Arthur quickly logged into the game, greeted by a series of system notifications that flashed before his eyes:
“Your auction item common Savage helmet sold for 98 copper.”
“Your auction item common Savage helmet sold for 1 silver.”
...
“Your auction item common Savage helmet sold for 1 silver 48 copper.”
Arthur's grin widened as he scrolled through the list. The six common helmets had brought in a total of 7 silver and 20 copper even after percentage deducted by auction house, but that was just a fraction of his earnings. Each rare Savage helmet had sold for a minimum of 5 silver, pushing his total balance to an impressive 68 silver.
Without hesitation, Eminence purchased everything, watching his funds dwindle down to a mere 40 copper. He didn’t bat an eye at the cost—every item was an investment in his future plans, and he was confident it would all pay off in the long run.
Eminence called Mayon, his voice filled with concern. “Mayon, how’s it going? You should take a break right now.” Though VR could replace sleep, the mind still needed rest.
A tired voice came through the other end. “You’re right, Boss, I really need some rest. And Boss, the girl you hired—she’s amazing! She collected a total of 1100 sets of materials, each for only eight copper. And I succeeded in making 978 helmets, I levelled up to level 5 and used the XP to upgrade the forging design to level 5. So far, I’ve made 214 level 3 rare helmets, 47 common, 466 level 4 rare helmets, 79 common, 92 level 5 rare helmets, and 79 common. Oh, and one even upgraded to a level 5 Bronze helmet, which I equipped.”
Eminence was momentarily stunned. “Mayon, you did great. Go take a good rest; I’ll call you before the quest.”
“Yes, Boss. But forging here is too realistic; I can even forge two helmets at the same time.”
Beep.
The call disconnected, leaving Eminence to process the staggering results. 'Mayon is just the same as he was back then,' he thought, a mix of nostalgia and pride washing over him.
In Epoch, equipment designs could be levelled up by sacrificing XP, but this process came with limitations. After five level-ups, the forger needed to modify the design itself; otherwise, it would de-rank by a level. Understanding these intricacies was crucial for maximizing output without losing progress.
Eminence decided to call Rain Dance next.
“Boss, Brother Bear gave me a lot of helmets. Boss, please take them quickly—I’m afraid I’ll lose them,” Rain Dance said anxiously on the other end.
Eminence smiled, impressed by her dedication and trustworthiness. Despite the contract not specifying that she couldn't sell the Savage Helmets, Rain Dance seemed aware of their value and had handled the purchases smartly. Her instinct to protect the items spoke volumes about her reliability.
“Sure, bring them to the auction house,” Eminence instructed. “And leave the purchases for now; 978 helmets are enough for the current market and nearby towns.”
Rain Dance frowned. “But, Boss, if we sell in parts, we can definitely earn more.”
Eminence shook his head. “No. Other guilds will train their forgers soon enough, and we can’t compete with them in terms of materials. Prices will only rise over time, so we should make a quick buck while we can.”
“Okay, Boss,” Rain Dance agreed, though still a bit hesitant.
She soon arrived at the auction house and made her way to a private room. When she entered, she found Eminence scrolling through the auction list, who glanced up and acknowledged her presence.
“Alright,” Eminence began, “consign everything you have to the 12 towns connected to Alfred City. Sell all the level 3 common helmets at once, as the average player level should be around 3 by now. For the rare level 3 and level 4 helmets, sell them in batches. As for the level 5 helmets, split them evenly among the towns and set them to sell one per ten minutes.”
Rain Dance nodded and efficiently handled the consignments, transferring the remaining 22 silver to Eminence afterward.
As soon as the helmets were put on display, a wave of excitement rippled through the players in the Alfred City region.
“Who is that? It’s the famous Savage Helmet! And there are more than 200 common rank ones!” exclaimed one player, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“That’s old news,” another player chimed in, already caught up on the latest updates. “There were plenty of rare rank Savage Helmets, including a level 5, but the guilds snatched them up instantly.”
“Did you see the buyout prices? Some were as high as 10 silver! Who’s got that kind of money right now?” asked another player, visibly impressed.
“What, you think our guilds are as broke as you?” a guild member retorted, puffing his chest out proudly.
“Care to repeat that? You wanna fight?” snapped an independent player, ready to defend his pride.
Amidst the banter, independent players eagerly began bidding on the helmets, keenly aware of the defense boost they offered, which they had seen in action. The auction house was alive with a mix of excitement and tension as players competed for a piece of the coveted gear. For many, securing a Savage Helmet meant not just better protection, but also a chance to stand toe-to-toe with the guilds that dominated the game.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
…
Eminence smiled and said, “I have an offer for you.”
Rain Dance’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. She had earned over a silver in just four hours, and with each copper selling for 10 credits, she had made a quick 1,000 credits.
“Join our party, and this skill book for Ice Spike will be yours.”
Rain Dance was stunned. “Boss, but I’m only good at marketing.”
“You can learn from me,” Eminence assured her. “I was a Mage player before.”
Rain Dance hesitated for only a moment. The Sage class, which she had chosen, was a balanced hybrid of healing and magic but lacked the bonuses specific to pure healers or mages. However, Sages excelled in crowd control and had the same endurance as leather Armor classes, making them more survivable than other casters. Despite this, she had struggled to find a party for the past four hours—no one wanted a player who wasn’t an effective healer or a strong damage dealer.
Seeing the opportunity laid out before her, Rain Dance didn’t hesitate any longer. She nodded firmly, realizing this was her chance to learn and grow alongside a capable leader like Eminence.
“Good, learn this. We need to level up; we’ve got a quest to tackle tomorrow,” Eminence said, handing Rain Dance the Ice Spike skill book.
He then led her to the forest, where he began teaching her the basics of being a Mage. They spent the entire night grinding, pushing their limits to prepare for the upcoming crusade. Mayon joined them an hour later, and together, they honed their team coordination, efficiently taking down packs of 20 wolves at their level and even managing an elite wolf boss without much trouble.
By the time morning arrived, just half an hour before the scheduled crusade, both Eminence and Mayon had reached level 5, while Rain Dance had leveled up to 4. Eminence allocated his free attribute points into Speed and Strength, bringing them to 25 and 15, respectively, and maxed out his Basic Stealth skill.
As they made their way back to town, a sudden system announcement flashed across their screens:
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Maple Leaf Town Announcement
Attention all players! A party has initiated the regional event ‘The Moon Fox.’ Players can join the town army to clear the monster encampments led by the Moon Fox.
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Eminence paused, a grin spreading across his face. "Looks like things are heating up," he said, glancing at Rain Dance and Mayon.
“Yes, and we are so ready,” Eminence said, feeling the weight of their newly acquired gear. After their 4-hour grind, they had replaced nearly all of their equipment with common and rare drops from the seven elites they had taken down the previous night.
“Let’s meet up with the Guard Captain,” Eminence suggested, already heading toward the barracks.
“Roger that,” Mayon replied, and Rain Dance nodded in agreement.
The party of three made their way through the bustling streets of Maple Leaf Town, passing by players who were still scrambling to catch up on the latest announcements. The other residents of the town were abuzz with speculation, their curiosity piqued by the sudden event. Meanwhile, members of various guilds urgently pressed their information-gathering teams to identify the party that had triggered the regional quest and uncover the full details.
Upon arriving at the barracks, Eminence, Mayon, and Rain Dance were quickly ushered inside. The Guard Captain, a stern but fair figure with a commanding presence, stood waiting for them. His eyes gleamed with recognition, and a rare smile tugged at his lips as they approached. The Captain had a favourable opinion of them—a hidden stat in Epoch that was not easily earned and could significantly influence NPC interactions.
“Ah, there you are,” the Guard Captain greeted them, his voice gruff yet welcoming.
“Yes, Captain, and we are ready to go,” Eminence confirmed with determination.
“Good,” the Captain replied, his tone turning grave. “Follow the infiltration team closely. We plan to execute a two-pronged attack. The monsters have been increasing in number, and we have reason to suspect that the Moon Fox, their leader, has reached Chief Rank.”
Eminence was momentarily stunned by the revelation but kept his composure. 'Wasn’t the Moon Fox supposed to be just a Special Elite?' he thought, hiding his surprise. This sudden rank increase meant the boss would be much tougher to defeat, but Eminence was confident in his preparations. 'No matter; I know a way to weaken it.'
In Epoch, bosses like the Moon Fox, despite their strength, had exploitable weaknesses. In this case, the Moon Fox was particularly vulnerable to fire-based poisons. Anticipating the challenge, Eminence had spent nearly 2 gold out of the 7 silver he earned earlier from helmet sales to stock up on a special poison.
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Item: Blazefang Poison
Rank: Bronze
Description: Inflicts 1000 Fire poison damage to the target over the next 6 seconds and weakens the target for 1 minute. Made from Fire Lizard fangs.
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Eminence had bought a quarter stack of Blazefang poison, which would be enough to last for 25 minutes of combat, and the effects would be doubled against the Moon Fox due to its fire weakness. This preparation was a calculated move that could turn the tide of battle in their favor, despite the unexpected rank increase of their target.
…
They followed the infiltration team, moving quietly through the forest with the help of monster smell pouches provided by the army. These pouches masked their human scent, making it easier to blend in with the surroundings and avoid detection by the monsters. Their group consisted of 15 members, and to Eminence's surprise, another player was part of the team—Ironclash, an old acquaintance.
Ironclash, spotting them, raised an eyebrow but quickly smiled and nodded. “And here I thought another rated guild had set their eyes on Maple Leaf Town. But brother Eminence, you sure are full of surprises.”
Eminence chuckled, matching Ironclash's enthusiasm. “You too are no less, Brother Ironclash. You're the only guy in town who passed the test set by the Guard Captain.”
Epoch was still in its infancy, with most players—nearly 99 percent—still getting to grips with the basics of the game. However, seasoned professional players like Ironclash had already reached the level of Mayon and Rain, despite lacking the guidance or advantageous start that Eminence had leveraged.
Ironclash looked at them thoughtfully before making his pitch. “How about it? After the quest, why don’t you guys join my guild? I can make you a team leader, and you'll have the freedom to build your own team.”
Eminence shook his head, a polite but firm refusal. “Sorry, Brother Ironclash, but we like our freedom. Joining a guild isn’t on our agenda right now.”
Ironclash sighed, but he respected their choice. “Fair enough. Anyway, do you have any good info on the quest?”
Eminence nodded, sharing what he knew without hesitation. “Yes, the boss Moon Fox is suspected to be of Chief Rank.”
Ironclash's brows furrowed at this revelation. “Chief Rank? That’s going to be tough. One of our main teams encountered a Special Elite in the fields, and the whole team was annihilated.”
Eminence nodded in understanding. “I know. We also ran away from a Special Elite. It’s not the kind of boss that can be cleared at this stage without an expert party.”
The mention of the Special Elite brought back vivid memories, particularly for Mayon, who still felt the sting of the encounter. He had been the one flung across the battlefield with just a single punch from the monster. The experience had left a deep impression on him, reminding him of the dangers that lurked within the game, especially for players still adapting to its brutal and unforgiving combat.
Ironclash’s expression turned more serious. “Guess we’re all in for a tough fight then. Let’s just hope the infiltration goes smoothly. If that Moon Fox is indeed Chief Rank, we’re going to be depend to the army for it.”
…