I didn't quite understand the inner workings of this console—though, given that a God had crafted it, common sense hardly applied. I’d heard it was supposed to connect to a dedicated cyberspace when I received it for my birthday, but as far as I could tell, it linked up perfectly fine with the regular Earth internet.
Ever since Shiro-san and Eden-san revised their contract, games that looked suspiciously like mobile gacha titles had been added one after another. Perhaps they’d tweaked the settings back then to allow for it.
Aoi-chan and I were finally logging into our old MMO. To start things off, she returned the set of equipment I used to use, which she’d been looking after for me all this time.
Naturally, in a game where power creep marches on year after year, optimal gear from several years back was hopelessly outdated. Still, that didn't mean its stats had actually decreased; it was more than sufficient to serve as temporary gear for my return after such a long hiatus.
"Whoa, this is incredible. Modern equipment packs so many effects into a single slot..."
"Inflation is just part of the deal with online games, after all," Aoi-chan replied. "My gear has an Equipment Requirement of Fourth Job or higher, so compared to what you had when you retired, it must look insane. That said, my stuff isn't even top-tier—it’s just mid-range, really."
"If those stats are mid-range, the inflation is real... In that case, my warehouse is probably full of items that’ll feel like ancient history to you, Aoi-chan."
"True. Or rather, you actually have quite a lot in here."
"I gave you my main gear, but I retired with everything else still in storage. There were things like rare drops with high rarity but lackluster performance—it was just too much of a hassle to sell them."
"I see... Eh? Ah, Kaito-san! That! Look at that item!"
As I scrolled through my Item Storage feeling a sense of nostalgia, Aoi-chan, who was peering over my shoulder, suddenly raised her voice in a panic.
The item she was pointing at was a rare drop from a certain field boss. It hadn't possessed any particular use back then and was only notable for its high NPC sell price; I’d kept it as a collection piece simply because it was technically a rare drop.
"That item is trading for an astronomical amount of gold right now!"
"Eh? Really? When I was playing, it was just a rare paperweight... Did they implement some new use for it?"
"Yes. A few months ago, incredibly powerful equipment called Godly Gear was added to the game, and you need a massive amount of rare boss drops to craft them. Among those requirements, the one you’re holding is especially hard to find. The top-tier players are all vying to buy them at massive premiums."
"It was just an early-game field boss, though. It shouldn't be that hard to hunt."
"No, there was a Drop Adjustment two years ago. That item stopped dropping from early-game field bosses entirely. Now, it only drops from Timed-spawn Bosses in High-difficulty Dungeons. Because of that, the price has been skyrocketing."
I see. It had been a useless rarity back when I played and even during the adjustment period, but it had suddenly become a mandatory material for a new system, causing the price to surge. Since most players would have vendored them to NPCs years ago because they were useless, it had become a genuine treasure.
Of course, there were probably others like me who kept them for a collection, but if they knew the current value, they’d likely hold out for the highest possible price, further driving up the cost.
If Aoi-chan considered the Godly Gear "incredibly strong," the Front-line Group must be desperate for it. Top players naturally have bottomless pockets, so they were likely scouring the market and buying them up at any price.
"And you have... about twenty of them..."
"I used to spend a lot of time boss hunting, after all."
"If you sell those, you could afford a full set of top-tier gear. Maybe not the absolute cutting edge, but certainly enough to play at a high level."
"Well, I’m in a total Urashima Taro State regarding the market and the current meta, so I’d appreciate it if you could show me the ropes, Aoi-chan."
"Leave it to me! I'll teach you everything you need to know! ...Hehe, it feels like the opposite of how things used to be."
"You're right..."
When we used to play together, I was always the one teaching Aoi-chan. Now, the roles were reversed.
She seemed delighted by the change, her face lit up with a beaming smile that was both heartwarming and incredibly cute.
"Right then, let's head to the market and find a buyer immediately. Once we've sorted out some decent gear for you... Kaito-san, you're a Second Class, so the hunting grounds would be... Actually, it'll be easier to explain if I can see your screen properly. I'll move my chair so I can sit right next to you!"
"U-Uh, sure. If that's easier for you, Aoi-chan..."
She moved her chair with an air of genuine excitement, leaning in close enough that our shoulders brushed. As she did, a pleasant, citrusy scent wafted from her, reminiscent of fresh oranges.
Was that perfume? I knew she liked citrus, but... wait. Had she ever really worn perfume before?
Serious-senpai: "Wait, does this perfume detail have some kind of romantic implication?"
Machina: "It’s exactly as My Beloved Child suspects. Aoi usually doesn't wear perfume at all. She feels it’s impractical for her work as an adventurer. But she’s a girl in love, after all. She makes sure to use it when she goes out with My Beloved Child or when they’re spending time alone like this. She even spent much longer than usual on her makeup and hair today."