Traveling through the game world, starting out as a third-rate villain

“This place doesn’t exist in the game.” This was the immediate thought that popped into my mind after I saw the store.

This is the first time I've seen this store. I'm familiar with this place because I used to come here often when I was playing games, and I have a good memory, so I'm sure of it.

But a strange feeling prompted me to enter this store.

Like the previous one, it was a pretty average looking shop filled with swords, bows, etc. However, my eyes didn't miss the small cloud of dust and the neglected looking weapons.

“This place is going to close down.”

I jumped to that conclusion. After all, a neglected store, with a lot of signs of being attacked, meant I knew the store was on the verge of bankruptcy.

As I was perusing the selection, my eyes fell on a sleek handgun in a glass case.

It's like every other gun I've seen on the market, but it's different at the same time. The craftsmanship is very good and the design seems to fit me perfectly. I can feel a strange connection, as if this gun is calling me. Maybe it's the design, even though it's just a pistol, it also gives it a sense of beauty.

The pistol is painted black throughout, but has some small engravings on it, though they are also painted black.

I walked towards the shop owner with curiosity. He was a middle-aged man with a tired expression. I gestured to him to unlock the glass cabinet. He was reading a book with a tired expression, as if he wanted to leave here as soon as possible.

He seemed surprised that anyone had shown any real interest in the gun.

"Ah, it's a special gun, sir. Not many people appreciate its value," he said, a note of nostalgia in his voice.

I picked up the gun and tested its weight and grip. It felt natural in my hand. "What's the story behind this gun?"

The shop owner sighed. "This is a custom-made gun, forged by the master blacksmith who previously owned this shop. He poured his heart and soul into it, but then... he disappeared."

"Missing?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," the shopkeeper continued, "he was hanging out with some bad people. They wanted to take advantage of his talent. They forced him to make weapons for them, but when he refused, they threatened him. Then he disappeared without a trace, leaving me here alone."

"Are you closing up shop now?" I asked, gently placing the gun back in the case.

The owner nodded sadly. "Yes, I can't take the pressure anymore. They keep coming back and asking me to tell them where he is, but I don't know. They never believe me, so they always threaten me with the store. Now that he's gone, I don't care anymore."

Looking at the scars on his arms, I could tell he had been attacked many times. His nerves were also constantly on edge, and I saw fear in his posture. I could also feel his sadness from the words the shopkeeper spoke.

Despite this, I didn't feel anything. I didn't care about an ordinary person. I came to get the weapon and leave, that's all. Now there is such an opportunity. After all, it is easy to deceive a person who is always nervous.

"I want the gun." I pointed to it and said. "I will let this gun carry on his legacy." I added in a sad tone.

The shopkeeper's tired eyes flashed with gratitude. "Thank you, sir. I am glad that this gun is in the hands of someone who understands its true value."

As he was about to close the deal, I noticed a stack of bullets on the counter. "How much for the gun and the bullets?" I asked.

The shopkeeper paused for a moment, then sighed. "Considering the current situation and the fact that I'm closing the shop, I'll sell both of them to you for 10,000 Vale."

As expected, because he liked the way I talked, he gave me a pretty big discount. Comparing this gun to other guns on display in the store, this gun is worth at least 100k.

"Deal," I said with a smile, picked up my smartwatch and paid immediately. The transaction here is slightly different. First, you deposit your currency in the form of cryptocurrency, and then transfer it out.

The shopkeeper nodded, relief and sadness in his eyes. "Take good care of this gun, sir. It may be just a weapon, but it carries the hopes and dreams of the man who forged it."

I promised him I would, and left with my pistol and bullets in a suitcase.

This is a great harvest. I thought as I looked at the gun in my hand. And there were at least a thousand rounds of ammunition in the suitcase. To be honest, it was really heavy to carry, but it felt good at the same time. I also asked him if he had other weapons, but he said he couldn't sell them to me at a lower price.

Just like that, I still had 30,000 yuan left in my account.

"Now, all I have to do is find a space artifact." I thought to myself. I came here not only because of the weapon, but also because of a artifact that would be useful for the next operation.

But carrying everything in a backpack is not a good idea for a newbie. I know a place where you can find the artifact of the space bracelet.

So I headed for the less-traveled, more secluded area. Once a bustling gathering place of weapon shops and merchants, it was now filled with abandoned garbage and forgotten treasures. It was a place to discard items that had lost their value or were considered defective.

With the knowledge I've accumulated in the game, I know that hidden among these garbage is a space bracelet that has been neglected or considered useless. Usually, most artifacts are swept out of defects by sweeping robots looking for a specific type.

But the space artifact was missed. Because it has a special ability, which is that it will never be found. I don't know its origin, and no information about it has been revealed in the game, but it is one of the most damaged artifacts.

It can bring some special weapons into the academy without being discovered. But it is also difficult to find it, even as difficult as finding Easter eggs in the library before...

And so I entered the junkyard and started making bracelets.

'Jingle, Jingle'

As I sifted through the pile of discarded items, my eyes scanned each one carefully, searching for any hint of hidden treasure, but most of what I found was junk, broken weapons, scratched trinkets, and worthless old trinkets.

'Tatttatt'

But just then, my eyes caught a glimmer of light buried beneath a pile of rusted metal. I reached in carefully and pulled out a small, faded bracelet. It looked like a worthless piece of scrap, but I knew its value.

I held the bracelet in my hand and activated my magic power to examine it further. Just as I guessed, this was the space bracelet hidden in the waste.

"Finally found it." I said to myself.

Not only did I get the artifact I was looking for, but I also got a weapon for a low price.

I put the space bracelet on my hand and activated it quickly. The bag on my back immediately disappeared and entered the bracelet.

“That’s great.”

I also like its design, the black color with silver stripes.

I was satisfied with the newly found space bracelet. But before leaving, I saw a few throwing knives buried under the sword. Although they were not of high quality, I decided to take them.

“Maybe I’ll use them someday.”

So I left the scrapyard and continued to wander the black market. After that, I bought an emergency rope, a belt that would be used, a bunch of special waterproof clothes, and a bunch of materials.

I was also looking for the person I was looking for, but was informed that he had not yet shown up. I didn't know when he would come, so I decided to leave my ID card with the staff and ask him to notify me when the person came.

Of course, I didn't forget to give him some money.

Anyway, that concludes my exploration of the black market, but that doesn't mean my work is done.

It’s just the beginning.

Tomorrow is the day I step into my first dungeon. Before that, I still need a broker to help me sell the monster cores and corpses I will get. However, this is not a big problem. Because there are many hunters who don't like being tracked or hunters with criminal records who also need such things.

To address this situation, the black market provides a service.

Dungeon exploration, special informant and broker services. Some people also call it hunter agent, hunter manager or others.

[Wild Man] is the name of this organization. Essentially, this word is used to refer to those who seek this need, but in the game, they use this word to refer to the organization that searches the dungeon.

This will be my destination tomorrow, and I am already very tired. I have been running around for nearly four hours, plus the time of taking the train and walking, I need to find a place to rest. Picking up the book I borrowed from the library, I started reading until I fell asleep...