The following day, Koll returns to the market.

Despite the great reward 200+ players received the night before, a certain gloom hangs over the player community in Lain City.

Most of the players had accepted the initial quests in his quest chain. Tens of thousands of them. It had been the first quest of its kind and many had expected great rewards for completing it. But, most had given up because it seemed like busy work.

Now, the tens of thousands who hadn't even truly applied themselves are stuck in a depressed mood.

A few optimists try asking for another chance at the quest chain or a new opportunity. But, the vast majority know that lightning won't strike twice so soon.

And, as they expected, Koll is of no mind to gift such an opportunity any time soon.

The quest chain had done what Koll had hoped it would. It got the players to leave him alone for a few days. And now, they were too depressed to hope for a rare quest.

Koll sighs in contentment.

"What are you so happy about?" Wu Lan looks up from the store menu.

"I'm just relieved," Koll says. "The Immortals aren't hounding me like they had been a few days ago. It's quite pleasant."

Wu Lan touches the necklace that hangs from her neck, "Is that what the quests were all about? Getting the players off your back?"

Koll nods. "After the tournament of the Everlast Arena, I couldn't get any time alone. It was maddening."

The fairy looks at him pensively, "But, shouldn't releasing more than 200 epics cause their fanaticism to increase?"

Koll shakes his head, "When Shadowmaster won his sword, everyone was inflamed with jealousy. They overlooked the challenging feat he performed to get it. But, when everyone had an equal opportunity to perform my tasks, all but a few gave up of their own volition.

"Plus, the players might even view epics as common with 200+ Immortals getting one. They might even expect me to do another such event."

Wu Lan narrows her eyes, "Will you?"

Koll laughs, "Hell no."

The young woman chuckles, "So, what next? If not sending us on insane quests, what will you do? Or, maybe you're ready for the next step?"

Koll feels his mood drop. "I shouldn't have invested in Everlast Arena if I wanted to move on. I'm still bankrupted because of Gol D."

She nods, "Speaking of whom, I heard Gol D is fuming because he didn't get to participate."

"It's his fault," Koll spits. "Who told him to start a business?"

Wu Lan nods in agreement.

"Still," she says. "The arena should be pretty profitable. They should pay you back soon."

Koll shakes his head, "I didn't loan them money. I bought a share in the business. I can't expect more than a cut of the profits. And, a business like that costs upkeep. The profits won't be much until the business stabilizes and the clientele grows rich enough to waste large amounts of money on the services."

Wu Lan shrugs, "I guess it wasn't such a good investment after all. Why did you invest if it would set you back so far?"

"I guess, I have a soft spot for my regulars."

She smiles lightly.

"Okay, Koll. I'm off. See you later."

Koll nods and watches her disappear into the throngs of players and NPCs milling about the marketplace.

Still, he thinks, after my recent splurging, I only have a few hundred gold coins. Far from what I need.

Koll looks around and feels his shop isn't overly busy.

"Jake," he says to the boy behind him. "I've some things to attend to. So, I'm gonna close shop early."

Jake Snow nods and lets his teacher take the workstation into his inventory.

Koll leaves the market and heads to a more upscale part of the city.

The buildings of the vaguely steampunk city are regal and massive.

Officeworker NPCs populate the large businesses, performing a wide variety of tasks.

Koll comes before one building that almost looks like a religious temple. It's the Union Bank. A place of great importance for the Trade Union.

The Union prizes commerce and economic growth above all else. The storage of the population's money is a nigh sacred task that the central bank of the Union takes very seriously.

As Koll approaches, a pair of doormen pull open 2 massive doors for him to enter. The men have respectful expressions on their faces. He nods his appreciation as he passes.

Inside the high-ceilinged building, Koll appreciates the high arches and elaborate engravings that populate the stone walls and ceilings.

Magitech lights and a variety of pseudo-technological tools can be seen throughout the building.

Lines of NPCs stand waiting for their turns with the bank tellers. Koll takes his position in one such line and waits.

Minutes tick by as the line, slowly, shrinks.

By the time it's Koll's turn, the sun has long passed its midday height.

"Hello," a polite middle-aged woman says. "How can I help you?"

Koll goes about establishing an account with the teller. The process is quite simple. The system serves to verify his identity.

"That'll be 20 gold," the woman says when they finish the process.

Koll's lips twitch as he brings out the coins and pays the fee.

Suffice it to say, most players at this stage of the game preferred keeping their money in their digital wallets. But, in later expansions, banks will be crucial for managing the large sums and varied forms of currency galactic citizens manage.

Of course, even in the later stages of the game, not everyone could afford to buy a planet or space station.

Koll has the clerk write down his account and routing numbers. And, leaves with the task accomplished.

From the high rises of the city center to the outskirts, Koll heads to the Everlast Arena.

The building has become the unofficial PVP, or player vs player, zone in Lain City. And, for all intents and purposes all of planet Ruun.

Koll can see large numbers of players congregating around the building. The impromptu arenas for the recent event see many players dueling.

The Everlast facility building serves as the pinnacle of PVP entertainment that the rabble compete to enter.

Upon reaching the majestic building, Koll is met by a player who acts as a bouncer.

The large player recognizes Koll immediately and smiles brightly.

"Mr. Luna, it's good to see you. Please, go right in."

Koll nods to the man and enters the building.

The facility is much as it had been on Koll's last visit. The high rollers of the player community are gathered in the main arena balcony. Some lounge on couches, drinking whatever specialty the house provides.

Others scream encouragement or hate at the dueling players below.

The bets are flowing at a constant rate.

Koll makes his way through the clientele to reach the office where Gol D and his employees manage the ins and outs of their gambling business.

Upon his entering the office, the workers look up, many smiling in recognition.

The barbarian also looks up. Upon recognizing Koll, Gol D sighs with melancholy.

"Koll," the giant says in greeting. "I don't suppose you came to offer me another chance at that questline."

Koll shakes his head, "Afraid not."

Gol D sighs, "What's up?"

Koll pulls out a piece of paper with 2 numbers on it.

"I've set up a bank account. I'd like for you to deposit whatever profits are due me into it."

Gol D nods as he accepts the paper, "Of course. I have no intention to short-change you. A lot of what we've achieved is thanks to you.

"But," the barbarian continues. "I was hoping that you could forego receiving your pay for a while. I'd like to reinvest as much as I can into the business."

Koll nods, "That's fine. Just keep an account of my investments."

Gol D pulls out a folder and stows Koll's account and routing numbers.

"Damn," the giant curses. "I wasn't expecting you to release 200 epics so soon after Shadowmaster won his sword. Things have been too hectic here. Otherwise, I would have been running like a madman to complete your quests."

Koll feels a little sympathetic.

"I've been thinking of buying up the surrounding lots and houses," Gol D confides. "Turn this place into player housing. What do you think of the idea, Koll?"

The player has high ambition. And, a lot of greed.

Koll shakes his head, "I wouldn't if I were you."

Gol D's eyes turn questioning, "Why not?"

Koll smiles lightly, "You never know how long you'll stay in one place."

The barbarian business owner seems to recall something, "You're right. I've been so caught up in the business I'd kind of forgotten that there's more out there.

"Okay," Gol D says with resolve. "I'll put aside other plans for now and focus on the arena. You won't regret backing me."

As Koll turns to leave, Gol D's eyes turn aggressive. "Just don't send players off on a questline like the one you just did without telling me about it first."

Koll simply smiles and leaves the room and building.

The night is setting in and there's nothing much for Koll to do.

The days and weeks that follow see a boom in Koll's business. He'd broken one of his taboos. The selling of graven and enchanted gear. He only sold uncommon items that many of his regulars don't need.

But, Koll has a near inexhaustible supply of the low-tier gear. They are the many failures that he built his stock of rare and epic items upon.

When word gets out, Koll once more faces the oppressive weight of player expectation.

For the umpteenth time, Koll is grateful for the simplicity of the store system. All the items are categorized by type, so players can simply look under their preferred tabs.

The prices are set simply by Koll. They won't break a player's bank unless the player buys a full armor set. If they do, Koll won't complain.

Several players inquire about rare gear. But, Koll shoots them down. He probably will put the higher grade gear on the market eventually. But, now isn't the right time for that.

The number of regulars jumps from hundreds to thousands of players farming reputation with him. They all start to blur together.

Koll idles on the forums as he often can.

After the event of 200+ epics being given out, players talk about him less. It seems they are desensitized.

In the forums, people are discussing the end game for the vanilla experience.

[Has anyone found any raid dungeons?] one player asks.

[No. The most I've seen have been world bosses. They drop decent loot.]

[Tch. Everyone knows world bosses don't award anything worthwhile.]

[I don't know,] another poster comments. [Maybe we're supposed to raid faction bosses.]

[That could be a recipe for disaster.]

Koll closes the forums and thinks. He still had a ways to go before he could get off the planet. And, the players in Lain had largely completed all the NPC quests in the area.

It was time to offer them a carrot.

[Quest Name: Prismatic Dragon Scales (40)]

[Description: In the Northern mountain range of the continent, a dragon den breeds an army. Travel to the town of Harold and seek out the dragon den. Acquire 20 prismatic dragon scales from the raid instance and return to Koll Luna.]

[Rewards: 750,000 XP, 750 Reputation with Koll Luna, 1 piece of rare equipment suited to the player.]

[Quest Name: To Hunt Dragons (40)]

[Description: Near the town of Harold in the Northern Mountain range of the continent a raid instance can be found. Slay the 3 dragon generals and return to Koll Luna with a vial of blood from one of the dragons (1 vial per dragon per raid instance).]

[Rewards 750,000 XP, +750 Reputation with Koll Luna, 1 piece of rare equipment suited to the player]

[Quest Name: Head of the Sovereign (40)]

[Descritpion: In the dragon den near the town of Harold, a sovereign among dragons rules over its brood. Slay the sovereign and claim its head (1 head per raid instance). Return to Koll Luna with the sovereign's head.]

[Rewards: 1,000,000 XP, 1,000 Reputation with Koll Luna, 1 piece of epic equipment suited to the player.]

Koll reviews the quests and publishes them.

The players don't immediately notice the new quests. They just mindlessly search his store and run off.

But, after a few dozen players come and go, a player finally notices.

"Uh," the man stumbles for words. "Am I reading this right, Koll?"

Koll looks at him curiously, "How else can you read it?"

The player smiles faintly, "You are a hero character."

Koll shakes his head, "I'm not a hero."

The player shakes his head, smiles, and runs off.

Word spreads quickly. Not just about the fact that Koll has new, high-level, quests. But, the revelation of where a raid instance can be found.

Koll becomes the focal point of an exodus from Lain. The players race to accept his quests and then run to the port in hopes of catching the next ship traveling to the North.

If Koll wanted to profit more, he could travel with them to Harold and open a shop there. But, Koll is content to remain in Lain.

His wallet has grown considerably heavier since he started selling uncommon equipment. Not quite as much as before buying into the Everlast Arena, though.

And, despite the reinvestment into the business, Koll's bank account is receiving a token payout every week.

When the masses have largely left, Winter Storm approaches Koll.

"Hey, Koll."

"Hey."

"So there's a raid instance on the continent."

"Sure is."

"I've been meaning to ask," the player says. "How do you know all the things you know?"

Koll shrugs, "I'm from the future."

Winter Storm laughs and then grows oddly silent.

"Tell me, what's in the future?"

Koll looks at him for a long moment, "Great civilizations being consumed by a blight none can comprehend."

He isn't sure why he's being so frank with the player. He just doesn't feel inclined to hide behind the charade of being an innocent NPC.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Winter Storm trembles a little, "When?"

Koll shrugs, "Not too soon. Unless things change."

"But," the player has a fanatical look in his eyes. "You will be there, won't you?"

Koll laughs, "I'm in it to win it."

The pair talk for some time as other players mill about.

When Winter Storm leaves, Koll looks at Jake.

"Are you ready for your class advancement?"

The boy looks up and nods, a resolute look in his eyes.

Koll pulls out a Rudimentary Laws of Enchanting class change manual and gives it to the boy.

"I'll put together the materials you'll be needing later. Just study up for now."

The boy nods.

While others had already class advanced from engraver or other classes to enchanter, none of them have the resources Koll will provide the boy with.

Koll closes up shop and retires.

Weeks and months fly by at a steady pace. Things have grown significantly quieter in Lain after the revelation of the dragon's den raid instance.

Players regularly come back to complete their quests. Most hurry back to participate in the many raid teams farming the instance.

Koll, for his part, profits tremendously.

The prismatic dragon scales are an exceedingly valuable material for crafting professions. And, he is collecting them hand over fist.

The scales will be the single most valuable material he will need when starting his next class.

The dragon generals' blood is another valuable asset. Much like dragonfly ink couldn't compare to beast blood inscriptions. And, beast blood couldn't compare to demon blood. Dragon blood, and more so from elite dragons, transcends the most powerful demon blood scroll he has in his arsenal.

It is a qualitative leap.

The dragon sovereign's head, or more specifically heads, are a trickier resource to use. Every part has a use in some grotesque fashion or other.

The brain can be used in alchemy, the horns can be used in various crafting professions, and the teeth too. The whole of it was valuable. But, Koll dpesn't have any immediate applications for the many heads that were rolling his way.

Fortunately, meat and perishables don't rot while in his inventory. He still has a large amount of finely marble slabs of beef. Nothing went to waste.

While the players were preoccupied with the raid, Koll had steadily built up his gold and had built back up to the 3,000+ gold coins he'd spent on the arena.

Gol D faithfully pays him his share of the profits.

The Everlast Arena has grown tremendously in its appeal and influence.

Gol D has expanded his business model into recording fights and selling the footage on the real-world internet. Koll doesn't get any of the real-world money. But, Gol D pays him fairly from the in-game profits.

The vanilla game is at its peak. The players have plateaued in their attribute points, the cost of continuous advancement becoming prohibitively expensive until the expansion launches.

Fortunately, Koll is still growing and has achieved his Evolutionary Rank advancement from E to D. His modifier had grown from 1.22 to 1.45, augmenting his stats by a large margin. Most of the players by this point have grown to D rank themselves.

In his evolutionary rank up he's stayed on the singular path available to him becoming a terrestrial human IV. When he gets off the planet he'll have more options for his evolution.

All in all, he's doing well. His regulars aren't dropping by as regularly. But, that can't be helped.

Koll knows of a couple more raid instances. But, decides against sharing their locations with the players. He's getting ready for his departure.

Wu Lan and a handful of other players know about his plans.

They don't know how he's going to accomplish the feat. But, they knew he had been saving up gold to buy something.

He just needed a bit more gold.

Against his better judgment, Koll breaks his taboo again and unloads his rare items into his store.

It's late in the base game anyway. Many players already have full sets of rare armor that they'd gotten from his quests.

In the whole of Cosmos, Ruun players are by far the best equipped.

Koll decides to sell his rares largely because in the expansion, the equipment he's created so far will just be junk.

Added to that, he can make a good profit.

When news spreads, players predictably return to Lain in large numbers.

Some of the already-geared players lament their advantage being taken away. But, the majority find the change beneficial to their raid compositions.

With the whole raid team adequately geared, the chances of wiping are more manageable.

As Koll spends his days making money, he makes an effort to teach Jake Snow the art and science of enchanting.

The boy is like a sponge for information. He has long built a foundation in engraving and many of the principles have a complementary effect on enchanting.

The boy has even been selling his work to players who think Koll's shop too expensive.

Jake is a craftsman through and through. He never goes beyond the city limits. He doesn't hunt monsters for experience. He simply starts crafting when he logs in and doesn't stop until he logs out.

Even Koll has to wonder who, between the 2 of them, has a stronger work ethic.

Dancing Dagger and Wu Lan will pop up from time to time talking about their triumphs and defeats in the dragon's den. An endgame 40-man raid instance is nothing to scoff at. Even the best raid teams face countless wipes just to reach the dragon sovereign.

And, so another month passes uneventfully.

News of the expansion buzzes throughout the forums. The players have many theories about the storyline of the expansion. There hasn't been much of a narrative for players to follow in the base game.

Koll is an outlier among the NPCs. Most of the nonplayer characters stayed in the same place they'd started in. And, few have more than a handful of quests they hand out to the players.

It's time, Koll thought, that he move forward once more.

Koll spoke with Jake about his need to go to the capital city of the Trade Union.

The boy understands that he'd just get in the way and agrees to stay behind.

The others are busy with their adventures and Koll successfully sneaks out of the city. The ferry takes him across the sea to the central island in the Trade Union's island chain.

Koll walks off the boat and into the capital without fanfare. Players are running around. But, none recognize him in his inconspicuous attire. He looks like any other NPC coming to the capital for business.

The Trade Union has no one central official and is instead ruled by a council of ministers who oversee the laws of the state. Most of the laws regard business dealings rather than individual matters.

Koll wanders the streets he still has some memory of. His search leads him to a grand building.

It has 8 stories and an elegant front door. Along the street are many other fancy establishments. But, the one Koll stands before emanates an aura as though many magic artifacts rest within its walls.

No guards stand outside. But, upon entering, Koll sees black-suited enforcers standing at every doorway.

A receptionist looks up at him with a friendly face.

"Welcome to the Emporium. How can I assist you?"

Koll looks at the map of the counter, "I'd like to have access to the seventh floor."

The young woman looks surprised for a moment before smiling.

"There is a nonrefundable 200 gold service fee for access to the seventh floor. Is that acceptable for you?"

Koll nods and takes out the money.

Her smile grows brighter, "I'll call for someone to escort you."

The wait is brief and a pretty middle-aged woman comes out to greet him.

"Honorable guest, my name is May Farewether. I'd be honored to escort you to the seventh floor."

Koll nods and the woman leads him to a magitech elevator.

The ride is smooth and, soon, the pair walk out onto the seventh floor.

Guards stand silent vigil at regular intervals. But, they won't make a move unless Koll does something stupid.

The room he enters seems more like a museum than a store. Exotic items, artifacts, and epic equipment are stored behind glass. Koll knows that the glass is of an incredible hardness that would take a very powerful force to break.

"Our seventh floor is home to many of the most rare and exotic items one can find in all of Ruun. I'm sure you're aware since you paid the service fee. But, the prices of the items here are in the thousands. Second only in value to our eighth floor.

"May I ask if you have an item in mind to purchase?"

Koll nods, "I'll know it when I see it."

May nods her understanding and proceedes to guide him through the rooms on the seventh floor. Intermittently, she comments on one item or another. But, Koll isn't looking to buy randomly.

Finally, they come to a glass case that holds a slightly bulky bracelet.

"This is a relic of unknown origin. It's a technological design that departs from traditional magitech concepts.

"Our technicians have succeeded in activating it. But, its interface is unfamiliar and its uses have remained mysterious."

Koll recognizes it for what it is, a Galaxy Grade Omnitool.

"How much is it?" Koll asks.

May Farewheather smiles elegantly, "3,500 gold."

Koll nods. "I'd like to buy it."

She snaps her fingers and a staff member comes out from a hidden space.

"Prepare this item for our guest."

The staff member nods.

"If you'll return with me to the lobby, we will bring your item to you after completion of your purchase."

Koll nods and follows May to the elevator.

In the lobby, Koll pays the painful price of 3,500 gold.

"Thank you for your patronage," the receptionist says with a satisfied expression.

Koll waits a while longer before a staff member approaches him with a beautiful wooden box in their hands.

Extending the box with both hands, the staff member says, "We hope that our services have met your expectations. Thank you."

Koll nods and stows the box in his inventory.

It was expensive. But, Koll knew it would be.

With no more business in the capital, Koll catches a boat and heads back to Lain.

While alone in his room on the ship, Koll brings out the bracelet.

This Galaxy Grade Omnitool has an industrial grey and silver aesthetic. It wraps around his wrist with blockish segments.

Activating the item, Koll sees a holographic panel run up the length of his forearm.

The interface itself is locked and requires a system update to unlock. For the system update, Koll inputs the galactic coordinates of planet Ruun and waits for the update to finish.

While the update progresses, Koll puts it in its dormant state. By all appearances, Koll simply looks like he has a rather boring bracelet on his wrist. No one on planet Ruun could guess the astronomical value a galaxy-grade omnitool represents.

Even the Emporium that sold the tool didn't comprehend the value of the prize.

Koll bides his time until he returns to Lain.

Upon returning, a few people find their way to him. His absence didn't go unnoticed.

"What did you get into while I wasn't looking?" Wu Lan pesters him.

Koll shrugs, "I just had some business in the capital. Nothing to worry about."

The fairy's eyes latch onto the bracelet on his wrist.

"Out of the blue, you disappear. Go to the capital. And, come back with a new appreciation for accessories. Something's up. Tell me."

Koll rolls his eyes, "Guess."

She pouts, "You're no fun."

Her face becomes serious again, "So, when do we leave?"

"Leave?" he echoes.

"Oh, come on. I already know your plan."

"Really?" he asks. "I rather doubt that."

She throws up her hands, "Well you have to bring me. Otherwise, I'll hunt you down no matter where you go."

"Uh-huh."

Koll watches her walk away in frustration.

Jake watches him from the corner.

Koll looks at him and brings a finger to his lips, "Shh."

The boy nods and continues his work.

Before Koll can continue his work, a handsome blonde man approaches.

"Hey Koll."

"Yo."

Dancing Dagger immediately notices the industrial bracelet, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"The players have missed you."

Koll shrugs, "I had business."

Dancing Dagger nods his understanding, "I finally got the sovereign's head."

"Ah. Okay."

Koll completes the man's quest and gives him an epic dagger.

Dancing Dagger's eyes gleam at the new weapon.

"I don't suppose you know of any more raids you want cleaned up."

Koll laughs bitterly. But, doesn't say no.

"I'll think about it."

Techniquely speaking, the players should be finding the raid instances under their own power. But, in Cosmos, secrets abound.

Dancing Dagger departs without complaint.

Koll thinks about his next course of action.

Using the omnitool to get off the planet wouldn't take much effort. The problem is taking his player base with him. He needs minions after all.

What he lacks are credits standard to the local interstellar organizations.

Bartering with some gold coins wouldn't be too difficult if he were going by himself. But, taking any significant number of players with him would require a more substantial payment.

One resource he's got in significant stock is units of silver he had the players gather for him.

He might be able to take a hundred players with his stock of silver. But, that's a far cry from the thousands of players that act as his base.

Fortunately, his dependence on the players can suffer a period of absence without much issue.

Koll thinks. He does need to exploit the raid instances. One of them in particular.

Ogres populate the savannah on the Southern tip of the continent. Their burrows dig deep into the earth. One such burrow happens to be a raid instance. Within the instance, gold veins from ancient seismic activity have been mined by the ogres.

The chances of the ogres dropping 1 or more units of pure gold are not insignificant.

A rational mind wouldn't trade gold for a small sum. But, players aren't particularly rational. They just need the right incentive.

[Quest Name: Ogres' Gold (40) (Repeatable)]

[Description: In the Savanah of the Southern tip of the continent giant ogres have dug out a hive. Venture into the ogre hive and procure 1 unit of pure gold. Return to Koll Luna with the gold.]

[Rewards: 1,000,000 XP, 1,000 Reputation with Koll Luna, 1 piece of epic equipment suited to the player]

Koll sighs. If a raid team gets even 3 units of pure gold, that's 3 epics. His chances of creating epics have reached a reasonably large chance at 5%. And, he's worked hard for months. His stock of epic items isn't negligible. But, the demand is going to be tremendous.

All Koll can do is grit his teeth and work harder.

Not seeing any need to add more quests to the list, Koll sets up the quest for players to collect and go on their way.

When the first person notices the quest, they're confused.

Usually, a raid would have the final boss as the objective. Instead, it's just gathering gold. But, an epic item is sufficient cause to race across the planet.

And, the fact that it's repeatable... that's just pure profit.

Once more, a gold rush, as it were, takes off on Planet Ruun.

The players who've grown exhausted fighting dragons see a new opportunity.

Some players covet the idea of amassing gold in their coffers. But, the vast majority can only see the gold as a means to arm and armor themselves with as many epic items as they can get their hands on.

In the months that follow, Koll is hard-pressed to keep up with the demand for his epic items.

The population of Planet Ruun has grown to hundreds of thousands. And, while not every player works to please him, a majority do.

All Koll can do is dump the ballooning XP flowing into his interface into his attributes and class skills. This pushes his chances of successful epic crafting up.

But, he has to spend every waking hour crafting to meet the demand.

For his efforts, thousands of units of pure gold are added to his stock of resources he can use to barter his and his companions' way off the planet.

Not only the raw gold. But, his wallet overflows with gold coins as his rare items are sold at a constant rate.

One day, while Koll counts out his resources, he comes to a decision. His preparations are complete.

He is ready.

Koll closes the shop and returns to his room in the inn.

Activating the omnitool, Koll accesses the data network. It's very much like using the internet in the real world.

He browses until he finds a travel agency he's used in the past.

In Cosmos, most interstellar travel is managed by travel agencies. The ships that traveled through space were monsters that could carry hundreds of thousands of people at a time.

Koll calls up the agency and a pretty woman with vaguely alien features answers.

"Hello," she says with a smile. "Masterclass Travel services at your service. My name is Quel. How may I be of assistance."

"I need to book travel off of planet Ruun in the Alabaster system to the Juniper space station in the Helena system."

"Okay," she types something into her system. "How many passengers will be traveling with you?"

"1,000."

She types some more, "And, how will you be paying for services?"

"Units of pure gold and units of pure silver."

"Hmm," the woman hums. "This is agreeable, the price will be 10,000 units of pure gold. You may exchange silver for gold at a ratio of 10 to 1. Do you agree to the terms listed?"

"Yes."

"Great," the woman smiles. "We will have a vessel in orbit around planet Ruun in 34 standard days. Payment will be needed upon arrival. Thank you for choosing Masterclass Travel Services. Have a good day."

The line cuts out and Koll is left to think about the future.

He's got enough gold and silver to pay for a thousand players to come with him. But, how does he select them all?

Of course, he'll bring the original hundred-odd players who followed him from the Red Sect. And, many players have long since reached revered status with him in the reputation tab.

Koll checks the tab and out of the more than a hundred thousand players who've been building a reputation with him about 900 have reached revered status. Some might not choose to follow. But, most of them probably will.

Koll draws up a new quest exclusive to those with the highest reputation with him.

[Quest Name: True Companion]

[Quest Requirement: Revered Reputation with Koll Luna]

[Description: Koll Luna needs a true companion. Are you a true companion?]

[Reward: TBD]

The quest is simple. But, will stir up a great amount of attention.

Koll puts such thoughts aside and goes to bed.

The next day, the first players to see the new quest are the regulars.

"Koll," Dancing Dagger says after reading the quest. "What are you up to this time?"

Koll shrugs, "Same thing I've been up to since the beginning."

Dancing Dagger frowns, "And, what is that?"

"Won't you find out if you complete the quest?"

The blonde man looks at him evenly, "And, how do I do that?"

"It says in the quest."

"Yeah," Dancing Dagger shifts on his feet. "Aren't I already a true companion?"

Koll smiles, "Are you? Are you really?"

The player's gaze is frosty, "Yes, dammit."

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

Dancing Dagger sighs and walks away.

Shortly after he disappears, Wu Lan approaches.

"Koll, what's this about a new quest looking for companions? Did you get lonely?"

"As if I had the time to get lonely."

Wu Lan brings up his quest menu.

"Hmm," she smiles. "We're doing it, aren't we?"

Koll shrugs, "I'm doing something."

The brown-haired woman looks over to Jake Snow.

"Hey, Jake," she says. "What's your teacher up to?"

The boy looks up, his gaze passing from her to Koll and back.

"He hasn't told me."

"So mysterious," Wu Lan muses. "I'm sure it has nothing to do with your stylish bracelet."

"Go be sure elsewhere. I'm busy."

"You're always busy. Maybe that's your charm."

Koll shrugs as she walks away.

Winter Storm, another regular who's built up to revered with Koll finds his friend after hearing about the new quest.

"We're friends, right?"

Koll looks at the man, unsure how to answer.

"What do you think?"

Winter Storm feigns injury, "Come on, Koll. We've been through a lot already. You know I'm your true companion."

Koll shrugs, "Then be prepared to prove it."

Winter smiles, "I will."

Gol D makes a point to come out of his arena to see what all the hubbub is about.

"What's this all about, Koll?"

Koll shrugs, "I have plans. You can be a part of them or not. It's your choice."

Gol D bites his cheek and walks away.

The day is filled with people claiming to be true companions. But, only a fraction of them meet the quest requirement of revered status.

This kicks off a race to grind reputation points.

No one knows how long the quest will be active. Nor do they know what the reward will be. But, they know from experience that Koll gives the best rewards on the planet.

Players still come to him with gold and dragon heads. Forcing Koll to continue crafting the precious epic items in exchange for the coveted resources.

In his downtime, Koll accesses the forums.

On other worlds, players are finding their way into the high-level raid instances. But, the NPCs on their planets seem indifferent to the challenges the players face. Only on Ruun can the players truly profit.

[This is ridiculous,] one foreign player laments. [Why is there 1 NPC in all of Cosmos who controls the narrative? I mean for fucks sake, he sells rare items. To say nothing of the epic items he passes out like candy.]

[Yeah,] someone agrees. [The game is severely imbalanced.]

[Then quit playing. No one's forcing you to play.]

[Oh, shut up troll. I just don't get why the company that owns Cosmos doesn't patch the game. I'm not saying get rid of Koll Luna. Just add more characters like him.]

Koll skims through the posts. It's the usual sob story. However, Koll has to admit that he's confused about how the company that runs Cosmos views him. He's an aberration among NPCs. There's no doubt about that.

Koll closes the forums and continues his work.

The month passes busily. Now, more than 1,200 players have reached revered with him.

Koll thinks about it and contacts the travel agency to increase the number of passengers. Fortunately, there's no issue so long as he pays for the additional passengers.

Koll sets the quest to auto-complete and sets a subsequent quest for the players to gather several hours in advance of the arrival of the space liner.

1,200+ players gather around Koll while thousands of other players watch from the sidelines in a field outside Lain City.

It's a rowdy bunch. And, Koll has to keep them all in check.

"What's up, Koll?" someone asks.

"Yeah, what are we doing out here? Do you want us to fight to the last man to be your true companion?"

A player jokes, "There can be only 1."

Koll ignores them, making sure that all of the players he cares about have arrived on time.

"Just be patient and don't disappear. Don't blame me if you miss this opportunity."

His words cause the gathering to shut up.

A few hours later, as the players start to reach the limit of their patience, the sky begins to roar.

Every eye turns upward to see a large spaceship descend from the sky.

"No shit! He did it."

Someone exclaims, "Awesome! I heard the rumors. But, I didn't believe them."

Dancing Dagger stands at Koll's side, looking from the spaceship to Koll.

Wu Lan bounces with excitement.

Shadowmaster silently observes.

Winter Storm smiles from ear to ear.

Jake Snow watches the descending ship wordlessly.

Gol D sighs. A sense of resolve showing in his visage.

Mary Susan stands in their midst, an excited smile on her face.

The hundred-odd players who followed him from the Red Sect stand ready to follow him further. And, many more have joined their ranks.

Finally, the interorbital transfer ship lands not far from Koll's location.

The vessel opens and a ramp descends. From the ship comes a cadre of staff members.

"Koll Luna?" the leading staff member asks as Koll walks up to him.

"That's me."

The man nods, "There is the matter of payment before we can accept you onto the ship."

Koll unloads from his inventory many crates filled with gold and silver.

After a moment of observation, the man smiles.

"Thank you for your patronage, Mr. Luna. We are ready to accept you and your people."

The staff claims the crates and opens a path for the 1,200+ players to access the ship.

Many other players try to approach but are held back by the staff of the travel agency.

Koll puts the abandoned players out of mind and finds a seat on the ship. The other thousand-odd passengers bubble up with excitement as they sit down.

Soon the ship ascends to the sky and space beyond.

The true travel agency ship is a monster of a vessel at least a thousand times larger than the shuttle.

Docked and disembarked, Koll leads the players into the open environment of the luxury ship. It is very much a cruise ship with tens of thousands of passengers coming and going.

On the ship are multiple bars and diners. There are gaming systems and many more amenities.

Everyone who came with him gets a private room, though Koll's the only one likely to use it.

The players look from Koll to the broad and inviting ship, then back to Koll.

"Go on," he says. "We have a long way to go before we reach our destination."

The chattering of a thousand players spreads out throughout the ship.

Wu Lan smiles from ear to ear as she looks at Koll.

"What?" he asks.

"I was just thinking about how reliable you are?"

Koll shrugs, "I just thought I'd bring minions as I travel the galaxy."

She giggles, "Of course, boss."

She departs to do her own thing.

The barbarian, Gol D, sighs heavily, "Business was booming, Koll."

Koll shrugs, "Take it as a learning experience. Or would you rather I get them to take you back down."

"Just shut up. I don't want to see you until we get to wherever you're dragging us."

Gol D moves off to explore the vessel.

Winter Storm just smiles and goes off on his own.

Dancing Dagger looks at Koll and asks, "What's the plan, Koll? Do you even have any currency that's useful out here?"

"I have some assets I can sell off. But, I'll be depending on you immortals like I always have."

The attractive man purses his lips, "I guess I'll go gather some intel."

Koll watches him leave.

Jake is the last one to linger at his side.

"The system will tell you where your room is," Koll explains.

"Go ahead and explore if you like. Or go ahead and continue practicing."

The boy nods and moves off. A rare look of wonder on his face as he explores his first spaceship.

Koll looks at the other passengers. Most are variants of the human species. Though there are quite a few aliens in their ranks.

Feeling exhausted, Koll follows the system prompts to find his sleeping chamber.

Sleep comes easily.