Chapter 76: Mantou's Struggle

  Baator City's tral square.

  Pyers came a incessantly, making the pce extremely lively.

  "Buying a set of standard iron equipment!"

  "Looking for a Sorcerer master; twenty-man team heading to the mountains to fight snowmen. No Wild Sorcerers."

  "Buying a musical instrument."

  "Buying all kinds of potions at market price, especially healing potions—will take as many as avaible."

  The team jokingly called the "Sve Quartet" by the pyers gathered once again. They were still in their novice outfits, unged in the slightest, as all the mohey painstakingly earned from tasks had beeo repay loans.

  Singo asked enthusiastically, "How much fa tribution do you all have now? I'm at 7,985."

  Summer Night Autumn Rain said, "I'm at 6,389."

  Born Battle Maniac touched his bald head, "7,071."

  Mantou's expression had shifted from lifeless to numb: "I only have 5,789."

  "Singo, we've been doing hard bor fhteen days now. The niame 'Sve Quartet' has bee famous on the pyer forums. When will these days end?"

  Mantou stroked the coarse cloth clothes on himself, missing his former leather armor even more. It might not have been stylish, but it gave him a rare sense of security.

  Born Battle Maniac patted Mantou's shoulder and said early, "Therefore, when heaven is about to fer a great responsibility on a person, it first frustrates his spirit and will, exhausts his muscles and bones, and starves his body. The path to being a professional pyer is not easy."

  Mantou looked at Singo, who remaihusiastic even after eighteen days of bor, thinking to himself that this guy was a plete mohe cheerful Born Battle Maniac beside him was also not to be uimated.

  Summer Night Autumn Rain tidied her hair, which had bee a bit messy from mining: "Any clues about the Tiefling's quest?"

  Mantou shook his head and said, "I'm exhausted these days; I don't have the energy to deal with so much."

  Born Battle Maniac rubbed his bald head until it almost shone: "I went to ask those Tieflings, but they all kept their mouths shut; some even attacked me directly. Fortunately, I'm a Barbarian with thick skin; otherwise, I'd have lost my first life."

  Singo smiled mysteriously and said, "I've already pleted the quest."

  "A few days ago, I paid off a destitute Tiefling aracted information from him. Even so, it was quite an effort; they seem unwilling to mention their past, but ter I uood why."

  "These Tieflings inally came from a city called Northwind Fortress, ruled by Duke Brad La of the La Family."

  After Singo fielling this tragid bloody history, everyone's panels dispyed 【Quest pleted】, adding 500 fa tribution to their ats.

  After nearly a month of gamepy, most pyers had developed some sense of identity and belonging toward Baator City; there were even fan clubs for Medrosh appearing on the pyer forums.

  Summer Night Autumn Rain sighed, "Medrosh really has it tough."

  Born Battle Maniac said indignantly, "Let's kill those damned vampires."

  Only Mantou seemed to recall something and stared bnkly, asking, "Where did you get the money? Didn't we use all old s to buy the invitation?"

  Singo's expression didn't ge as he said calmly, "When I went to get the loan, I found we had surplus equipment, so I only pawned my own, Autumn Rain's, and Battle Maniac's equipment as colteral. I sold your equipment for cash; the money is credited to my at, and I'll reimburse you ime."

  "You beast, Singo! You'd rather sell it thaurn my equipment!"

  After suppressing his anger durieen days of bor, Mantou finally exploded, rushing up to strip Singo of his novice outfit, wanting to turn him into a sed 'Holy Light Brother' and utterly disgrace him.

  But Singo, with his agile movements, easily dodged, causing Mantou to nearly crash into the dragon stoatue in the ter of the square.

  "Calm down. Even if you strip me naked—"

  "The equipment won't e back."

  While dodging, Singo didn't fet to showcase his sharp tongue.

  However, lying on the ground, Mantou suddenly noticed a line of barely noticeable small characters on the base of the statue—

  【Dedicated to the master of the Ember , the mighty and noble Red Dragon, the eternal lord of Baator City—Cassius Cudious Norrixius】

  "Guys, e and look at this! I've found important information!"

  The four of them hurriedly gathered around. Singo, disregarding his image, y on the ground with his backside up, carefully reading.

  "Cassius"

  "This name seems familiar."

  Born Battle Maniac rubbed his glossy bald head.

  After being borers fhteen days, even his brain wasn't funing well.

  Summer Night Autumn Rain couldn't help but facepalm and kindly reminded, "Remember that super handsome—I mean, important NPC? His name above his head was 【Mysterious Draic Bloodline Sorcerer - Cassius】."

  Singo added, "And he has features of a Red Dragon—scales, dragon horns, golden eyes."

  Mantou suddenly realized, "Doesn't that mean that mysterious NPC is the leader of our fa, the human ination of the never-before-seen Red Dragon big boss?"

  "I'm afraid so."

  Singo nodded in agreement.

  Mantou couldn't help but excim, "Then we've hit the jackpot! Wait, but my favorability with the big boss is already at -10. Singo, give me back my favorability!"

  Singo ignored him and turo the other two, saying, "Have you noticed the ret movements of those big guilds? The president of 【Royal Authority】, 'Overlord', has started sending people to seize the wall stru tasks. That civil engineering guy 'Bucket Runaway' was recruited with a high sary, and they've tracted the whole area."

  "And the people from 【Sword Pavilion】 have even started mining themselves. Their iions are a bit too obvious, aren't they?"

  Mantou was stunned: "You mean—"

  "They've probably already discovered the importance of fa tribution?"

  "I'm afraid so."

  Singo crossed his arms and said fidently, "But we ow make the quest information public. We each hold 7,000 fa tribution and have already bought the 【Mysterious Invitation】 in advance. Even those big guilds 't catch up with our progress."

  "Now we o get all pyers to focus on fa tribution, snatg their tasks to dey the guilds' progress. We take the opportunity to earn more money and accept the profitable tasks we couldn't get before."

  "Mantou, after grinding today, go make a video. I'll post a strategy on the forum; tonight we'll unch directly."

  "Oh, okay."

  Mantou's tone suddenly became more spirited: "Hmph, the wheel of fortuurns; don't uimate the young and poor! I'll make those who mock me as a sve know what it means to seize every opportunity!"

  But when he was editing the video that night, he rubbed his increasingly thinning back of the head and suddenly felt something was off.

  "Damn, everyone's logged off, and I'm still w for Singo—"

  AnnouA big thank you to [Zelixion] for joining my Patreon! Your support means a lot to me.

  FAL