Chapter 228 Resonance Relic

How does one determine if a piece of equipment is a magical item, or what special effects it possesses?

The simplest method, naturally, was to use the 1st-circle divination ritual spell, "Identify."

With just a light touch, information regarding the item's usage, special effects, and even remaining charges would flow into your mind like inherited memories.

But even for the most common 1st-circle spell—one refined by countless brilliant mages over the years until its material requirements were practically nil—

The most basic prerequisite to cast "Identify" was that one had to be a Spellcaster.

The scarcity of Spellcasters, driven by their high barrier to entry, doomed this low-level spell to remain out of reach for the vast majority of commoners and low-tier Adventurers.

As for magic scrolls imbued with "Identify"—after seeing their exorbitant market prices, one could only say that anyone who could afford to use them for routine appraisals possessed wealth far beyond the realm of ordinary people.

It was true that the Adventurers' Association was a massive organization with a sphere of influence spanning the entire Aifala Continent, but it was simply impossible to equip every branch with a Spellcaster who had mastered "Identify."

That was setting aside whether there were even enough Spellcasters willing to give up their future career prospects and the comfortable life of manors and castles to work desk jobs at Association branches, which were often located in frontline towns near monster gathering sites.

The annual salaries required alone would be an astronomical figure.

Moreover, the Adventurers' Association's loose, "platform"-like organizational nature meant it could not force its ordinary members to work for other Adventurers.

Therefore, Adventurers' Association branches in many places, especially in remote locations like Rivervale Town, rarely staffed dedicated Spellcasters who knew "Identify."

Instead, they relied on ordinary appraisers with rich experience and exceptional judgment.

When Xia Nan entered the appraisal room on the Association Second Floor under Molly's guidance, this was exactly the kind of gentleman he met.

He looked to be getting on in years, with pronounced crow's feet and loose wrinkles on his face. His short, graying hair was neatly combed without a single strand out of place, and a pair of silver-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose.

Although he wore the uniform of the Association staff, Xia Nan's Perception told him this man wasn't a Class Holder with special abilities.

He was just an ordinary person.

Yet that scholarly, refined temperament—cultivated through an immense amount of knowledge—formed a stark contrast to the messy Adventurers downstairs.

"This is our Association's appraiser, Mr. Downs," Molly introduced softly as she opened the door for Xia Nan.

She also explained their purpose for coming.

"This is Mr. Xia Nan. He requires item consignment services."

"Hello!" Appraiser Downs, who had been sitting behind a wooden desk, stood and stepped forward to greet Xia Nan.

Xia Nan didn't look down on the man for being an ordinary person, nor did he feel superior due to his own status as a Class Holder.

Xia Nan smiled and politely shook his hand.

He secretly observed the layout of the appraisal room.

The most eye-catching feature was the massive, sturdy long table made of heavy oak in the center of the room. The middle of the tabletop was covered with durable leather, while the sides were draped with thick felt and lead plates, seemingly to accommodate the different types of items that might be placed on it.

A shallow groove was carved along the edge to prevent items from rolling off. Multiple adjustable vises and clamps of different sizes, trays, scales, crucibles, and reflectors—a large number of highly professional tools—were neatly arranged all over the desk.

A huge, bright window let the slightly dim ambient light from outside filter into the room. Next to it stood a wooden bookshelf that took up almost an entire wall, filled with various books arranged neatly by subject. They were free of dust, evidently consulted frequently.

Xia Nan swept his gaze over the bookshelf. Just from what he could see, the contents included various armor styles, weapon designs, heraldry, textiles, illustrated guides to regional styles, historical biographies used to study the evolution of equipment and appraise noble items, mineralogy, and materials science—

Rather than an appraisal room, it looked more like an office or a workshop.

For those bottom-tier Adventurers who came from the countryside and had never even been to Nym, just seeing the highly professional layout of this room would likely make them implicitly trust Downs as the Association's appraiser.

Xia Nan's expression didn't change much, but he had to admit that, complemented by the environment of the appraisal room, the man's first impression was indeed that of an erudite, professional appraiser.

Molly tactfully left the room and closed the door behind her.

Xia Nan sat across the desk, first taking the [Tide-Surge Lure Pole] out of the cotton cloth and placing it on the table.

Without wasting time, he directly relayed the information he had seen on his Attribute Panel to the other party.

Just like Rockhammer Barn, the appraiser named Downs didn't show the slightest hint of disdain after learning about the Stone Spear's extremely harsh usage requirements.

Instead, he meticulously inspected the Stone Spear from tip to tail.

"It seems someone has already told you. Equipment with such unique effects is indeed better suited for consignment at the Association," Downs said.

His expression was solemn, his gaze focused through his lenses as he carefully examined the wave-like patterns on the surface of the Stone Spear.

"Once registered, all Adventurers with a need will be able to see this piece of equipment. If they intend to purchase it, we can quickly arrange the transaction."

As mentioned earlier, although "Identify" was convenient, the scarcity of Spellcasters and the high cost of magic scrolls meant it wasn't the mainstream appraisal method in the vast majority of cases.

For the massive number of magical items consigned at the Association, how did the Association guarantee their authenticity? And how would it handle situations where the actual effects differed from what was advertised?

In some respects, the Adventurers' Association could sometimes seem like a makeshift operation.

But when it came to consignment trading, it had a detailed and comprehensive system.

In cases like Xia Nan's, where the seller already knew the equipment's attributes and effects, they were required to provide a detailed description, declare its truthfulness, and hand it over to an appraiser for inspection.

At the same time, the consigner had to use their status as an Association member as a credit guarantee. In some cases, they might even need joint signatures from senior members, bear joint liability, or pay a hefty deposit.

Furthermore, the Association conducted random inspections of consigned items at regular intervals. If they found that an item had severe negative discrepancies compared to the consigner's description, or if a buyer claimed the equipment's attributes didn't match and the Association's arbitration discovered deliberate fraud (with appraisal costs borne by the losing party), extremely severe punishments would be imposed on the consigner. A massive fine was just the most basic penalty; measures could include expulsion from the Association, blacklisting, coordination with local authorities to confiscate property, and issuing arrest warrants.

This ensured the authority and stability of the Association's platform, allowing both buyers and sellers to trade with peace of mind, without fear of being scammed.

This was also why the Association platform, despite having the highest transaction fees on the market, remained the first choice for many Adventurers when selling off equipment.

And all of the above was just a small part of the Association's consignment trading system.

Other elements—such as "Association Certified Master" certificates or badges issued by master enchanter-blacksmiths, high scholars, and Legendary Adventurers; cooperation with third-party organizations; truth contracts; and internal credit ratings—collectively supported it, making it the largest and most extensive Class Holder trading platform on the Aifala Continent.

Of course, although "Identify" magic scrolls were expensive, the Association certainly had plenty in stock.

For high-tier Magic Equipment with uncertain attributes but high quality—where the transaction fee alone would exceed the cost of a scroll—they naturally wouldn't skimp on this expense.

At the same time, this helped maintain good relations with Adventurers capable of producing such high-tier equipment, which aided in the consolidation and expansion of the organization's influence.

After Xia Nan fully explained the attributes of the [Tide-Surge Lure Pole], Downs inspected it for a full thirty minutes.

Only then did he take off his silver-rimmed glasses, rub the bridge of his nose, and speak.

"Regarding the origins of this Stone Spear, based on the stone material and forging techniques, it should be from the Whaleman Clan of the Black Reef Archipelago on the continent's southern coast."

"It is undoubtedly Magic Equipment, but it also possesses a certain collectible value. This is especially true for nobles in inland desert regions like Calimshan; many of them are interested in objects brimming with such exotic styles."

"If we encounter that kind of noble buyer, we can appropriately mark up the price. After all, to them, one or two hundred gold coins and a few copper pieces are essentially no different."

Downs put his glasses back on, cracking a small joke with Xia Nan before continuing.

"Regarding the price, I personally suggest you negotiate face-to-face with the buyer. After all, equipment with such unique effects is useless to most people and can only serve as a collectible. However, in certain fields, it holds extremely high value. Even those powerhouses active in newspapers and Epics might be interested."

"If you simply set a relatively average price, you might incur a significant loss."

That made sense!

Xia Nan nodded inwardly, agreeing with the man's reasoning.

The audience for recreational activities like fishing included not just ordinary citizens, but Class Holders at the Transcendent or Legendary ranks, and perhaps even some gods with too much free time on their hands.

What if his "chumming artifact" caught the eye of some bigshot with subpar fishing skills?

When that time came, never mind how many gold coins it could sell for—he might be able to trade it directly for a suitable combat technique.

Seeing that Xia Nan agreed, Downs retrieved a long, rectangular box from beneath the desk and helped store the Stone Spear inside it.

"When we're finished here, you'll need to sign a few contracts with the Association. Once the transaction is complete, a percentage-based fee will be charged according to the total value."

"Molly will explain the details to you later."

With one task taken care of, Xia Nan felt a wave of relief.

He then took the broken Yew Staff out of his backpack.

"This staff came from a Lycanthrope suspected of holding the Druid class. Before coming here, I showed it to Barn at Rockhammer, but he wasn't sure about it either and told me to bring it to the Association for a look."

"I know of Mr. Barn. He is a blacksmith of exceptional skill," Downs said.

Rivervale Town wasn't large, so Adventurers and people in related industries had all heard of prominent figures like the owner of Rockhammer.

Hearing that even Barn couldn't identify it, the meticulous appraiser was clearly intrigued. He immediately switched to a uniquely shaped pair of glasses, carefully held the staff in his hands, and leaned in close.

"Yew wood... 200 years old..."

"Ordinary craftsmanship. This polishing technique... is very common in Cloudclimb Province. The completion date can't be too long ago... five years?"

"Wait, what is this?"

Xia Nan watched as Downs unexpectedly closed his eyes.

His fingers seemed to stroke the staff, but his fingertips hovered about half a centimeter away from the surface, as if he were sensing some invisible presence.

This lasted for a full five minutes before he opened his eyes and muttered.

"That's it... there's no mistake."

"A Resonance Relic!"

"A Resonance Relic?" Xia Nan frowned slightly, confused by the unfamiliar term.

"An item of an extremely special and rare nature."

Appraiser Downs held the staff, studying it seriously as he explained.

"Simply put, it is an object that has undergone an invisible transformation after being steeped in the intense emotions of its wielder."

"The core driving force is intense, pure, and extreme emotion. This includes, but is not limited to: ultimate love, deep despair, boiling anger, twisted fear, ecstasy, obsession, determination, or extreme hatred..."

"This transformation places no requirements on the item's material. It is inherently non-physical and does not produce any changes in the Material Plane."

"And it is precisely because of this trait that very few people can even detect the existence of a Resonance Relic."

"Take this Yew Staff of yours as an example. If it were replaced with a scrap of clothing or a bloodstained stone, I imagine no one would hold it in their hands and study it carefully for ten-plus minutes just to sense how it differs from an ordinary object."

"As for the uses of this kind of Resonance Relic..."

Downs pondered for a moment, as if recalling the knowledge in his mind.

"Because it is a byproduct of intense emotional saturation, it is often used in certain ancient rituals as the core vessel for a curse. Some Spellcasters also use them as casting materials to amplify the effects of specific enchantment spells."

"I remember that a few obscure classes, like the Psion, also require this kind of item to change classes. However, the Association has very few records on them, and their related advancement paths were lost to history long ago."

At this point, Downs looked up at Xia Nan and advised, "If you want to place it on the Association's platform for consignment, you might have to wait a very long time—much longer than that Stone Spear from earlier—and you might not necessarily fetch a satisfactory return."

"Coincidentally, however, our branch received a commission a few days ago, and the Resonance Relic in your hands perfectly matches the quest's requirements."

"Perhaps..."