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Mesos are essential to your character's progression in MapleStory.

Upgrading Arcane Symbols alone can start costing tens of millions of mesos.

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Once you start upgrading Sacred Symbols after level 260, you may need hundreds of millions of mesos, depending on the upgrade stage.

As I leveled my character, I found that hunting alone could only earn me so many mesos.

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Defeating bosses and selling their crystals is another popular method, but valuable crystals are difficult to obtain for new players with low Combat Power.

That's why I turned to earning mesos through gathering professions!

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You can get started even without high Combat Power. When I checked, Juniper Berry Seeds were selling for about 700,000 mesos each, making them a worthwhile source of income.

Today, I'll walk you through the meso-making method I learned while raising my own Herbalism to level 10.

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1. Learning a Profession in Ardentmill

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Beyond combat, MapleStory has a Professions system that lets you gather materials and craft items.

Today, we'll focus on using Herbalism to gather and sell Juniper Berry Seeds.

First, head to Ardentmill to learn a profession.

If your character is level 100 or above, you can complete the profession introduction quest and learn Herbalism in Ardentmill.

Herbalism lets you gather seeds and flowers from herb patches. These materials can be used for Alchemy or sold through the Maple Auction.

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Our first goal is to reach Herbalism level 10!

We'll start by building up mastery so we can gather materials efficiently at the Expert Secret Herb Patch.

2. Reaching Herbalism Level 10 by Crafting Oils

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Once you've learned the profession, you can gather herbs at the herb patches on the right side of Ardentmill.

These patches are divided into tiers, from beginner to expert.

Stand in front of an herb patch and press the gather key to collect materials.

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However, I found that leveling up by gathering materials one at a time took far too long.

My fingers were working overtime—it felt a lot like actual work ...

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Instead, I recommend crafting seed oils in bulk.

The process is simple.

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1. Buy Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Oil Bottles from Nack, an NPC in Ardentmill.

2. Buy inexpensive seeds through the Maple Auction.

3. Press B to open the Professions window.

4. Select the oil you want to craft, set the quantity, and start batch crafting.

5. Once you've gained enough mastery, visit the NPC to raise your Herbalism level.

I prepared about 1,000 oil bottles and 2,000 seeds for this process.

Crafting repeatedly builds mastery quickly.

Just remember to use seeds and oil bottles that match your Herbalism level!

Start with basic crafting, then move on to intermediate and advanced crafting as your level increases.

Reaching the required mastery won't automatically raise your level. You'll need to visit the NPC for each level-up!

An NPC in Ardentmill may also give you quests to collect powders.

Completing these at the appropriate levels will help you gain mastery, too.

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You'll also need to keep an eye on Fatigue.

Every crafting action adds Fatigue. Once you reach the daily limit of 500, you can't craft any more.

Because of this, it took me about 2~3 days to reach Herbalism level 10.

It takes a little effort, but once you've leveled up, you can use the skill to earn mesos in the future. For me, it was time well spent.

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3. Gathering Juniper Berry Seeds at the Expert Secret Herb Patch

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Once you've reached Herbalism level 10, it's time to start earning mesos!

First, you'll need a gathering tool to save time.

You can buy a Lightweight Rake from Nack in Ardentmill.

You can also buy one through the auction instead of from Nack for 50 million mesos. (Be sure to check that its durability is 100%.)

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This tool helps you gather faster and collect more materials, but 50 million mesos is no small amount for a new player on a tight budget.

That's why I started with the Golden Shovel provided through PC bang benefits. ^ ^

If an expensive tool is out of your budget for now, PC bang benefits are another option.

Now, let's head into the Expert Secret Herb Patch.

Important! You must defeat 1,000 monsters within your level range before you can enter the herb patch.

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Once you've met the entry requirement, enter the expert patch and look for Purple Herbs.

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Then, settle in and start gathering.

And keep at it...

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Purple Herbs have a chance to yield Juniper Berry Seeds.

You won't get seeds every time, though. Gathering can yield other materials instead, so you'll need a little luck.

Once you've collected some Juniper Berry Seeds, you're ready to sell them through the auction!

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4. Selling Juniper Berry Seeds Through the Maple Auction

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Now you can sell the Juniper Berry Seeds you've gathered through the Maple Auction.

But why do these ordinary-looking seeds sell for so much?

It's because they're in high demand as an Alchemy crafting material.

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Juniper Berry Seeds can be processed into Juniper Berry Seed Oil.

This oil is needed to craft Wealth Acquisition Potions and EXP Accumulation Potions, which players use while hunting.

Both potions are consumables that players use regularly while hunting, keeping demand high.

In other words, the seeds we gather help other players craft their potions.

When I checked, Juniper Berry Seeds were selling for about 700,000 mesos each.

Just 10 seeds are worth 7 million mesos, while 100 adds up to an impressive 70 million mesos!

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As a new player, I found this a very efficient way to earn mesos. Gathering alone could bring in this much without requiring high Combat Power.

Of course, gathering takes time, and getting seeds depends on luck. Still, having relied on hunting alone for mesos before, I found it a worthwhile source of income. ^ ^

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The key is to always check market prices before selling!

Prices for the same item can vary by server and change over time.

I've learned that hunting and boss runs aren't the only ways to earn mesos in MapleStory.

Leveling up a profession takes a little effort, but I think gathering's biggest advantage is that once you've learned it, you can keep putting it to use.

If you're a new player struggling with Symbol upgrade costs like me, give gathering professions a try!

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