I stared at the ceiling of my rented room in the Moonless Tavern, listening to the muffled sounds of chatter from below. Eight hours until our tomb raid, and here I was, wide awake. Something about planning to rob ancient graves got my spirit going.
Status: Insomnia Effect: Unable to initiate rest cycle Time until quest: 7:58:43
A gentle knock at my door broke through the tavern's ambient noise. Three taps, precisely spaced. I dragged myself out of bed to open the door.
The hallway torchlight revealed a handsome knight. He knelt before me and presented a sword with both arms raised.
“A gift for my lord.” He intoned with perfect theatrical flair.
Item Received: Common Iron Sword
I accepted the blade with a silent nod.
Good job account #666.
A message popped up on my screen.
> [GM Seraphine] : We saw that.
>
> [Noctus Equitus]: It's a gift from my dad for my birthday dude. Leave me alone.
>
> [GM Seraphine] : We're watching you... Don't push it.
The message was clear enough, the GMs were watching me closely. But that didn't matter, they couldn't prove anything,
Now to check out how my other accounts were doing. Running multiple accounts was like managing a dysfunctional family, everyone had their role, their quirks, and their tendency to cause trouble if left unsupervised for too long.
Back in my basement 10 different screens ran 10 instances of the World of Ruin.
"Let's see how the kids are doing," I muttered, looking at the first monitor. In it, a warrior in heavy plate armor was mindlessly swinging his sword at a training dummy. Account #127, grinding STR. Boring but necessary.
Account #127 Status Name: Iron Will
Level: 3
Class: Warrior STR: B Current Activity: Basic Weapon Training Time Elapsed: 6 hours, 42 minutes Progress to Next Rank: 47%
I leaned closer to the screen, analyzing the character's form. The macro worked perfectly – swing, reset, swing, reset, each motion precisely timed to maximize the efficiency of the training algorithm. Most players assumed strength training was about repetition, but the system weighted each strike based on form and impact distribution. My macro incorporated small variations in timing and angle, just enough to avoid the anti-botting detection.
"Show me the combat log," I whispered.
Combat Log
Basic Strike executed (Form Rating: 87%)
Training Progress: +0.03%
Muscle Memory activated
Stamina drain: minimal
Basic Strike executed (Form Rating: 86%)
Training Progress: +0.03%
Muscle Memory activated...
Perfect. The form ratings stayed above 85%, right in the sweet spot for optimal gains without triggering the system's "too perfect" warnings. The funny thing about MMO combat systems, they're designed to reward human imperfection. Too consistent, and the anti-cheat kicks in. Too random, and you lose efficiency.
I briefly considered running the script on my main account. But that thought disappeared as I watched Iron Will execute another series of strikes. Despite all the anti-detection measures, his movements were still mechanical, efficient, and soulless. It would not fool human eyes. Any GM who checked would see through it easily. For a throwaway account, that’s fine. For a main account, absolutely not.
The second screen showed a mage in apprentice robes, deep in conversation with an old shopkeeper. Account #234, working on his Merchant reputation. More reputation meant better prices and better prices meant more profit.
[Account #234 Status] Name: Sage Market
Level: 2
Class: Mage (Merchant Subclass) Reputation: Friendly (672/1000) Current Activity: Trade Negotiation Active Buffs: Silver Tongue (Duration: 17:42) Quest Progress: "A Merchant's Honor" (7/10 trades completed)
I smirked as I watched the conversation play out. The old shopkeeper, Maxwell, was … unique. Most players found him frustrating, the old man could talk for hours about the history of every item in his shop. But that was exactly why I'd chosen him for reputation grinding.
"Tell me more about the crystalline properties of mana potions," my alt prompted, and Maxwell's eyes lit up.
"Ah! A discerning customer with an interest in alchemical theory!" Maxwell clasped his hands together, practically bouncing with enthusiasm. "You see, the crystallization process is crucial to potion stability. Most apprentice alchemists make the mistake of focusing solely on the liquid phase, but it's the micro-crystalline structure that truly determines potency. Why, just last week I had to reject an entire shipment because the crystal lattice showed that telltale clouding that indicates improper magic resonance. The key, you see, lies in the careful balance of moonstone dust during the final crystallization phase. The way the arcane energy patterns align with the natural crystalline matrix is simply fascinating..."
"Fascinating indeed! How does the moonstone catalyst affect the stabilization?" I asked. The key to getting anyone to like you was to ask questions on topics they are interested in. Maxwell was one of those merchants with actual expertise in their field, so let’s keep his passion going.
Social Engineering Check: Success Reputation +2: Showing Interest in Specialty Hidden Stat: Knowledge of Merchant Practices +1
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Maxwell practically glowed with enthusiasm. "Ah, now that's the crucial question!" He pulled a mana potion from his shelf, holding it up to the light. "You see these faint luminescent threads within the liquid? That's the moonstone matrix at work. Most merchants would tell you it's just for show, but the crystalline structure serves as a stabilizing framework for the raw mana. Without it..."
I watched my reputation meter tick up as he spoke. This was the difference between amateur and professional manipulation. Amateurs tried to rush their reputation by spamming trades. Professionals? We let the NPCs tell us exactly how to exploit them. Every passionate explanation was a road map to their decision-making algorithms.
Merchant Personality Type Identified: Scholar-Merchant Optimal Approach: Technical Interest Estimated Time to 'Trusted' Status: 2-3 conversations
"And the purity of the moonstone must be crucial for that process," I prompted, mentally calculating how many more reputation points I needed before unlocking his special inventory. "I imagine that affects the final market value significantly?"
Give them a chance to show off their expertise, then slide in a subtle reference to pricing. Basic psychology wrapped in technical interest. They ate it up every time.
"Oh, absolutely critical!" Maxwell's eyes lit up with that special gleam merchants get when they can justify their prices through expertise. "You see, the market is flooded with inferior products using low-grade moonstone dust. Why, just last week, a supplier tried to sell me potions made with limestone mixed with moonstone powder!" He shuddered dramatically. "Can you imagine? The crystalline matrix would collapse within days!"
"That must make it difficult to maintain a reliable supply," I commented, watching his expression carefully. Every merchant had their tells – the slight tightening around the eyes when supply was mentioned, the way they glanced at their shelves. Maxwell's inventory was fuller than usual. Someone had sold him a large batch recently.
Merchant Stock Analysis Current Stock: 127 Superior Mana Potions Historical Average: 50-60 units Market Opportunity Detected
"Indeed, indeed," he sighed, patting his shelf of gleaming blue potions. "These days, I only work with three suppliers I trust implicitly. The cost is higher, of course, but my customers understand the value of quality." He picked up another potion, tilting it to show the crystalline patterns. "See how the light catches these formations? That's what you get with pure moonstone from the Deep Mines."
Hidden Information Unlocked
Supplier Count: 3
Material Source: Deep Mines
Quality Verification Method: Light refraction patterns
I made a mental note to check if any of my mining alts had access to the Deep Mines yet. If Maxwell was paying a premium for pure moonstone, there might be an opportunity there.
"The craftsmanship is obvious," I agreed. "Though I imagine maintaining such high standards can't be easy in the current market."
Maxwell beamed at the recognition. "A fellow connoisseur! You know, it's refreshing to meet someone who understands these subtle details. Most customers just look at the price tag without considering the complexity of proper potion crystallization. Why, the stabilization process alone takes three full moons..."
I settled in for another long technical explanation. Each minute of conversation was adding to my reputation meter. When he was finally done, it was time to make my ask.
"Speaking of mana potions," my alt said carefully, "I couldn't help but notice you have quite a stock of Superior grade..."
Negotiation System Activated
Starting Price: 20 silver
Merchant Disposition: Friendly Knowledge Bonus: +7% (Crystalline Properties Discussion) Reputation Modifier: +12% (Recent Conversation)
"I usually don’t do this,” Maxwell beamed. “But I just got a surplus shipment to unload. For you, my studious friend, I could part with them for 16 silver each."
Transaction Analysis Market Price: 20 silver Negotiated Price: 16 silver Reputation Discount: -2.5 silver Knowledge Bonus: -1.5 silver Net Savings: 4 silver per unit
Most players would celebrate getting a 4 silver discount. But that wasn't the real prize. Account #475 knew a mage buying mana potions at 19 silver each, no questions asked. The beauty of reputation systems – when you controlled both ends of a trade route, the real profit was in the price difference.
I authorized the purchase of fifty potions, watching Maxwell's expression brighten further. The reputation meter ticked up again.
Reputation Milestone Reached Status Updated: Friendly -> Trusted New Trade Options Available Special Order System Unlocked
Perfect. I was tempted to transfer all the profits to my main account but that would be bad practice. A single sword could be passed off as a gift. An entire botnet funneling one account was an invitation to get banned.
I moved to the third screen. Account #456 was exactly where I'd left him, standing in the market square and advertising "WEAPON REPAIRS!" in the chat. The blacksmith NPC nearby kept shooting my alt suspicious looks, probably because I'd been undercutting his prices for the past week.
I'd been grinding my repair skills on this account, slowly working through the tiers: copper, bronze, iron... But it was the mythril-adamantium hybrid that I needed to understand. The Nightsky Blade's composition was unlike anything in the standard repair tables. Most days, my attempts barely reached 60% efficiency on simple iron weapons - a far cry from what I'd need for legendary-tier maintenance.
Still, every failed repair taught me something new about metal stress patterns and magical resonance. Hopefully, one day this alt would be able to repair my Nightsky Blade without it costing me an arm and a leg at those highway-robbery NPC smiths. Until then, I had a growing collection of broken practice swords and a repair skill that was climbing painfully slowly.
Repair Skill Progress: 456/1000 Current Tier: Iron Next Milestone: Steel Repair Certification
The fourth screen made me pause. Where #789 should have been grinding sewer fiends, there was only grey emptiness. I pulled up his final logs.
Account #789 Status: Terminated Cause of Death: Sewer Slime Location: Western Sewers Time of Death: 2:47 AM
My hand tightened on the mouse. All that experience, all that investment, gone because of some random mob spawn. The permadeath system was no joke. I played back his final moments. The sewer tunnel, the sudden burst of slimes, that desperate attempt to run before... grey. Just grey.
"Sorry, dear friend." I muttered, closing the window.
Screens five through ten showed my gathering team, spread across different resource nodes in the Undercity. Basic materials were the foundation of any economy, and controlling the supply meant controlling the market. Each character had been carefully built with specific stats and skills: one for mining, one for herbs, one for salvage...
Account #314 was deep in the crystalline caves, his pickaxe methodically chipping away at a moonstone vein.
The herb gatherer, #412, crouched in the phosphorescent mushroom gardens, carefully selecting the ripest specimens.
My salvage specialist, #521, picked through the ruins of old Undercity districts, searching for rare materials in the rubble.
Each account was positioned at optimal farming spots I'd discovered through weeks of careful observation. The market prices for raw materials fluctuated based on time and location – moonstone was worth double near the alchemists' district, salvaged metals sold best to the blacksmiths' guild, and certain herbs only grew in specific conditions of darkness and moisture.
It wasn't just about gathering resources; it was about understanding the complex web of supply and demand that kept the Undercity's economy running. And right now, I had my fingers on every major thread of that web.
I leaned back in my chair admiring my work. The GMs might have noticed my mass-summoning trick, but they'd never prove anything about this operation. Now time to get back to my main story. The other accounts could handle themselves for a while.