Chapter 8: The Plaza
The Plaza had six floors. The ground floor was meant for Common grade equipment. The first and second floor was for Rare grade. Heroic grade equipment could be found on the third and fourth floor. The top floor was used as an office for the director and the appraisers.
The ground floor was filled with a crowd, most of which were E and D-Rank raiders. The items there were the most affordable to them. Janu and Nohan went directly to the first floor. The equipment on the ground floor couldn't raise interest to both of them. That floor was meant for new raiders anyway.
"Look at these..!"
Nohan, despite having been to the Plaza, couldn't hold his excitement. Equipment of various types was displayed there. The equipment was arranged according to the class, type, and rarity. He looked at each of them with glistening eyes. Any raider would want to try everything of their class. For them, it was like heaven.
[Kala's Sting
Type: Dagger
Rarity: Rare
Attack: 64
Skill:
- Poison Sting, deals 120% attack, has 10% chance to poison the opponent which causes it to lose 5% HP every 2 seconds for 10 seconds.
- Deep Cut, deals 180% attack and causes the opponent to Bleed which causes it to lose 5% HP every 3 seconds for 15 seconds.]
Janu used Appraise skill on one of the weapons displayed there.
'Not bad. But, the attack is only 64. My Magic Iron Sword's attack is 96. Is it because it is enhanced with magic?'
Janu looked around using his skill to check the stats of the equipment there. While Nohan was still admiring everything he saw, Janu walked further inside. He pressed the button on the elevator to go to the next floor.
"Wait… Don't leave me here." Nohan, who was about to be left behind, walked quickly to catch up with Janu.
Nohan wondered when he saw Janu pressed number 3.
"Not going to the second floor?"
"Nope."
"But, why? There are better weapons there than the first floor."
"And the third floor has much better equipment, I suppose." Janu was smiling while saying that. He didn't want to waste his time with anything below Heroic grade. He had seen enough on the previous floor.
"Whooaa… Look at these…" Nohan was excited upon seeing those weapons and gears. He ran here and there admiring them. The items displayed here were not as many and there were fewer visitors than the floors below, and there were some guards stationed there. There were four B-Rank raiders and one A-Rank. The A-Rank was mostly the person in charge of that floor. The visitors looked like they were from wealthy backgrounds and they sneered upon seeing the two men.
"Look at those bumpkins," One visitor said to his companions. He was supposed to whisper when saying that. But, many people on that floor could hear him. Maybe it was because he was intentional.
Hearing that, Nohan's expressions changed drastically and people could see that he was really annoyed. He would have confronted them but he didn't have any idea about them. Raiders who came to the Heroic floor were known to have some background. He tried to hold back. Contrary to that, Janu was still calm. People might think that he didn't even hear that.
[Fiery Axe
Type: Axe
Rarity: Heroic
Attack: 125
Skill:
- Fire Blast, deals 140% Fire attack and knock back the opponent
- Annihilation, deals 220% AoE attack
Bonus:
- When wielded by Berserker attack is increased by 20%
- Strength +15%]
'The attack power is only 125 for a Heroic Axe. Shouldn't it be higher?'
Janu did the same for some other items but none piqued his interest. He walked towards the elevator.
"Let's go."
"Okay," Nohan agreed. He didn't feel like staying much longer.
"That's right. Go back to where you came from."
"This is not the place for the likes of you."
"Bwahahaha..." Another mockery could be heard by them.
While others thought that they were going down, Janu and Nohan were actually going up to the last floor for the display.
Upon exiting the elevator someone approached them. A man in his forties who wore a neat and extravagant suit greeted them. Unlike the previous guests who were rude, this man was polite.
"Welcome to the fourth floor of the Plaza. I am Wawan. Please browse our collections and if you need any assistance just let me know," The man was experienced, or trained, and he knew he couldn't judge someone from their appearance.
"Are these all?" Janu saw that there were fewer items there, but at the first glance they seemed better than the ones on the previous floor.
"Officially, yes. Do you perhaps have something in mind?"
"Nothing in particular. We'll see the collection first."
[Arok's Kris
Type: Dagger
Rarity: Heroic
Attack: 120
Description: Arok was a commander who killed Mpu Gandring using this weapon, which he ordered from him. He became a king after killing the previous king using the same weapon.
Skills:
-Cursed Blood, deals 170% attack. Has 10% chance to instantly kill up to 7 opponents if the level is lower than the user.
-King's Revenge, deals 310% attack. Crit. Dmg +50% if there is only one opponent
Bonus:
-Gain Agility +10% when fighting against humans or humanoid monsters.
-Rarity becomes Heroic+ if Mpu Gandring's Legacy is in effect.]
'Mpu Gandring?' Janu was surprised when reading the description.
"Who made this?" He asked Wawan.
"It's unknown. Not all the items here were made by us. Some were acquired through auction and some others were obtained from dungeons."
"How much is it?" Janu was interested in the dagger and if it was possible he wanted to have it.
Ding
The elevator opened and a group of four raiders entered.
"You two again…"
They were a bit surprised when they saw the two.
"What are country bumpkins doing here? Just go home already."
"Don't you know how much an item on this floor costs?"
"Maybe they're just sightseeing."
They threw mockery one after another.
"You…!" Nohan almost lost his temper. He tried to endure the mockery but they were like intentionally picking a fight.
Janu moved his hand in front of him to stop him from moving any further. He knew that this was meaningless and he didn't want to cause a ruckus.
"Excuse me. Is there anything I can help?" The man greeted the group in hope the situation wouldn't escalate. There were some occasions raiders were involved in fights because of trivial matters.
"Yes, sure. Why don't you make them leave?"
"Bwahahahaha..."
"I don't see any reasons I should do that. Everyone is a guest and we treat them equally." No one truly knew his intention; whether it was sincere or only to prevent a fight.
"Hmmph." The group were dissatisfied with the reply but they didn't have the guts to cause troubles in the UR Plaza.
"You're lucky," said one of them.
Janu was still waiting for a reply from Wawan so he didn't bother.
"So, how much is it?"
"It's 7 billion," Wawan answered without expecting him to be a prospective buyer. He thought he was only curious, but he didn't want to be careless in dealing with customers.
Nohan couldn't believe what he had just heard. His mouth was wide open from the shock.
"7 billion?!"
"Hahahaha..."
"You see kids. You think this is a candy shop?" The previous group interfered again.
"Do you serve item exchange or is it possible for me to sell my equipment?"
"Sure. For an exchange it must be of equal value and to be frank, we take benefits. We also buy items, of course. You can see our appraiser when you come back with your equipment."
"No need. I have it with me."
Janu opened and flicked his palm and something appeared.
[Grave Spirit
Type: Dagger
Rarity: Heroic
Attack: 140
Description: A dagger which carries the resentment of the deceased. The attack is high but the user will lose HP over time.
Skill:
-Corrosion Bite, deals 130% attack and causes corrosion which reduces the opponent's HP by 8% every 2 seconds for 8 seconds.
-Fatal Strike, the next 3 attacks are guaranteed to be critical.
Bonus:
-Damage from dark element is halved.
-Has 15% chance to counterattack when parry is successful.]
Wawan and Nohan were agape. Their jaws dropped at the sight before them. This scene triggered a similar reaction from the group who mocked them.
….
….
There was a moment of silence before Wawan came back to his senses. He could see the worth of the weapon using his Appraisal skill. He was responsible for that floor, so it wasn't surprising that he had that skill.
"I can't decide on my own. Please, follow me."
"Hah!!" A shout from the group broke the moment.
"Unbelievable!
You see that? That bumpkin played a trick. How could someone like him have a Heroic weapon? He must have stolen that!"
For a raider to have a Heroic weapon he had to be a seasoned one or from a prestigious background. From how he looked, Janu was none of them. Even for them, who were overconfident with their background, a Heroic grade item was a luxury.
"That's enough! You've gone too far!"
Nohan couldn't hold back any longer when he heard those guys blabbering nonsense. It hadn't been long since he met Janu but he believed in him. His sense of camaraderie didn't allow his friend to be looked down on.
"All of you barely know us and you keep spouting nonsense. Are you intentionally picking a fight?"
Nohan was a good person and he would choose to avoid conflict if it was up to him to decide. However, when someone kept provoking him he wouldn't be quiet.
"You…!"
The one who kept talking bad about them was taken aback. He didn't expect that they dared to talk back.
"Okay, gentlemen. Please calm down. Remember this is the UR property," Wawan tried to mediate the conflict.
Being reminded about where they were at that moment, the guy who started all of it chose to back down.
"I'll buy it for double the price. 14 billion for that dagger," another man who kept silent all the time suddenly spoke.
When they thought it was over, that offer was like gasoline poured on a fire that was almost extinguished.
"I'm sorry, but the Plaza is not an auction. So, please excuse us. Feel free to have a look at the other collections." Wawan politely rejected the offer.
"Please follow me," he then asked Janu and Nohan to come with him. This left the group of raiders to have sour faces.
On the top floor they knocked on the door and entered the room in the middle. There was someone sitting on a desk and he was the person in charge of the whole Plaza. He was still young, about thirty and he had a handsome face.
"Excuse me, Mr. Herman."
"Please have a seat, Mr. Wawan. And who might these be?"
"I'm Janu and this is Nohan."
Before Wawan could answer, Janu introduced himself and his companion. He hadn't introduced himself to Wawan anyway.
"They're here to have an exchange. Please, Mr. Janu."
Janu took out Grave Spirit and handed it to Herman, which made him a little surprised. Herman used Appraise skill and was shocked even more.
'This is great.'
"What do you want to exchange it with?"
"Arok's Kris.*
"Arok's Kris? The rarity is the same. They're both Heroic. But your dagger is definitely better. What if we offer to add 2 billion to the exchange?"
'Janu's dagger is better and they want to give 2 billion? This is crazy… Where the hell did he get that dagger? He was only a miner.'
"Sure, it doesn't seem bad. It's a deal."
"Very well. Mr. Wawan, please arrange the exchange. Is there anything else from our collection that you are interested in?"
"Is there any higher grade equipment?"
…..
…..
There was a moment of silence before Herman answered. No ordinary customers had ever asked about higher grade items than Heroic.
"Yes, of course," he was a little hesitant in saying that. He took a tab which was on his desk and showed a list of items to Janu.
Janu looked at the list and found some Heroic+ items. There were only about ten of them so he was a little disappointed.
"Not interested?"
"No Legendary equipment?"
"Hmhmhmhm..." Herman found that question funny and he could barely hold his laughter.
"I'm sorry. As you might already know, there are only five known Legendary items in our nation. They're in the possession of the UR and four of the five top guilds. They're not for sale."
"I see."
"I can tell you something. But, please don't say a word about it outside."
"Alright."
"In the upcoming auction, there will be a legendary item. What the item will be is not revealed, however."
"Can anyone join it?"
"No. You'll need a special invitation. The five top guilds and the UR have got one. Some raiders who are not affiliated to them can buy an invitation for a very high price."
"Is there any other way?"
"If you still have items of Heroic grade or above, you can sell them at the auction and you'll be given an invitation for free."
"How can I contact them?"
"Who knows. Only the higher ups know."
Janu thought of his uncle Bimo while Herman said that so that Janu didn't ask any further. Herman didn't have any idea about Janu so he thought that he had nothing to do with the UR higher ups. This was because Katheryne only informed the Workshop, and not the Plaza.
Wawan entered again with the weapon that Janu bought.
"Here's your item," Wawan handed a case with the dagger inside.
Janu opened the case, took out the dagger and flipped his palm. The dagger disappeared and went into his inventory. He didn't check the effect with Mpu Gandring's Legacy right away.
'Is that a skill?'
Inventory was an exclusive feature and only Janu had it. Another similar feature was any equipment, except weapons when fighting, could be set to invisible.
"I think that's enough for now. Please excuse us."
"Very well. Please take this. It comes with many advantages. Thank you for your visit. We hope that you'll visit us in the near future." Herman gave Janu an exclusive member card for the Plaza.
"I'm going to the workshop after this. Wanna come?" Janu asked Nohan if he was interested too.
"I wish I could. My session will start soon."
"Okay. See you soon."
Janu went to the Workshop. He entered the ground floor and it was an office. The equipment production needed entry records and distributed to the Plaza and the branches. Besides, equipment was also awarded to raiders who had enough merits.
"Hello, I'm Janu and I'm here to see Mr. Joyo," Janu introduced himself and stated his purpose of visit.
"Welcome, Mr. Janu. Please wait for a moment," the receptionist welcomed him and made a call. "Mr. Joyo, Mr. Janu has arrived… Okay, sir."
"Mr. Joyo has been waiting for you. Please, go to the middle office. Mr. Joyo's name is written on the door."
"Thank you, Miss."
"You are welcome."
After being told about where Mr. Joyo's office was, Janu entered the said office.
"Excuse me, Sir. I'm Janu."
"Hi, there. Come and sit down. I had been informed about you. Are you perhaps interested in item production?"
"That's right. If it is fine, I'd like to see the process. But before that, would you please tell me about Forgemaster class?"
"Forgemaster.. we just simply call it Blacksmith. Are you a Forgemaster?"
"It hasn't been long since I'm awakened. I'm not sure about my class, but I'm interested in item creation."
"I see. Just like any other, this class also has levels. At Beginner level, we can process low level materials. They cannot be made into equipment directly. We must infuse mana to them so that they are not broken during the process. Intermediate blacksmiths can process higher level materials and create Rare equipment. And only advanced blacksmiths can make Heroic grade equipment. Heroic equipment is difficult to make. Even for myself, the success rate is 60% at the most."
'The process is definitely different from mine. I can directly craft equipment from the system. Is my class not Forgemaster?'
"How about Heroic?"
"Hahahaha…" Joyo wasn't sure whether he should laugh or cry.
"Heroic+? Only one man in our nation can make that. To be precise, he doesn't make it. He upgraded it."
'That's surprising. So, this man is not a blacksmith but an enchanter. Maybe..'
"Why don't we take a look at the process?"
"Sure. I really appreciate it."
They went to see the process, from the materials processing to Rare equipment making..
'The process is much longer than I imagined and there's no 100% guarantee. No wonder the price is high.'
"Do you also sell items at the auction?"
"The auction?" Joyo seemed surprised at the question.
'Only certain people should know about the auction. Did the President tell him about it?'
"Yes."
"Actually, I'm not allowed to talk about it. But, since you already know about the auction, I think it's fine. And yes, we sell items at the auction."
"Then, can you get me into the auction? I have some items to sell."
"You know that the items are at least Heroic, don't you?"
"Sure. Here."
Janu had a total of 21 Heroic items, which he got from reward, enchant and craft before he unlocked his first SubClass Magic Enchanter. He wore seven of them: armour, shoes, helmet, necklace and ring and two weapons. Two were reserved: shield and the dagger he had just got from the exchange. He had eleven items that he didn't need. He wanted to give one to Nohan and sell the rest.
'Five should be enough.'
Joyo was breathless from the sight of 5 Heroic items appearing out of nowhere: two weapons, a helmet, an armour, and a pair of shoes.
[Blizzard Point
Type: Spear
Rarity: Heroic
….]
[Roro Kidul's Tome
Type: Grimoire
Rarity: Heroic
….]
[Black Mist Hood
Type: Helmet
Rank: Heroic
….]
[Mythril Scale
Type: Armour
Rank: Heroic
….]
[Wind Glider
Type: Shoes
Rank: Heroic
….]
"Where did you get these items!?"
The UR Workshop were barely able to produce such items in a half year, even if the success rate was high.
"That's a trade secret. I'm sorry, Mr. Joyo."
"What is exactly your relationship with the President?"
"I thought you've been informed by Katheryne. He is my uncle."
"Is that so? Fine, I'll contact the auction. I'll let you know if they agree, but it may take some time."
"That's fine. I have plenty of time. Here's my number. Excuse me then."
Janu headed to his room and took a rest. The following day he went to the Arena again and saw Santi and a man were already there. It seemed that they had been waiting for him to come. Both were curious as to why the President wanted the man to personally test that youngster.
"Good morning, Miss Santi. Good morning, Sir. I'm Janu. Are you perhaps Mr. Andre?"
The man was taller than average and it looked like he was fast.
'Is he an Assassin?'
"That's right. I heard about you from Mr. President. Ready to spar?"
"Right away? Okay."
Janu had never learnt martial arts properly. He only knew some moves from watching movies and videos on I-Tube. He readied himself and took a defensive stance. He was like a boxer that way. The opponent was Andre. He was a seasoned raider who became a trainer in the UR.
'He was definitely an A-Rank. I can't be careless here.'
"You're not coming? The result of a battle is mostly determined by the first attack. Here I come."
Andre dashed towards Janu and jumped when he was within reach. He spinned his body to the left mid-air and stretched his right foot to kick at Janu's head.
Buukkk…..
The kick landed on its target.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Monkey_D_Fluffy
Monkey_D_Fluffy I've been struggling to bring you this update. Hope you all enjoy it. Toast to everyone reading this...
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone