With my [Appraisal] Skill, I Became the Top of the Streaming World - Chapter 22
The morning after the stream, I dropped off the Mana-Seal Stone fragments at the refinery.
Three days later, I received a message: "It's finished."
When I went to pick it up, the eight fragments had been restored into a single stone. It was a deep purple, with fine streaks of light running across the surface. It looked like an entirely different object from the scattered shards I had picked up.
"The fusion refining went well. The purity is slightly lower than a natural stone, but it's perfectly fine quality for a Rarity B Mana-Seal Stone."
"Thank you. Could you handle the buyback as well?"
"Subtracting the refining fee, that will be 62,000 yen."
The shards lying by the drainage ditch had turned into 62,000 yen. Thinking about the number of people who must have walked right past them gave me a strange feeling.
◇
At noon, I headed to the Management Bureau. Asada showed me into the same meeting room as before.
"Do you have an answer for me?"
"I'll register. But first, let me confirm a few things."
I opened the documents he had given me last time.
"I can continue my streams. I retain the right to refuse requests. And the management of my personal information is restricted to within the Bureau. These three points haven't changed?"
"They haven't. We can state them explicitly in writing."
"Understood. Then, please register me."
"Thank you."
Asada looked visibly relieved. The process took about thirty minutes—signing papers and receiving my certificate.
It was printed with: Private Appraiser – Ryo Makabe.
It was just a thin, laminated card. A common enough item, yet I felt like this was the catalyst for a change.
"From now on, formal requests will come through the Bureau. The first one will likely arrive within the week."
"Depending on the content, I might refuse."
"Of course."
As I was leaving the room, Asada added one more thing.
"Without your discoveries, we wouldn't even be discussing utilizing this registration system. Truly, thank you."
"It just happened to turn out that way," I replied, giving a light nod.
Outside, I tucked the certificate into my pocket. It was just a flimsy, laminated piece of paper. Even so, I felt like the ground I was standing on had shifted slightly.
◇
At night, I started my 17th stream. My subscribers had reached 11,050.
"Today, I'm doing a lap of B4F. I haven't had a chance to check the areas near the sealed room yet."
『Something's definitely gonna happen.』
『The Sealed Room Zone!』
『Looking forward to it!』
I took a different route just before the passage that led to the sealed room. This sector was a bit dimly lit. The walls looked old; it seemed like it hadn't been renovated recently.
After about thirty minutes, I saw a stone lying in the middle of the passage. It was about the size of a fist and milky white. The surface was smooth, with a faint, pulsing light emanating from within.
"What's this, I wonder?"
When I picked it up, it was lighter than it looked. I directed [Appraisal] at it.
Mana-Resonance Stone (Incomplete Pair)
Rarity: B (When Paired)
Current Value: Low (Individual) Estimated Value (Paired): 120,000–160,000 yen
Notes: One of a pair of stones split from the same source. On its own, the value is low, but when combined with its counterpart, the mana resonates, making it a rare material. A reaction from the other half exists within 50 meters of your current location. Recommended: Search surroundings and recover the pair.
"It's half of a pair. The appraisal says the other half is within 50 meters."
The comments flooded in instantly.
『Find it!』
『If it's within 50m, it's definitely there!』
『Treasure hunt time!』
"Let's try."
Holding the stone, I began to check the surroundings. As I repeated the appraisal, messages like 'Reaction detected,' 'Closing in,' and 'Very close' appeared.
"The reaction is getting stronger. It's this way."
I turned a corner into a different section. Cardboard boxes were piled against the wall—not neatly stacked, but looking more like they'd been abandoned and forgotten. At the very bottom, a white stone was wedged in.
"Found it."
I moved the boxes and pulled it out. It was the same milky-white stone as the first one. As I held them side-by-side, the pulsing light grew stronger, as if their beats were syncing up.
『Beautiful.』
『It feels like they're connected.』
『That's actually kind of moving.』
"They're a pair now. Let's appraise them together."
Mana-Resonance Stone (Pair · Complete)
Rarity: A
Current Value: 140,000–170,000 yen
Notes: A state where both pieces are present and their mana is resonating. Value drops significantly if separated. Storage or sale as a pair is recommended. Highly sought after as a material for artifacts or as a magical catalyst.
"Once paired, the rarity jumped to A. It's worth 140,000 to 170,000 yen."
The comments stopped.
『Picking up just one would have been pointless.』
『Only the Scavenger would have found both.』
『This is exactly the kind of thing you'd never notice without Appraisal.』
"Since it's a stone that has no value on its own, the remaining piece might have stayed buried here forever. I'm glad I could recover both."
I wrapped the two stones in cloth and put them in my bag.
◇
By the time I ended the stream, viewership had surpassed 11,200. On my way home, a message from the Management Bureau arrived.
It was from Asada.
『Registration is complete as of today. To dive right in, we have a request available starting tomorrow if your schedule permits. An individual explorer is requesting a bulk appraisal of their equipment. The reward will be the standard fee based on the number of items appraised. Please let us know.』
It was my first official request; there was no reason to refuse.
『I'll take it,』 I replied.
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