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“Bro, cut us a deal. We at Nether Dawn will buy all twelve of those Bioraptor Scales.” A hearty male voice called out.

Zane looked up and saw a Level 15 swordsman player named Duskwraith.

“Shiu, have you heard of Nether Dawn?” Zane asked.

“Nether Dawn… oh! Yeah, I’ve heard of them. They’re a rising guild from the late stages of the last game, led by the core four: Duskwraith, Rainbow, Lime, and Icefruit. Their ranking hasn’t updated yet, but their actual strength easily puts them in the national top 100!”

“What’s up, did you get into trouble with them?”
“No, I just happened to run into them while selling the Bioraptor Scales.”
“Bioraptor Scales!? You’ve got even that kind of loot?” Shiu was floored.
“Yeah, I ran into a Bioraptor yesterday…”
“…”
“Anyway, hold up, they’re messaging me.”

…

At the same time, Duskwraith sent a private message:

Indeed, gear drop rates at this stage were abysmally low. Even junk-tier Rare equipment could fetch over 200 coins on the auction house. But these scales, once forged by a blacksmith into Refined Scale Armor, could greatly elevate a heavy-armor class’ combat power—pushing them into an entirely new tier.

If a guild could outfit even a dozen frontline players with Rare armor, they’d have the leverage to challenge any other guild head-on in early-game territory.

Stats trumped everything in PvP.

In just a few minutes, the price of a single scale had already surged to 5 gold coins.

Zane hesitated. “They’re already going for 5 gold each now…”

Duskwraith grimaced. “How about 7 gold apiece? Gold is still expensive these days—just one of these materials is now pricier than some finished Rare gear.”

“That may be true, but I’m sure other guilds will pay even more.” Zane replied, testing the waters.

And he wasn’t wrong. The crowd was swelling. It wouldn’t be long before major guilds showed up—Heaven’s Accord, Drunken Fairytale, even Rainflower players had started arriving.

Duskwraith was getting anxious. “These materials are seriously crucial for us, Emberveil. Ten gold coins each! That’s the highest I can go right now!”

Ten gold a piece—pretty generous, especially considering these were just raw materials and not even crafted gear. Zane was surprised they were worth even more than the coins Bioraptors dropped themselves.

Haggling any further would just sour the deal and damage his rapport with Nether Dawn. Since they were the only guild making an offer, and there was no way he’d sell to scummy guilds like Rainflower, this would do.

“Deal,” Zane agreed decisively, immediately pulling the scales from auction and initiating a direct trade.

“Awesome! You’ve got style, bro. Let’s add each other as friends. If you ever come across rare mats again, hit me up first. Our guild’s always in need of quality stuff,” said Duskwraith, clearly pleased.

No middlemen, no undercutting—honestly, this arrangement made turning loot into cash way more efficient. Zane happily accepted the friend request.

By the end, he’d sold off nearly everything and raked in a total of 152 gold coins!

The bulk came from the Bioraptor scales, but interestingly, the Blood Bat King’s Fang fetched 20 gold coins too. What someone planned to do with that was anyone’s guess—maybe crafting some cursed item?

“Shiu, what’s the current exchange rate on gold?” Zane asked.
“Let me check… 257.”
“…That’s a steep drop.”
“Of course. Now that the Beginner Villages are behind us, over a hundred new maps are open for exploration. Most of them haven’t even been charted yet. The loot and gold drop rates in those newly discovered zones can’t even be compared to the leveling spots around Wynwater City.”

Zane nodded in agreement. He’d made a fortune from the Underground Passage and the Wastelands—but those places weren’t exactly a walk in the park.

“How much more do you have to sell? If those scales are worth that much… you must be sitting on at least 50 gold coins, right?”
“Shiu, your scope’s too small. Your daddy here’s got over 200 gold saved up!” Zane said smugly.
“What the—200!?! After transaction fees, that’s nearly 50,000 RMB! Damn, Dreamscape giving you 5,000 to start was the deal of the century.”
“Alright, go back to town and sell the coins. We’ll head out and grind after.”
“Got it!”

…

Since he was already back in town, Zane figured it was a good time to look for Elna. There were still a few things he wanted to ask her.

He didn’t know many people in town—or rather, the few NPCs he was familiar with didn’t offer any particularly useful information.

It was already the third day since the game launched. Equipment drop rates were still incredibly low, but with such a massive player base, the market was already overflowing with gear.

Which meant that Starry couldn’t keep doing what she did yesterday—charging headlong through formations and slaughtering everyone in sight. And she still hadn’t even changed classes yet. If this dragged on any longer, she’d be hopelessly outmatched once she had to go head-to-head with high-level players.

Especially that Windblossom. With the hidden class Twilight Ranger, they might only be evenly matched against another hidden class like Wishkeeper. So Starry’s class advancement had become a top priority.

…

“No unauthorized persons may enter the General’s estate!”

“…”

No matter what Zane said, the two guards didn’t believe a word of it. If their levels weren’t listed as ???, Zane would’ve already rolled up his sleeves and started swinging.

Left with no other options, he resorted to plan B! He found a quiet dead-end alley while Starry kept watch.

Zane, now in Elna’s form, walked confidently toward the gates of the General’s estate.

“Elna, Miss Elna!? When did you come outside?” One of the guards exclaimed, shocked.
“We’re doomed! If General Aegis finds out, we’re done for…” the other turned pale.

Wait, what? Elna was under house arrest?

“Ahem! Relax, I’m back now, aren’t I? Escort me inside,” Zane said sweetly, imitating Elna’s voice and tone.

…

Starry couldn’t follow him in.

The guards stopped escorting Zane once they reached the rear courtyard—after all, their job was to guard the front gate.

“Strange… isn’t Miss Elna’s outfit a bit off?”
“Watch your mouth! How dare you question the Lady’s attire? She’s the great Wishkeeper! There must be a divine reason she’s dressed that way.”
“Ohh, you’re right! You really know your stuff!”

Starry’s avatar, still outside, overheard the conversation and broke into a cold sweat. Thankfully, they hadn’t gotten suspicious. Zane decided to buy a set of children’s clothes later to match Elna’s appearance.

The secluded courtyard had a few potted plants in the corners, and in the center stood a stone table with four stone stools—clearly expensive. Neatly trimmed grass lined the stone path, and the air was filled with a light, floral fragrance.

So this is what a rich person’s backyard looks like, Zane thought.

“Who is it?” Elna opened the door impatiently. Too many people had come pestering her lately. And then she saw—someone who looked exactly like her, except for the eerie skeletal gear.

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