MMORPG: Birth of the World's Luckiest Player-Chapter 152: Old Vine’s Frustration

"Violet Shard: A mysterious gemstone. Properties unknown. Cannot be used. Marcus, do you think this is actually worth something?" Amber asked, turning the deep purple gem over in her fingers, her eyes bright with unfiltered curiosity.

"I’m not sure yet," Marcus said. "I was just about to try my Identification skill on it."

"Well, hurry up then," Amber urged. "If it turns out to be useless, Lily and I want you to turn it into a pair of matching necklaces. There’s definitely enough material here for two."

Marcus could only shake his head. Leave it to Amber to look at a potentially world-altering artifact and see nothing more than a fashion accessory.

But what exactly was the Violet Shard? Back in Black Rock Spire, that Dark Sorcerer had used it to shatter the seal and attempt to resurrect the Lord of the Undead. Any item capable of something like that had to be extraordinary. A flicker of hope stirred in Marcus’s chest. If this really was a Dark Relic, it might be exactly what he needed to hatch his Divine Beast, the Dark Violet Sky Dragon.

The thought alone made his focus sharpen. He gathered his energy and cast Identification.

Ding! "Stonehaven, Identification of the ’Violet Shard’ has failed"

Ding! "Stonehaven, Identification of the ’Violet Shard’ has failed"

Five attempts, five failures. Marcus exhaled slowly, irritation creeping in despite himself. His Basic Identification skill only allowed five uses per day, and it clearly wasn’t strong enough to pierce whatever concealment surrounded the gem. There was no choice now. He would have to take it to a professional.

"Any luck?" Amber asked, peering at his expression.

"No," Marcus said. "It’s beyond my level. I’ll need a system appraiser."

He couldn’t help recalling the last time he’d tried that. The old NPC appraiser had quoted him fifty thousand gold coins just to identify the shard, nearly twenty times what it had cost to identify his Adamant Shield. With the way the economy had inflated since then, the price was probably even worse now. Still, the man’s reaction back then had been telling. The Violet Shard wasn’t just rare. It had a story, maybe even a legend attached to it, and uncovering that might reveal more than a simple list of attributes.

"I don’t have much for you two in terms of Level 10 gear," Marcus said as he rose to his feet. "Come on. Let’s head to the auction house and see what we can find."

The moment Marcus, Lily, and Amber stepped into the Old Vine Auction House, the noisy bustle inside seemed to vanish all at once, as if someone had suddenly cut the sound. Men openly stared at Marcus with poorly concealed jealousy before their gazes slid toward Lily and Amber, admiration written plainly on their faces. Women, on the other hand, looked first at the two girls with envy, then back at Marcus with curiosity, lingering on the Fluffy Rabbit’s Mask that still covered his face.

The shift in atmosphere was immediate and almost comical. Men straightened their backs, adjusted their clothes, and struck what they clearly believed were effortless, charming poses, all in a desperate bid for attention. It was completely pointless. Lily and Amber didn’t spare them so much as a glance, their attention fixed entirely on Marcus. If resentment could make noise, the sound of teeth grinding would have filled the hall.

"Old Vine, looks like business is booming," Marcus called out easily.

"Stonehaven, you’re back—"

Old Vine had been bent over a ledger, but he looked up at the sound of Marcus’s voice. The greeting died in his throat the instant his eyes landed on the two women at Marcus’s side.

Old Vine was no stranger to beauty. His own granddaughters were famed for their looks, and his family moved in circles where striking appearances were practically a requirement. What stunned him wasn’t Lily and Amber themselves, but the simple, impossible fact that they were with Marcus.

In Old Vine’s mind, Marcus was a capable but ordinary man, a talented commoner with no meaningful background. He’d already been struggling to accept that his granddaughters seemed interested in this so-called nobody, convinced that Marcus was far beneath them in status and connections.

And yet here he stood, accompanied by two women who rivaled his granddaughters in every conceivable way. Amber’s lively charm and vivid presence made it obvious that, given another year or two, she would be impossible to ignore. Lily, however, was something else entirely. Her quiet elegance, her composed grace, and the way she looked at Marcus with such unmistakable devotion made her the kind of woman men dreamed of and fought wars over.

The scene simply didn’t make sense to him. Lily leaned naturally against Marcus’s arm, the ease of her posture speaking of long familiarity and deep trust, while Amber held his hand, her expression playful and affectionate without the slightest hint of restraint.

"Stonehaven... who are these two?" Old Vine asked, rubbing his eyes as if he expected the image to dissolve.

"This is my girl," Marcus said evenly. "And this is my sister."

It was the first time Lily had heard Marcus introduce her as his girl to someone outside their circle. A warm flush spread from her neck to her cheeks, and she lowered her gaze with a shy smile that only made her look more radiant. Marcus felt a dangerous urge to kiss her on the spot and had to consciously rein himself in.

"Nice to meet you," Lily said softly.

"Old Vine here is a friend," Marcus added, turning slightly toward them. "You can call him Old Vine, or Mr. Vine, whichever you prefer."

He then faced the older man again. "I need two sets of gear. Cleric and Archer, Levels 10 to 20. Give me the best you have."

Ever since Marcus’s previous high-profile auction, the Old Vine Auction House had cemented its reputation as the go-to destination for serious players. The inventory was vast and the quality consistently high. Even equipment Marcus mentally categorized as mid-range far surpassed what could be found anywhere else.

He spent over three hundred thousand gold coins without hesitation, purchasing a full Level 10 Cleric set for Lily, knowing she would switch to his Skeleton Set at Level 20, as well as two complete Archer sets for Amber covering Levels 10 and 20.

The effortless display of wealth only deepened the surrounding crowd’s resentment. "No wonder he has women like that," someone muttered bitterly. "The guy’s loaded."

Old Vine watched them leave, his thoughts falling in turmoil. The realization that Marcus had a girlfriend, and a woman as stunning as Lily, struck him harder than he cared to admit. He’d spent so long worrying that Marcus might try to attach himself to his family through his granddaughters, yet Marcus had never once hinted at such intentions. He came to the auction house strictly for business, nothing more.

Old Vine had assumed Marcus would be eager, even desperate, for a connection to power. Instead, the man had been completely indifferent.

The contradiction only made it worse. He’d hated the idea of Marcus being close to his granddaughters, yet the fact that Marcus didn’t even seem interested felt like an insult to his pride. It was the bitter sensation of losing something he had never intended to give away.

"Marcus, where to next?" Amber asked as they stepped outside, already itching to try out her new gear. "Are we going to level up?"

"First, we’re getting the Violet Shard identified," Marcus replied. "If it really is a Dark Relic, I can finally hatch the Dragon."

"Oh, right. I almost forgot," Amber said brightly. "And after that, the necklace!."