[Reputation System Unlocked]
A cascade of tiers and titles filled his vision, from Exalted "World's Chosen" at the top to Forsaken "World's Enemy" at the bottom. He skimmed through each, eyes narrowing slightly.
Some of the negative tiers actually looked tempting.
Hidden merchants, higher loot rates, even higher bonus damage.
Zack chuckled quietly.
"Yeah, great perks, if I wasn't a priest"
Becoming Corrupted or Notorious would practically destroy his class identity. Priest wasn't a profession built for the shadows — sooner or later, it would rely heavily on Temples, Shrines and sanctified zones for progression.
Without access to those, Zack's entire growth path would hit a wall.
And if most towns turned hostile, that meant no healing sanctuaries, no quests, no divine buffs. A major disadvantage for a class that thrived on holy synergy and blessing-oriented progression.
He exhaled quietly, closing the screen. "Yeah" he muttered, "definitely not going down that path."
Then he noticed his reputation points,
He scrolled further and noticed a faint, greyed-out icon at the bottom corner of the interface.
[Reputation Leaderboard – Locked]
When he tapped it, a crisp message blinked across the screen:
[System Notice: Reputation Leaderboard unlocks at Level 8]
Zack exhaled and dismissed the menu, the faint shimmer of the system screen fading into the dim lantern light of the inn.
"Level 8, huh? Guess I'll worry about fame or infamy, later"
***
Zack pushed open the inn's door, exhaustion clinging to his shoulders but a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
He'd been out since night; running errands, purifying relics, fixing gear, blessing strangers, bouncing between the docks, the market district and the craft quarter until the sun rise.
By the time he returned, his inventory was half-empty and his quest tracker was nearly blank. Notifications erupted across his screen, line after line of glowing text vying for his attention.
[Quest Completed]
[EXP Gained → 9500]
[Reward Received]
+100 HP | +6 Stat Points | +10 INT | +5 VIT | Reputation + 10
[Materials Obtained]
Iron Shards ×14 / Purified Silk ×21/ Blessed Wax ×14/ Alchemist Herbs ×10/ Refined Ore ×15/ Light-infused Thread ×12/ Crystal Resin ×13
Still, it wasn't the loot that made him pause, it was the faint blue EXP bar at the bottom of his interface.
[Current EXP: 16000/ 30000]
The experience gained was decent, steady enough to keep his pace smooth.
It was just that traveling between quest zones took more time than the fights or errands themselves.
From the Inn's quarter to the docks, then the craftsman lane and back again, most of his effort went into running, not grinding.
Still, Zack wasn't frustrated. Efficiency was everything. If he could line up region-specific quests before moving on, he could squeeze out double the results with half the travel.
But the thought made him let out a quiet chuckle.
"Yeah… if only the system told me which quest belonged where."
Some quest logs only mentioned vague hints — 'north of the market', 'near the old bridge', 'close to the marsh edge', nothing concrete. Half the time, he only figured it out after he'd already been there.
He mused with a faint smirk. "Guess that's their way of making it immersive."
Zack scrolled slowly, skimming through the list. Most quests gave decent EXP, a few rare ones rewarded stat boosts, which was his primary aim.
Among all the statistics and gains, one detail stood out starkly, Reputation Points were rarely awarded.
Out of a dozen attempts, perhaps one unique quest gives it, he thought. "I guess building goodwill is tougher than gaining experience"
In a game where systems were so deeply interwoven, Zack understood that even the most elusive points would hold significance in the future.
He moved through the busy Marketplace District, where chatter filled the air and the clanging of metal rang out from nearby shops.
Players haggled over prices while NPC merchants called out for attention. Zack headed straight for the Auction Terminal, its pale-blue screen glowing softly as he accessed it.
A gentle chime echoed, the kind every player cherished.
[Sales Summary Available – Retrieve Earnings?]
→ Confirmed
Lines of data streamed rapidly before his eyes.
[Potion Batch Sold: 56,000 units]
[Miscellaneous Materials Sold: 38 Gold, 70 Silver]
[Unneeded Equipment Auctioned: 94 Gold, 20 Silver]
[Skill Scrolls Sold: 72 Gold]
The total value blinked at the bottom of the screen in a warm gold glow:
[Total Earnings: 764 Gold, 90 Silver]
[Marketplace Tax (10%) Applied → Final Amount: 688 Gold, 41 Silver]
Zack lips twitched, when he saw the tax notification flash.
Even so, after the system's cut, it was a decent return for just a few days of grinding. He scrolled through the sales log again. The majority of the income stemmed from potions, his most reliable source of income thus far.
The rest was merely inventory clean-up, low-tier weapons he'd outgrown, a few redundant skill scrolls and some armor pieces he had looted from earlier monsters.
He found them unnecessary now; they would only clutter his inventory. The system pinged again as the gold was deposited into his account. Zack closed the window with a contented tap. His funds were starting to look stable again.
Then he noticed, the game's exchange rate had dipped, settling at roughly 1 gold to 100 dollars, but it was still more than enough to keep the economy buzzing.
Meanwhile, his remaining unsold potions had crashed to a price of just 1 Silver, while material costs had climbed to 70–75 Copper. After taxes, the profit margin was barely worth mentioning.
Zack let out a sigh and listed the remaining 19,500 potions for 90 Copper each, keeping 500 for his personal use. He took a breath, casting a glance at the lively traders throughout the square.
"They're the real vultures," he muttered, shifting his focus back to the auction board.
Clearly, he'd need another source of income if he wanted to keep advancing.
Zack's eyes drifted back to the Auction interface, its endless list of items glimmering across his screen. Prices flickered, bids updated every second —
[Category: Crafting Recipes]
[Recipe: Ember Oil]
Coating for melee weapons, adds +16 Fire Damage for 10 minutes.
(Alchemy)
Materials: Fireseed ×2, Oil Jar ×1
Market Price: 9 Gold
[Recipe: Spirit Restoration Draught]
Restores 250 MP over 10 seconds.
(Alchemy) – Adept is required
Materials: Dream Herb ×2, Mana Bloom ×1
Market Price: 5 Gold
[Recipe: Blessed Distillate] (Alchemy) – Adept is required
Used in Holy or Healing-based potions. Adds +5% potency.
Market Price: 12 Gold
[Recipe: Lesser Rejuvenation Potion]
Restores 120 HP and 100 MP instantly.
[Recipe: Frostbite Tonic]
Temporarily increases Cold Resistance by 10% for 5 minutes.
Can be stacked with other items
[Recipe: Elixir of Minor Swiftness]
(Alchemy) – Adept rank is required.
+5% Movement Speed for 10 minutes.
[Combat Consumables]
Lesser Health Potion – Restores 200 HP. (1 Silver )
Minor Mana Potion – Restores 100 MP. (1.1 Silver)
Antidote Brew – Removes Status ailment. (50 Copper)
Smoke Flask – Creates a smokescreen, breaks aggro for 3s. (4 Silver, 60 Copper)
[Utility Items & Tools]
Basic Pickaxe – Durability 40/40. (70 Copper)
Refined Gathering Gloves – +2% Rare Drop Chance. (3 Gold)
Preservation Oil – Increases material quality chance by +5%. (5 Gold)
Portable Campfire Kit – Enables resting bonus for 30 minutes. (1.5 Gold)
[Blueprint: Basic Iron Reinforcement]
Increases weapon and armor base attack and defense, also a small chance to increase additional stats depending on proficiency.
Required Profession: Blacksmith
Zack's gaze hovered for a few seconds before he started selecting items one by one. The soft chime of completed trades echoed through his interface.
[Purchase Summary]
Alchemy Recipes Purchased:
• Ember Oil – 9 Gold
• Spirit Restoration Draught – 5 Gold
• Blessed Distillate – 12 Gold
• Frostbite Tonic – 3 Gold
• Elixir of Minor Swiftness – 4 Gold
Utility & Combat Supplies:
• Smoke Flask ×10 – (4 Silver, 60 Copper × 10) = 46 Silver
Crafting Blueprints:
• Basic Iron Reinforcement – 6.5 Gold
Total Cost: 50 gold coins
Zack wasn't done yet.
Recipes alone didn't brew potions, materials did. And in this market, impatience was just another currency waiting to be exploited. He switched to the [Alchemy Material Exchange].
His eyes flicking across the endless cascade of listings; herbs, essences, ores and flasks, all flashing in shifting prices. One by one, he bought what he needed, filling out his reagent list and cross-profession supplies. By the time the last confirmation chime faded, his balance had dropped sharply.
[Remaining Balance: 110 Gold]
Out of the 710 Gold he'd earned from quests and sales, only a fraction remained.
Zack let out a long breath, watching the item icons slide into his inventory tabs one after another, filling his sections until the bar blinked yellow, warning of capacity limits.
"Five hundred and fifty gold just for supplies…" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I'd better make it worth it."
"Time to see which one pays back fastest."
Zack arrived at the Alchemy Station, the faint hum of the brewing crystals filling the room. Rows of flasks glowed dimly as he laid out the newly bought ingredients — fireseeds, frost herbs and oil jars gleaming under the light.
His Alchemy Rank was still Apprentice, which meant he couldn't yet brew the advanced stuff like Blessed Distillate or Elixir of Minor Swiftness. For now, he focused on the three recipes within his reach; Lesser Rejuvenation Potion, Frostbite Tonic and Ember Oil.
He cracked his knuckles and started with the basics.
[Crafting: Lesser Rejuvenation Potion ×250]
[Success Rate: 75%]
[Result: 250 Success / 65 Failure]
[Proficiency +25%]
Satisfied that the recipe had reached its maximum proficiency, Zack moved on to Frostbite Tonic, tossing in the chilling reagents. Frost snaked along the edges of the alchemy table as he repeated the process.
[Crafting: Frostbite Tonic ×250]
[Result: 250 Success / 70 Failure]
[Proficiency +25%]
The floor around the station shimmered faintly from condensation as he switched to his other formula, Ember Oil. Fire seed cores flared when they hit the liquid, scattering motes of light like embers in a forge.
[Crafting: Ember Oil ×250]
[Result: 250 Success / 68 Failure]
[Proficiency +25%]
Zack scrolled through the lower section of his recipe list, most of it now glowing gold with Max Proficiency. But one name pulsed faintly in blue, half-forgotten.
[Recipe: Frost Balm]
(Given by NPC – Healer Lira)
Restores 150 HP over 15 seconds (continuous regeneration)
Grants +15% Cold Resistance for 5 minutes
A rare salve that restores minor HP over time and grants temporary cold resistance.
He blinked. "Right… the one from Lira"
The ingredients were simple enough but the result was handy for both his proficiency and especially for cold regions like Frostpeak Ridge.
The workstation glowed a faint blue as the mixture thickened into pale gel-like consistency.
[Crafting: Frost Balm ×249]
[Success Rate: 75%]
[Result: 249 Success / 63 Failure]
[Proficiency +25%]
The faint system chime echoed again; soft, clear and unmistakable.
[Alchemy Proficiency: 100% → Advancement Available] [Do you wish to Rank Up?]
His hands still smelled faintly of mint and resin from the Frost Balm batch, as he pressed Confirm.
The alchemy circle beneath the workstation flared to life, its runes igniting in concentric rings of gold and silver. The air shimmered faintly as energy coursed through his crafting tools, the glass vials, the steel stirring rod, even the cauldron itself.
[System Notice: You have advanced your Alchemy Rank → Adept]
[Alchemy stat bonus granted.]
[HP +50 | Stats +5]
[Recipe Success Rate Bonus: +5% (Apprentice) | +10% (Novice)]
Zack's expression didn't shift much, though the corner of his lips curved slightly. Worth the grind, he murmured under his breath, eyes glinting faintly in the alchemy light.
He opened the crafting interface again. The familiar recipes glowed with a faint golden outline now, a mark of his new rank.
[Available Recipes]
– Lesser Rejuvenation Potion
– Frost Balm
– Ember Oil
– Frostbite Tonic
– Blessed Distillate (Adept)
– Spirit Restoration Draught (Adept)
– Elixir of Minor Swiftness (Adept)
His gaze lingered on the Adept-tier entries. They seemed to vibrate with their own energy, expensive yet undeniably valuable.
He set out the ingredients neatly across the workstation, the quiet clink of glass and soft glow of herbs reflecting off his calm expression.
[Crafting: Blessed Distillate ×150]
[Success Rate: 50%]
[Result: Pending…]
The cauldron hissed as mana-infused vapors curled upward.
Each swirl shimmered with faint holy light unstable yet mesmerizing.
Zack didn't flinch. He just had to place the materials, the cauldron would handle the rest automatically. Still, the success rate had dropped drastically.
"So that's the new standard" he mumbled.
"Half chance or not… it'll work. As long as I've got the funds."
Mana rippled through the cauldron, the surface bubbling with light as the brew began to form.