Sector 7 Plaza - The Auction Terminal
"Sold!" Arthur announced, slapping the terminal screen.
The [Mirror of Duplication] was gone. Bought instantly for 55,000 Credits by an anonymous buyer (likely a guild proxy). The [Floor 5 Strategy Guide] (which was basically just "Buy a Skill Reset Token and hit hard") had sold 200 copies at 1,000 Credits each.
Total Profit: 255,000 Credits.Current Balance: ~460,000 Credits.
Arthur was half a millionaire. In the apocalypse economy, he was a king.
He closed the terminal and turned to leave. A wall of white robes blocked his path.
The crowd parted nervously. Standing there was Phoenix, the Guild Leader of Silver Wings. She was beautiful in a terrifying way. Her robe was pristine white silk (enchanted, obviously), and her staff hummed with raw fire mana. Behind her stood four Battle Mages, their hands glowing with pre-cast spells.
"Arthur," Phoenix said. Her voice was cool, like ice on a burn. "We need to talk."
Arthur checked his HP. 11,300 / 11,300.
"I'm listening," Arthur said, crossing his arms.
"You cleared Floor 5 Solo," Phoenix stated. "That's impressive. But it's also a dead end. From Floor 6 onwards, the mechanics require a team. Dispel. Crowd Control. AOE. A tank cannot solo the world."
She stepped closer, the heat from her staff radiating against Arthur's face.
"Silver Wings is the strongest magic guild in Sector 7. We have the highest DPS. What we lack is a frontline that doesn't melt."
She extended a hand. A holographic contract appeared in the air.
[Guild Invitation: Silver Wings]Rank: Core Member (Tank) Salary: 5,000 Credits / Week. Benefits: Priority Healing, Loot Priority (Tank items). Clause:Exclusivity. (Cannot party with non-guild members).
"Sign," Phoenix commanded confidently. "And we will carry you to the top."
Arthur read the contract. He laughed.
"5,000 a week?" Arthur shook his head. "I just made 200,000 in ten minutes."
Phoenix's eye twitched. "Money is useless if you don't have the clear speed. Without us, you will be stuck on Floor 6 forever."
"You have it backwards, Phoenix," Arthur said, stepping into her personal space.
He towered over her. The charred smell of the Hydra still clung to his cloak.
"You don't carry me. I carry you."
Arthur swiped the invitation away, shattering the hologram.
"I don't join guilds. I don't do 'mandatory raids'. I don't answer to a boss."
He pulled out a business card he had handwritten on a piece of cardboard five minutes ago.
[Arthur Lin - Freelance Consultant]
Service: Raid Carry / Boss Tanking.
Rate: 50,000 Credits per Run + 30% of Loot.
Availability: By appointment only.
He tucked the card into Phoenix's sash.
"If your mages keep dying on Floor 6, give me a call. I accept wire transfers."
Phoenix stared at the card. She looked like she wanted to incinerate him right there. But she couldn't. Not in the Safe Zone. And not when he was the #1 Ranker.
"You're arrogant," Phoenix hissed. "The Ironblood Cartel won't be as polite as I am."
"Vance is already a customer," Arthur lied smoothly. "Ask him about the Poison Sewers."
He walked past her, bumping her shoulder with his massive obsidian shield. The mages glared, but no one moved.
The Slums - Shadow Alley
Arthur needed staff. Being a solo consultant was great, but he couldn't do everything. He couldn't scout every dungeon, track every market price, or listen to every rumor. He needed a Rat.
Literally.
He found him in a dive bar on the edge of the safe zone. Rat (the Rogue from Chapter 3) was sitting in a corner, nursing a cheap beer, looking miserable. He had been demoted to latrine duty by Vance and was currently AWOL.
Arthur sat down opposite him.
Rat jumped. He reached for a dagger that wasn't there. Then he saw the face.
"You!" Rat squeaked. "Please, man, I don't have the money! Vance took it all!"
Arthur placed a heavy pouch on the table. Clink.
"I'm not here to kill you, Rat," Arthur said. "I'm here to offer you a job."
Rat looked at the pouch. Then at Arthur. "A job?"
"I need eyes and ears," Arthur said. "I need someone to buy materials for me so I don't show my face. I need someone to find specific monsters."
Arthur opened the pouch. It was filled with Credits. 10,000.
"This is your signing bonus."
Rat's jaw dropped. That was more than he made in a year of stealing.
"What... what do I have to do?" Rat stammered.
"Simple," Arthur leaned in. "You work for 'Titan Solutions' now. That's my company. You answer only to me. You spy on Vance. You spy on Phoenix. And you find me items that increase Health Regeneration."
Rat swallowed hard. He looked at the money. He looked at the monster of a man who had survived a kidney stab like it was a mosquito bite.
"Vance will kill me if he finds out."
"Vance is a Level 5 Warrior," Arthur said. "I am Level 7. And I have 11,000 HP. Who do you think is safer?"
Rat did the math. The guy in front of him was a walking glitch. A god.
Rat grabbed the pouch. "I'm in, boss. Totally in."
"Good," Arthur stood up. "First assignment. Go to the auction house. Buy every [Troll's Blood Potion] you can find. I don't care about the price."
"Troll's Blood?" Rat frowned. "Those are overpriced trash. They only heal over time."
"Just buy them," Arthur ordered.
Arthur's Safehouse - Midnight
Arthur sat on his bed. Rat had delivered. Ten vials of [Troll's Blood Potion (Rank F)]. Effect: Increases Health Regeneration by 200% for 1 hour.
Arthur wasn't going to drink them. He was going to try something stupid. He remembered the [Hydra's Heart] he sold to Vance. He remembered how the Hydra healed.
"Cannibalism," Arthur whispered.
He had a theory. The System treated his body as a separate entity from his "Glitch". If he consumed regeneration items heavily enough, could he force the Glitch to mutate?
He poured all ten potions into a bowl. It looked like thick, red sludge. Then, he took his Serrated Dagger.
He cut his own wrist. -50 Damage.
He dipped his bleeding wrist into the potion bowl. "Absorb."
It wasn't a standard mechanic. It was desperation logic. The open wound soaked in the concentrated regeneration fluid.
[System Alert][External saturation detected.][Trait: Endless Vitality is reacting...]
Arthur felt a burning sensation travel up his arm. It hurt more than the poison. It felt like his DNA was being rewritten.
[Trait Evolution Triggered][Endless Vitality (Rank F) -> (Rank E)]
Arthur held his breath.
[Endless Vitality (Rank E)]
New Effect: Max HP +1 every 30 seconds.
Passive: Increases all received Healing effects by 10%.
Arthur stared at the screen. It worked. He had halved the timer. Instead of +1440 HP a day... He was now gaining +2880 HP a day.
"Scaling doubled," Arthur grinned, wrapping a bandage around his wrist.
His phone buzzed. A text from Rat.
"Boss. Big news. Silver Wings just found a Hidden Dungeon on Floor 6. They say it's impossible. They're asking for help. The price is 50k."
Arthur picked up his shield. "Tell them my price just went up to 100k."