Chapter 35: Shadows and Introductions
After sending a message to Mia, Ryan set off toward the Abandoned Mines.
The forums were already buzzing. A team had just cleared the first two bosses of the Abandoned Mines and was now pushing deeper into the lower levels. Every member of that team had already completed their class specializations. They were the vanguard—leading the world in progression.
Still, their accomplishments had only earned them regional "Glory" titles. The real attention came from being the first to specialize in a class, and that spotlight had already moved. Many players were still asking why Featherlight, the one who had claimed the first two Glorious Achievements, had suddenly gone quiet. But now, attention was shifting. The five new players were gaining traction fast.
That was the nature of celebrity in this game. Stay quiet too long, and someone else would take your place.
Ryan was fully aware of that. If he wanted to build a team that included his sister, it was only a matter of time before he’d have to reveal his identity. With that in mind, it was better to keep a low profile for now—grow quietly, move from the shadows.
Besides, Evelyn already knew Mia’s in-game name. If she ever got curious, it wouldn’t be hard for her to trace it back to him. That was fine, though. By the time he actually made a name for himself, his family would probably have settled somewhere safe in the real world.
As Ryan made his way down the road, he noticed the game world becoming more and more alive. Players were everywhere now, running back and forth between towns, zones, and quest hubs.
Human players were advancing faster than other races. Many pros had already left the starting zones, stocked up on early gear in Goldmine Town, and then doubled back to help new players run dungeons—for a fee, of course. It was their first real opportunity to earn decent money in the game.
That said, their income didn’t come close to what Ryan had made.
Most wore a patchwork of Uncommon (green) gear and level 5 Common items—enough for three players to grind through Blood Hollow together. But their rates weren’t high. A typical run only cost between 50 to 100 gold per person. With the sheer number of players moving around, stamina limits, and time restrictions, few were earning anything substantial.
Compared to them, Ryan’s gold pile looked absurd.