Ch. 204

Chapter 204: The Value of a Single Junk Item (2)

From the moment he started the game, Hyun’s ultimate goal was to reach the pinnacle of Asrian .

Therefore, he didn’t panic when Jini brought up the word “King.” However, as time passed, Hyun began to realize that Jini’s meaning wasn’t that simple. The King of the World. If “the world” didn’t just mean the inside of the game… what on earth did that imply?

Sitting alone with Jini in the lobby, Hyun broke into a cold sweat.

“The King of the World…”

For a long while, Jini explained the situation outside the game to Hyun. Specifically, it was the story following the festival where Kwon Dae-ho had made his major announcement: the value of Asrian as a simulator and the fluctuating real-world issues tied to it.

These complex correlations were a bit much for Hyun, who had only recently become an adult, to fully grasp. Still, he came to understand one thing for certain: the Asra he knew in the past and the Asrian of today were so different they could hardly be compared.

“If you see this, you’ll definitely understand.”

At some point, Jini pulled something out of her inventory. The moment he realized what it was, Hyun’s eyes widened in shock.

“A gun…! Is that a real gun?”

Two pistols. Since firearms and related weaponry never existed in Asra Online , these were undoubtedly items created by a User. Jini handed one of the pistols to Hyun and gestured.

“Try shooting it. At me.”

“Is that okay?”

“It’s fine.”

The moment he cautiously pulled the trigger— Bang! A small gunshot rang out, and a message popped up at the bottom of Hyun’s vision.

[Damage has been blocked!]

“Ah…”

Checking the message, Hyun let out a sigh. If defense is too high, an attack is completely nullified, triggering a damage-blocked message. Either that, or the gun Jini handed him was too weak to penetrate even basic defense.

Did modern killing machines hold no value in Asrian ? If so, transferring real-world weapons might be meaningless. As he was thinking this, Jini handed him the other gun.

“Now, try shooting this one.”

“Huh? It looks exactly like the first one.”

Fufu. Jini simply answered with a smile. The moment he gripped the second pistol, Hyun felt a faint sense of dissonance—a strange feeling as if his body and equipment were synchronizing. It was a sensation similar to what he felt when wielding a sword or donning armor.

Bang! As the gunshot rang out again, Hyun’s jaw dropped when he saw a different message.

[You have dealt 2 damage!]

“Damage… actually went through?”

Only 2 damage. It might seem like nothing, but Hyun’s eyebrows quivered with shock. He recognized the staggering value of that gun at a single glance!

‘Wait, this can be used to peel off defensive skills! If it counts as a basic attack, I can even extend combos with it!’

To the speechless Hyun, Jini continued her explanation.

“Anyone with shallow knowledge can make the first one. But do you know how much capital experts poured in to complete the second one?”

“How much… was it?”

Hyun held his breath as Jini’s low answer came.

“5.3 billion won.”

“…!”

Startled, Hyun almost dropped the gun, but Jini waved her hand dismissively.

“It’s a gift, so you can keep it. That was the development cost; making one now doesn’t cost nearly that much. If you just look at the material costs… hmm, it could be made for under 5 million won.”

“That still sounds like a lot…”

It was a series of shocks for Hyun. He had heard rumors of real-world items crossing over into Asrian , but he hadn’t expected to feel the change so tangibly and so soon. However, the surprises Jini had in store weren’t over yet.

“And this is something I could only bring as data.”

Jini projected a 3D video onto the Private Room’s table. From the recorded quality, Hyun could tell this was something on an entirely different level from standard YouTube videos.

“This is the last gun I’ll show you. I heard the development cost alone was 650 million dollars.”

“How… much?”

“Roughly 700 billion won. This hasn’t been announced yet, and I’m only telling you, so you have to keep it a secret, okay?”

“…?”

The video Jini brought was a first-person play record of a certain man. Amidst a breathless silence— Bang! A much louder gunshot erupted.

[Critical Hit! You have dealt 20 damage!]

The man’s personal screen in the video showed a significantly higher damage output than before. But the messages didn’t stop at one line.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

As countless people in the video cheered and clapped, Hyun read the message windows appearing for the man. The content surpassed all his previous astonishment.

[Class: ‘Musketeer’ has been unlocked!]

[Job advancement is possible after Level 100!]

[You can now learn the skill: ‘Basic Marksmanship’!]

He understood what that meant and exactly how much it was worth. As the former Rank 1 of Asra , Hyun grasped the situation faster than anyone. Simultaneously, a sense of alarm rose to the top of his head.

“A Musketeer class? How is that even…!”

In Asra , the weapon known as a “gun” didn’t exist, and the skill “Basic Marksmanship” couldn’t possibly have existed either! To the confused Hyun, Jini explained calmly.

“There’s a section in the Asrian development thesis. It says that for a simulator with minimized programming, it is necessary to grant a single AI to the ‘System’ itself.”

“The System is an AI…?”

“Yes. Simply put, if a new form of weapon is invented, the System itself creates a corresponding class.”

Jini looked at the two guns and spoke again.

“In other words, these were items so crude the System didn’t even recognize them as ‘weapons’.”

It was a difficult story to swallow. When he first heard from Jae-hoon that real-world items were being brought into Asrian , he hadn’t quite understood. But the moment he realized it could change the very foundation of the game, Hyun felt a sudden, massive wave of anxiety.

Asrian had become too different from Asra . With things changing this fast, could he keep from falling behind?

Jini changed the subject at that moment.

“Hyun, how many mana stones do you have?”

She suddenly asked a seemingly random question.

“Mana stones?”

“Yes, only those Grade 10 or higher.”

Mana stones were byproducts obtained by killing monsters—items often dropped during Named hunts and used as materials for crafting. Hyun had been stockpiling them in his inventory, thinking they might be useful one day. Their grades were diverse.

10, 11, 12, 13… and finally, he had a single Grade 15 stone, which he had obtained by disassembling Shakron’s Chain Sword—the material that would become a Legendary weapon.

“Adding them all up, I have about a hundred.”

“A hundred…! Do you have other magic materials as well?”

“Yes. Roughly this much.”

When Hyun showed a portion of his inventory, Jini suddenly clapped her hands.

“That’s exactly it!”

She then shouted with an excited expression, pointing back to the third gun in the video.

“If we use the materials you have right now, I could make that gun and still have plenty left over!”

From the explanation that followed, Hyun learned some startling facts. According to Jini, research costs are divided into material costs and “other” costs. The vast majority of the expenses come from material costs incurred during repeated trial and error. She also told him the materials needed to make the pistol and the costs spent to purchase them—figures that Hyun found difficult to fathom.

“Wait, something’s weird…”

“What is it?”

“The material prices make no sense! Are those ‘experts’ being scammed?”

It’s natural for item prices to plummet over time as it becomes easier for high-level users to obtain advanced materials. To think they bought items that would be worth nothing in a few years for billions of won!

‘Are those people sane?’

Hyun had his doubts, but according to Jini, the decision-makers were not only sane but the people who swayed the world.

“When demand is concentrated, it’s natural for prices to rise.”

“No, but still…!”

“The most important factor in research is speed. By investing 700 billion won to secure a foothold for the next step, it’s absolutely not a loss for them. They’ll probably recover that investment in no time. Whether it’s through related technologies, patents, or first-mover advantage, corporations pour money in because it’s concluded to be profitable. Besides, later on, it won’t just be mana stones—the prices of all high-grade materials will skyrocket.”

Hyun felt dazed by Jini’s non-stop barrage of words. He let out a hollow laugh when he heard that even NPCs were hoarding mana stones as the real-world economy shifted. It felt like something unbelievable was happening behind the scenes. He knew Asrian was different from Asra , but he hadn’t known the changes were this profound.

“So, what I’m saying is…”

Having laid all her cards on the table, Jini gulped. Her eyes were filled with anticipation on one hand and fear on the other as she prepared her next words.

Honestly, there are probably plenty of people with my level of ability. Compared to Hyun’s talent, I might be insignificant. But at the same time, I’m the first person to discover Hyun’s ability, aren’t I? So, it should be okay to be the first to make this proposal.

“I can help you. So that you can become the King of this world.”

Jini felt she was standing at a crossroads between being ordinary and being special. The first time was when she dreamed of being a pro gamer… but that future was a vain hope without possibility from the start. And the second and final crossroads was right now.

But for some reason, she felt much more desperate now than when she had craved to be a pro gamer. Perhaps it was because she had finally realized the direction of her own talent.

“How about… hiring me?”

“Hiring you?”

“If that’s too much, just accepting me into your guild is enough for now.”

The moment he heard everything, Hyun could sense Jini’s resolve. Her proposal wasn’t a joke, nor was it a light “if it doesn’t work, so be it” offer. She had come to him with the determination to dedicate her future.

A sudden yet serious proposal. Hyun couldn’t help but be lost in thought.

It wasn’t a decision he could accept immediately. Hyun remained in deep thought long after Jini had left. Looking over the recent transaction prices on the auction site, he chewed over Jini’s words once more.

‘The prices of junk items are definitely insanely high.’

Hyun hadn’t looked at the prices of low-tier material items until now. There was no need to even glance at items that weren’t extremely rare magic materials or Level 100+ Unique equipment.

‘One iron ingot is 13 gold? If converted, isn’t that more expensive than real iron?’

Ordinary iron was at that level, and materials processed with mana formed prices tens or hundreds of times higher depending on quality.

‘What about Divine Stones?’

The word he searched for out of curiosity. Divine Stone. Not a single listing existed.

Hmm… Hyun fell into contemplation, looking at the twenty-something Divine Stones piled in his inventory. He felt like he could get an astronomical amount by selling just one, but he couldn’t know the exact market price. Was hoarding the answer in times like this?

‘Come to think of it, I was confused in Demonia Canyon because the value of land was different, too.’

Thinking back, this wasn’t the first time real-world intervention had changed in-game market prices. Land prices, mana stone prices, item prices. Almost nothing remained the same as in the Asra days. According to Jini, the things that changed the most were magic materials. The fact that he could preoccupy numerous high-grade materials before real-world organizations swarmed in seemed to hold more meaning than he thought.

‘Become the King of the world…?’

Jini had compared the appearance of Asrian to a “New World” and boosted his ego by calling him Columbus. Previously, he was just a college student obsessed with a game, so being compared to such a great figure made him feel bashful.

After the festival, Asrian was no longer a simple world that ended as just a game. If he couldn’t keep up with the changes, far from being a king, he would most likely be marginalized as a shut-in who was merely good at a game.

Hyun’s thoughts grew deeper and deeper.

End of 204