Blooming with glee, I pressed on the new tab and was ready to customize for hours on end. However I was soon showered with cold water as the options were literally limited to adding my lifespan. But I did see question marks all over. Maybe I'll be able to change even the letter system when I want to, who knows. Could there even be a color blind one?

In any case, my age was surprisingly average after deducting the three centuries given.

[Age : 26 / 446]

Living to 146 years of age wouldn't be out of the ordinary for most awakened. I've heard of some old farts still kicking above three hundred. Just that, who knows when those kicks are gonna hit the bucket close by.

Well, now was the time to explore the city and find ways to sell my broken sword. Making my way out the cell, I notice Jenna in the corridor. "Hey!" She waves back as I rub my chin. "What is it? You're creeping me out."

"Hey, Jenna, I never knew you looked so good." With my new skills, I could see her features much better. Let's just say I might have needed glasses before, because the difference is quite shocking. Could I even see before?

"Hum, thanks? Just so you know, me and Rick are going out, so yeah..." I let a chuckle escape alongside my blush, didn't realize I was being pushy, too focused on the neat little details all around me. "Don't worry, I'm not that clueless. I just had a good night's sleep and suddenly I can see much better." She nudges my shoulder with a hearty laugh. "Well don't waste it, as soon as your eyes get back on a screen, we'll see how long it takes before you're blind again!"

She's not wrong, but at the same time I haven't really used the phone they gave me. Not only that, I didn't have technology back in the desert prison. And I don't think the system messages are emitting any sort of light or radiation, so they shouldn't strain or tire my eyes either.

So I just shrug with a smile as we part ways and I get going. But not before prepping myself up.

.

.

.

Fresh and clean, smelling like shampoo and... mud, I greet the sunsh- rain. "Bitch why is it raining? First time I get out of this god forsaken place and it fucking rains? It's almost night too I feel like, isn't it the fucking afternoon still?" So with the drenched white clothes they gave us, I ignore the cold and wind, avoiding slipping occasionally. "Get better sidewalks holy shit. How many- pft- potholes are there..." The city is in worse conditions than I thought.

Thankfully it doesn't take me too long to navigate the mess with my phone. So I soon enter a shop. "Hello." I greet the clerk back and take a look around. The wooden floor doesn't creak, nor do the tame ivory and brown colors seem off-putting. This is a rather homey rustic place. There are dozens of artifacts hidden behind or underneath glass all around, let alone deeper. I check the prices and both feel relieved and afraid. I can almost feel myself getting scammed just by standing there.

"Holy moly sweet money, what do I mine? Shiny stones? F-Rank gauntlets for ten grand." I would guess most guilds to be enticing newbies with sponsorships and funding, so such a price can only exist due to the met demand. At this point, should I convert to an artifact seller?

After a little browsing, I finally get my eyes on a sought after price tag. "B-Rank spear, damn. A hundred grand and some more?" Prowling around the area, I soon found other high end artifacts and equipment. B-Rank hovered around a hundred thousand at worse and sometimes it would get close to double that. Unfortunately I couldn't see a single A-Rank or even anything above B for that matter.

Done with the digging, and with the phone in hand, I managed to realize how stupidly high the prices could get. According to some sources, B-Rank should be between one hundred whole thousand dollars and up to a staggering million.

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This place did match the market shown online. "In that case, how much will this be?" I take out the broken sword and infuse Qi into it. The uneven edge glows red before an ethereal blade of the same color extends. "Since when-" Before I can get my hopes up, it vanishes. "Don't tell me..." Indeed, my Qi reserves are empty. That was a quick drain if I've ever seen one. Sighing, I make my way to the clerk. "Hello sir." He greets me with a big, fat, fake, disingenuous, sneaky, dirty smile. The fucker can probably smell money from a mile way with that freckled nose of his. It may look bratty, but those nostrils are experts at noticing swindling targets.

After a few exchanges, I'm led to the back and made to stand around a large table. "Place the item here please." With the amazing reviews this place got, I'm not too afraid of anything happening. I also wonder if selling it means I won't have it in the tab anymore.

"Mmmh!" Using appraising artifacts, the clerk rubs his chin. "It looks pretty good despite the blatant damage. I don't think I can sell it for much but it's definitely decent. I'll give you two thousand for it. What do you say?"

Two thousand? For a B-Rank weapon? "Ahaha! You're funny good sir!" But he only frowns. "Wait, you're serious? Dude..."

"Sir, I assure you this piece is indeed good, but its rank is too low, and its quality... well let's just say it's broken." No shit Sherlock, I really want to smack his face. "How could it be worth two thousand? There has to be a mistake, even if it's broken, a B-Rank weapon is still that." At my retort, the clerk is visibly shaken. "B-Rank? Sir, please be serious. This weapon would be, even if repaired, at most D-Rank. The price for a brand new D-Rank messer of similar quality is around four to five thousand, give or take. So being broken on top, let's just say that my price is more than fair!"

"Fair? How could it be fair? Why would anyone with more than half a brain cell buy this at a fair price? Where's the profit then? So don't try me with the bullshit-" "Sir please calm down" "-I understand that you need a margin for profits to roll in, I don't mind losing a bit, but this is B-Rank-" "Sir! Please slow down I..." "-I would expect at least thirty grand, and that's being overly generous to you. It all depends on where it falls on the B-Rank spectrum. I might ask for hundreds of thousands!"

Scrambled with flailing arms, I watch him panic with clear annoyance rooted deep inside. "Sir, I'm sorry but two thousand is already overextending. If you're not happy with the price, then there's nothing more I can do. On the other hand..." His eyes show a glint, as his previously professional, fake attitude is washed away, replaced by a cunning fox. "However, the store policies don't apply to private trades. I wouldn't mind buying it from you, not as an employee here, but a free man, for three thousand!"

"..."

"Go fuck yourself." Flipping him off, I take back my weapon and storm through the front doors.

Trying to scam me? In your dreams pal.

Unfortunately for me, from this point on, every place I tried would hope for a steal, literally. At best, I would lose nearly ninety percent of my estimated earnings. This is beyond a scam, it's daylight robbery.

But I can't help the aching heart. Even as I hold it, the material do seem poor. It's just that I know first hand how devastating it could be. The system doesn't lie, so unless it lost physical quality due to the damage, it should still be worth a pretty penny.

Making my way back, my soaked clothes dried since a few hours ago, I get my feet back into the manor's territory. I walk past the gates and onto the white path surrounded by well trimmed grass. Each blade is almost identical, making me wonder whether or not it's as fake as that clerk's business model. Trying to get pretty little deals on his own, I'm sure the store wouldn't like that. But I don't care enough to report him. Maybe that's why he's still working there. He might also have a keen eye for lazy people.

In any case, once I get past slouched Jeremy, he frowns at the broken sword I'm playing with on the way. "What's that? And why are you sulking like a little kid?" I'm too tired to cut his head off. "Nothing, tried to sell this B-Rank junk, but it's fucking pissing me off how everyone's trying to scam me. Am I such an easy target?" Spreading my arms to emphasize my point, I should've expected the answer. "Yeah, you kind of are one." "Funny Jeremy, really funny." About to get past the door, he interrupts me. "Why don't you ask to see the Baron? He's a B-Ranker and pretty fond of pieces like that. Maybe he'll be willing to take it off your hands? I don't think you have much of an opinion about him, but he's actually pretty fair."

Baron? I never even saw the man. "I guess I've got nothing to lose. How do I meet him?" That's when I see him look shocked. "A guard would need to give you paperwork..." I don't understand why he's so shocked. "And then deliver it personally to the Baron's butler..." "Why are you gasping?"

"But Jack, I'm the only one here today?"

"So? Just give me the paperwork." That's when I'm forced to remember Jeremy's temperament. "If I'm the only one here, then I must do it myself. Well, you know I won't move my ass, so good luck getting it tomorrow."

"..." I'm speechless. With some deliberations, I flip him off and get back to my cell.