The gates of Hollowbrook loomed before him.
Kenji slowed as two armored guards glanced his way. hours earlier, they had stared through him as though he didn't exist. Now, one gave a faint nod, spear tilting aside to make space.
A notification flickered.
[NPC Respect — Protector Rank recognized.]
It wasn't much. But it was enough.
The town was buzzing. Dozens of players crowded the marketplace, their voices a chaotic mix of frustration and envy.
"Why won't this bastard buy my wolf hides?!"
"I've been grinding spiders for hours—nothing!"
"NPC won't even look at me… is this bugged?"
At the far end of the square, the trading shopkeeper stood behind his counter, calm, impassive. A line of players stretched out the door, packs bulging with furs, bones, and shells.
Kenji stepped into line.
Whispers rippled immediately.
"Wait… is that him?"
"The dungeon clear guy? GrayWolf?"
"No way. I am sure he registered many trash card."
Kenji ignored them, folding his arms. He didn't mind waiting.
But then a worker NPC in plain brown clothes hurried out from behind the counter, eyes widening when they met his.
"Protector," the man bowed low, voice carrying across the room. "Forgive me—you cannot wait behind mere commoners. Please, follow me."
The hall went silent.
Every eye turned.
Kenji's name hovered above him like a brand. GrayWolf.
The same GrayWolf from the regional announcement. The first to clear a solo dungeon. The Protector rank no one else had.
Gasps spread.
"…holy shit, it's really him."
"He's Level 6 already…"
"Protector rank? I'm still Commoner at zero Rep."
"Unfair. Totally unfair."
Awe and jealousy mixed like oil and fire.
Kenji said nothing, only followed the worker to the counter.
He unloaded his pack, dumping piles of wolf hides, ant shells, spider fangs, and cracked armor plates onto the counter.
The shopkeeper examined them, hands moving with mechanical precision.
[Trade Completed.][You receive: 3 Bronze Coins.]
Kenji blinked. Three.
That was all.
Almost a day of grinding, a night of exhaustion, an entire dungeon clear—and he held three coins in his palm. The copper discs gleamed faintly, but they felt light as dust.
His lips tightened. If this was the value of Tier 0 resources, coins would be rarer than legends.
He needed a weapon upgrade. Potions for survival. Supplies for the road.
But with three bronze coins, he couldn't afford any of it.
So he turned to the only real option.
The Auction House.
The building stood near the center of Hollowbrook, taller and grander than most. Inside, a faceless NPC clerk waited behind a desk, papers stacked neatly.
Kenji approached. "I want to sell."
The NPC gestured. [Item Selected: Staff of Crawling Shadows (Epic, Tier 0)]
Kenji hesitated. The runes shimmered faintly, crawling like worms. An Epic. His first. But utterly useless to his build.
"Yes," he confirmed.
The NPC recorded the listing.
"Your staff will be visible across all towns in this region."
Kenji frowned. "How many towns?"
The NPC's reply was cold and factual.
"One hundred and twenty."
Kenji froze. One hundred and twenty.
If every town was as crowded as Hollowbrook, that meant tens of thousands of players—per town. The market was massive. The chances of a mage buying his staff skyrocketed.
But then the notice flashed.
[System Notice: 20% fee deducted from all Auction sales.]
His stomach dropped.
Even with Protector rank, it wasn't enough to reduce fees. Higher Reputation was required.
He clenched his fist. Coins were already impossibly rare, and the system demanded a fifth of every trade. Ruthless.
Still, he confirmed the listing.
Back on the street, he opened his inventory. His eyes lingered on the glowing card within.
King♠ — Tier 0.
[Stats if registered: +25 Crit Damage, +15 Attack Speed.]
It was perfect. With the 10♠ already bound, the King♠ would push his build even further into lethal speed and precision.
The prompt flickered.
[Do you wish to register King♠ — Tier 0 into your deck?][Warning: Registration is permanent.]
Kenji pressed Yes.
[King♠ Registered.][Stats Applied: +25 Crit Damage, +15 Attack Speed.]
A surge of energy coursed through him, sharper and fiercer than before. His blades felt lighter in his hands, his steps quicker, his strikes poised to kill before the enemy even moved.
He smiled faintly.
The forest awaited.
✦ GrayWolf — Lv 6 (Commoner)
Reputation: 130 (Protector — Regional Rank 2)
Attributes (Base):
STR: 10
VIT: 10
DEX: 60
INT: 10
Item Bonuses:
Cracked Iron Bracers (Common, +1 STR)
Tattered Leather Belt (Common, +1 VIT)
Reinforced Leather Vest (Common, +2 VIT)
Sturdy Leather Boots (Rare, +2 DEX, +1 VIT)
Card Bonuses (Registered):
10♠ (Tier 0): +15 Crit Rate, +10 Spell Pen
King♠ (Tier 0): +25 Crit Damage, +15 Attack Speed
Total Effective Stats:
STR: 11
VIT: 14
DEX: 77
INT: 10
Skills:
Twin Slash (weapon)
Venom Spit (Epic Staff, unequipped)
Coins: 3 Bronze
Kenji slipped the coins into his pouch, gaze turning back toward the gate.
He had weapons to find, potions to buy, and an entire forest of monsters to carve through.
The Auction House timer ticked silently in the background, the Epic staff awaiting a buyer.
The world was moving forward.
And GrayWolf was moving faster.