Carlos often enjoyed perusing Red Espiritual Net, hopeful of discovering hidden treasures. The odds were slim, but not entirely absent. Last month, luck smiled upon him as he acquired a fourth-grade Amulet.
Although slightly damaged, with roughly seventy to eighty percent of its spiritual energy depleted, its power still outshone that of a superior fifth-grade Amulet.
In skilled hands, it could even serve as a life-saving measure.
Having savored success, Carlos started scouring Red Espiritual Net with renewed enthusiasm each day.
Suddenly, "Number One Artificer in the World" naturally grabbed his attention.
Upon seeing the shop name, the forum section immediately took on a mocking tone. Carlos instantly grasped that the target of ridicule was none other than a store named "Number One Artificer in the World." Within a single day, the post had gathered over a hundred responses, an unprecedented phenomenon.
Red Espiritual Net target audience guaranteed it would never amass hundreds of millions of users like a human website, but rather a few hundred thousand at best.
For Red Espiritual Net, having a thousand users online in a day was considered substantial. Therefore, a hundred responses meant that at most, one-tenth of the users might have seen it.
Filled with intense curiosity, Carlos clicked into the post.
"Everyone, come and witness the audacious 'Number One Artificer in the World.' Can you believe this individual dares to proclaim such a title on Red Espiritual Net? His boldness is truly astonishing. A newly established store with nothing to showcase, offering a lower-grade artifact for two million! Who can verify whether his claim of accommodating mid-level runes is even genuine? Even if it is, it doesn't warrant such a hefty price."
The original poster also provided the address of the "Number One Artificer in the World" store, the solitary artifact on display, and its detailed specifications.
"A lower-grade artifact with a mid-level rune, at most, it's worth one million five hundred thousand. Moreover, this artifact hasn't even been officially certified. In this era, with numerous scammers around, who would dare not display official certification? This shameless store owner is remarkably audacious."
Following the initial post, more comments followed. The thread swiftly captured the attention of other users.
"Where did the poster stumble upon such a rare find?"
"I've never come across such a pricy artifact on Red Espiritual Net before."
"The person above who registered on Red Espiritual Net for only two or three years is speaking. A mid-tier lower-grade Artifact for two million, this isn't unheard of before, you're just inexperienced."
"Don't start a fight, what the second floor said does make sense from another perspective. They're talking about officially certified ones. For those without certification, yet still priced this high, it's a unique case."
"The fourth floor is making sense."
"Don't know where this country bumpkin came from, this store is obviously newly opened."
"No reputation, outrageously high prices, definitely a fool."
...
After skimming through the previous comments, Carlos found that hardly anyone believed the Artifacts displayed in the store were genuine.
Unable to resist his curiosity, he followed the link to the store and examined the detailed description of the lower-grade Artifact. His lips couldn't help but curl with interest.
His own Artifact had been destroyed last month, beyond repair.
He was currently in need of a replacement.
While he couldn't afford a mid-tier Artifact, he could consider a lower-grade one.
However, lower-grade Artifacts weren't so easy to pick – first, they had to match his own attributes, and second, the attributes and power of the Amulet file shouldn't be overlooked.
This particular lower-grade Artifact, be it in terms of attributes or power, coincidentally suited his situation.
The only issue was the slightly higher price, and just as others mentioned, the reliability of the information provided by the store was unknown.
What if it was all a scam?
Although Carlos family wasn't lacking in funds, possessing millions in assets, most of it was tied up in fixed assets.
Producing two million in cash was still a bit challenging.
However, what if it was real?
There weren't many individuals who dared to deceive on Red Espiritual Net.
As Carlos continued reading, his desire grew stronger.
Lower-grade Artifacts might be common, but a mid-tier lower-grade Artifact was a rare find.
...