Chapter 84: The Gale Demon Ring

When I returned to Frostveil City, the place was abuzz with players fiercely debating the feud between the Supreme Mercenary Corps and the Dragonwolf Knights.

Some accused the Dragonwolf Knights of causing endless trouble, while others argued that the Supreme Mercenary Corps had brought the counterattack upon themselves with their rampant arrogance, turning the entire city into a place of tension and unease.

Listening to their chatter, I couldn’t help but quietly laugh to myself.

The world is always like this. No matter where people gather, there will always be disputes and grudges. Ultimately, it all boils down to personal strength... Why do the strong never get harassed on their own turf? Instead of wasting time here idly gossiping, wouldn’t it be better to focus that energy on leveling up?

After all, in “Age of Magic,” strength speaks above all else—a lesson I had learned well in my short time immersed in this game.

Passing by these lower-level players, I made my way straight to the city’s central plaza.

I was no longer the greenhorn I had been when I first set foot here... Clad in this decent set of vine armor, I followed the flow of the crowd and soon found myself standing in the heart of the square.

...

Time to change out the Silver Beast Magic Dagger!

That thought had flashed through my mind the instant Battlewolf escaped my grasp...

The Silver Beast Magic Dagger, while reasonably powerful and boasting a chance to paralyze, made for excellent monster-slaying and leveling. Yet, it simply couldn’t unleash the close-combat skills of a bow-warrior.

If only I’d been able to use my skills then, Battlewolf wouldn’t have gotten away so easily... That tier-one skill boosting attack by 20% would have added at least four extra points to my strike—dealing triple damage and posing a much greater threat to Battlewolf! I might have even stripped a piece of equipment from him! But, alas...

I sighed softly, tinged with regret and frustration, and began weaving through the jumble of market stalls, searching for a suitable one-handed weapon.

To my dismay, nearly all the daggers and short swords I found were restricted to rogues! The handful of one-handed weapons available to warrior-types had unimpressive stats. Even the level 15 daggers, mostly of bronze grade, fell short by 5 or 6 points compared to the Silver Beast Magic Dagger.

Annoyed, I pressed on.

Luckily, Frostveil City’s plaza was teeming with equipment vendors—surely among so many, I’d find the ideal silver weapon!

And if not here, I’d just travel from city to city until I did... After all, I’d already amassed more than a hundred and ten gold coins (having sold all the junk I’d looted from Blackwind Forest and the White Cloud Mines), and with city teleportation costing only five gold per trip, I could afford to splurge a few times.

With that thought, I calmed down and resumed my search.

...

Diligence pays off!

Soon enough, I zeroed in on a stall brimming with one-handed weapons and bows—a dazzling array of bronze and silver gear, neatly laid out alongside a few compact pieces of armor and helmets...

But what truly caught my attention was the stall owner.

A tall human player in his twenties, he carried a longbow on his back and a short sword at his waist, clad in a simple set of silver armor—the very picture of a bow-warrior.

Perfect! If he was a bow-warrior, then the weapons on display were likely the gear he’d just upgraded from.

Delighted, I squeezed through the crowd toward his stall.

The owner was haggling with a few players over equipment, frowning as he bargained:

“Cut the nonsense... Sixty gold and I’ll take it. Not a coin more.” I heard a bowman’s voice as I drew closer, clearly negotiating over something on the table.

“No way! I paid over two thousand credits for this, and selling it for a hundred gold is already a loss... I can’t go any lower!” The stall owner, oblivious to my arrival, stood firm.

His words nearly made me turn on my heel and run...

A hundred gold? Non-negotiable?

What on earth was so expensive?!

Swallowing nervously, I patted my coin pouch with a lingering sense of dread.

I’d come prepared to splurge on a top-notch silver weapon, but a hundred gold for a single item... that was outrageous! My entire gear set, weapon included, hadn’t cost three hundred gold, and here was one piece for a third of that...

No wonder the other buyers had fallen silent.

Following their gaze, I looked over at the so-called “precious item”—and then, relieved, I almost laughed out loud.

They weren’t talking about a weapon, but the only accessory at the stall: a ring.

In “Age of Magic,” accessories are notoriously rare drops, and their prices are often several times those of gear from the same tier. If this ring’s stats were solid, a hundred gold wasn’t unreasonable after all.

Still, hearing their conversation, my curiosity was piqued.

I crouched for a closer look, and my eyes immediately lit up:

Gale Magic Ring (Silver Equipment): Magic Defense +2–3; Agility +6; Movement Speed +3%; Agility Requirement 45; Level 15 Restriction; Usable by Archer-type Classes.

What a fantastic accessory—solid magic defense, a movement speed boost, no wonder it was going for a hundred gold. Compared to the Silver Beast Ring on my hand, this was in another league entirely.

A top-tier tier-one accessory, no doubt!

But for players in the first or second tier, a hundred gold wasn’t something you could just fork over on a whim... As for third-tier experts, they wouldn’t bother with such a low-level accessory. This ring might be hard to sell.

While pondering, I shook my head with a sigh and turned my attention to the one-handed weapons—the real reason I’d come here.

And at that, I couldn’t help but grin...

Just as I’d hoped! Every single one-handed weapon at the stall was usable by warrior-types, all silver grade, spanning levels 15, 18, 20, and 25! Clearly, this bow-warrior was clearing out his entire arsenal in one go!

———

Damn, Xiao Hei is so clueless—turns out the opening ceremony is at night...

Frustrating...

I need some votes for comfort. No Olympic tickets, but I’ll take your recommendations all the same!