Caleb moved closer to the source of the commotion after an ironclad warrior threw a fistful of feathers at the unconcerned NPC woman behind the counter. The warrior scowled at her.
“This quest is so stupid,” the warrior said. “You want a thousand Plumehide feathers but all you’re offering is a pittance of copper coins for each of them. I can barely fit twenty feathers in my inventory. Do you know how far the hunting grounds are?”
The shopkeeper crossed her arms and said “The whole point of this quest is not the trade value. It’s the reputation you’ll earn once you complete it. Better reputation means better quests.”
The warrior huffed and grunted. “Whatever, you should just tell your A.I overlords to make better quests,” he said before he turned and marched away.
Caleb snickered as the shopkeeper rolled her eyes. He was amazed at the complexity of the NPCs in this world. No other game could even begin to match the level of realism and depth that a Frontier Realms NPC achieved.
He couldn’t help but wonder about the man’s quest. Although the offered price for the Plumehide feathers seemed insignificant, Caleb saw an opportunity to make a profit with his limited capital.
The woman’s demeanor changed from standoffish to warmly welcoming as Caleb approached her stall. The shop was a simple wooden structure with a green canopy. Overhead, a hand-engraved wooden sign read Fang and Claw Trading Co. The stall’s wooden posts had all sorts of monster parts hanging from them. Loops of string held together razor-sharp teeth, gnarled claws, and horns that appeared capable of piercing even steel. Behind the shopkeeper, a wagon was parked, displaying liquid-filled jars with various body parts inside—some still wriggling and writhing.
Caleb stared at the strange display until he was interrupted by a cough from the woman behind the counter.
“What can I help you with?” she said. Caleb straightened and gave her an apologetic smile.
“I couldn’t help but overhear what that man said about the quest,” Caleb said.
The woman narrowed her eyes at him. “I know you players sometimes have trouble grasping basic concepts,” she said sarcastically. “but I’m not a bloody genie. The quest is what it is. Take it or leave it!”
Caleb was taken aback by the shopkeeper’s directness. He lifted his hands defensively.
“O-oh no, that’s not what I meant,” Caleb said. “I actually want to help. Can you tell me more about the quest?” The shopkeeper gave him a skeptical look, eyeing him up and down.
“You don’t seem like the warrior type,” she said. “You’ll need to be able to hunt the Plumehide buck that frequent the hunting grounds. You don’t even have a weapon.”
“Oh, I think I’ll be able to make a plan,” he said.
The shopkeeper sighed. “Alright then, it’s your funeral.”
> [Quest Name]
> "Fang & Claw's Feathered Bounty"
>
> [Objective]
> Sell 1000 Plumehide Feathers to Fang & Claw Trading Co.
>
> [Reward]
> +250 Reputation (Fang & Claw Trading Co.)
> +50 Reputation (Ravenholm City)
Caleb skimmed the quest, accepted it, and turned to the shopkeeper. “How much do you buy these feathers for?”
“3 copper,” she said.
“Would it be possible to take a look at one of them?”
“Well, if you buy one of them you can,” she said with a grin on her face. Caleb shook his head but gave her a knowing smirk.
“Alright, how much?”
“10 copper,” she said. Caleb’s eyes widened.
“Wow, you’re really out to empty our coin purses,” he said, handing her 10 copper. She gave him a friendly smile as she reached under the counter, retrieving a feather that she handed to Caleb.
“I’m just playing the game,” she said. “I don’t make the rules.”
Caleb thanked her and examined the feather in his hand.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
> [Item Name]
> Plumehide Feather (Crafting Material, Common)
>
> [Description]
> The Plumehide Feather is a glossy, dark blue feather dropped by the common Plumehide buck.
>
> [Appraisal Report] (Very Accurate)
> Regional Average: 5 Copper
Caleb talked with the shopkeeper for a few more minutes, getting some more information about the city and directions to the hunting grounds where the Plumehide buck roamed. He also asked her about the quest system.
“This might be a stupid question,” he said. “but would I be able to turn in the Plumhide feathers for another player?”
The shopkeeper nodded. “Only if you’re in a group with them. Once you’re grouped with other players, any other player can sell them to me and make it count towards the other player.” Caleb smiled and nodded, excitement building inside of him. “Be warned though,” she continued. “The player who turns in the feathers will receive the coin for it. Make sure you trust the players you group with.”
“Thank you, I appreciate the information,” Caleb said. A notification appeared.
> > You have gained 50 reputation with Elara Starweaver
As Caleb rushed back to the adventurer supply store he had found earlier, a plan began to take shape in his mind. He purchased a small cotton sack for the hefty sum of 80 copper coins, all of his remaining wealth. The bag added three more slots to his inventory, providing him with more space to carry items. Caleb tossed out the used map parchment in his inventory, realizing it was useless and that no one would buy it. As he took a deep breath, he felt a sense of excitement wash over him, knowing he finally had a plan of action. “I love the feeling of a fresh start,” he murmured to himself as he gazed at his inventory screen.
> [Inventory] (1/3 Items)
> - [Slot 1] Nothing
> - [Slot 2] Nothing
> - [Slot 3] Nothing
>
> [Bag: Simple Cotton Sack] (0/3 Items)
> - [Slot 1] Nothing
> - [Slot 2] Nothing
> - [Slot 3] Nothing
Caleb followed the neat cobblestone road that led to Ravenholm’s main gate. From what he gathered from his brief talk with the shopkeeper, the hunting grounds were an area where new players typically spent time training their newly acquired fighting skills on the moderately aggressive Plumehide buck. Caleb understood his lack of a combat skill meant he couldn’t actually fight the creatures, but his business senses roiled to life when he heard the rude warrior berating the shopkeeper. He identified a gap in the market, which he was determined to take full advantage of.
The road was congested with traffic, and Caleb struggled to push his way through the crowds. By the time he reached the gate, he felt completely drained. The game accurately simulated the exhaustion he experienced, reflecting his low physical attributes.
When he reached the gate, a guard warned him that leaving the city would put him in danger. He stood out among the prepared players in his stark white clothes. When he said that he understood and wanted to go through anyway, the guard shook his head and waved him through.
The hunting grounds were not far from the gate, only taking Caleb about ten minutes to get there. Caleb panted heavily as he reached the area, observing the small herd of Plumehide buck grazing on the lush green grass. Caleb was awestruck at how beautiful the creatures were. They were quite different from their real-world cousins. They had a stunning coat of dark blue feathers from head to hoof. Some of the younger bucks played with each other, spreading and flapping their wings as they galloped around the field. All of them had a set of horns in varying sizes, weaved into elaborate spirals. Caleb watched as a doe was nuzzling a larger stag. They rubbed their horns in a seemingly flirtatious way.
A red mist suddenly erupted from the stag’s chest, covering the area in a haze. The doe took off in a flash, even as the stag’s legs gave out and it dropped to the ground. Caleb was frozen, not taking his eyes off the now-dead stag.
“One shot, one kill, baby!” a voice shouted from behind Caleb. He turned around to see two players high-fiving each other. One held a bow in one hand, dressed in a leather vest and simple brown pants. The other wore a robe, similar to the one Caleb had seen in Thalindor’s shop, indicating he was a spellcaster of some sort.
Caleb shook himself out of his stupor and reminded himself that it was just a game. He hoped that the display of violence wouldn’t leave a lasting impression on him, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit unsettled. The bow-wielding player approached Caleb and scanned him up and down.
“What brings you here, newbie?” he asked, not impolitely, but more out of curiosity.
Caleb regained his composure and smiled at the man. “I’m actually here about the quest from the Fang & Claw lady,” he said. The man lifted an eyebrow. When Caleb realized he had no idea what he meant, he clarified. “The one with the Plumhide feathers.”
“Oh, that one,” he said. “hauling those damned feathers to that shop is such a pain in the ass. It takes twenty minutes just for a single round trip, can you believe that?”
Caleb nodded, letting the man vent his frustration. He knew that the more frustrated they were, the better his business idea would be. The man continued.
“It takes me five minutes to kill and harvest enough of these things to fill my inventory,” he said, gesturing to the corpse. “I can’t sacrifice arrows and potions just to fit these stupid feathers in my inventory! How can we be expected to turn in 1000 feathers without going mad?”
Caleb kept nodding. “I hear you, my friend,” he said. “That’s why I think I can help you.”
“You can? How?” the bowman said.
We can form a group, and I’ll haul the feathers to the quest giver for you,” Caleb explained.
The bowman regarded Caleb skeptically. “What’s in it for you?” he asked.
“I’ll get to keep the coins from selling the feathers, and you’ll get the rewards for completing the quest,” Caleb replied.
After a moment of thought, the bowman nodded approvingly. “That’s a pretty clever idea,” he said. “They’re not worth the coin anyway. Let me check in with Jax and I’ll get back to you.”
“Sure thing,” Caleb said.
“I’m Liam by the way,” he said, holding out his hand which Caleb shook.
“Caleb.”
A few minutes passed as the men talked about it before both of them returned. They smiled at Caleb and the bowman offered his hand to him. “You’ve got a deal, you think you can do it for both of us?”