A sger swung his broken steel sword, aiming to cut the throat of the beast before him. He wasn’t intelligent enough to pte why a group of wargs had suddenly appeared in their vilge. He only reacted to the aggression.

  His sword nded, cutting deep into flesh. The warg fletched its teeth angrily. It retaliated, sinking its menag teeth into the sger’s leg.

  The tter’s HP dropped dangerously until only twenty something remained.

  However, like a fearless warrior the NPC slowly raised his swain. But before he could attack a sneaky ball of magic smmed into his head.

  The sger’s body froze. He dropped to the ground lifelessly. The warg appeared puzzled for a moment before looking for aarget.

  “Haha! So easy! I got 72EXP!”

  Cye excimed happily, her joy shared by the others.

  They threw subtle g Liam while pig out near-dead mobs and saving them from their suffering.

  The strategy worked well for a while. But it quickly grearent that the ferocious wargs mao take the upper hand.

  “We o bahe numbers! Here, focus on this one!”

  Liam calmly directed the party. He pointed out one of the wargs. Instantly three attaded on it, sending it to the afterlife.

  At the same time another sger fell. His oppo sniffed, sing its surroundings. Something iable happehe warg didn’t find a sger close by, fog its gaze on Watchful Eye.

  Fortunately, Liam was on high alert, warning everyone:

  “Careful! Attack this one immediately! Don’t let it e close!”

  The others were ied by the urgency. Cye didn’t hesitate to use her [Lightning Strike] instantly.

  Uhe party’s attacks the warg died quickly, not able to cause trouble.

  “Keep it up guys!”

  Liam enced the party, resuming his meticulous leadership. One by ohe sgers and wargs were killed. Soon the area was pletely cleared.

  “Nice job, expert! We got so much EXP!”

  “Brilliant strategy!”

  “I guess I ’t upload this.”

  The party versed happily, not fetting to praise Liam who received it with a calm smile. Inwardly he felt a hint of pride as, trary to some of his other knowledge, this strategy was indeed devised by him in the past.

  A couple seds ter the party sneaked out of the vilge, making their way back to Striking Wood Town. Sihey had to wait some time for the mobs to respawn, they didn’t deliberately avoid the sgers this time, fighting a couple of small groups.

  Arriving at the training area, they faced the female guard captain. Liam asked for more bait which he generously received, beggining the entire routine anew.

  For the rest of the day the party did nothing else but repeat the same as. The joy at the beginning slowly turned into boredom but the party gritted their teeth and pulled through.

  The leveling spree went mostly without acts except for the oime where Bloody Edge was discovered and died unwillingly to a mob of sgers.

  Wheime to log off arrived Liam pulled Silent Acacia aside. He took out the egg of the Mutated Grey-skinned Alligator he received during his st quest.

  Silent Acacia’s eyes immediately lit up with desire.

  However, pets were incredibly rare, especially this early in the game. Naturally their price wasn’t low.

  After some discussion Liam and Acacia agreed on a price of ten gold.

  “But I don’t have so much gold…”, stated Silent Acacia awkwardly.

  “I know. You pay me is. I estimate an exge rate of 1:2000 should be fair.”

  Silent Acacia frowned, pting deeply. He pared the prices on in ames, trying to include the fame of Fate of aboul in his calcutions.

  Eventually he slowly shook his head.

  “No, I don’t think that’s correct. Gold, especially at the beginning shouldn’t go for anythihan 3000 credits.”

  Liam mulled over it for a bit. All in all, they didn’t have a real basis for calcution and could only guess.

  Liam tried to depend on the worth of gold in his old life, but naturally this was a shaky foundation. Not only was Fate of aboul more widespread in the new life, but credits also couldn’t be verted oo oo the currency he was used to.

  In the end the two friends settled on an exge rate of 1:2500.

  Both were satisfied as when they logged of. Liam opened his eyes with a smile. Silent Acacia would e by tomorrow night t him 25.000c.

  Of course, Liam already hahe egg over to him. Every day was a day more for the huo rear his pet.

  ***

  While Liam was on his way home a middle-aged man was sitting in a limousine. He wore a fine blue suit, gsses enrging his pting eyes, his brown hair elled back.

  Sitting silently, he emitted the aura of someone used to holding positions of power.

  A few mier the car stopped. Someone approached immediately, opening the door and bowing deeply.

  “Good evening, mister Colville.”

  Owen Colville didn’t have the mood to aowledge the worker. He got out of the car, looking up at the tall building located at the edge of the high-css district.

  Top architects desighe office building, creating a skillful blend of modern and old-fashioyle. On top of the grarahe words ‘Colville strus’ were pced boldly, elig awe in everyone who saw them.

  For the people going in and out of this building everyday it was a great honor to work here. They were responsible for strug most of the buildings on Falva Star. Since civilization on this p was still sidered juvenile, stru work offered many challenges needing incredible brains to solve them.

  Thus, Colville strus and simir panies enjoyed a good reputation even sidering the entire federation.

  Naturally, Owen Colville, as part of the ownership was also a man of high prestige. The receptionist greeted him with a deferential attitude, putting on her most charming expression.

  In his youth Owen might have asked her to visit him ter but he had matured long ago.

  Thus, he went straight for his goal, entering the elevator and arriving at the highest floor.

  A rge lounge area with multiple doors appeared before him. Straight ahead was a tall door, artfully designed, with a promi sigo it. Owen scoffed as he read ‘Silva Colville, CEO’.

  He passed through the door, arriving in a small office. A man was seated on a desk, w busily. Hearing someone e in the man looked up.

  Immediately his face appeared flicted and apprehensive.

  Owen ighe familiar man, who was Silva’s assistant and approached another door leading to his niece’s office.

  “Sir. The… CEO is not in her office.”

  Owen froze iurning his head slowly. Rage shimmered in his chest, but he hid it with a professional smile.

  “Mr. Ontril. What do you want to say with this?”

  Ontril shuddered uhe gaze of Owen. In the past the two men had some shady dealings. But some rumors spread quickly in the pany. It seemed that Silva had gained signifit favor from the family, which still held the majority shares of the pany.

  And today, when the news arrived that Brayan had to relinquish his position as any workers had to resider their behavior.

  Owen naturally wasn’t oblivious to these siderations. He suppressed his rage as he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

  Without a word he slid it on Ontril’s desk.

  Silva’s assista a shudder running through his body. He stared unwillingly at the piece of paper. However, after having made simir dealings in the past his barriers were already ground down.

  He grabbed the piece of paper, g the many zeros ahe office.

  “I… I suddenly o go to the toilet. I haven’t seen anything.”

  Owen cursed inwardly. Having to go to such lengths within the pany, which should’ve been his, only increased his ire.

  With gritted teeth he entered Silva’s office, sing it briefly. Soon, he found the bck suitcase sitting on a rge desk. It must’ve been Ontril who fetched it from Silva’s home.

  Click! Click!

  The briefcase sprung open, revealing its tents to Owen. The experienced man was careful, taking out the tracts, not daring to damage them even slightly.

  He slowly browsed them one by one.

  This address... a college dreat. Students be bribed easily.

  Those tro pyers. Quite the ego for someone I would’ve never heard about without researg beforehand. We should be able to poach them if we present a promising team.

  These should be Silva’s friends. Difficult…

  That tent creator. Should be poachable as well.

  And this…

  Suddenly Owen’s brows furrowed heavily. One of the names appeared strangely familiar.

  Liam Varsmith… It ’t be a ce, right?

  How did that boy get his hands on a sole? I almost fot about him. Didn’t we drive him into homelessness?

  And judging from the video he is quite good at the game. How? Did his parents leave behind additional information? Did we miss something?