I was Caught up in a Hero Summoning, but that World is at Peace (WN)-Chapter 2168: A Nostalgic MMO ②

I don't really understand how it works. Well, being a game console made by a God, it's beyond common sense, but when I got it for my birthday, I was told it connected to a dedicated cyberspace. However, from what I can see, it's just connected to Earth's internet like normal.

Ever since Shiro-san and Eden-san revised the contract a while back, there's been a clear increase in mobile game-like additions, so maybe they adjusted it during that process.

In the online game I started playing with Aoi-chan, I returned the equipment I had been holding onto for her, and in exchange, she gave back the set of gear I had used before.

Of course, in an online game where inflation progresses over the years, top-tier equipment from a few years ago is completely outdated. That said, it doesn’t mean their performance has declined.

As gear for getting back into the game after a long time, it's more than sufficient.

[Whoa, that's insane. Modern equipment now has this many effects stacked onto a single piece……]

[Inflation is inevitable in online games. My equipment has a high-performance restriction that only Tier-4 Classes and above can use, so to someone like Kaito-san, who quit years ago, it must look ridiculously powerful. But even so, my equipment isn't top-tier or anything. It's more like mid-tier.]

[If that's mid-tier, then the level of inflation is really something…… I guess the items in my storage must seem like nostalgic relics to you, Aoi-chan.]

[Yeah, pretty much. Also, there's a lot in here.]

[I gave you all the equipment, but I left the other items in my storage———- things with high rarity but subpar performance. Selling them was a hassle, so I just quit with them still in my storage.]

[Hehh…… Eh? Ah, Kaito-san! That item!]

As I was looking through my storage, feeling nostalgic, Aoi-chan, who had been peeking in, suddenly raised her voice in alarm.

The item she pointed at was a rare drop from a certain Field Boss. It had no particular use, aside from selling for a high price to NPCs. Since it was technically a rare drop, I had kept it as a collection piece in my storage.

[That item is selling for an insanely high price right now!]

[Eh? Seriously? Back when I played, it was rare but had no real use…… Did they implement some new way to use it?]

[Yes! A few months ago, they introduced these insanely powerful weapons called "Sacred Artifacts". To craft them, you need tons of rare boss drops. Among them, the one you have, Kaito-san, is especially hard to obtain, and top players are scrambling to buy it for absurd prices.]

[……That was just an early-game Field Boss, so farming it should be easy, right?]

[No, actually, two years ago they adjusted the drop rates. That item no longer drops from early-game Field Bosses, it only drops from a time-spawned boss in a high-difficulty dungeon now. Because of that, the price has been skyrocketing.]

I see…… Back when I played, and even when the drop adjustments were made, it was just a meaningless rare item. But a recently added feature suddenly made it a crucial material, causing its price to soar…… Since it had no use before, many players probably just sold it to NPCs for the high base price, making it even rarer……

Of course, there must be others like me who kept it as a collector's item. But if they realize how valuable it is now, they'll try to sell it for the highest price possible, driving up the cost even further.

If Aoi-chan says these Sacred Artifacts are incredibly strong, then they must be in high demand among top-tier players. And those kinds of players have massive funds, so naturally, they'll buy them up at outrageous prices……

[And you have about 20 of them……]

[I used to farm Bosses a lot back then.]

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

[If you sell them, you won't quite reach top-tier gear, but you'll be able to get some really solid equipment.]

[Fumu, I’m completely out of touch with the item market and everything, so I'd really appreciate it if you could teach me, Aoi-chan.]

[Leave it to me! I'll teach you everything! ……Fufu, things are the opposite now from back then, aren't they?]

[Yeah, it really is……]

Back when we used to play together, I was the one teaching Aoi-chan everything. But now, it's the other way around, she’s the one teaching me.

She seemed happy about it, smiling brightly, which was both endearing and cute.

[Alright, let’s head to the market and find a buyer. Then, we’ll get you some decent gear…… Since you're still in your Tier-2 Class, your hunting spots will be…… Oh! It'll be easier to explain if I can see your screen, too, so I'll move my chair over and sit next to you!] ŗ𝖆ɴȪβËᶊ

[……U- Unn. If that makes things easier for you, Aoi-chan……]

Getting all excited, she moved her chair next to mine, closing the distance until our shoulders were almost touching. She smelled nice, like oranges.

Was it her perfume? I remember she said she liked citrus scents, so maybe she chose something like that for her perfume…… Arehh? I don’t recall her wearing perfume before though?

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [So, does this perfume thing have some kind of romantic meaning behind it?]

Makina: [Just as my beloved child suspects, Aoi normally doesn’t wear perfume. She seems to think it’s not really suitable when she’s out adventuring. But, well, she is a girl in love. When she goes out with my beloved child, or when she gets to spend time alone together like today, she puts on perfume. She also takes extra time doing her makeup and styling her hair more than usual.]