Chapter 30. Midas

Penalty items were only occasionally found in dungeons, so they were rarely available for sale. In this case, there was a large stockpile because it was a market.

Regardless, even the most well-supplied stores or guilds would only have a few of these items at most. Hence, seeing dozens of penalty items listed in one place was such a breath of fresh air.

"What’s up with these, though? Did some research lab put these up for sale?" Kim Do-Joon wondered aloud.

Ever since the World Tree appeared, countless research projects sprung up everywhere. Maybe a lab researching penalty items had to close for some reason, so they decided to sell their inventory. That was the only logical explanation he could come up with.

"Well, these items are registered under a personal brand," Evi commented.

That information wasn’t particularly helpful.

"The seller is currently online. Would you like me to connect him with you?" Evi offered.

"Wait, really?" Kim Do-Joon asked, looking interested.

"Yes. The seller’s status indicator is green.”

Normally, he’d just press the purchase button and be done with it. Then again, there was no harm in meeting the seller. They could have other items for sale that weren’t listed.

"If it’s registered under a brand, does it have an official site?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

"Every brand, even a personal one, usually has one, yes. I’ll send a request.”

[You have requested access to Midas’ homepage.]

Evi, who had been chattering away, suddenly paused in the air. Her gaze lost focus, staring into space.

[Your request has been accepted.]

"Accepted! Let’s go!" Evi announced in a way that sounded straight out of a sci-fi movie. At the same time, a portal opened in the courtyard.

Kim Do-Joon stepped into the portal.

Whoosh!

As soon as he walked in, a vast space opened up. Unlike his modest place, which consisted of only a house and a yard, this place had a fountain and a plaza surrounded by several buildings. As expected of a Platinum-rank seller.

From one of the buildings, a man came out to greet him. He looked quite young. Could he be a college student?

"Hello, are you Mr. PotionMaker?"

PotionMaker was Kim Do-Joon’s nickname.

"Yes, I’d like to check out some items," Kim Do-Joon replied.

"This way, please," the young man instructed.

He led Kim Do-Joon to the largest building. Weapons lined the walls, and several armored mannequins stood to one side. He looked like an arms dealer from a comic book or fantasy movie.

"This is the first time a customer has visited me in person!" the young man exclaimed, clearly excited.

"Really? Aren’t you a Platinum-rank seller?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

"That's because I've been selling items for a long time! Whether or not they actually sell is another story,

haha

..." the young man, Midas, trailed off. He sounded a bit dejected.

"Well, may I have a look?" Kim Do-Joon said.

"Of course!” Midas perked up again. “Take your time, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!"

Kim Do-Joon’s true purpose was to find out how Midas managed to collect so many penalty items. From the entrance, he started inspecting the items' information window.

[Gigas Thorn Blade]

- Attack Power + 12-32

- Defense Power - 21

- Causes bleeding when equipped

[Jade Magic Wand]

- Attack Power + 5-7

- Mana Level + 5

- Strength Level - 5

[Usable Leather Boots]

- Defense Power + 13

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

- Agility Level - 3

...

...

...

Wow...

Kim Do-Joon couldn’t help but be amazed. Did someone seriously put all his efforts into gathering such trash? At first glance, the effects didn’t seem particularly bad, but every single one came with a penalty!

If it weren’t for Kim Do-Joon's specific interest, he’d have fled this shop and never looked back like any normal person. Although the penalties cut the prices to a third or even a fifth of their normal cost, they probably still didn’t sell very well.

"

Uh

... I have some normal items too, over here..." Midas said nervously, pointing to a section with ordinary items without penalties.

Kim Do-Joon had no interest in regular items, though.

"You sure have a lot of penalty items. May I know the reason you’re collecting them?" Kim Do-Joon asked.

Midas blinked a few times. Hesitantly, he muttered, "Well... it's a long story, one that might bring you to tears..."

"If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear it," Kim Do-Joon requested.

"

Um

, okay.”

Midas cleared his throat. Judging from his demeanor, the story didn’t seem to be a secret. After a moment, he started his tale.

"It all began in 1998 when I was in middle school. I dreamed of becoming a master craftsman, so I always held a hammer. I wasn't an Awakener, though. Back then, more than half of the kids in class would write that their future aspiration was to become an Awakener or Hunter. Well, you know how it is. That’s every kid’s dream.”

After a brief sigh, he continued, “ I was no different. As I hammered away, I thought about how amazing it’d be if Hunters used the equipment that I made. I’d watch Hunter videos on WhoTube and imagine them using my gear. One day, a spore stuck to me! I was naturally ecstatic. So I ran to my dad, making quite a fuss.”

Something felt off, but Kim Do-Joon kept listening intently.

"You must be wondering, where did a student get so much money?! Dungeon materials are quite expensive, after all. The truth is, I had to rely on my parents for funds."

"..."

"After going at it for half a year, I finally created my first item! With my own skill! I felt so much joy that I still dream about it today."

"..."

"Unfortunately, the item I made was useless. At the time, I was still young and determined; I didn’t want to give up after just one trial, so I begged my father for more money and bought more materials—"

"

Um

, excuse me," Kim Do-Joon interrupted, rubbing his temple.

Midas seemed flustered.

"I’m sorry, but could you summarize it?"

Midas looked puzzled. "You mean my story?"

"Yes, as concisely as possible," Kim Do-Joon replied with a serious tone.

The word “concisely” must have struck a chord.

Wide-eyed, Midas nodded and cut to the chase.

"My skill is a gacha with terrible probabilities."

***

Midas' real name was Hwang Hyun-Woo. Simply put, his crafting skill generated extremely random effects. One would think that every negative attribute came with a positive one, but that was not the case.

Hwang Hyun-Woo could only produce something on par with the average work of other craftsmen at best, yet he continued crafting anyway because it was his childhood dream. Due to his skill, however, he’d produce items with penalties about nine times out of ten.

Hwang Hyun-Woo used to be part of a well-known crafting guild, but his skill’s drawbacks forced him to go his separate way and start his own brand. Even then, his shop was consistently running at a loss. Although items with minor penalties could be sold at a low price, most of his products had severe penalties.

"I can barely make a living from this. The materials are expensive, and the products are useless," Hwang Hyun-Woo said.

Kim Do-Joon nodded in understanding. Naturally, high costs and little to no sales meant inevitable losses.

"That's why I sometimes go in and gather materials myself. I have some combat skills and even got a Hunter’s license," Hwang Hyun-Woo explained.

"I see. As a Hunter, you can also earn extra money," Kim Do-Joon replied.

"Yes, but my income as a Hunter can barely cover the crafting materials." Hwang Hyun-Woo laughed bitterly.

Despite his young age, he seemed to have been through a lot. Oftentimes, young Hunters who earned more than those in other professions would become arrogant, but Hwang Hyun-Woo was different.

Had he given up on crafting and focused solely on being a Hunter, he would have likely earned a sizable income.

Well, he probably knows that best.

Fortunately, Kim Do-Joon was not foolish enough to voice this thought.

Besides, putting aside his primary job to gather materials in dungeons sounded familiar. Feeling a strange solidarity, Kim Do-Joon continued to browse the shop. Then, he noticed a pile of items shoved into a corner.

Wait! Those are...

Unlike those on display, these items were haphazardly piled. The information windows revealed them to be items with only negative options, making them worthless.

Kim Do-Joon pointed at them. "Are those for sale?"

"Which ones?" Hwang Hyun-Woo asked. Upon seeing what Kim Do-Joon was pointing to, he frowned and shook his head "Those are just utter garbage. Other items at least have some usable effects, but not those. I don’t think anyone will buy them."

"Are you going to dispose of them?" Kim Do-Joon asked, trying to hide his excitement.

"Yes. Although they can't be recycled as items, they can be used as scrap metal or wood.”

Kim Do-Joon's eyes gleamed. He could probably buy them at a steal price.

"Why don’t you sell them to me? You’ll get paid for them, at least.”

"Those items? Why would you want them...?" Hwang Hyun-Woo asked, looking confused.

"I know someone who collects them."

Kim Do-Joon had made up the vague excuse on the spot, but it sounded more plausible than saying he needed them for himself.

Unexpectedly, instead of readily agreeing to him, Hwang Hyun-Woo hesitantly shook his head.

"Sorry, but I can’t sell those. Even if I only make garbage, I still dream of being a master craftsman. I can’t possibly sell garbage to someone."

Hwang Hyun-Woo seemed stubborn—perhaps this was what kept him crafting despite ongoing deficits. It was obvious that no amount of discussion could convince him otherwise.

"If you change your mind, please contact me. I’ll be waiting," Kim Do-Joon said.

"Will do," Hwang Hyun-Woo replied.

With that, Kim Do-Joon left.

There’s always next time

.

As he purchased more penalty items, he would get more chances to talk with Hwang Hyun-Woo.

After their conversation, Kim Do-Joon bought a few suitable items from the display.

"Thank you. I’ll ship them immediately. We’re in the same region, so they should arrive within the day," Hwang Hyun-Woo assured.

"Thank you. Good luck with your sales," Kim Do-Joon replied politely and returned to his page.

After purchasing a couple more penalty items from other sellers, he logged off.

***

The armor arrived the next day. Kim Do-Joon consolidated their defensive effects into a single piece of equipment, then copy-pasted it onto himself.

[Additional Effect]

- Defense Power + 207

His defense increased in an instant, rivaling that of a full set of decent armor. He touched his skin to see if there was any noticeable change, but he didn’t feel anything unusual. However, when he tried to cut himself with a knife, he felt a strange energy repelling the blade. He’d have to apply sufficient force to slice through.

The orc labyrinth is on cooldown... maybe I should check out the Elemental Island.

For the first time in a while, Kim Do-Joon ventured into the tier 2 labyrinth. As always, the Island’s chaotic mix of deserts, lakes, and snowy mountains greeted him.

First, Kim Do-Joon headed toward the lake. Despite the occasional snake attacks, his steps remained light. After all, monsters of this level no longer posed any threat to him.

Upon reaching the lake, Kim Do-Joon climbed the tallest tree in the vicinity. Then, he retrieved the Lightning Spear from his inventory. He grinned and threw it into the lake with all his might. A blinding white lightning engulfed the entire lake.

The exhilarating sight melted all his stress away. Seeing water snakes float up to the surface only thrilled him even further.

No wonder people love wizards!

Although the Lightning Spear was a weapon, its effect was no different from magic. Each throw consumed a chunk of his mana, though, so he could only do a maximum of ten throws.

Maybe I should invest in mana runes on my next shopping trip.

Increasing his mana stat by a little bit wouldn’t result in a dramatic change. Nevertheless, with steady improvement, it would become noticeable over time.

While pondering, Kim Do-Joon collected all the snake skins floating on the lake's surface. Afterward, he hunted more snakes in the desert and ash-colored plains.

He returned to the lake after clearing all the areas. The snakes had respawned by then, so he hunted them again before moving to another zone to hunt some more In total, he spent three days and nights circling the island, focusing solely on hunting.

Finally!

[Additional Effects]

- Earth Resistance + 75%

- Water Resistance + 75%

- Fire Resistance + 75%

- Wind Resistance + 75%

Kim Do-Joon had maxed out his resistance to all four elements!