Lord Of The Lost

Metatron had a strong bond with the gambler, and similarly, the Forum Master had an equally close relationship with Alex. But for William, his connections with everyone were mostly limited to their interactions in the forum and their shared experiences in Shadow Castle.

Today, though, Metatron was eager to convey something more important. He wanted to make it clear that, unlike gamblers of the past who relied on luck or fate, today's players; especially the gamblers, had stopped believing in the randomness of chance. They no longer saw victory as something dictated by illusory fate.

But for William, his focus was more on the strange law Metatron had uncovered: the disappearance of talent. This was a new discovery Metatron had made recently. Once he confirmed the truth of it, he planned to share it with the forum, where knowledge flowed freely between players. In a sense, the forum was an ever-expanding encyclopedia of information. Players could exchange insights, trade items, build teams, and share discoveries.

Metatron, the Forum Master, and a few others were some of the biggest contributors to this knowledge pool. Even William had shared his own experiences with job changes, adding value to the collective understanding. These top-tier players, with their deeper explorations into the magical world, were far ahead of others in terms of understanding the supernatural.

This knowledge was invaluable. For most players, it saved them from making mistakes and helped them avoid unnecessary detours. It gave them a clearer, more complete understanding of the mysteries they faced.

But knowledge also had its own paradox. The more you learned, the more you realized how much was still unknown. And for the first time, William felt a nagging doubt. Why hadn't his talent, 'Killing to Prove the Way', disappeared when he became a Transcendent? Why could he still absorb the Transcendent's traits after killing them? Was 'Killing to Prove the Way' really his talent? Why did it persist while others disappeared?

These questions swirled in William's mind, refusing to fade.

"I'll figure it out eventually," William thought to himself. "As long as I keep pushing forward, I'll have to confront these mysteries sooner or later."

With that in mind, William turned his attention to the captain.

The captain had gathered a small group of top-ranked players, scattered nearby. The recruits were mostly from the top 100, and even those who didn't make the list were still valuable in their own right.

"Brother, that's Jimmy," the captain said, gesturing toward a female player in the distance. She had a simple, no-nonsense look, with pigtails and a large package slung over her shoulder.

William was taken aback. He hadn't expected Jimmy to be a girl.

While the war between the thieves and players raged on, Jimmy hadn't joined the fray. Instead, she'd been leveling up alone in the wilderness, quietly honing her skills away from the chaos.

The captain leaned in and whispered, "Brother, this girl isn't as easy to handle as she seems."

William raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh?"

The captain's tone lowered further, speaking with a mix of caution and respect. "She's after the [Wire Figure]. She's been hearing about it on the forum and is persistent about getting her hands on it."

William nodded, understanding the situation better now. He had offered high-quality items stolen from the thieves as rewards, though the quality wasn't exceptional, they were still highly coveted. The reason? Border Town was poor, and there weren't any Transcendent blacksmiths around to craft top-tier items. Without a skilled blacksmith on hand, players were forced to make do with what they could get their hands on.

William wasn't sure how many fine-grade items the blacksmith of Moonlight Village had created in his lifetime, but he imagined the number was low. Aside from the Knight's Lance, the shop could only sell two excellent-grade items, and one of those was restricted to village guards who patrolled the area. The only item that could be sold freely was the [Fangs of Poisonous Snakes], a low-grade dagger priced at 70 silver coins.

For top-tier players like William, 70 silver coins was pocket change. But for ordinary players, that price was steep. It was a good reminder that in a town as poor as Border Town, even the most basic goods were hard to come by. If the magic shop didn't sell magical materials, no one would be able to afford anything, even if they reached level 10.

Even though William was being generous by offering an excellent item as a reward, some players still weren't satisfied.

The captain explained further, his voice filled with reluctance. "Jimmy has her eyes on the [Wire Figure]. She's been asking me about it non-stop. The thing is, the quality of this item is so high, it's worth far more than ten low-grade items combined."

He went on to explain that the [Wire Figure] had become a sought-after item ever since he'd used it to take down enemies in battle. Its reputation had spread quickly, and players on the forum had started asking about it. Though the captain had never revealed where he'd gotten it from, he had openly admitted it was a borrowed item, one that the Forum Master had only agreed to lend because of William's influence.

The problem? The [Wire Figure] was an extremely valuable item. The Forum Master would have given it to his own subordinates if not for the connection with William. Jimmy, though talented and a leader among the recruits, was pushing the captain into a corner with her constant requests.

"Jimmy's talent and level are solid," the captain admitted, "and she meets the recruitment standards. But her persistence about the [Wire Figure] is putting me in a difficult spot."

William listened intently. The captain had hoped to get in touch with him through the Forum Master the day before, but his excuse for not doing so was that his skills weren't competitive enough to stand out among other level 8 players.

It was clear that while Jimmy had the potential to be an asset, her demands were putting pressure on everyone involved.

To keep the Forum Master from using the [Puppet] to abduct Jimmy, the captain had a plan. His talent, [Manipulating Machinery], might seem like a simple ability at first. It allowed him to control machines with basic structures, like toys and mechanical figures. On the surface, it sounded underwhelming, controlling Ultraman dolls and Transformers made from plastic wasn't exactly intimidating.

But the true potential of his talent became clear when he explained how it worked. He could craft "robot dolls" out of stone, wood, or even metal. These weren't just toys; they were formidable creations, powered by his skill in mechanical dexterity. He could use local materials and tools from a blacksmith's or carpenter's shop to create durable, powerful figures that could move and fight.

The best part? These "robot dolls" weren't just fragile playthings. They could withstand a lot of punishment, and unless their human-like form was severely damaged, they could continue fighting. This was why Jimmy felt confident enough to venture into the wilderness on her own, using seven or eight of these mechanical warriors made from stone and metal. Each one could pack a punch.

However, as Jimmy leveled up, she faced a challenge. The simple materials used for the dolls couldn't meet the increasingly demanding tactical needs of high-level combat. But for now, they were enough to keep her safe.

William took in all of this, nodding as he processed the information. He turned to the captain and said, "I can't give her the [Puppet] outright, but I can lend it to her for now. When the mission's over, I'll give her the fine items other players have left behind."

The [Puppet] was a unique item, like [Death Symphony], shared among five people. William couldn't just hand it over unless he gave something significant in return. But a temporary loan, as part of their current mission, seemed reasonable.

With the plan in place, William and the captain joined the rest of the group.

"Wow, it's you!" two female players exclaimed in unison.

William turned to see two familiar faces, he recognized them from his first trip to the abandoned mine.

"Do you remember us?" one of them asked eagerly.

"I don't think you remember us," the other added, teasing.

"We thought you were a goner after going into the mine," the first one continued, "but later we heard you survived. Did you find any treasure in there?"

"Wait, did you start your career in the abandoned mine?" the second one asked, incredulous.

"Damn it," the first one sighed, "If I had known, I would've risked it too. Maybe we'd both be top players by now!"

The two women chatted non-stop, not even giving William a chance to speak.

The captain stood there, rolling his eyes. 'It's fine for you two to talk endlessly in front of me, but why are you bombarding him with so much chatter?'

William couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm, but he knew he had to focus. The conversation had barely even begun, and already, they were all getting distracted by the memories of the past.