With my [Appraisal] Skill, I Became the Top of the Streaming World - Chapter 24
The next morning, I began my rounds to the dealers.
I first brought the crimson magic stone to my usual specialty shop. As soon as the representative took it, he produced a loupe and inspected it in silence for a long time.
"Where did you acquire this?"
"I found it inside a bag I picked up in the dungeon."
"...Inside a bag."
There was a short pause.
"How does 268,000 yen sound? High-grade specimens with this level of purity and preservation are exceptionally rare."
"I’ll take it."
Next, I took the silver-mana alloy bracelet to an equipment dealer and the old formula manuscript to an antiquarian. The bracelet fetched 65,000 yen, and the manuscript brought in 18,000 yen.
The three items together totaled 351,000 yen.
The contents of that worn-out bag exceeded 350,000 yen. The dimensional storage bag itself was too deteriorated to sell, but those numbers came solely from what was inside.
◇
I stopped by a nearby convenience store, bought a single can of coffee, and sat on an outdoor bench, drinking it while doing absolutely nothing.
I felt like I’d been constantly on the move lately—Bureau paperwork, my first official request, streaming, and dealer rounds. I hadn't had a moment to just stand still.
For about five minutes, until the can was empty, I thought about nothing. That alone was time well spent.
◇
At night, I started my 19th stream. My subscribers were up to 11,430.
As I approached the entrance, I noticed several people standing outside. They weren't wearing explorer gear. There were movements suggesting they were pointing their phones in my direction.
I pulled my hood down deeper and headed inside.
While I was finishing the check-in at the reception, the middle-aged staff member spoke to me in a low voice as he passed by.
"There’ve been two or three people loitering out there for a while. Don't know if they're fans or 'hunters' trying to ID you."
"I saw them."
"Well, for now, I haven't let them inside."
He walked away without stopping. I finished my preparations and started the broadcast.
"Good evening. Today, I'll be meticulously patrolling B4F."
『Always grateful.』
『Been looking forward to today.』
『Were there people outside?』
"There were a few. They might just be viewers, so I don't think it's an issue."
I entered B4F. Tonight, I slowed my pace, checking each section with care.
Along the walls where the light barely reaches, at the bends in the passages, and under ledges—in the upper floors where there are many explorers, these are the places where things passed over remain.
About 40 minutes in, a stone was lying right in the middle of the passage. It was a grey stone, a bit larger than a fist. It was smooth with no irregularities on the surface. At a glance, it looked completely unremarkable; it even had scuff marks where several people had stepped on it and moved on.
But a slight sense of "wrongness" made me stop. In my experience, these are the things that often turn out to be something else.
"I'm going to pick this up."
When I took it in my hand, it had a heavy, solid weight. The density was high for its appearance. I directed [Appraisal] at it.
Natural Mana Crystal (Complete)
Rarity: A
Estimated Value: 320,000–400,000 yen
Notes: A natural crystallization of the dungeon’s mana environment over a long period. It has not undergone any artificial refining or processing and has reached a complete state. It is difficult to judge its value based on appearance, and it is often repeatedly stepped on without being discovered. A complete natural crystal is a rare material said to occur only once every few years.
Recommended: Take to a magic stone specialist or a high-value dealer.
"...It’s worth 320,000 to 400,000 yen."
The comments stopped.
"It looks like just a stone, but it seems the dungeon's mana solidified over many years. Since it can't be created artificially, it's a material you just have to wait for nature to produce."
『That stone people were stepping on is 400k?』
『Over many years?』
『Everyone was just walking over it...』
"It has footprints on it. Several people have stepped on it."
『There’s no way a normal person would ever know.』
『It would have stayed undiscovered forever without the Scavenger's Eye.』
『The stone is probably thinking 'thank you for picking me up.'』
The last comment almost made me laugh. I held it in and tucked the stone into my bag.
◇
When I closed the stream, viewership had exceeded 12,900. My subscriber count had also grown by nearly 300 during the broadcast—the largest jump of any recent episode.
When I stepped outside the dungeon, the figures from before were gone. Perhaps they had retreated because it was late, or maybe they had a different purpose.
On the way home, a message arrived from Sakaki.
『About that collaboration I’ve been mentioning—how about we finally do it? Any conditions are fine. No face reveal, audio only, keep the hood on, and the theme is up to you. Think of it more as being a guest on my stream rather than us just streaming together.』
I thought about it for a bit.
I had been refusing up until now because I felt that more attention would lead to a faster identification of my persona. However, with the article in the industry media and my registration as a Private Appraiser, the attention was already moving on its own. If it’s just voice, if I keep the hood on, and if I can confirm the content beforehand, the risk of further exposure is limited.
I replied to Sakaki on my phone.
『If it's voice only, hood on, and I can confirm the content beforehand.』
After a short wait, a reply came back.
『Of course. Let’s coordinate a schedule.』
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