NPC into Player: Let's Wreck This Game

Bloom went towards a very luxurious looking restaurant. He wasn't angry anymore as he knew that piece of scale he left for that arrogant mayor would make him hooked to come.

"What do you need to eat, sir?"

He didn't hesitate to go towards the top floor of the restaurant where there were only five tables in the entire place; all were filled with NPCs eating and discussing things except for one.

"I want the special dish today," Bloom said before adding, "make it two please."

"Two?" the waiter was hesitant, "each dish cost ten thousand gold coins… are you sure you want two?"

Bloom already knew the price and he was curious to see why such a dish was priced like this. "Yeah, make it two," he said before adding, "I'm waiting for someone… a very special one. When he comes please guide him here."

"Sure, I'll notify the guards down below," the waiter said in respect, "may I know the name of that person?"

"I dunno it too," Bloom shrugged, "but he goes by the nickname of a king."

"A… king?" the waiter raised an eyebrow before he dismissed the thought that that person would be the mayor of the town. "Sure, I'll deliver the message below."

"Thanks."

The man just vanished when he suddenly got a message from Nara.

'Where are you?'

'Somewhere far,' he said, 'why? Did something happen?'

'Do I need a reason to contact you now?'

He smiled and felt a little ease, 'No, I just wanted to make sure you are alright.'

'I'm doing good, but I wanted to check on you,' she said before adding, 'I heard a rumor that a town near your place turned into a safe haven for players. it's called Swor town, do you know anything about it?'

He couldn't help but laugh. 'Why not ask me directly instead?' he teased her.

'So it was you.'

'Indeed, who else in the game could do something like this?'

'I thought so as well,' she sent before pausing for a moment, 'but I heard the price tag for the tickets skyrocketed. The official price is one thousand gold coins and there are many tickets being sold in the black market with one to two hundred gold coins less.'

'Less?' he was surprised to hear that.

'Some players were already there and managed to buy a lot of tickets before you did what you did,' she sent, 'and now they are selling these tickets enmasse, gathering a lot of wealth already.'

"This is interesting," he muttered, 'are there many buying these tickets?'

'Like hot gears,' she said, 'no one is foolish enough to let this opportunity pass.'

'I see,' he replied and kept his silence afterwards.

'Do you have any extra tickets?' she finally said what she came to ask about, 'I plan to buy gold coins but recently the prices of exchange soared to double what it was previously.'

'Why is that?'

'Someone is extensively exchanging contribution points with gold coins,' she answered.

'Dockrey?'

'I doubt it's him,' she said, 'I guess someone else is trying to get a huge sum of gold coins. Frankly I dunno why.'

"But I do…" Bloom softly muttered, "someone is already trying to establish a guild… is he like me? Level thirty and having a token to establish a guild?"

He didn't know the answer. 'Do you know who is currently the highest player in the game?' he suddenly asked.

'Why do you ask and you already know him?'

'It's not me,' he simply stated, 'I'm stuck at level twenty-nine already.'

'Damn! Last time you weren't near that level yet!'

He laughed, 'I just got lucky.'

'Your luck is turning into a living myth my love.'

'At least this is good for you too,' he teased her, 'I'm your man and it's not bad for your man to be strong, right?'

'Humph, my man is cold hearted,' she complained, 'he doesn't want to help his girl with some tickets.'

'Forget about them for now, I can secure as much as you want easily with a snap of a finger.'

'Oh, are you telling the truth here?'

'I'm,' he sent, 'but I'm more concerned about this mysterious player who is buying gold in great amounts.'

'My heart tells me you know what he is doing, right?'

'You can say that,' he smiled, 'but I won't spoil the surprise I'm preparing for you.'

'Surprise or another secret of yours?'

'It's a surprise,' he said, 'a secret that will be revealed so soon isn't a secret at all.'

'Humph, we'll see about that,' she sent, 'what do you want to know?'

'His identity.'

'I believe it's not just one player though,' she sent, 'at least from what I can tell they are a group of ten at the least.'

'Ten?!!' he was more shocked by that, 'are you sure?'

'I'm very certain of this,' she sent, 'so I can't figure out all of their identities.'

'Forget it,' he sighed, 'we'll all know them so soon.'

'Why are you sure about that?'

'They are seeking the same goal as me,' he simply sent, 'anyway, I'm in a sort of quest now and after that I'll provide tickets for you. Just select those you truly trust.'

She went into a break before sending to him, 'I've already filtered a lot of suspicious players. Besides, the last fight revealed many traitors.'

He knew what she was referring to, but he stressed again, 'many were revealed, but there are more still hidden inside your ranks.'

'I've already cut a lot of decayed roots.'

'Do another check up for me,' he said, 'I don't want to help my enemies to get there easily without paying a considerable price for that.'

'I'll see what I can do,' she sent before adding after a brief pause, 'when can I see you?'

'After I finish my quest,' he said as if it was a known fact.

'I mean… in real life… y'know there are a lot of things I need to discuss with you face to face.'

'You can ask anything you want to know here,' he wasn't ready yet to be entangled closely with her in the real world.

'But you are already part of the Triflet challenge.'

'It's too risky,' he said, 'I have found many untrustworthy people in my close circle. Can you imagine how much we are compromised?' he sighed as he knew she was dead fixed on meeting him. 'Let me promise you this, after I finish my quest and show you my gift, I'll work over my own people and then we can meet.'

'That… sounds too far in the future.'

He could sense her bitterness and disappointment in the mere words she sent. 'Time flies fast, don't be hasty as our enemy is really cunning and merciless.'

'Ok.'

He was sure she wasn't convinced at all with his words, yet he wasn't ready yet to endanger her or put himself again in the same threat he faced before.

Despite him having a way out he didn't want to risk something he could easily avoid.

"You are too bold!"

Just as he was eating the first forks of the special meat presented in front of him, Bloom heard this harsh tone coming from his back.

"For what?" Bloom shrugged while spotting this robust man with a giant body and a very shining armor covering nearly all his body like a gown made entirely of golden and silver ores.

"You ordered the most pricey dish," the man moved to sit in front of him, "not only for yourself but also for me. Weren't you worried I won't come?"

"Hahaha, didn't even doubt your visit," Bloom laughed while continuing to eat this delicious large piece of meat. "Do you like this dish?"

"who doesn't?" the man laughed, "after all I'm the one who asked for it to be made in the restaurant and asked them to make it the formal dish everyday here."

Bloom glanced at this mayor with long hair that was collected with a golden hairpin. "You are a man of elegance and taste," he simply said.

"Thank you," the mayor said, "I'm more interested in that thing you sent to me."

"The scales?" Bloom casually said, "I'm glad you liked it."

"I gave that guard a very intense word before I came here," the mayor said, "it wasn't polite to say such mean words to such an honorable man like you."

"Thanks," Bloom smiled as he continued to eat, "what is this meat made of? It's so delicious!"

"It's made of a very rare animal I love to hunt," the mayor cracked a smile while batting his chest, "I'm a fight lover, always going on and trying to challenge many dangers."

"Weird," Bloom couldn't help but comment.

"Because I gather antiques and rare items?" the mayor asked as if he had heard this comment many times already.

"I didn't mean that," Bloom shook his head, "I didn't think there were any real dangers around here."

The mayor glanced silently for a couple of minutes without saying a word while Bloom kept eating. "I won't take your words seriously," the mayor said, "after all you are new here and didn't meet the real monsters lurking everywhere here."

"Real monsters? Like what?"

"Like the horned bulls you are eating their meat now," the mayor said in a pride tone, "this one is really a monster that would give birth to eternal nightmares to you."

"Don't judge me without knowing me well."

"I know players."

"I'm not like them at all."

The two kept staring for brief moments before the mayor laughed. "I like you kid," he said amidst his laughs, "alright, let's do business… How much do you want for this scale? And how many others do you have?"

"Let's speak first about the price," Bloom said before raising one finger soaked with the oil coming from the meat he was eating.

"One thousand gold coins?" the mayor asked, yet Bloom shook his head. "Ten thousand gold coins? That's an extravagant price for a piece of scale!"

Yet Bloom also shook his head.

"Damn kid, don't tell me you want one hundred thousand gold coins for one scale! That's a daylight steal!!!"