Evolution Online: I Can Fuse With All Things

The Guildmaster had definitely thought that Lucien was going to accept the offer. One thousand gold coins was a fortune. It was enough for a peasant to survive for five years without lifting a finger. And yet, he would be paid such an outrageous amount every month.

No player in their right mind would refuse such an offer!

He blinked in disbelief.

"Player Cien, perhaps you didn't—"

Lucien raised his hand to stop the man and shot him a reprimanding look.

"I wasn't deaf when you said it the first time. You might think you can outplay my wits, but you can't. If this is what the reward is going to be, then I'm sorry—I have to decline."

The Guildmaster gulped.

"Player Cien… it seems you are mistaken. This is really not a diffi—"

Lucien exhaled and slowly stood up.

"Then I shall be on my way."

He had stepped away from his chair when the man called out.

"Player Cien! Please… wait."

Lucien smirked before turning back to the Guildmaster with a stone-cold expression.

"Yes, Guildmaster?"

The man sighed wearily.

"What do you want? What can we offer you?"

Lucien grinned internally.

'Bingo!'

It was just as he had suspected, and the Guildmaster's words proved it. The Federation were the ones desperate.

There was either more urgency to the barbarian threat than the Guildmaster was letting on, or the man was lying about the brewing war and it was more perilous than it seemed.

However, Lucien didn't think he was lying about the war. At the same time, he didn't dwell on the frontier matters at all.

Lucien figured there had to be a catch. The Guildmaster wanted to rope him into some form of slavery, but his sharp wits had saved him.

'Damn, I'm disappointed. I thought he was my friend!'

Lucien slightly raised his chin, looking down at the man.

"Simple. Ten thousand gold coins every month. You don't need to provide me with lodging, and middle-class citizenship is fine by me."

The man's jaw dropped.

"Player Cien, that is too much!"

Lucien chuckled, shaking his head.

"Guildmaster, you might not know, but lapdogs are expensive these days. To make it worse, they're even more difficult and exhausting to care for. One has a better chance just caring for two mistresses instead."

The man also laughed, even though Lucien's chosen humor stung rather painfully.

He looked at the Player with a slightly grim expression.

"Player Cien, ten thousand gold coins is too much. Even the mirrors don't receive as much for their allowance."

Lucien shrugged.

"Naturally. Are the mirrors going out to hunt a devil's eye?"

The man looked down, at a loss for words.

"Y-You do make a fair point there…"

He drew a breath.

"Still… Player Cien, have mercy. Ten thousand gold coins is too much."

Lucien shook his head.

"No, I can't show mercy, Guildmaster. At least if I die, I know I died rich. There's a lot money can buy, and you might not understand, but right now, in reality, I'm bleeding debts by the second. So I need to make serious money, and if endangering my life would help, don't you think I have to make it worthwhile?"

In the past few days of staying on Vel'Rhameir, if there was anything Lucien had come to understand, it was the worth of the name Player Cien.

Not only him—many people went around throwing that name around and hijacking incredible side quest opportunities for themselves.

His ventures in the Forgotten Mist had definitely earned him a reputation that was too formidable to ignore. Under some circumstances, he couldn't reveal himself to be the real Player Cien because of the rather disturbing attention that came with it.

But who was to say he couldn't use it as a powerful bargaining chip? The Federation no doubt was sending him on this mission because they believed he was strong, and perhaps it also had something to do with clearing the goblin dungeon.

Perhaps a linked quest was created? He would see soon enough.

He folded his hands and fixed his gaze on the Guildmaster.

"So, what is it going to be?"

The man sighed and looked down dejectedly.

"I guess… the Federation has no choice but to accept your terms. But there is a condition…"

A corner of Lucien's lips curled up.

"Okay? Go on…"

The man looked at Lucien intensely.

"The payment will only cover between now and after the Evil Eye has been submitted. Which should not exceed six months."

Lucien smiled.

"Okay, then. Thank you for making this so convenient, Guildmaster. I was thinking I'd have to start getting really cunning."

The man chuckled dryly, eyes closed, then said:

"Your identity card will be ready by noon, along with a universal bank card. You can withdraw your money anytime, anywhere—it will be deposited directly into your account."

Lucien smiled broadly.

"You're even handling all the paperwork for me. Excellent."

He waved at the Guildmaster.

"Please excuse me—my night has been long."

Then he bowed and slowly left the Guildmaster's room.

The man suddenly looked pale and sickly. As soon as Lucien closed the door behind him, he hugged himself and trembled, nearly in tears.

"I was wrong about him. All Players are the same—this one is even greedier. Holy moot, the mirrors are going to devour me alive. My salary will suffer for it as well. I'm going to be broke for life. My wife, my daughter… ah, I should start thinking about which houses to sell. Perhaps I should really get serious about real estate and developing multiple income streams."

He continued to brood deeply, even as morning slowly crept in.

Meanwhile, after leaving a family man pondering how to generate more income and prepare for the storm clouds ahead, Lucien made his way to the guild hall.

He searched for Adrian but found no trace of him around the guild building, so Lucien concluded he had retired for the night. Which was rather sensible, given the poor bartender always worked far too late.

Lucien stared down at the quest notification he had received. And he had to say—it was a shock!

[Congratulations, you have received a new quest]

[You are a step closer to the main quest]

'Ooohhhh…'

"Player Cien?"

"AAaaaahhhhh…"