NPC into Player: Let's Wreck This Game

'Are you going through the plan even if he can read you?' Sharel was smart enough to understand his hidden aim.

'I have to do this quest no matter what!'

'Oh, is it a blood feud then? Or… wait a minute, does he stand between you and that nephew of his? Oh… so romantic!'

Bloom didn't know if she was mocking him or speaking seriously here, so he decided to just ignore her remark and asked: 'Can you provide me with this gear? I can pay anything in return.'

'I can't,' she replied, 'but my boss can.'

And Bloom realized what she would say next.

'What's the price?' despite knowing he asked.

'Why ask about something you already know?'

'Consider me dumb.'

'Oh sweetie… we both know you aren't.'

'…'

'…'

The two refused to speak as the one to speak first would be the one who would pay the highest bid here.

'I won't need it then,' Bloom suddenly sent.

'Will you retreat?'

'I will do a suicidal mission,' Bloom said, 'after all I'm a player and I can't lose much.'

'True…' Sharel sent before holding back for a couple of minutes. "C'mon, you won't let this golden chance run away this easily, aren't you?"

In fact he didn't plan to do that at all, but he was playing with the two on the other side of this chat. He knew the boss was very curious about his gear and despite not knowing her he could tell she was someone who wouldn't stop at anything to satisfy her curiosity.

And that is what he decided to bet everything upon.

And he betted it right.

'My dear, my boss has an offer to you.'

"Yes," he almost cheered and managed to control himself at the last moment. 'What offer? What for?'

'For your gear, dummie,' she sent before adding, 'she would give you a booster gear that could augment your gear abilities against any special ability. It's not one hundred percent effective but from every five times the person would investigate you, four will fail.'

'It suits me,' Bloom said, 'but it's not enough.'

'She offers two million dark points extra.'

'Very far from enough.'

'Three million then.'

'I don't want money,' Bloom sent.

'Then what do you want?'

'A place,' Bloom suddenly sent, 'a stronghold at the battlefield.'

'This…' even Sharel was taken aback by his great appetite, 'you are really greedy,' she sent, trying to make him hesitate.

'It's the base price that I won't budge from,' Bloom sent and waited for the answer.

'My boss says she would agree, but on one condition… she wants to own half of the stronghold shares with you.'

"Oh, so there is much income from these forts," Bloom was surprised as he just selected that on a whim. He didn't think that owning a stronghold there would be beneficial, at least not now.

He still didn't know much about the battlefield part of the game, and he thought to use this chance to gain a foot there to start familiarizing himself with that place.

"It seems I underestimated the game… sigh, I know nothing then about the battlefield at all."

'What do you say?' Sharel found his silence quite disturbing.

'Twenty-five percent,' Bloom said, 'and the administration will fall in my hands.'

'Forty percent and she will have a saying in anything inside the fort.'

'Twenty-five and she can have a saying, but it's not conditional that I'll take her opinion every time she expresses it.'

'This…' Sharel was speechless as he didn't raise the bid as it was supposed to happen, 'you are stingy, y'know that?'

'Only with those I dunno,' he sent, 'and those I'm doing business well.'

'That means you are a stingy person!'

'I'm so generous to my girls.'

'I doubt that!'

'One day you'll see,' he sent, 'provided that you become my girl.'

'Keep dreaming,' she sent and he only smiled.

'So is it a go?' he asked.

'My boss will send you a contract now,' Sharel wrote, 'sign it and it's a go.'

'Great,' Bloom's grin was from ear to ear, 'what about the backup teams and rescue team?'

'The backup team is on the way to you. As for the escape team he is already in the town.'

'Does the backup team plan to enter the mansion?' Bloom suddenly realized something.

'Indeed, or how else do you think they are supposed to help?'

'Who are they?'

'It's not wise to let you know, after all my boss believes you are tagged and marked by that man.'

He stole a swift glance towards the mayor who was busy speaking with those around him. Since Bloom entered here he didn't glance at him even once, and that was enough to make him agree with that boss's view.

'I understand.'

He realized what she meant by that. He was already tagged and it would be best to have someone here to support without alarming the mayor.

This way he wouldn't bring any suspicion to them, as he didn't know who they were.

"Alright, it's time then to wait for that contract and then look for the hidden vaults."

He was quite sure the mayor wouldn't leave his precious belongings wide open like that. Since he was such a meticulous person then he would have to make sure his precious items would be well stored and safe even if someone discovered his trick.

"System alert: player got a contract from NPC Jan."

Bloom received a notification from the system and he hurriedly checked the contract before signing it. 'Tell your Jan my thanks,' he sent, 'and I'm waiting for that special item.'

'I'll send it to you right away.'

The next moment Bloom found a strange coat in the chat between him and her. He took it out and then a miniature version of it appeared next in his hands.

"This is interesting," he muttered before trying to investigate it to receive a system message the next moment.

"System alert: Player can't spy on this item, it's a spy proof coat."