STR by 2
Effect: Increases PHY by 2
Note: A belt that infuses its wearer with power. An extremely difficult item to obtain, this belt is only given to those who possess enough strength to be truly worthy of the title of champion.
As soon as Alex sees the item, he’s immediately hooked by its simplicity and practicality. He and Rishi take a step back, and Alex immediately says, “This is exactly what I need. A boost to my physical stats, STR and PHY. I already covered my AGI and lack of mobility with that [Nimbus Cloak] I picked up earlier.”
Rishi looks at him in astonishment. “Wait—Light Purple gear? How did you get your hands on that? What did you pay for it?”
Alex grins, responding, “Only 2 Soul Crystals and 3,000 FC! I bet outside the tutorial section I’d have to pay way more for it!”
Rishi nods approvingly. “You made a great deal, considering Soul Crystals are mostly used for upgrading innate skills. The fact that your skill is gold-tier makes you one of the few who even has a practical use for them at this point. That’s why they’re not too expensive in the tutorial, and you were smart to pick up that cloak. It perfectly covers your mobility weaknesses. But as for this belt—I honestly doubt the merchant here actually wants to sell it. This shop has absurd prices, and I’m pretty sure this is just here to show off the strength of the merchant and his friends. They’re clearly aiming to form a guild and recruit. It’s like a status symbol.”
“Still, can’t hurt to try, right?” Alex shrugs. “What do you think I should offer them?”
Rishi looks at Alex and advises, drawing from his experience, “Normally, a belt like this would go for about 25,000 FC at this point. Stats are really valuable early on, more so than they’ll be at higher levels. But given how much you need it, I’d say you should be willing to go up to 30,000 if needed.”
Alex nods, appreciating Rishi's insight, and they head over to the stall where the seller and his group have set up their items. Not wasting any time, Alex gets straight to the point, “How much for the belt?”
The average-looking man behind the stall glances at Alex and Rishi, recognizing them. “Oh, looks like I have some real customers here—those with the skill to afford our fine selection,” he says, dodging the question without naming a price.
Already somewhat annoyed by the man’s smug attitude, Alex decides to play it cool. “I’d sure hope so,” he responds smoothly, “since if I can’t afford it, selling it in the tutorial might be a stretch, especially when so few even meet the stat requirements to wear it. I’d love to chat about prices, but I’m currently eyeing three potential upgrades and will be making a decision soon.” He pauses, then adds, “Along with the FC, I can also offer my player ID and my friendship and cooperation. I always bring back a load of items from my missions. If you’re looking to buy low and sell high, you’ll definitely make a good profit working with me.”
The merchant’s gaze shifts, clearly weighing Alex’s words. He looks at him, unsure whether to go with his usual inflated prices or play it smart. On one hand, Alex’s reputation precedes him—he’s the player who took down a merchant defying Realm rules, got teleported away and still returned as if nothing happened, has somehow summoned NPCs from other realms as projections into the tutorial zone, and is tight with some of the most dangerous players here, surviving a PvP bloodbath as one of the only survivors. This guy could either give him a decent deal or risk getting on his bad side by sticking to a ridiculous price. Besides, nobody in their group even uses a “Barbarian” build focusing on STR and PHY—it’s pointless without AGI and SNS to back it up. So maybe letting this item go would actually pay off.
After weighing his options, the merchant finally speaks. “Alright… 32,000 FC!”
Alex shoots him a cold look, which nearly makes the seller topple from his chair. “Damn, still too much? I guess I’ve lost track of real item values by always demanding extreme sums of FC.” Looking apologetic, he quickly adds, “I’m sorry, maybe I overdid it. How about just 28,000 FC?”
Hoping to save some FC for his critical skill upgrades, Alex counters, “I can offer you one Soul Crystal for it… sound fair?”
“Your name’s Alex, right? If I sell this item for just a single Soul Crystal, my team members will literally kill me!” The merchant shakes his head, clearly torn.
“Fine,” Alex says, growing impatient, “I’ll throw in another 5,000 FC. Here, take it!” He tries to initiate the trade, making it clear he’s done bargaining.
Surprisingly, the player accepts. “Thank you for understanding. Enjoy the new belt! And by the way,” he says, with a sly smile, “I’d suggest you try some of the workers here to customize the look. That belt is going to look silly if you wear it out in the open like that!”
A bit surprised the deal went through, Alex reflects, “I’d made up that line about Soul Crystals’ value when I was haggling with Carlos. Could it actually be true? Either way, this is still a solid deal.”
“Thanks for the tip,” Alex says, handing over his ID. “Add me to your contacts. I’ll let you know if I have items I want to get rid of in the future. My mission starts tomorrow, so only a small amount of time will pass here, while I am probably be gone for weeks.”
“Thanks, be sure to contact me when you’re back,” the merchant replies, clearly pleased with how things turned out.
Satisfied, Alex heads back to his room, his final preparations finally complete.