The following day, Koll finds the currency exchange. The gold coins of Ruun are recognized as a tradeable resource as gold is a universally recognized medium of commerce. But, for as rich as Koll might have been on Ruun, the galactic standard credits are significantly more valuable.
Still, he comes away with some spending cash.
The pure gold and silver will have to be sold when he arrives at Juniper station. And, the many other resources he gathered on Ruun will largely be viewed as junk by the merchants of the galaxy.
The many rare and epic items he's gathered in his inventory are terrestrial grade. Not even of interstellar grade. And, far below galaxy grade.
He'll have to start from square one. But, he always planned to.
He's done it many times before. And, it could be said that he had less each of those times before.
He has a thousand loyal players to exploit. It shouldn't be an insurmountable challenge to grow stronger.
Koll opens a terminal on the ship.
He searches the network and draws up a class change manual. This is what he's been waiting for.
[Artificer Class Change Manual]
The book is cheap. But, still cuts deeply into what little credits he possesses.
After buying the item, he sends it to his omnitool.
Koll has long mastered his enchanting class and waited for the opportunity to learn the interstellar grade artificer class.
Much as he would have liked to, he couldn't brute force this class change. It was too difficult to learn without the system guiding him.
Artificer is a class that has tremendous potential. Not just magical. Not just technological. This class blurs the distinctions between science and mysticism.
It could help him create original devices or augment the aspects of already completed items.
The synergy between his 3 classes will be tremendous.
For the next few hours, Koll studies the class change manual. Gradually, comprehension dawns on him.
[Do you wish to class change from Enchanter to Artificer?]
Koll wills the answer, yes.
[Name: Koll Luna]
[Primary Class: Artificer]
[Secondary Class: Enchanter]
[Tertiary Class: Engraver]
[Artificer Skills: Current Control, Metal Malleability, Machine Heart]
Koll has finally surpassed his limitations. He can once again advance.
Koll holes up in his chamber, sets up his crafting table, and reviews the resources at his disposal. Among the most valuable resources he has are the prismatic dragon scales.
Despite the name of his artificer skill, metal malleability, the skill applies to any hard substance. And, works effectively on the dragon scales and the horns of the dragon sovereign.
While the gold and silver in his possession won't increase the durability of the items he fashions, they can increase the mana and energy conductivity of the finished product.
He had long since gathered the tools that would be useful to his Artificer class. And, he has experience with the blacksmith and mechanic classes.
Suffice to say, he knows what he's doing.
Koll begins to craft in isolation while the ship travels on its several-week journey to Juniper station.
For weeks, the players have seen little of their mascot NPC. Koll had taken to ordering his meals delivered to his sleeping chamber. When players go to his room to see him, they are waved away.
The trip itself is an amazing experience for the players. Even on a cruise ship, the players are able to perform small quests for the NPC passengers. And, they manage to collect small amounts of credits.
Most spend their money as soon as they make it. However, several players figure Koll is working on new equipment and will be selling them to the players when they reach their destination. This expectation leads them to save their resources.
The players who are bored for the lack of battles to fight use the ship's arcade to vent their frustrations.
Time passes slowly for some and rapidly for others.
Busy as he is, Koll doesn't spend much time viewing the forums. If he did, he would see the excitement of some and the sorrow of others.
[Hah. Ruun lost its hero character.]
[I know, right? They had been gloating for so long and now Koll Luna ran away. Still, I'm jealous of the players that went with him.]
[I've been watching the videos from the space-bound players. All they're doing is puttering around on a spaceship. Seems kind of boring actually.]
[Are we even supposed to go into space yet? I mean, I know Ruun folk are ahead of the curve. But, is there even content out there yet?]
The Cosmos community has many theories. But, no one will know until something happens to the 1,200 players.
A few more weeks pass before the cruise ship finally reaches Juniper station.
Koll comes out of his isolation a little more frayed and tired than the players are used to. But, he ignores their dubious looks.
Disembarking from the ship, they enter a far larger structure.
Juniper Station has a population in the millions with many ships coming and going.
The space station is the central hub of activity for hundreds of lightyears and the number of populated planets in its sphere of influence is in the thousands.
The station doesn't rely purely on technology. Magical arrays provide many utilities that are employed by the inhabitants of the station. Several teleportation arrays allow for instantaneous travel to a large number of locations within the hub's sphere of influence. While space ships with varied cargos come and go at all hours.
Koll looks out on the open area in the habitable space.
He looks behind, to the players.
"I have some business to attend to. You may get lost. But, I'll be acquiring an office by the end of the day. Good luck."
With that said, Koll abandons his players and goes to the commerce exchange.
The gold and silver he hadn't used in his crafting is sold for a reasonably large number of credits. It will be sufficient for him to rent an office for the next month.
Koll takes a ride to the business sector and finds an office that can accommodate a couple hundred people at a time. It comes unfurnished, which suits his needs just fine.
It even has a single side room that he can use for sleeping. The utilities provide him with hygienic services adequately.
With his task complete, Koll goes in search of his players.
They had largely stuck together near where he had left them, intimidated by the vast network of compartments and moving platforms.
"Hey," Koll says as he finds a thousand players.
The players smile eagerly, "Koll, did you finish your business?"
He nods. "We have a base now. Let me show you."
Koll leads an excessive number of people to their new base of operations.
The office isn't small. However, the number of players wanting to enter the space far exceeds the room's capacity.
"Don't worry," Koll says. "You'll have plenty to do and you should only be in here when you want to come say hi."
The players nod their agreement. If tens of thousands of players could move freely in Lain's market then a thousand of them can manage in the office.
"Now," Koll says. "Go explore Juniper station."
[Quest Name: Juniper Station]
[Description: Interact with 500 local inhabitants of Juniper Station.]
[Rewards: 500,000 XP, 500 Reputation with Koll Luna]
The players accept the quest and leave to find NPCs to interact with. The players are excited to find out what the galaxy is like.
Gol D lingers, "Koll, you owe me one. You know?"
Koll's face shows confusion.
The barbarian continues, "You just do whatever you want and expect us to obediently follow you like lost puppies. It's insulting."
"You didn't have to follow me," Koll says plainly.
"Yeah right. Of course, I did."
Gol D hesitates, "Anyways, you owe me. So show me what I followed you for."
Koll sighs and updates his store.
He clears the shop of all the terrestrial uncommon and rare items.
He adds the terrestrial epic equipment and prices them in credits rather than Ruun gold.
These alone would be rather impressive. But, Koll adds a number of uncommon interstellar-grade pieces of equipment.
The interstellar-grade equipment is startling in comparison with what Koll had produced in the past.
Previous works were augmented common items he'd bought. Items engraved and enchanted. They couldn't be called original works. And, they were largely conventional magic items.
The uncommon interstellar-grade armors are magitech items that Koll had created with high-grade resources from Ruun. The items included airlocks and air filtration systems. High-grade base resistances. They still have engravings and enchantments.
The weapons include energy weapons. And, disposable energy shields are listed for purchase.
The most alarming thing is that the epic terrestrial items have 8 augments. And, so too do the uncommon interstellar items. The few rare interstellar items have 10.
The armory that is Koll's store is a game changer.
Gol D whistles as he looks at the available items.
"I guess you thought this through after all."
Koll shrugs, "I've done some thinking on a few matters."
Gol D sighs, "I guess I need to go earn some credits. Damn, being poor sucks."
Koll laughs and waves him off.
After Gol D departs, Koll looks at Jake Snow.
"You still want to follow my path?"
The boy nods.
"Good," Koll says. "Let's get back to work."
The players filter back at an even pace, some having earned token sums of credits for performing some basic tasks for easy quests on the space station. A few of them manage to borrow from their peers and have spending cash to use.
In their haste to get shiny new items, the players examined the many shops of the station. Fancy new armor and weapons populate the storefronts, with eager staff members pushing the top-of-the-line products.
Even Koll has to admit that his interstellar-grade products are a far cry from the quality of the mass-produced uncommon and occasional rare items produced by the elite vendors of Juniper station. The high-grade dragon materials he gathered on the beginner's world, Ruun, are at best lower-middle tier by the standard of the galaxy. But, his advantage for the players is the price.
His equipment sells for only a fraction of the cost of what the Juniper station stores sell their items for.
Additionally, while the augments of the store-bought equipment match Koll's in number, they are rather generic. Mostly revolving around technological modifications. Enchantments and engravings are rare on Juniper Station.
Koll watches the players as they mill around his office, chatting about the new items in Koll's store.
"These are great. I can't believe Koll made them. I didn't realize he had an affinity for technology."
"What are you talking about? Koll has an affinity for anything he wants."
A few players nod in agreement.
"But, these items are magitech. Did he have a class advancement?"
The players look over at Koll, who's busy tinkering with a portable energy shield.
A player looks at his fellows and says, "I'm gonna say, yes."
Koll ignores them and continues tinkering.
The energy shields will be a hot ticket item for the players when they start going out on missions. As a disposable item, the players will use and drop them like the [Saint Stones] he'd sold them on Ruun. The shields even provide a range of stat buffs when activated.
A few of the players with borrowed money buy a scant few pieces of equipment.
The epic items they would have coveted highly on Ruun somehow seem mundane. But, players still want the novelty of the epic items. Particularly, the weapons.
Even in outer space, swords and axes have a place. The power scaling of higher-level entities and equipment makes melee combat just as crucial as ranged, sometimes more so.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The players who finished their interaction with 500 NPCs loiter in and near the office, eagerly waiting for the next phase of Koll's grand plan.
Koll has a destination in mind. Connected to the space station by a teleportation array, the planet of Meesach has been overrun by a particularly nasty alien species of monster. The sharp-toothed quadruped can launch bone spikes from its tail at great velocity. The thing that makes the beast so dangerous isn't simply its high power and aggression. Rather, it's the accelerated breeding the species is capable of.
Koll knows that the monster is a bioweapon that was unleashed on the population of Meesach by a chaotic evil organization. But, the truth behind the crisis remains a mystery to the citizens of the planet.
Koll has use for the bone spikes as they have a comparable grade to the prismatic dragon scales he has stocked in his inventory. And, by sending out a thousand players as hunters he'll give them a path to acquire credits that can then be used to buy from his store.
It's a win, win, win.
[Quest Name: Butchers of Meesach]
[Description: Take the station's teleportation array and travel to planet Meesach. Slay 100 of the Ravenous Spikers. Return to Koll Luna on completion of the task.]
[Rewards: 2,000,000 XP, +2,000 reputation with Koll Luna]
[Quest Name: The Spiker's Tail]
[Description: Collect 100 Spikers' tails on planet Meesach. Return to Koll Luna with the tails.]
[Rewards: 2,000,000 XP, +2,000 Reputation with Koll Luna]
The players see the new quests and know their next course.
Koll watches them as they rush off to kill the nasty creatures and collect his prizes.
Along the way, the players will find quests from other NPCs rewarding credits and the great circle of exploitation will begin again.
While he's preoccupied, a fairy enters the headquarters of Koll's new empire.
"So," Wu Lan says. "You're back to using us as free labor."
Koll shrugs, "Immortals seem adept at such a task."
She nods before looking over his shoulder.
"Jake," she says. "You should do well not to become like your teacher. Girls won't like you."
The boy looks up with an amused smile.
Koll clutches his chest in mock pain.
She giggles at his antics and looks over the new quests.
"So," she asks. "What will you make with these tails?"
Koll looks down at the launcher he's working on.
"It's less the tails than the spikes stored within them. I've got a new toy that will put them to good use."
She looks over his work, "You're not an enchanter anymore. What's your new primary class?"
"Artificer."
Wu Lan's eyes widen, "Arti-what?"
"Artificer," Koll says. "A sort of inventor class. Not quite a mechanic or engineer. Its applications are more aligned with magitech technologies."
Wu Lan looks at his table with its unfinished gadgets.
"You have a weird class tree. Enchanter's sort of conventional. But, engraver and now artificer. What's your next class advancement?"
Koll shrugs, "It's too soon to worry about."
She cocks her head to the side before turning away.
"I'll be back with your tails soon."
Koll nods and watches her depart.
Before long, a familiar blonde man appears.
"Hey, Koll," the player says.
"Hey."
Dancing Dagger immediately accepts the new quests. And, takes a long look at Koll.
"What?"
"You know, you stirred up a hornet's nest. Don't you?"
Koll looks at him curiously, "How so?"
The attractive man gestures around himself.
"We're in space? The millions of players in the game are still stuck on the starter planets while you, an NPC, lead the way into the galaxy."
The player has long given up on hiding the jargon about the game and player characters.
"You speak as though I've done something wrong."
"That's not what I mean," Dancing Dagger says evenly.
"I just don't get you. You should be a game moderator by all rights. But, you never seem to log out."
Koll's eyes are frosty, "What do you want me to say?"
Dancing Dagger sighs, "Just let me in on some of your secrets. You can trust me."
Koll looks away for a moment, "I am indeed not an immortal. And, I have not, as you would say, logged out. I'm like the other inhabitants of the world. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Dancing Dagger looks unimpressed.
"I already know that."
"Then, what do you want me to say?" Koll asks irately.
"I want to know where we're going."
Koll shrugs, "We're in space. Were you expecting to go farther than that?"
Dancing Dagger looks at Koll's table full of gadgets and half-finished power armor.
"I just want to know that you're not going to abandon us like the rest of them."
Koll notices Jake's stopped crafting to observe the pair's interaction.
"I know my friends from those who aren't."
Dancing Dagger looks annoyed, "Fine."
He moves to the door and gives a short look over his shoulder before moving off.
Koll looks to Jake Snow, "Am I so unreasonable?"
The boy observes him for a moment before shaking his head.
Without much energy, Koll turns back to his tinkering.
With the space station and the plethora of worlds accessible to them, the players quickly begin stacking up their credits.
Meesach starts as the jumping-off point for the 1,200 players. The spikers prove a deadly threat that even the interstellar-grade mercenaries of Juniper station dread dealing with. But, the players shrug off death no matter how many times it happens to them.
All the players worry about is the degradation of their equipment that happens on death.
Koll starts providing repair services for the relatively weak players. Their armor is still largely stuck at the terrestrial grade rare tier. It was strong on Ruun. But, they are in serious need of upgrades. And, upgrades cost credits.
Fortunately, Koll's kill-and-collect quests for the spikers aren't the only quests available. The people of Meesach provide comprehensive quest objectives for the players. And, while Koll never pays currency for his quests, the other NPCs do.
Koll reaps the rewards whether by selling his artificer class-made power armor and epics or by repairing the player's gear.
The repair function wasn't available before his class advancement. But now, many actions have become available.
The limits of what an artificer is capable of are limited by the user's skill and materials. Even mechanized pets and hovering turrets and platforms will be available as he advanced.
Currently, Koll is working on a wrist-mounted spike launcher. He could load a multitude of the Meesach spikers' tail spikes into the launcher and project them at enemies.
The loaded tails brought back to him by the players will create for him a business opportunity in selling the spikes. If any of the players wants, they can farm their own spikes. But, Koll's quest rewards are sufficient to keep the players reliant on him.
As Koll tinkers with the spike launcher, Wu Lan finds him.
"Hey, Koll," she says. "Don't you do anything for fun?"
Koll looks over his crafting table at the fairy.
"This is fun for me."
"Boo," she complains. "That's so boring. What about going to see a movie?"
The deep world crafting that the quantum computer manifests includes a wide array of entertainment outlets. Though, most can be found to be rather superficial by the human mind.
"Have you been to the station's movie theater?"
Wu Lan's brown head bobs up and down, "They have some interesting productions. Not all of them are good. But, that's true in-game and out."
Koll nods absently.
"So, are you just gonna keep working while a pretty girl talks to you about going out?"
Koll looks up somewhat blandly, "You do realize I'm not an Immortal Brave, don't you?"
Wu Lan huffs, "What does that matter?"
He looks at her oddly for a moment, "Maybe another time. I'm busy."
She deflates, "You're always busy."
With that, the fairy stomps off.
Koll watches her go with a discontent heart.
"Teacher," the boy says. "You shouldn't treat girls like that."
Koll looks at the little traitor.
"You have a lot of experience with girls, Jake?"
The boy shakes his head and returns to his enchanting training.
Koll feels a bitterness in his soul. The players around him are growing in their expectations of him. But, he's not the same as them.
He honestly doesn't know what he is anymore.
Putting such human thoughts aside, Koll continues his work.
The spike launcher prototype Koll has designed is finished.
It provides the user with a devastating projectile attack method. He uses an enchanting augment that accelerates the spike from the wrist. Its range is no more than 50 meters. But, it can pierce steel and similar-level alloys.
The [Bolt Launcher] is an uncommon tier weapon of the interstellar grade.
Before putting the item on the store menu, he builds a few more.
When the players see a new item, they eagerly buy the first of them.
As the players buy more items, Koll begins to collect an increasingly large amount of credits. Most are reinvested into the purchase of materials.
He still has an ample supply of prismatic scales, which function as a top-tier terrestrial-grade material. The item is comparable to the base interstellar-grade resources.
Still, Koll is dependent on the market to provide energy reactors both for study and for inclusion in his crafting.
Magical enchantments can function in a wider variety of energy dependencies. But, the artificer class leans towards technology.
Koll begins disassembling and reassembling portable arc reactors that he buys from the vendors on the space station. It becomes a time and money-consuming process.
As Koll tinkers with a reactor, Gol D enters the office.
"Koll," the barbarian says gruffly.
Koll looks up to see the prismatic power armor-clad giant. A powerful epic battle axe hanging off his back. The barbarian wears a pair of bolt launchers that provide him some ranged damage dealing potential.
"Yes?" Koll asks.
The giant looks over Koll's workstation.
"We need more work."
Gol D has spent a considerable amount of time on planet Meesach and completed Koll's kill and gathering quests repeatedly. He's also fished around the planet for the quests that reward credits. Suffice to say, the barbarian has scraped the bottom of the barrel and come away lacking.
Fortunately, Koll has a new set of quests prepared for this moment.
[Quest Name: Twisting Nether (40)]
[Description: Use Juniper Station's teleportation array to travel to the planet Felfallen. Find the Twisting Nether raid instance and defeat the Fallen Tyrant.]
[Rewards: 2,000,000 XP, +2,000 reputation with Koll Luna, 1 uncommon item of the interstellar grade suited to the player]
[Quest Name: Nether Crystals (40)]
[Description: In the Twisting Nether of Felfallen, collect 100 Nether Crystals and return to Koll Luna.]
[Rewards: 2,000,000 XP, +2,000 Reputation with Koll Luna, 1 uncommon item of the interstellar grade suited to the player]
[Quest Name: Felsteel (40)]
[Description: Enter the Twisting Nether of Felfallen, collect 100 units of felsteel, and return to Koll Luna.]
[Rewards: 2,000,000 XP, +2,000 Reputation with Koll Luna, 1 uncommon item of the interstellar grade suited to the player]
Koll shares the quests with Gol D.
"Hmm," the greedy barbarian thinks.
Koll looks at him blankly.
Gol D rubs his temples, "It's a lot of work for rather mundane rewards."
Koll shrugs, "I'm limited with what I have. I'd appreciate your help."
Gol D sighs, "I can do this for you. But, you'll have to do better than this. Otherwise, I might just look for a new NPC to work for."
Koll smiles a half smile, "I invested in you."
The barbarian laughs, "And, look where that got me."
Koll shrugs, "Would you prefer to still be on Ruun?"
Gol D scowls, "Isn't it better to be king on a small hill than to be an ant on a giant mountain?"
"I don't know," Koll confesses. "But, don't worry. We have a ways to go before we see your small hill."
Gol D seems satisfied by the answer and walks off.
Felfallen, where Koll sent the barbarian, is a low-tier interstellar planet with a local population that will have quests with credits included in their rewards. The raid instance will be challenging for the players. But, not overly difficult.
The nether crystals and felsteel will allow Koll to craft fel-empowered equipment. The finished items should be marginally more effective than the prismatic line of gear.
Koll puts such thoughts aside and continues his arc reactor study.
Days and weeks pass uneventfully.
The players grow more accustomed to the station and its affiliated worlds. They grow less reliant on Koll to give them guide quests, preferring to venture into the network adventurously.
Of course, the players return to Koll to repair and upgrade their gear.
Koll grows in understanding of both magical energy and technological energy reactors.
The felsuit armor sees a series of upgrades including demonscript engravings, nether energy enchantments, and hardened felsteel alloy plating. It's a savage-looking armor set that has a black and glowing green aesthetic.
The felsuit chest, legs, gloves, boots, and helmet become the standard by which the players measure their standing.
And, while the station sells more advanced interstellar-grade armor sets, they are both more expensive and less aesthetically pleasing.
Koll's felsuits even allow players to freely move about in open space without being exposed to the vacuum. Of course, this is only if the armor set is completed.
Gol D is the first to complete the set and the giant with his savage battleaxe looks like a felspawn champion of hell with the helmet on.
The greedy bastard dares to complain that his interstellar-grade armor is only uncommon.
"I know you're hoarding rare equipment, Koll. Stop hiding it and put it up in your store or give me a proper quest to earn it."
Koll throws up his hands in exasperation, "You're never satisfied Gol D. If I did as you asked, you'd just demand I add the epics to the list."
"Aha," the barbarian points his finger at Koll. "So, you admit you've been holding back epics."
Koll sighs, "Go kill someone already. I've had enough of you for one day."
Gol D clicks his tongue, "Fine. But, I'll be back Koll. And, I'll force your stingy ass to open your inventory."
Koll rolls his eyes as the giant fel armored player shuffles off.
Several other players watched the interaction with amusement. Most of them have pieces of the felsuit. But, none match Gol D in his avarice and dedication to satisfying it.
Winter Storm waits a moment before approaching Koll.
"Don't worry about him, Koll. He's loyal to you."
"So what if he's loyal? He's annoying."
The player laughs.
"We're all loyal, Koll. We'll follow you wherever you go."
The NPC looks at him blankly.
Sheepishly, Winter asks, "When do you think the rest of the Immortals from Ruun will get here?"
Koll shrugs, "It depends on who picks them up."
Winter Storm looks at him expectantly. "Who would pick them up?"
Koll looks off at something only he could see.
"Probably pirates."
Winter stares blankly, "Pirates?"
Koll nods, "Well, more like slavers. Immortals are a rare and novel life form. They should be pretty valuable in the galactic slave pens."
"Do... Do you think slavers will go to Ruun?"
Koll nods. The pirate era of the first expansion saw the Immortals leave their starter planets en masse as slaves. Some managed to be rescued by the lawful good forces of interstellar and galactic civilizations.
But, most players were at least temporarily slaves during the first expansion.
"Could," Winter Storm starts. "Could we be taken as slaves?"
Koll shakes his head, "Juniper station and its affiliated worlds are safe. You don't have to worry."
The player breathes easier. "I'm gonna see if I can't find a raid team for Felfallen."
With that, the player leaves.
Koll continues his work. The resources from Felfallen are stacking up in his inventory. The players are eager to supply him with everything he needs. It seems they think that helping him grow will give them greater opportunities.
They aren't wrong.
Koll is reaching a threshold where credits are beginning to stack up in his digital wallet.
He still has some way to go. But, the next step in his plan is close to being realized.
For now, Koll needs to continue as he has been.
The weeks pass with regularity until the first expansion officially begins.
The players are locked out while the system updates.
For Koll, the system patch involves several hours of freedom from the players. Things are happening in the background.
News reports start hitting the feed on the Juniper station network. All of a sudden, piracy becomes a galactic issue with several pirate factions threatening the stability of interstellar travel.
Koll pays no attention to such fear-mongering. He knows better than anyone what's coming.
After several hours of absence, the players start logging in en masse. Most of them have logged out in and around the office.
"Koll," a player says enthusiastically. "What happened?"
The other players look at him expectantly.
Koll doesn't even look up from his work, "Pirates have grown as a pestilence across the galaxy."
His simple statement leaves the players wanting.
Koll brings up his menu and shares a quest he'd made for the players.
[Quest Name: Mercenary Work]
[Description: Found or join a mercenary company.]
[Rewards: 1,000,000 XP, 1,000 Reputation with Koll Luna]
The quest is bare bones and doesn't reward the players with any gear. But, when they read the quest, the players all grow very excited.
"We get to make a mercenary group, awesome."
"Hell yeah, who's gonna be our company commander? Or are we making multiple companies?"
Gol D draws the most attention for the notion of a possible company commander.
The upper limit for a mercenary group of the lowest rank is several thousand. And, the 1,200 players are a pretty tight-knit group.
Still, not everyone is content to let Gol D be their boss.
The unity of 1,200 players falls apart pretty quickly.
Gol D's charisma catches the largest chunk of players, numbering multiple hundreds.
A few smaller factions collect the rest.
Koll sends them to the mercenary registration offices on the station and completes the players' quests when they return.
From there, the players are uncertain of how to continue.
"Go to the Merc Lounge and ask for work," Koll explains.
As an interstellar hub, Juniper Station has many ships coming and going. Before the expansion, their demand for mercenaries was low. But, now that pirates multiply like locusts, they are hiring guards for their transports.
Fortunately, pirates in this era aren't inclined to destroy cargo ships with their ships' cannons. Instead, they send boarding parties to neutralize the crew and claim the resources.
Rarely will pirates destroy ships, even if they can't claim them.
Koll sends the players off on their escort missions and continues his crafting.
His chances of creating rare equipment of interstellar grade has risen to about 8% and his stock of uncommon felsuit armors can meet the demand of his 1,200 players.
With the new mercenary work, they fill their wallets with credits and come to him to spend them.
He's already amassed a couple hundred thousand credits and can expect a couple hundred thousand more when the players complete their armor sets.
The idea of buying a cheap starship holds an appeal. But, in the era of piracy, cheap starships are just asking to be attacked.
Fortunately, travel agencies like Masterclass are armed and armored to the point of being risky targets for most pirates.
With the advent of the new expansion, players will be leaving their starting planets, largely as slaves.
But, Koll has use for the masses and he's gathered enough credits to shuttle tens of thousands off Ruun and to Juniper station. But, he still needs to give the players with him time to finish their armor sets.
Fortunately, he has plenty of resources to work with for the next phase.
The weeks pass as Koll watches his army of players take mission after mission in cargo ships across the many lightyears in Juniper station's orbit.
And, finally, Koll has claimed every credit he can from the players.
Koll opened his omnitool and commissions a transit to Ruun with a round trip including the collection of 50,000 individuals.
"You're going back to Ruun?" Dancing Dagger asks.
Koll nods his head, "That's the plan."
The attractive blonde man looks at him oddly, "I thought you'd be happy leaving everyone behind."
"Am I so petty?" Koll asks. "I mean, how can I leave behind such a powerful workforce?"
"Ah," Dancing Dagger says with a smile. "So that's it. Makes sense."
Koll shrugs, "What can I say, Immortals are an asset that I can't just leave to the slavers."
"Hmm," Dancing Dagger thinks. "Who's going with you?"
Koll looks to the boy as he enchants something, "Jake, you want to go back to Ruun?"
The boy shrugs, "Okay."
Koll looks back at Dancing Dagger, "That should be it."
The blonde man shrugs, "Well, I'll see you when you return. You know Gol D is gonna demand some higher-tier gear when you get back, right?"
Koll rolls his eyes, "That man is never satisfied."
Dancing Dagger looks at him with some reproach, "Don't leave without talking with Wu Lan."
Koll winces, "Since when are you two so close?"
The player shrugs, "We're a close-knit group here."
Koll sighs and nods.
The player moves off to attend to his own business.
A few days later, as his departure day nears, Wu Lan makes an appearance.
"I hear you're leaving."
Koll nods, "Just for a few weeks."
The fairy looks despondent, "Do you care about us Immortals or are you just looking for more free labor?"
Koll shrugs, "Mostly I just want the free labor."
Wu Lan's expression sours, "Jerk."
Koll sighs, "Do the Immortals care about me or do they just want my items?"
"We do care about you, you jerk." Wu Lan says bitterly. "At least some of us."
Koll takes a deep breath, "Do you want to go see a movie when I get back?"
The fairy looks into his eyes, "That sounds like a death flag."
He rolls his eyes, "Is that a yes or no?"
A slight smile comes over her lips, "It's a date."
With that, she turns to leave before stopping, "Just don't die out there."
She disappears, leaving Koll alone with Jake.
"Shut up," he says to the player.
The boy doesn't look up. But, a knowing smirk lingers on his lips.