With my [Appraisal] Skill, I Became the Top of the Streaming World - Chapter 16
Asada called me around noon the next day.
"Regarding the authentication terminal, the analysis is in. There are traces that the internal formula was overwritten from the outside."
"From the outside? You mean..."
"It means someone physically entered the dungeon and tampered with it. A significant portion of the methodology used matches the structural pattern of the Cursed Charms you reported the other day."
A brief silence hung between us before I responded.
"Is it safe to assume it's the same person?"
"We can't say for certain, but we believe the possibility is high."
First, the charm contamination was a dealer issue, then it became a matter of placed traps in the dungeon, and now it was linked to the boundary authentication terminals. The dots were connecting into a line.
"Mr. Makabe, to be honest, this might be growing beyond a scale that the Management Bureau can track alone. Will you continue to support us?"
"Of course."
After hanging up, I sat in thought for a while.
Someone is tampering with the dungeon management system while simultaneously mixing contamination into explorers' equipment. I don't know the motive. But the scale isn't small.
◇
At night, I started my 11th stream. My subscribers had reached 4,380.
Tonight's plan was to focus on B4F. I wouldn't mention the authentication terminal on stream; Asada had asked me to hold off on making that public for now.
About 30 minutes in, I found something large lying in the corner of a passage.
It was a greatsword.
Its total length exceeded one meter. The blade was snapped off at the base; the hilt was leaned against the wall, while the broken blade had been left abandoned on the floor.
"This is huge. It’s completely snapped."
『Picking it up?』
『It’s worthless if it's broken, right?』
『I want to see the appraisal though.』
Just in case, I directed [Appraisal] at the hilt.
Magic Steel Greatsword - High-Tier (Damaged)
Rarity: A
Current Value: Low (Due to damage)
Repairable: Yes
Estimated Value After Repair: 280,000–350,000 yen
Notes: The purity of the magic steel is high, and its material value remains intact. The broken section is in a condition where it can be rejoined via re-forging. Requires a professional blacksmith or magic steel specialist for repair.
Recommended: Bring to a specialist in magic steel restoration.
"...It can be fixed. And the value after repair is 280,000 to 350,000 yen."
The comments stopped.
"Since it's broken, it doesn't have much of a price tag in its current state, but the material value is alive and well. Appraisal says it can be restored if I take it to the right shop."
『Wait, a broken sword is worth 300k?』
『Does that mean the materials are top-quality?』
『How much is the repair fee?』
"Repair costs depend on the shop, but probably around 30,000 to 50,000 yen. Even deducting that, there's a lot left over."
『That’s pure profit.』
『The person who threw it away would cry if they knew.』
『This is the true essence of the Scavenger.』
I recovered both the hilt and the blade. It was incredibly heavy. I wasn't sure if I could make it back while streaming, but by dragging it along on the way out, I eventually managed to get it to the surface.
"I’m taking this home today. I'll report back on the restoration process later."
『You definitely have to report it!』
『I want to see the finished product.』
『I'm looking forward to the sequel way too much.』
◇
I closed the stream just before midnight. Peak viewership had exceeded 4,700.
As I headed home while checking my phone, I noticed several quote-notifications from an unfamiliar account. Sakaki’s video had been uploaded.
Title: 【The Maverick of Dungeon Streaming: Chasing the Identity of the 'Scavenger'】
Sakaki had sent me a draft for approval yesterday, and I’d given the green light on the content. I was told the title would be decided at the time of publication, but "Chasing the Identity" was a sharper hook than I expected.
The content was a roughly ten-minute commentary video centered on my streams, covering everything from the discovery of the Cursed Charms to the authentication terminal incident. The name "Scavenger Channel" was mentioned repeatedly throughout the video.
The comment section was filled with posts like "First time hearing of him" and "Just subscribed."
When I woke up the next morning, my subscriber count had reached 5,240.
◇
Around noon, a message arrived from Kanzaki.
『New information has come in regarding the charm contamination network. Could you spare some time today or tomorrow?』
『Tomorrow morning works.』
『Thank you. Takasaka will send the details.』
The wording was shorter than usual. He was either in a hurry or there was a lot he couldn't put into text. Either way, things are moving fast.
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