Chapter 7

After the tutorial ended, the two continued their conversation at the central fountain of the beginner's city, "Racing."

- So, what do you think you'd do first after the tutorial ends in an online RPG?

“Well, it’s pretty much the same for most people.”

Since the internet and network connections appeared, how many online RPGs have there been? Carpe has played over ten RPGs.

“Go to a beginner's training ground and hit the dummies, receive training, or go out of the village and hunt beginner monsters. Or follow the main quest.”

- All three are correct. No matter which one you choose, there’s a path for it. Lase has infinite freedom.

Another reality, not a game. It might sound cliché, but there’s no better way to describe Last Savior.

- Well, there’s no guarantee that this infinite freedom still exists, though.

“Huh? What do you mean...”

That was when it happened.

“Hey! We’re going to form our own guild, okay?”

A commotion broke out not far away. Turning to look, Carpe saw the group of newbies he had passed earlier arguing with a man.

“Oh.”

Carpe instinctively sensed that this commotion was related to what the Centaur had just said.

His steps automatically moved in that direction, and the man with a gentle appearance and blonde hair was smiling at the group of beginners.

“If you join our beginner support guild ‘Mammonism,’ you can play the game very comfortably...”

“No, I understand what you’re saying, but we want to do it with our friends. We don’t want to play under anyone.”

“Yeah. In Real Fantasia, we had to work like dogs under a guild. Do you want us to do the same here?”

“Hey, calm down a bit...”

“We’re calm and talking. We’ll do it our way, so you should go on your way.”

The beginners seemed to have had a bad experience with guilds, as they were hostile towards the blonde man, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Hmm.”

Carpe spoke in a voice low enough that they couldn’t hear.

“They’re really aggressive about recruiting. They even try to force people who are leaving.”

- Lase has been out for half a year, right? After half a year, the established powers start to become active. Especially with the guild wars update, they want to increase their numbers.

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with suggesting a guild itself.”

- The problem is that it doesn’t end with just a suggestion.

While Carpe and the Centaur were talking, the voices of the group grew louder.

“If you keep being so forceful, it might make it hard for you to play the game in the future.”

“Ha! Now you’re even threatening us? Why? Are you going to PK us?”

High game freedom is a strong advantage, but if the freedom is too high, some users, the established powers, can abuse the game.

For example, they might hoard items necessary for gameplay and drive up prices, or control drop hunting grounds.

Or, more simply, they might kill anyone they see to force them to quit the game.

“Sigh. No matter what game you play, there are always such guilds.”

This wasn’t limited to Last Savior. The structure where vanguards monopolize content and exploit latecomers is common in MMORPGs.

To maintain this exploitation structure, the established powers put in a lot of effort. The semi-coercive guild recruitment is probably part of that.

Carpe sighed at the sight and was about to turn away when...

“Ha ha, I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding. PK? On the contrary, I’m trying to protect you. Have you seen the beginner’s recommended strategy on the Lase forum?”

Was it because of the unexpected response?

The beginners’ momentum waned a bit.

“The beginner’s strategy on the forum... the best of the best strategy?”

“Yes, that’s right. If you’ve read it, it would be easier to explain. In the list of quests you must do at level 1, there’s one called ‘Mutant Horned Deer Hunt.’”

Lase has been out for six months. In that time, there’s been plenty of time for beginner strategies to be posted on game communities.

“Um...”

“Indeed, there is such a quest in the strategy...”

The strategy mentioned by the blonde man was a highly recommended condensed strategy, often called the Bible for beginners.

“Is there really such a quest?”

- Yes. It’s one of the most efficient quests in the starting village.

“Hmm.”

Even a veteran player of ten years would say it’s efficient. With this quest mentioned, the beginners’ momentum waned further. As they hesitated, the blonde man smiled even more gently and continued.

“Mutant deer aren’t actually that strong. A party of four or five level 1 players can hunt them without much difficulty. However, the problem is where they respawn. It’s the only field in the starting village where PK is allowed. Have you heard of the One-PK Team?”

“Oh!”

“You’ve heard of it, I see. Beginners who don’t know anything and try to hunt mutant deer are almost always attacked by them.”

One-PK Team, short for One-PK Squad.

A group of indiscriminate PKers that started rampaging in the starting city about a month ago. They would hide in the forest near the deer respawn zone and hunt weaker players.

“If you join our guild, we’ll take responsibility for protecting you from them. Not only that, we’ll help you graduate from the starting city comfortably. Of course, you can leave the guild whenever you want.”

“Hmm... I understand what you’re saying, but I still don’t want to join a guild.”

“Unfortunately, if you say that, there’s nothing I can do. But I can help you with the mutant deer quest.”

“Oh!”

“Really?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were so kind!”

The initially hostile atmosphere was completely gone. However, one of the beginners, who seemed to be the leader, still had a suspicious look.

“Wait a minute. You’re offering to help even though we won’t join your guild? Why?”

“As I said, our guild supports beginners. The guild leader believes that helping beginners is the way to make the game better.”

“...It’s hard to believe. We’ve been through a lot. Unconditional kindness is rare.”

“Hmm? Did I ever say I would help for free? I will ask for a reward.”

“Oh.”

The beginners’ eyes changed to “Of course” in an instant. However, they soon had a common question.

“...Reward? From us?”

“What do we have? Hey, Jinshik. Do you have anything?”

“Do I? I just finished the tutorial and came out, so I don’t have anything.”

“I was killed by goblins right after the tutorial started.”

They were newbies who had just entered the starting city. They had nothing to offer as a reward.

“Do you mean real money as a reward?”

“No. The reward we ask for is what you all have right now.”

It was something that all players who started Lase would have touched and brought from the tutorial.

“Gacha coins.”

“Oh... I do have some left.”

“Me too. I have seven left after the third 10-gacha.”

“I have three.”

Most players, like Carpe, who didn’t shout “Gazua!!” until the end, would have some leftover coins.

“But the strategy says to sell them in the shop early to make some pocket money... I’m sure you can only get the price of one potion for five coins.”

“Even pocket money adds up. And this is actually a secret...”

The blonde man leaned in slightly, as if sharing a great secret.

“We have a member in our guild who has advanced to the special class ‘Merchant.’ Using the Merchant’s skill [Bargaining], you can sell the same item to NPCs for a higher price. If you gather a large number of coins and sell them all with [Bargaining]...”

Swallow.

One of the beginners swallowed hard. They must have been imagining the money rolling in.

“Well, that’s the story. Are your doubts cleared up now?”

“Of course! Hey, it’s all because Jinho doubted you. Apologize quickly!”

“...I’m sorry. We were wrong to get angry at your good intentions.”

“No, I understand. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, shall we go clear the quest? The mutant deer are rare, so the queue is quite long.”

“Oh, then we should hurry!”

“Then, before that, a moment.”

The blonde man, seeing Carpe standing a bit away, smiled and said,

“Would you like to come with us? You’ve probably heard that this quest has a very good reward.”

“No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I don’t have any coins...”

“Oh, I see. Have fun playing. Well, then, everyone, shall we go?”

The blonde man, confirming that Carpe had no coins, ignored him and left with the beginners.

Carpe watched their backs with a bewildered expression, but no one paid him any attention.

Finding it quite amusing, Centaur chuckled and said to Carpe,

- So, here’s a question. What do you think of what that guy with the shit on his head said?

“Putting aside his rudeness... it smells fishy.”

- Lucky for you. Smelling the fishy smell means you’re better than those idiots.

“So, what part of what he said was a lie?”

- A lie? There isn’t one.

“Huh?”

Carpe looked at Centaur as if asking what he meant, but Centaur just shrugged.

- Everything that shithead said is true. There’s no lie.

The mutant deer quest being the most efficient at level 1 is true.

Being attacked by the One-PK Team if you do the quest blindly is true.

Mammonism guild protecting you from them is true.

The beginner’s best strategy book saying to sell the coins in the shop for pocket money is true.

Ultimately, Mammonism guild helping beginners is true.

It’s all true.

“What? So it’s a good guild? A charity organization?”

- No way. They have their own motives, which is why they do such troublesome things. Take this opportunity to feel it out.

“What do you mean?”

- The established powers in Lase. And the peak of those powers, the so-called top 10 guilds. How devious they are.

They will stick to you stubbornly throughout the game. They won’t let any element that could threaten them go.

- So, this time, it wouldn’t be bad to mess up their party a bit.

“I really like that. Fighting alone against a giant force that bullies. It’s like a novel protagonist.”

- Then congratulations. You’re a novel protagonist now.

Carpe and Centaur quietly followed the blonde man.

The 10-star player who became strong through gacha.