With my [Appraisal] Skill, I Became the Top of the Streaming World - Chapter 12
In response to Takasaka's message, I headed to the building in Shinagawa around noon the next day.
I was shown into a different room this time. It had windows, and the table was larger than the one before.
Two people were already in the room: Takasaka, who had assisted me with the previous job, and one other man.
He looked to be in his fifties. He wasn't particularly large in stature, but the air in the room tightened just by him sitting there. His hair was short and tinged with white. He had a soft-spoken demeanor, yet possessed an oddly piercing gaze that felt as though he were looking right through me.
"My name is Kanzaki."
He didn't stand; he simply bowed his head.
"I'm Makabe."
"Please, have a seat."
He seemed to be a man of few words. I pulled out a chair and sat down.
"I've received the report from Takasaka. You were a great help with the matter regarding the charms."
"I was just doing my job."
"I see," Kanzaki nodded slightly. "That is why I came here to talk about work again today."
◇
The offer was blunt and to the point.
"I would like to request a monthly advisory contract. Once a week, I’d like you to appraise our clan’s equipment and salvaged items. The retainer is 100,000 yen per month. Individual appraisal fees will be paid separately as they occur."
I made a show of considering it for a moment. No reason to refuse came to mind immediately, but there wasn't a reason to give an instant "yes," either.
"I’m not asking for an answer right this second," Kanzaki continued. "However, having someone with Appraisal skills involved on a regular basis is undeniably valuable to this clan. The value of the damage prevented with those charms alone is worth far more than 100,000 yen."
"Let me just confirm the conditions."
"Go ahead."
"I will continue my streams. I cannot agree to a form of exclusive employment with the clan."
Kanzaki’s mouth twitched slightly. It looked like a smile.
"That’s fine. If you stopped streaming, your value would drop by half."
It was an unexpected comeback.
"...I'll think about it. I’ll give you an answer within a week."
"That is more than enough."
Takasaka brought in some tea, and the three of us engaged in small talk for a while. It was a brief window of time, but I could tell Kanzaki was deeply knowledgeable about equipment conditions in the middle and deeper layers of the dungeon. I also felt that he was the type to only speak of things on the surface. I suppose our relationship is something that still needs to be built from here on out.
◇
At night, I started my seventh stream. My subscribers had reached 2,390.
Tonight, I was entering B5F. It’s the deepest floor within the Upper Layers, just one step away from the boundary of the Middle Layers. Being in an area I hadn't visited in a while, the atmosphere felt heavier than the floors above.
『B5?!』
『It’s been a while.』
『Be careful!』
"It’s still within the Upper Layer range, so I’ll be fine. But it’s dark, so I’ll watch my step."
I appraised items as I moved along. There were a few abandoned pieces, but nothing that stood out.
About 20 minutes in, I suddenly felt a sense of wrongness from the left wall of the passage. The angle of one particular rock protrusion felt off. Dungeon walls aren't generally uniform, but the texture of this protrusion was subtly different from the surrounding rock.
Just in case, I directed [Appraisal] at it.
Stone Mimic (Adult)
Threat Level: High
Mimicry State: Bedrock Mimicry (High Precision)
Behavior: Remains stationary while mimicking. Preys upon any object that touches it.
Notes: Nearly impossible to distinguish by appearance. Ordinary explorers usually only notice upon stepping on it.
Recommended: Immediate withdrawal / Do not disturb.
I took a step back.
"...This isn't a rock."
The comments stopped.
"Appraisal says it's a Stone Mimic. It's a monster mimicking a rock. High threat level. If I’d touched it, I would've been eaten."
There was a one-second pause. Then the comments exploded.
『Wha—?!』
『That looks exactly like a rock!』
『He noticed before touching it?!』
『You'd never know without Appraisal.』
『That is way too scary.』
"I’m backing away properly. Appraisal says not disturbing it is the right move."
As I bypassed the wall, I felt my heart rate rising. Even knowing what it is, being that close to one isn't a pleasant feeling.
The comments kept scrolling by.
"I didn't expect to find a Mimic all the way up here. I'm glad I used Appraisal."
『What if you hadn't?』
"I probably would have touched it."
『That’s terrifying.』
『This stream gives me heart palpitations every time.』
◇
About ten minutes away from the Mimic, I got another reaction.
In a crack in the passage wall lay a fragment of material similar to that "rock" from earlier. It was misshapen and about the size of two fists. I tried appraising it.
Stone Mimic Outer Shell - Adult Origin (Molt Fragment)
Rarity: A
Current Value: High
Estimated Market Value: 250,000–350,000 yen
Notes: A shell fragment from when an adult molts. Extremely hard with high mana-insulation properties; high demand as an armor material. Naturally shed item, so there is no collection risk.
"I found a molted shell. Rarity A, estimated 250,000 to 350,000 yen."
『Another one!』
『And A-rank!』
『B5F is insane.』
『Escaping a Mimic only to find its shell, what even is this luck?』
"Even if something looks worthless at a glance, there’s value to be found. This feels like a very 'scavenger-style' discovery."
I wrapped it in cloth and put it in my bag.
◇
By the time I closed the stream, the viewer count had peaked at 2,870. The fact that the moment I avoided the Mimic was broadcast in real-time seemed to be a big factor; the comments continued even after the stream ended.
On the way home, I recalled Kanzaki's words from earlier today.
"If you stopped streaming, your value would drop by half."
He proposed the contract on the assumption that I wouldn't stop streaming. His read was correct. But conversely, it could mean being used by the clan for their own convenience.
100,000 yen a month isn't bad. But ever since I quit my job, I’ve felt that I never want to feel tied down by anything again.
I don't have an answer yet.
Walking the night path, I adjusted the strap of my bag. Through the cloth, the weight of the Mimic shell pressed against my back.
Still, tonight, I was a little more curious about how many explorers had walked right past that B5F Mimic than I was about the 100,000 yen.
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