Gray Dagger

"Rare? And it only requires level one?"

After hearing the shopkeeper's introduction, Li Xunsheng exclaimed in disbelief.

The best weapon he had seen so far was probably Yi Qing's level five blue-grade dagger, Tusk, with its impressive eighty attack power that made his mouth water... But even weapons of that caliber were only considered high-grade (blue-grade).

"Yes, please take a look."

The shopkeeper took out a square box from the counter, slightly unlocked it, and displayed the weapon inside to the young man.

[Gray Dagger (+3): Rare (Green) Attack +40 (+12) Critical Rate +4 (+1) Agility +4 Strength +2 Requires: Level Lv.1+]

[Bonus Effect - Throat Slit: When this weapon directly attacks a weak point, total damage dealt is increased by an additional 30%!]

[Weak Point: A position with no defense or the weakest defense. Weak point damage is calculated separately from critical damage and can be stacked.]

[Price: 3 Gold Coins]

"This is truly..."

To find a level one green-grade equipment by chance made Li Xunsheng's breathing quicken.

Moreover, this green-grade dagger had even been enhanced! The +3 enhancement level had increased its attack power by twelve points. As a level one item, this dagger surprisingly had an attack power of fifty-two! A plain level one longsword only had ten attack power!

But... why wasn't the durability visible?

Ever since he got the Eye of God, Li Xunsheng had become accustomed to referencing all sorts of information. However, the fact that the dagger's durability wasn't displayed instantly made him sense something was amiss.

Ignoring the garrulous shopkeeper, the young man narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the weapon in the box.

[Gray Dagger (Damaged) Durability 60/60]

[Due to a clumsy apprentice, this dagger suffered damage during repair, its structure compromised. Although its abilities are not weakened, it can no longer be repaired.]

His eyes widened slightly, and the young man was startled.

In other words, this dagger could no longer be considered equipment, and in a sense, had become a consumable item?

Such crucial information, and the shopkeeper hadn't mentioned a word. Heh, what a truly honest businessman...

The customer's gaze suddenly turned strange, causing a hint of awkwardness to appear on the face of the previously flawless middle-aged man.

"Boss, selling a consumable for three gold coins, isn't that a bit much?"

"Haha... discerning customer... this dagger does have a slight issue..."

[Tch, encountered a sharp-eyed one. Is this kid an appraiser's apprentice? He sees things so accurately?]

'Appraiser's apprentice? What's that?'

The Eye of God detected the shopkeeper's thoughts, which made Li Xunsheng slightly confused, but he soon shifted his attention back to the dagger before him.

"More than just a slight issue."

Glancing at the surrounding weapons, Li Xunsheng crossed his arms and began to haggle.

"Honestly, this dagger is just so-so. If it weren't for its low level requirement, there'd be nothing special about it."

Li Xunsheng wasn't wrong about the weapon.

The level five blue-grade dagger, Tusk, had double the base attack power of the Gray Dagger even without enhancements. This showed that while rarity was important, higher-level weapons still held a significant advantage in base stats.

A rare level one dagger like this, while good for beginners, could be easily outleveled and wouldn't last long, nor would it be considered by higher-level adventurers.

And for new adventurers... saving up three gold coins wasn't easy. Spending so much for a weapon that would soon be replaced was unnecessary.

"Guest, you can't say that. It has a bonus effect. Only green-grade or higher equipment has bonus effects, which significantly increases its value... How about this, two gold coins?"

The customer's words were indeed accurate, forcing the shopkeeper to lower the price.

"The bonus effect... is indeed good, but it's a shame this weapon won't last."

A thirty percent increase in total damage was certainly a good bonus effect.

For assassins who used daggers, hitting weak points should be quite easy. This bonus effect was truly top-tier.

Unfortunately, it was a level one weapon, and its stats were simply not impressive.

"Most importantly, it won't last. Once the sixty durability is gone, this thing becomes scrap, unusable."

If it weren't in this damaged state, and he could recoup some money by selling it after it was used up, then two gold coins might be acceptable. After all, he could just sell it for one gold coin later to upgrade his weapon, right?

But alas, this was a consumable! Something that couldn't even be sold after use, turning directly into trash.

"This... then you make an offer."

The other party's words hit the mark every time, causing the shopkeeper to spread his hands, gesturing for the customer to name his price.

"Fifty silver coins."

Li Xunsheng said the outrageous number with a poker face.

"That's impossible!"

The burly man jumped as if his tail had been stepped on, almost cursing on the spot.

This wasn't just asking for the moon; it was asking for the entire galaxy! This was a rare weapon, not some common white-grade trash!

"At least one gold coin! It's rare equipment no matter how you look at it, and I won't accept further bargaining!"

The shopkeeper slammed the box shut fiercely, indicating there was no room for negotiation.

"If it's less than one gold coin, I might as well keep it for my collection!"

"..."

[This man is serious. He actually intends to keep this dagger as a collector's item, to spur on his apprentices.]

"But... all I have on me is ninety-nine silver and fifty copper."

With a helpless, wry smile, Li Xunsheng revealed his wallet, signaling that this was truly all he had.

He had lent another fifty copper coins to Yi Qing, and that young lady was probably busy fixing her severed arm right now, with no time to return the money temporarily.

"This..."

Realizing that this customer genuinely wanted to buy the dagger in his hand, the shopkeeper was taken aback.

After some deliberation, the burly man waved his hand helplessly.

"Alright, alright, alright. I'll give you a discount, fifty copper coins less."

Having this item stuck in his hands wasn't ideal either.

"You'll have to visit our Burning Iron Furnace often from now on."

After packing the small round shield and the Gray Dagger, and taking Li Xunsheng's entire fortune, the burly man's smile returned.

"Okay."

Having obtained suitable equipment, Li Xunsheng could barely contain his joy.

With such a sharp weapon, leveling up should be a breeze.

He had truly emptied his coffers to reach level ten within a week.

"Do you know of any areas suitable for newcomers to explore?"

"Areas for newcomers to explore? I'm not sure."

The shopkeeper, in a much better mood after the transaction, thought for a moment and offered his suggestion:

"However, you could try checking out the Adventurer's Guild. They should be the clearest about monster distribution and such."