"Thank you," Ren said, unable to hide the wide grin stretching across his face.
The loot Hubert had given him was incredible—powerful, rare, and, best of all . . . completely free.
Ren's mind raced as he checked his inventory again, his grin widening. Free. That single word felt sweeter than any reward notification.
Hubert's items were legendary among veteran players. Normally, anything the gnome sold would cost hundreds of thousands of gil—especially the [Crystal Keys] that could open any lock and the [Duds], which were prized by high-level guilds for their devastating area-of-effect damage and status effects.
Only the wealthiest guilds could afford to bring those tools to dungeon raids and guild wars. A single Smoke Dud could decide the difference between a flawless victory and a party wipe. And now Ren had four.
Hubert wasn't just some random NPC merchant either. He was a master craftsman, famous in the lore of COVENANT. His gadgets were known for their creative blend of science and magic—tiny marvels that could change the tide of battle. He even specialized in mechanized weaponry. For the right price and materials, he could enhance weapons with mechanical add-ons, turning ordinary arms into deadly hybrid devices.
However, most of his craftsmanship catered to Elven weapons, which made sense; Hubert was a gnome who had set up shop in the Elven territories, selling his wares to the forest's long-eared inhabitants.
That was another reason Ren wanted someone like Isolde—a Sniper—in his group. In the future, with Hubert's help, Isolde's guns could be modified with mechanical features: auto-reload, homing shots, even energy-charged ammunition. If her weapons were upgraded by Hubert, they could gain unique skills, unlike anything other Snipers had.
Hubert stroked his white mustache and smiled approvingly at Ren's polite attitude. He adjusted his monocle and nodded like a satisfied merchant. "If you ever need me again, my shop is under the Millennium Tree, just past Erendia Town, in Maze Forest."
He reached into his vest pocket and produced a small, neatly folded map. The parchment was creased and old but clearly drawn with meticulous care. "Here," he said, handing it over. "Half the map of Maze Forest. It'll keep you from losing your way when you come searching for my shop. And since we're friends now, I'll even give you a discount."
Ren unfolded the map and studied it, his eyes gleaming.
Maze Forest.
The name alone was enough to make most players groan. It wasn't just a forest—it was practically an entire continent of trees, beasts, and monsters. A tangled mass of living terrain that connected every Elven settlement and dungeon. Inside were hidden caves, labyrinthine paths, and quests by the hundreds.
And at its center was something even greater—a World Boss.
The Maze Forest was so enormous and disorienting that it had taken professional Animists and Hunters months of coordinated effort to map only part of it. It twisted upon itself like a living maze, with shifting routes that changed depending on weather, moon phase, or even player actions.
Without a map, a single wrong turn could teleport an adventurer to an entirely different region.
Getting half the map this early in the game was a massive advantage.
Even though the map didn't show hidden treasures or secret dungeons, it was still priceless. Ren tucked it carefully into his inventory.
He didn't remember much about Maze Forest from his previous playthrough. The place was too vast, too unpredictable—even his sharp memory couldn't hold all of it. But that didn't matter. With this map, he had a head start no one else did.
"This is great," Ren said, bowing his head slightly. "And thank you for the map. I'll be sure to visit your shop soon."
His friendly tone wasn't just politeness. Maintaining his [Friend] status with Hubert meant discounts—and those discounts could save him a fortune.
Hubert's grin stretched wider as he tugged at his beard again. "I'll be waiting, friend! Business has been slow, and I could use a customer with taste!"
Then, with surprising speed for a creature with such short legs, the gnome trotted off toward the exit, humming a tune that sounded like a blend of merchant's chant and victory song.
As Ren watched Hubert disappear into the tunnel, he couldn't help but smile faintly.
Hubert wasn't just any NPC—he was a hidden character, one that could only be saved once. If a player failed to rescue him here, he would be gone forever, and his shop, Little Trinket, would never appear in the Maze Forest.
Saving him meant unlocking a permanent advantage few others would have.
Ren recalled what he knew about the region. To reach Hubert's shop, players needed to travel through Erendia Town, the first Elven settlement north of Venezia Village.
Erendia was considered the gateway to the Elven lands, a crossroads between human and elf territories. From there, the road led straight into the Maze Forest. Only by navigating its countless twists could one reach other Elven towns and eventually the Kingdom of the Elves itself.
The requirements to enter Erendia were steep, but Ren already met them. His INT was past +30, granting him access. He could visit the town anytime now.
Of course, everything came at a cost.
Hubert's items were not cheap.
He was the only craftsman in COVENANT who sold the high-grade trinkets players coveted: Duds, Bombs, Keys, Mecha Parts—all essential tools for high-level raids. Even guilds sometimes lined up to buy from him. But for Ren, this early friendship meant discounts, priority crafting, and exclusive stock.
He also remembered that Little Trinket came with a built-in Save and Teleportation spot, making it one of the most convenient shops in the entire game. Once found, it served as a shortcut hub for quick access to Elven regions.
In the normal game timeline, reaching [Friend] status with Hubert required days of grinding, buying, and crafting—basically throwing a mountain of gil at him before he even acknowledged you.
But by triggering this hidden rescue event, Ren had skipped all of that. He'd gained instant friendship and secured his discounts early.
Thousands of gil saved, he thought with satisfaction. Maybe hundreds of thousands.
He needed every bit of it, too.
The developers had already hinted at the coming in-game currency conversion, where 1 gil = $1 in real money. Once that system went live, the amount of gil players earned from monsters and quests would drop dramatically. Inflation would stabilize, but anyone who had stockpiled gil early would become filthy rich.
Ren planned to be one of those players.
As he stared at the retreating figure of Hubert, Ren's thoughts shifted to the other thing the gnome had mentioned—the two Orcs.
Those same Orcs were connected to the upcoming World Quest: [Rescue the Dark Elf Prince Zeroth]. Hubert wasn't necessary for triggering it, but since Ren was already here, it would've been foolish not to grab every free advantage while he could—especially the map, the items, and the relationship boost.
He wasn't stingy; he was strategic.
If he was going to play solo—which he inevitably would—these items could spell the difference between life and death.
Meanwhile, outside the Gargantuan Cave . . .
At the gates of Venezia Village, three familiar players stood waiting, glowing faintly under the warm afternoon sun.
Leonel: "Ren sure is taking his sweet time."
Isolde: "Could it be those Poison-whatever people got him?"
Ragnar: "Doubt it. Those idiots are still screaming in World Chat."
Leonel squinted at the horizon. "Maybe there's another boss in there?"
Ragnar crossed his arms. "If there were, we wouldn't have gotten that First Blood notification."
Leonel blinked. "Oh. Right."
He scratched his head, then sighed. "So . . . what now? I'm bored."
Ragnar shrugged. "I'm going to grind solo for a while."
Isolde nodded. "Same here. Unless Ren calls for another dungeon run, I'll do my own thing."
Leonel frowned. "Why solo? Don't you two have friends to play with?"
Ragnar and Isolde exchanged glances, then silently left the group without a word.
[Ragnar has left the group.]
[Isolde has left the group.]
Leonel stared at the screen for a moment. ". . . Wow. Cold."
Then, with a sigh, he turned toward Venezia's inn, muttering, "Guess it's just me, myself, and ramen again."
Back inside the cave, far below, Ren chuckled quietly to himself as he looked over his new items.
Everything's falling into place.