Apocalypse Online: Regression of SSS-Class Summoner

Chapter 92: Merchant Mindset

The loan shark didn’t engage further conversation with Max anymore.

After his lackeys left, he also turned around and hurriedly departed.

Max watched their reaction with a smile brimming with satisfaction.

Not only he had a through understanding of his physical capability, he avenged himself and his past life against their oppression after he lost his parents.

Now that he was deeply satisfied and was already early in the morning, Max cooked for himself, took a shower, did a brief exercise and training again until his hair ran dry before diving into the game.

...

Rivermarch Town was already classified as a Regional City.

However, citizens always referred it to its foundational classification.

The Rivermarch Town has an approximately 18,000 to 22,000 population.

It sat at the northern edge of the Silverflow Basin, at the junction of the Silverflow River and the Eastern Provincial Road.

The Rivermarch was established approximately 400 years after the founding of the Empire of Valtherion.

Its original purpose was to serve as a fortified river crossing connecting the marsh frontier settlements including the Greyfen Village, Agricultural Basin, and Dunmarrow and the provincial interior.

Over time, the town expanded into the largest commercial hub within Mirefall Province outside of Dunmarrow itself.

Today, Rivermarch functioned as trade center, military logistics hub, adventurer registration city, and transportation crossroads.

It was in fact the last checkpoint of the players since the Rivermarch Town could register themselves as adventurer and the citizens of the Empire.

However, establishing a guild must be done at the capital city, while Max’s letter should be delivered into the governor of the Dunmarrow Capital, so he would be formally awarded as just.

Max was now at the city gate.

If he wanted to travel to Dunmarrow City, he had to cross the Rivermarch as he was following the main road.

Of course, he could maneuver around, but that would mean gaining suspicions from the Rivermarch Town’s rangers, only delaying his traveling time.

Due to how large Rivermarch Town, it only lengthened the duration time of the travel.

Max could also take advantage of the Demon Slayer’s effects as well.

He wanted to know if Malveris’ influence had reached the town.

Though, it was unlikely.

The Rivermarch Town had protective runes that made it difficult for a parasitic demon to reach.

Eventually, it was now Max’s turn to pay the toll to enter the town, as well as providing information about himself.

There was a true or lie detector runes, so the process went smooth and easy, allowing him to enter in less than ten minutes.

Once Max entered, he didn’t look for an inn to stay.

With his horses, they continued forward at the main road at a pace of a human walking.

Max entered first the Rivergate District.

It functioned as river trade, cargo unloading, and fishing industry.

He spotted Grand Docks, Merchant Warehouses, and Customs Houses which piqued his attention.

But he wasn’t particularly interested in lingering longer since he was not a merchant.

Some merchant who sensed something from him had an attempt to strike a conversation with him, but Max outrightly ignored them.

Eventually, he entered the Market District.

His pace did not stop, but eventually his horses slowed down.

He was staring at the equipment shop and had a sudden enlightenment.

Auctioning Set Equipments!

Such thoughts flashed in his mind.

He knew the significance of coins in Apocalypse Online to the players.

It was primarily to buy equipments aside from providing comfort to themselves.

However, the equipments from the village could definitely not compare to what the regional city provided.

Now that Aethernova was facing a problem about keeping the value of coins, adding set equipments to auction would definitely solve the main issue.

Max could also earn more.

For instance, if he bought the price to 15 Silver Coins, but sold it at an equivalent price of 20 Silver Coins, then he’d definitely earn 5 Silver Coins more.

He’d also earn money in his real world’s currency, so it was definitely worth it.

Set Equipments are not only divided into four main classes, there were sub-classes, making each equipment have different value.

If he worked together with the Aethernova about his plans, his wealth would definitely bloomed.

He’d definitely become the richest player before Apocalypse descended.

I changed my mind. I can be a merchant!

Max was smiling from ear to ear. He felt a gush of euphoria spreading inside him.

He trembled, compelling the horses to sense his emotion and stopped at the direction he was gazing at.

For the next hours until evening, Max brought every equipment he found and contacted the Aethernova about his plans.

...

The primary issue that the Aethernova’s Virtual Commerce Division was called Market Saturation.

In the first month of Apocalypse Online, coins were rare and players needed coins, compelling others to willingly pay for higher price to obtain them.

However, Max continued to introduces coins to the market, causing more players to obtain coins and the coin scarcity decreased.

As a result, buyers became less desperate and prices naturally fell.

This was a classic supply-side problem.

Lowering auction frequency and quantity was essentially attempting to manage supply to preserve scarcity.

It wouldn’t last long, though.

The overreliance on a single commodity would cause the Demand to eventually reaches its limit.

But if a set of equipments from D-rank to C-rank were to appear, the demand would definitely be renewed.

The market would be now moving from currency market to a mixed market.

Coins were one asset.

Set equipment was another.

At this point, there would be a big transition from Currency Value to Utility Value.

It would survive for a long run, as long as Max remained consistent and evolutionary.

When Max contacted Aethernova and shared his plans, the Virtual Commerce Division, comprising of Auction Operations Department, RMT Marketplace Department, Economic Analysis Department, and Trade Compliance Department, were utterly shocked.

They instantly became exhilarated and quickly commenced a grand meeting that would shape the Virtual Market for a long run...

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