Chapter 8

The next day, Barrett appeared early in the hall of the Sheep and Spices tavern. It was uncertain if it was too early, but at this time, only a dozen or so people were inside, chatting and dining idly. In fact, it was usually only players who would show up this early at the tavern. Even the tavern’s servers were sitting behind the bar, yawning lazily out of boredom.

"Are they really just players?" Barrett immediately noticed something out of place in the tavern—a senior figure was seated there. It seemed to be an elder who had brought his younger relative out to see the world.

Driven by curiosity, Barrett walked over and sat at a table not far from him. After ordering a sausage bread from the bartender, he began to observe the other person. Upon closer inspection, Barrett realized that the man didn’t look as old as he initially thought; it was just that the沧桑感 (sense of沧桑) he exuded made him seem like an elder.

The young man beside the elder seemed somewhat displeased with Barrett’s behavior but didn’t say anything due to the elder’s presence. The elder, seemingly oblivious to Barrett’s actions, continued to leisurely sip his hot drink.

'Looks like someone with a story. The contradiction between game characters and real consciousness is really fascinating.' After making this judgment, Barrett shifted his gaze to the others.

A halfling with the appearance of a wanderer was diligently checking and preparing his tools. He smiled as he carefully wiped each piece of equipment—these tools were the most direct indication of the player’s profession.

At this stage, the most important task for a wanderer was to disarm traps and unlock doors encountered during adventures. When using the "Disarm Device" and "Lockpick" skills, such tools were essential.

Typically, these technical workers would use a professional toolkit—containing lockpicks, iron rods, pliers, small saws, wedges, and hammers. Without this toolkit, wanderers would likely have a hard time dealing with intricate mechanisms and locks.

'Oh! Even high-quality tools. This little guy must be an heir like me!' Barrett immediately took note. After all, when looking for teammates, trust and ability were key factors; no one liked a liability.

Beside the halfling was a dwarf with a serious expression, meticulously polishing his warhammer. The heavy steel shield at his feet clearly indicated its substantial weight. Unfortunately, the most important armor seemed to be missing, but from another perspective, this might be to prevent collapsing the tavern’s chairs.

The only one disrupting the tavern’s atmosphere was a human girl dressed as a hunter, who was actually snoring on the table... and occasionally emitting a strange, grating laugh, not to mention the drool flowing onto the table. However, the large hunting dog curled up at her feet was alert, baring its teeth at anyone who tried to approach.

As the sun climbed higher, the number of people in the tavern increased. The once quiet hall became noisy and bustling. Even the girl who had drooled all over the table woke up.

Surprisingly, the messy and carefree girl turned out to be a beauty—her azure eyes and wheat-colored skin, combined with her delicate features, exuded a sunny charm. To Barrett, she seemed to have the aura of a sporty girl from his memories (the part that seemed added).

It seemed the elder felt that enough people had arrived and stood up first, "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe everyone understands the purpose of gathering here."

"The person beside me is your employer for this mission, and I am the manager responsible for the entire operation." The elder gestured but didn’t push the person beside him to the front. Barrett saw a glint of sharpness in his cloudy eyes, indicating he was intentionally protecting someone.

Those present with some experience and knowledge understood this to be a loyal butler accompanying his young master on a trip. In a reality where social classes were increasingly rigid, this was a common occurrence, and it wasn’t surprising that it had made its way into the game.

Fortunately, the young master didn’t display any troublemaking or arrogant behavior, which was good news for ordinary players hoping to accept the mission. Not causing trouble would reduce unnecessary risks, and no one liked the idea of rebuilding their character after a few months, both in terms of entertainment and financial loss.

Seeing that his words hadn’t caused any objections, the actual employer continued, "I’m sure you’ve all heard some news online and offline. Yes, our destination for this mission is the Nohan Kingdom’s forward fortress in the Underdark. We will pass through three large transit camps, and the entire journey will take about one to one and a half months..."

The tavern hall erupted in noise, drowning out the speaker. The Underdark was not a pleasant place. Even though the Nohan Kingdom had established a forward fortress after years of development, the threats to ordinary adventurers remained unchanged.

The extensive cave systems allowed native creatures to attack from anywhere and also allowed dark elves to easily bypass the forward fortress’s surveillance. Even the three large transit camps required frequent reconstruction. For traveling caravans and adventurers, it was a journey that required a will to leave a will. In fact, if not for the Nohan Kingdom’s desire for underground resources and the strong support of dwarves and gnomes, the existence of the forward fortress in the Underdark would be questionable.

'Since they are from a wealthy family, the game identities of these two will definitely not be wandering travelers. If we consider the highest purchase limit, the young master is most likely the second son of a merchant family without inheritance rights. His journey to the Underdark must be a special mission assigned by his family or guild. This means the risk is extremely high, and the system won’t be so kind as to let someone complete the mission easily.' Barrett began to judge in his mind, losing some enthusiasm for the mission and instead focusing on the other players in the tavern, looking for potential partners for the upcoming adventure.

Of course, players as calm and silent as Barrett were in the minority. Most of the players present were like startled bees, buzzing and chattering loudly.

"Quiet down! Quiet down! I know you have many questions. I will answer them one by one." The middle-aged man waved his hands to get everyone’s attention, "You all know the risks of this journey, but since we are organizing a team to go, we certainly have some confidence. This time, we will join the caravan of the 'Clear Spring' guild. With these natives, the threat from dark elves is not as great as you might imagine. Their extensive underground experience can also help avoid many other risks."

Many players’ expressions relaxed after hearing this. At this stage, whether in terms of strength or other aspects, the natives were far superior to the players who had just undergone a baptism of fire (even if they hadn’t, the players’ strength and influence were far weaker than the natives). Participating in this mission would not only provide rich professional experience but also allow them to learn from the natives. As long as the price was right, it was indeed a good deal.

Seeing that his words had the desired effect, the middle-aged man continued, "I believe you are now concerned about the compensation for this mission. Based on the player’s character abilities, you will receive 20 to 50 credit points per day as a hiring fee. We will also buy gold coins from participating players at a price of 3 universal points per coin, which is higher than the market rate. If you agree, we will sign electronic contracts with each of you after negotiating the compensation."

20 to 50 credit points per day was not a small amount, and the price of 3 universal points per gold coin was three times the official exchange rate. It seemed that the wealthy truly saw this real "second world" as a good place to train their offspring—compared to the potential consequences of failure in reality, the loss of a few credit points in the game was negligible. To the wealthy, it was an excellent training ground.

However, for the United Government, the current situation was one they intended to guide and were happy to see. The government annually exchanged a large number of credit points for gold coins in the game to promote the circulation of social wealth, rather than keeping it as cold, lifeless numbers in banks.

Now, the transactions between these wealthy groups and players further promoted the transfer of wealth. It could be said that through this game, the government achieved with one cent what would normally require ten cents, and there was no reason to stop such a favorable situation. Even a specialized legal website to ensure the execution of employment contracts was efficiently established within a few days.

"So, what are the standards for evaluating abilities? We need some criteria to judge, right!" The speaker was a handsome man in shiny half-armor, with a simple balance and sword carved on his chest plate, and a three-finger-wide silver-white hand-and-a-half sword leaning against the table—this was a member of the "Sword of Justice," the strongest religious armed force in the Boleum region.

"Of course, for ordinary players, combat ability is the priority. If you have healing or other casting abilities, you will receive at least 30 universal points per day. However, since we are a joint team, we don’t need someone to handle traps and locks (implying that the natives will handle it). As for scouts, the evaluation is not easy, and we don’t plan to publicly recruit."

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