With my [Appraisal] Skill, I Became the Top of the Streaming World - Chapter 5
A 60,000 Yen "Dud" Drop
The next morning, I stood in front of a magic item specialty shop near Shinagawa Station.
I pulled the Mana-Sealing Bag I’d found during last night’s stream from my pocket. Its texture was still that of a worn-out rag; based on looks alone, it was the kind of thing you wouldn't hesitate for a second to throw away.
"I’d like to have this appraised for buy-back, please."
"...One moment, please."
The staff member at the counter took the bag and vanished into the inspection area in the back. After waiting a while, a different person emerged. She was an older woman who carried the aura of a long-time industry veteran, her eyes sharp behind her glasses.
"Customer, where did you find this?"
"It’s a dungeon salvaged item."
"The mana-blocking structure is completely intact. It’s rare to find a used one in such excellent condition."
"Is that so?"
"Would 62,000 yen be acceptable?"
I nodded, maintaining my composure.
62,000 yen. I had predicted "50,000 to 80,000" during last night’s live stream. It was spot on.
◇
I left the shop and headed toward the station, checking the deposit notification on my phone.
I’d known from the start that the accuracy of my Appraisal skill was the real deal. But there’s a feeling that sinks into your very bones—a true conviction of "this actually works"—only after someone else puts a real price on it.
The fact that the expert woman called it "rare" meant that almost no one else but me could have found that bag and recognized its value.
What I did on last night’s stream was simply show that process in real-time. Just that was enough to get 38 people to watch.
"Plenty of reason to keep going," I muttered to myself, already planning the logistics for tonight’s stream.
◇
At 11:30 PM, I checked the app before hitting the broadcast button.
My subscriber count had grown from 24 to 31. It seems people had found the VOD after the stream ended and hit the follow button. It was only seven people, but still, seven people. To me right now, this steady accumulation was vital.
I titled the stream: [Late-Night Dungeon Scavenger – Day 2]. Zero creativity, but it suited my character. More importantly, being honest felt right.
I pressed the button.
Viewer count: 3.
"...They’re already here," I whispered. It was completely different from last night. I had an audience from the very start.
『He’s here!』
『It’s the guy from yesterday.』
『How did the Mana-Sealing Bag turn out?』
"I just got the results a bit ago. It went for 62,000 yen."
『No way.』
『It turned out exactly like he said.』
『Appraisal is OP.』
"It really did. I was a bit surprised myself."
My honest admission was met with a flurry of "lol"s in the chat. The viewer count climbed to 7, then 10. The momentum was clearly faster than the night before.
As I passed through the service entrance, I decided on tonight’s policy. Appraise as many things as possible and announce every result. If there’s an interesting find, talk about it; if there’s nothing, say so. No hype, no deception. That was enough.
◇
The dungeon was messier tonight than yesterday.
Perhaps a clan had been training here; disposable consumables and low-tier "dud" drops were scattered all over the passage. To most explorers, these were worthless items—things not worth the effort of carrying back.
But my eyes saw a different landscape.
The first thing that caught my attention was a cluster of claw-like drops discarded by the side of the path. They were discolored to a brownish hue, looking completely degraded. There were about eight of them, all varying in size. An ordinary explorer would glance at them once and walk right past.
"These are magic beast claw drops. They were probably tossed because they're degraded, but..."
I directed my [Appraisal] at them one by one.
Magic Beast Claw - Degraded (Grey Poison Lizard)
Current Value: Extremely Low
Notes: Poison gland tissue has mutated; unusable for standard purposes. However, mutated toxins can be crystallized through refining. Post-Refining
Use: Base material for paralysis-inducing drugs.
Recommended: Take to a refiner or the Alchemist’s Guild.
"...Oh, this might be interesting."
I glanced at the screen in my breast pocket; the viewer count had climbed to 24. The chat was moving a bit faster now. I looked back down at the claws in my palm. If I was going to do this, I should explain it properly.
"Normally these would be worth zero because they're degraded, but apparently the fact that the toxins have mutated actually makes them useful. It says they can become materials for paralysis drugs if refined. If I take all eight of these..."
I did some quick mental math.
"They’ll probably be worth around 30,000 yen total. For stuff that was being treated like literal trash, that is."
『Wait, hold up.』
『Those were literally just lying there.』
『I’ve been watching since he picked them up, so that’s how it works.』
『He knows exactly how to use Appraisal.』
The viewers rose to 35, then 40.
I wrapped the claws in cloth one by one and tucked them into my pocket. To anyone else, they looked like garbage. But in my hands, they had turned into calculated assets.
◇
For the next 30 minutes, I repeated the cycle of discoveries and duds.
Every time a zero-value item appeared, I said, "This is trash," and the viewers laughed at how "too honest" I was. When something valuable appeared, the viewers reacted, and my voice picked up a bit of excitement. That rhythm was more comfortable than I expected, and the hour flew by.
I wrapped up the stream a little after 1:00 AM.
"I’m calling it here for today. Thank you for coming."
The comments scrolled by.
『Good work.』
『I’ll be back.』
『Looking forward to the results on those claws.』
『Subscribed!』
I closed the stream and checked the numbers. Peak viewers: 124. Subscribers: Currently 107. From 24 last night to over four times that in a single evening.
"...That was fast."
I put my phone away and stepped out of the dungeon. The night air was cold.
Just then, a notification arrived. It wasn't from Sakaki; it was an account name I didn't recognize.
『Mr. Scavenger, do you have a moment? I also run an exploration-type channel, and I’m curious where you picked up your Appraisal skill.』
I thought about it for a moment, then closed the screen without replying.
I didn’t know who they were. Whether this would turn out well or become a headache...
Well, either way was fine. Right now, figuring out the logistics of getting those claws to a refiner was my priority.
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