Gulp, gulp, gulp.
BURRRRP.
Zhao Xiaotian, FaFo, and the others slammed their wooden bowls onto the worn table and let out synchronized belches.
Daenerys stood in the corner, nibbling on a piece of warm black bread, staring at the table full of men her brother called his "loyal subjects." These people were so weird. How could black bread porridge possibly be delicious?
Viserys, having shed his heavy armor and now wearing only his sword at his hip, stared at the three players with a dark expression.
These three idiots. They worked like dogs practicing swordsmanship, and instead of logging off to rest, they decided to stay and mooch off the True King's black bread porridge. Heaven only knows what goes on in a player's brain. In real life, plain congee with pickles would taste better than this slop.
And yet they're eating it like it's a Michelin-star meal, Viserys thought.
The three players patted their bellies, satisfied. Clearly, they were just marveling at the hyper-realistic taste simulation. No one in their right mind actually thought the gruel tasted good.
[ You have completed rigorous sword training. You have gained a basic understanding of swordsmanship. Combat Skill: Basic Swordsmanship Mastery (11/100). One-Handed Weapon Proficiency unlocked: 5. ]
[ You have completed the Novice Quest issued by King Viserys. Reward: 10 Kingdom Coins, 1 Iron Chest. The Player Shop is now open. You may use Kingdom Coins to purchase items. ]
Simultaneously, the three players received the notification from the System Sprite. Their tutorial was done, and the rewards were waiting in the Player Shop.
At the same moment, Viserys received his own report from the Ops Manager:
[ Three players have completed the Novice Quest. Rewards: 300 Kingdom Coins, 3 Bronze Chests, 15 Iron Chests have been issued to your account. Please check your inventory. ]
Since this was their first time getting loot in the game, the three players were eager to check it out. Without warning, they all slumped face-first onto the table, instantly falling unconscious right in front of Viserys.
---
This sudden mass fainting terrified Daenerys, who was still watching from the corner. Fortunately, Viserys knew they hadn't died; they had just entered the virtual Player Shop created by the System.
A white mist cleared, and the three players found themselves standing in separate instances of a cluttered shop.
FaFo looked around the shop, which resembled an old-school general store from his childhood memories, clicking his tongue in amazement.
"What can I get for you, valued customer?" A clone of the System Sprite, leaning against the counter with a toothpick made of fire in its mouth, greeted FaFo lazily.
"I believe I have an Iron Chest stored with you," FaFo said. He wanted to reach out and touch the Fireboy's flaming hair, but the heat radiating from it convinced him otherwise.
"Mhm, let me look. Ah, here it is." The Fireboy spat out the toothpick and heaved a heavy iron box from under the counter.
FaFo, who had been fantasizing about a glowing, epic loot box, felt his excitement dampen by half when he saw the rusty, beat-up metal box on the counter.
Whatever. It's my first day. Let's see what RNGsus has blessed me with.
Being a college student, FaFo was an expert at self-consolation. He raised an eyebrow and reached for the chest.
[ Iron Chest Opened... Congratulations! You have obtained: Mercenary Leather Armor (Condition: 70%). Rarity: White (Common). ]
In the next instant, the leather armor was equipped directly onto his character.
Looking at the worn-out leather vest that only covered his torso—leaving his arms completely exposed—FaFo grinned from ear to ear.
As the System Sprite cleared the chest from the counter, FaFo willed ten virtual coins to appear in his left hand.
"Show me the goods. What do you have for sale?"
"Oh, my dear customer! Whether you want Dragon Eggs, Griffin Eggs, Magic Scrolls, or Valyrian Steel weapons, I have it all!"
Seeing FaFo acting like a big spender, the Fireboy rubbed his hands together greedily and pulled up the shop inventory.
"Ah, haha. My funds are a bit limited. Maybe don't show me the Dragon Eggs just yet. I can't afford those. Show me some starter gear."
Hearing the clerk threaten to bring out the Dragon Eggs, FaFo—with a grand total of ten coins in his pocket—quickly hit the brakes.
"Starter gear? I have plenty of that, customer." The Fireboy's attitude didn't shift a bit despite hearing FaFo was broke. As a professionally trained clone, he immediately pivoted. "Look here. A Crossbow. With this, you'll be invincible at range. A steal at only 150 Kingdom Coins! I'll even throw in 30 bolts for free. Or look at this: Chainmail, 80% new condition. Perfect to wear under your leather armor. Only..."
The Fireboy rambled on, ignoring FaFo's face getting darker by the second as he scrolled through item after item he couldn't afford.
In the end, with only 10 Kingdom Coins, FaFo bought a battered wooden kite shield.
Exiting the shop, FaFo lifted his head from the table, cursing loudly.
"Damned profiteer! Everything is so expensive!"
Daenerys had been sent out of the room by her brother, and the other two players were still "asleep." The only person in the room who understood FaFo's pain was King Viserys himself.
Of course it's expensive. If the System Shop was a wholesale supplier for Viserys, then the Player Shop was a retail scam Viserys set up himself to fleece the players.
Yes, Viserys had to pay the System for items in the System Shop. But when players bought items in the Player Shop, the profit was split 50/50 between Viserys and the System.
And the best part? Viserys set the prices.
Basically, the System gave Viserys a quest. Viserys outsourced that quest to the players. The System paid him 100 coins. He kept 90 and gave the player 10.
Then, the player took those 10 coins and spent them in his shop. Viserys took 5 of those coins back as profit.
So, in the end: Viserys made 95 coins. The System made 5 coins for the "platform fee." And the player got a piece of trash gear while cursing the developer.
Naturally, they were cursing the System Sprite. King Viserys, the noble quest-giver, couldn't possibly be the bad guy, right?
Thinking of this, the corners of Viserys's mouth twitched upward. It was evil, sure. But thinking about how he skimmed the majority of the quest rewards and then clawed back half of what he did pay out...
Viserys wanted to look up at the sky and scream: Harvesting noobs feels SO GOOD!
A moment later, Step_Sis and Bush_Camper also "woke up," echoing FaFo's complaints about the "greedy dev."
Compared to FaFo, who at least got leather armor, these two had terrible luck. Step_Sis opened a rusty dagger, and Bush_Camper got the short end of the stick with a pair of dirty, worn-out boots.