[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/5b0c9847-92dd-4728-954f-93579b7ef57b/dfp4b37-2263ab56-0119-45a6-902f-b5d1a28c33ac.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzViMGM5ODQ3LTkyZGQtNDcyOC05NTRmLTkzNTc5YjdlZjU3YlwvZGZwNGIzNy0yMjYzYWI1Ni0wMTE5LTQ1YTYtOTAyZi1iNWQxYTI4YzMzYWMucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.p0BsYA2Mn0G24goh6LfQIDOJpTol3cDIL-JEn-kN4yM]
Back in Green hills, they set to work. Quill was determined to make a good showing of himself. They were well practiced in defeating wolves now and took to it with the efficiency that experience and confidence bring.
They were so good that Jane asked, “Maybe we should try taking down a bear? They’re similar in level, but the pelts are bigger. Less stitching means they’ll make stronger bags.”
“Sure.”
She gave him an uncertain look; his short responses really were bothering her.
Quill forced a longer reply. “It’s a good idea. Let’s try.”
They found the same bear they’d fought before. The sight of it brought back painful memories because this is where they’d met Aarush.
Stopping on the road, Quill felt sadness and anger well up and tried to fight it back.
Jane seemed to be doing the same. But she was the stronger of the two of them. She took a deep breath before he could suppress his emotions. “Come on. Just like last time.”
They tackled the bear using strategy to make up for their lack of strength. They kept the beast on one side of the tree, with Jane poking it in the mouth with her staff and keeping its teeth occupied. Quill bashed it in the head whenever he could. It wasn’t a fast fight with their stats, but they eventually defeated it and picked up a nice, big pelt.
“Yes!” Jane held up the sizeable bear skin. “I’ll round it out with wolf pelts, but this will make a really nice backpack. Bigger than the first. And stronger; leather instead of cloth. Heavier though. Which means our stamina is going to go down faster just wearing it. And the more we carry. If we put them down to fight, though, someone might steal them.”
“We’ll make do.” He shrugged. “Just be careful and watch our stamina.” When you imagined being an adventurer, you pictured wands and swords and armour and magical items. You didn’t picture bags. Yet they were vital, and any rookie felt the pain of being unable to carry drops and having to leave them behind until packs could be acquired.
They brought down a second bear and a few more wolves. Returning to the little village outside the city, they bought thread, double the amount so she could make the stiches stronger, and sat down in the shade of an apple tree where Jane could work.
With so many players also adventuring in the zone, her efforts were quickly spotted, and more and more people came by to see what she was doing. They were quick to comment or ask about her work.
“Whoa. You have crafting? I didn’t know we could get those skills.”
“Are professions available?”
“How do you do that?”
Jane was happy to explain. “I’m using real skills, not game ones. It doesn’t become a proper item after I make it; it still registers as a pile of pelts and thread.”
“Aw. I want one!”
“Me, too!”
“Me, three!”
Players, men and women, young and old, all came by either to watch or just long enough for the idea to take root so they could do the same. Not everyone had the skills, though.
One young woman sighed. “I wish I could sew.”
Jane smiled at her. “I could teach you.”
The young woman brightened. “Really?”
Seeing the excited looks on the faces of many in the small crowd surrounding them, Quill jumped in before Jane could be overly nice. “You bring us the mats for your own bag: cloth, leather, pelts, thread, whatever you have. Jane will teach you to make a bag for one gold.”
“One gold!”
“That’s too much.”
“Come on. It’s just teaching.”
“Why should we have to pay?”
Some instantly complained, but others agreed and ran off to get the things they needed, looking thankful that someone was willing to teach and help.
Quill faced the complainers before Jane could speak up; he could see she was going to tell them she’d do it for free. “A gold is fair. It’s a lot of work, it costs her time, you’ll have a bag long before the game sells you one, and once you have the skills, I know some of you are darn well going to turn around and charge others for making bags.”
That hit the mark and shut the more selfish people in the crowd up. But trouble was soon in coming. When people arrived with money and materials, Jane began to teach. But a few people just stood on the edge of the circle, watching.
Quill wasn’t having it. He stood between them and Jane, blocking their view. “Come on, people. You aren’t paying; go grind somewhere or something.”
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
One of the guys watching folded his arms and obstinately replied, “Hmph. I don’t have to go anywhere. I’m just standing here. I can stand where I want.” He was determined to learn for free.
While Quill normally would have agreed that sharing knowledge and skills like this should be done freely, he knew that others really would try to profit from it. No doubt, the idea had already spawned the beginnings of a bag market and maybe prompted others to think of other things they might make in the game with real skills. It could be the beginning of a player economy. It was only fair that Jane got a little something back for it.
They moved the class into an NPC house that happened to be unlocked and empty of residents. Quill stood guard, helped by members of parties who had one of their number learning from Jane. It was enough to keep out those too selfish to pay.
Word quickly spread, and Jane spent the entire rest of the day teaching and sewing. Quill was very flexible with players who came with materials but who didn’t have the money. If they looked like decent folk, he charged far less than a gold to let them in. Some parties really appreciated this. Other people argued that it was unfair.
One particular mage in silver-stitched robes who carried a glass orb got really upset when he saw those in front of him get inside for less. “Hey! You let them in for two silver. It’s supposed to be a gold. That’s not fair. I’m only paying two silver, too!”
Quill was unmoved by such selfish arguments. “Nah. Get lost.”
“No way.” The guy rudely flung two silver at Quill’s feet. “I’m going in.” He tried to force his way past.
Normally, that wouldn’t have been difficult against Quill with his low stats. But he had three other men and a woman next to him, backing him up. Together, they refused entry.
The mage railed against them. “You’re completely unfair! Just trying to keep the rest of us down. Entitled gatekeepers.” The rude player flipped them the bird and stomped off.
A foursome of players, all level three or less, nervously approached, eyeing the departing mage and evidently unsure how they’d be treated. Their spokesperson, a teen girl, held out her hand. “Um, this is all we have. I’m sorry.” It was a large pile of coppers and one silver.
Quill studied the eyes of the three teens behind her, two more girls and a guy. They all looked uncertain and shy, not like they were trying to scam him at all. From their gear, it was obvious they, too, had rolled badly and were struggling in the game. He waved off the money in the girl’s hand. “Don’t worry about it. Go on in.”
Delighted, the four all thanked and carried their materials into the house, their nervousness replaced with happy smiles.
One of the men guarding the door with him, a level nine warrior who’d earlier introduced himself as Hale, slapped Quill on the back. “You’re a good dude.” He didn’t seem bothered by the fact that his party had paid two gold for two of their members to learn from Jane.
His endorsement felt good, and Quill nodded. “Thanks.”
The woman with them, a level eight earth mage named Sita, snorted with amusement. “Ass hats. Don’t let those guys bug you.”
For the first time that day, he smiled. It’s really nice when others have your back.
One of the other men, Kumar, a level eight cleric, laughed. “Those fools can pay up or suck it. You saw the gear on that one guy, right? Bought and paid for. Guys like that have money to burn, and here they are nickle-and-diming on stuff like this. I hate people like that.”
Quill felt the same way. “One of the things I’ve hated about game development over the years is how microtransactions and in-game purchases have become a thing. It’s not bad enough that wealth inequality exists in the real world. But now we have to deal with it inside video games? That really took something out of the experience.”
The last of the guards, a mage in his fifties named Raúl, added, “Totally agree. I’ve been playing MMOs since they were invented and arcade games before that. I miss the days when games were games and not slot machines or tools for rich pieces of crap to show off with.”
Being on the same page with others lifted Quill’s spirits even more. Dealing with selfish people could make you see the world in an ugly light more often than not. So to hear others say they felt the same way he did was heartening. He didn’t feel so alone. He glanced back into the room to where Jane was working.
She seemed thrilled, totally in her element. She was instructing about twelve people, mostly women but some men. She showed off her techniques as she worked on her own bags but patiently watched and helped others, demonstrating how to hold the needle or where to make knots. She was a good teacher, and her students seemed to really enjoy her.
Hale, whose steel chest plate gleamed in the afternoon sun coming through the front door, noticed Quill’s interest. “What you guys are doing is going to have a huge impact on the game. As far as we can figure, the only bags available for players are for real money and super expensive. We’re guessing bags aren’t supposed to be a thing until the next region opens. But this way, if anyone can make bags, it means a player can haul back every single junk item they find for sale. That little bit of coin is going to help a lot of folks.”
Quill flushed at the praise. “I wouldn’t insist on charging, but…”
Sita shrugged. Her bright orange dress looked amazing against her dark skin, and she’d braided feathers into her long, black hair. “We get it. That guy a minute ago thinks it’s unfair to charge different people different prices. He doesn’t get it. It’s also not fair that everyone has different base stats. Or that some have real-world money to spend. I bet he doesn’t mind that. Something’s only unfair when it doesn’t benefit someone like him.”
Kumar nodded once. “Selfish.”
Standing in the doorway, they were the first to notice a player come running into the little hamlet. He carried a staff and wore plain, white robes. Panting, he paused to catch his breath, then shouted at the top of his lungs, “Random event! Orcs attacking! We need players! As many as we can!”
Male
36
QUILL KRAU
Class NONE, Level 1
STR
1
STATUS
DEX
3
Currently enjoying the company of these people. New friends?
HEA
7
SKILLS
INT
2
WIS
17
ITEMS
STA
14
Mace (common)
CHA
11
Female
26
JANE EULA
Class NONE, Level 5
STR
6
STATUS
DEX
11
Currently having an awesome time crafting.
HEA
19
SKILLS
INT
18
WIS
18
ITEMS
STA
2
Gilded Armour of the Nature Goddess (unique); knife; staff (common)
CHA
5