With my [Appraisal] Skill, I Became the Top of the Streaming World - Chapter 39

 Cross-Referencing the Interlinked Talismans

Early in the morning, I opened up my monthly record app to log the data for Shio—a routine that was fast becoming a daily habit.

I filled out the entry for this week under Shio’s status column.

The light intensity within its shell was virtually unchanged, but its physical movements inside the vessel had increased, and it was spending much longer stretches of time with its eyes open. Its tendency to instantly freeze up whenever there was movement outside had also grown shorter. I figured this meant it was gradually adapting to various external stimuli.

When I used the fine-tipped dropper to deposit a small amount of the Management Bureau-issue mana nutritional fluid, it pivoted and made its way over to the liquid much faster than before. Even after finishing its meal, it remained nestled up against the glass near the feeding spot for a while. When I brought my finger close to the side of the container, it stiffened up slightly, but it didn't try to flee. Its eyes turned to look straight at me.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say it has grown attached to me, but it feels like the distance between us is shrinking, bit by bit.

Reviewing the past logs really drove home the fact that it is undeniably growing. It’s moving more, and above all, its behavior lately has shown an increasing curiosity toward the outside world.

"You’re growing well, aren't you?"

Muttering that to myself, I saved the record and closed my phone.

◇

The update from Asada arrived before the morning was out.

“The talisman from the separate case has arrived. As we discussed the other day, it originates from the same circulation route. Please drop by whenever it’s convenient for you.”

“I’ll be there this afternoon.”

I texted back and locked my phone. By the time I finished wrapping up various chores around the house, the day had shifted into the afternoon.

"Time to head out."

Glancing over at the containment vessel, I saw Shio shift its body inside its shell. It seemed to have caught on to the fact that we were leaving.

"We’re heading out, Shio."

I secured the vessel inside the carrying case, packed my phone and appraisal tools into my bag, and left the apartment.

◇

Upon arriving at the Management Bureau, I was ushered into the exact same briefing room as last time. Asada was already waiting for me, with two evidence-sealed bags laid out side-by-side on top of the desk. One held the talisman from the other day; the other contained the batch that had just arrived.

"Thank you for making the trip down."

"No problem, it’s a job after all. ...Is this the one?"

"Yes. The confiscation sources are close geographically, but they aren't from the exact same scene. They came through different recovery routes."

"I see. And the results of the standard appraisal?"

"It stopped at 'potential for a degraded talisman of the same type.' Identical to last time."

"Understood. I'll get started on the appraisal then."

I lined up the two pieces and began with an initial visual inspection.

This was something I’d been realizing lately: rather than activating my appraisal skill right out of the gate, taking the time to closely observe the item with my own eyes first makes it easier to extract deeper, more detailed information. Because of that, I placed a lot of importance on this first visual check.

The external appearances were remarkably similar... but the way they had degraded was completely different. The previous talisman was weathered uniformly all over. This new one, however, showed concentrated wear around the edges, while a portion of the internal spell-matrix lines remained significantly sharper than the rest of the piece. Whether this difference stemmed from how it had been deployed or how it had been stored was impossible to determine through sight alone.

Right in the middle of my visual check, the case at my hip gave a slight wobble. Casting a brief glance downward, I saw a dim light bleeding through the seams. Shio had turned its head toward the talismans and was shifting its posture inside the container. The reaction itself wasn’t explosive, but it remained completely frozen in that direction.

"Mind if I bring it out?"

Asada nodded.

I popped the carrying case open and set it down next to the talismans. Shio kept its quiet gaze locked onto them.

(It’s definitely showing a clear reaction.)

Pulling both talismans closer to me, I focused my [Appraisal] on them.

--------------------------------------------------

Contaminated Talisman (Relay-Type / Second Unit)

Rarity: D

Status: Spell-Matrix Dissipated (Non-Functional)

Danger Level: Low (Due to non-functional state)

Estimated Value: None

Spell-Matrix Scars: Identical lineage to the previously cross-referenced unit (First Unit). Matches the format of the identification mark.

Structure: The superficial spell-matrix has dissipated, but the identification mark remains intact internally. It shares the exact same interlinked design as the previous unit, confirming it was manufactured and circulated under the premise that multiple units would function in coordination.

Connection / Source: Unknown (Cannot be determined from this individual unit alone)

Notes: The matching format of the identification marks across both units provides corroborating evidence that the manufacturer/distributor was intentionally linking multiple pieces for circulation, confirming this is not an isolated, single-source leak.

--------------------------------------------------

"The format of the identification mark matches the previous talisman perfectly," I announced. "These two shares the exact same design and were manufactured on the premise that they would operate in tandem."

Asada looked down at the records from our last session.

"So it really wasn't an isolated incident."

"At the very least, it proves multiple units were actively in circulation. It's safe to assume identical designs were distributed across different channels."

"Is there any clue pointing to the origin?"

"Not from these two alone. However, now that we've structurally confirmed they are designed to link up, we have to proceed under the assumption that there are more of them out there."

"That's a very valid point."

Keeping the two talismans lined up, I looked closely at the identification marks once more. The format was a match. However, the very end of the sequence was subtly different. It was a minute variance—the kind you’d never catch unless you had them laid out side-by-side.

"There's one more detail. The trailing ends of the identification marks differ slightly between the two."

"Even though they came from the same design?"

"The core design is identical. But the variance at the end could indicate a difference in production lots, or perhaps the distribution routes they traveled through. They might have originated from the same manufacturer but were channeled to different buyers. I can’t say for certain, but it’s a difference we can't ignore."

"If there's a lot variance, we can re-evaluate the overlapping recovery zones," Asada said sharply. "I'll dig into the confiscation records right away."

I placed both talismans back into their evidence bags and handed them over.

"I’ll contact you as soon as anything else turns up."

"Yeah, I'll be waiting."

◇

After returning home from the Management Bureau to rest, midnight rolled around. I booted up my stream for my 29th dive into the Shinagawa Pier No. 7 Dungeon.

I clipped the carrying case to my belt, held up my explorer permit to the camera, and started the broadcast.

"Stream number twenty-nine. Today, we’re heading down to Shinagawa’s B4F."

The live chat instantly began scrolling by.

is the little guy with you again?

did you give it a name yet?

I unlatched the belt case and brought Shio out. The light from its shell rippled softly on the palm of my hand. I angled the camera down so it was properly framed on screen.

"Yeah, it’s accompanying me today too. As for the name, I went with Shio. It’s just a tentative name for the paperwork, though."

The comment section picked up speed.

Shio!

thats a cute name

Tide-Crystal Shelled Beast -> Shio, makes sense lol

tentative means it might still change?

honestly Shio is already locking in

"I might change it later, but it’ll probably stay like this. Unless Shio speaks up and demands a better one, that is."

I placed Shio back into its case, secured the lock, and headed deeper into the level.

B4F was business as usual. The pathways were broken up by heavy elevation drops, and old marks from past scavenges lined the base of the walls. Keeping to the fundamentals of a scavenger, I moved forward while keeping a sharp eye on the ground. The drops were pretty dry today; even after an hour had ticked by, I hadn't come across any major finds.

In the middle of a rather sluggish run, I spotted a tiny scrap of cloth tucked into a corner of the floor. It still retained a trace amount of sealing residue. Focusing my appraisal on it, it turned out to be scrap material carrying the lingering scent of a degraded spell-matrix. Estimated value was around 6,000 yen.

"Seems like we're finding a lot of items in this price bracket today," I remarked to the stream.

I bagged the scrap securely and pressed onward. I kept the broadcast running for a while longer, but the run eventually came to an end without any standout items to show for it.

"Not many good drops today, unfortunately. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you all next time."

As I closed out the stream, a comment caught my eye: honestly i love the quiet farming streams too. It was a genuinely comforting thing to read.

◇

A short while into my commute back home, a brief text notification arrived from Asada.

“Cross-referenced the confiscation records. For these two units, one of the recovery locations directly overlaps with a hot spot from our previous case. It’s too precise to be a coincidence. I’ll share the full details with you during our next session.”

I locked my phone, letting my mind work through the details.

Two matching talismans.

A distinct variance at the end of their identification marks.

A recovery location that ties directly back to a past investigation.

Each piece was a verified fact on its own, but we were still missing the tissue needed to connect them into a definitive picture. Still, every time a new point appeared on the map, it felt like the ultimate destination they were pointing to was coming into focus.

We had reached a stage where simply inspecting the physical items one by one wasn't going to cut it anymore. We needed to go out and look at the flow itself.

"What do you think, Shio?"

The words slipped out casually. In response, Shio shifted its body just once inside the carrying case. It obviously wasn't an actual answer, but seeing it react like that gave me a tiny swell of quiet satisfaction.

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