chapter 9

"Hold up, Frost King!"

Skyspire Shield saw that Alden was about to log off and quickly called out to him.

"What's up?"

"Frost King, I'm the heir of the Skyspire Guild. I'd like to officially invite you to join us. How does a ten-million annual salary sound?"

Skyspire Shield had his own understanding of the game, and Alden's skill level was on another level—better than any pro player he'd ever met.

Just Alden's raw ability alone was worth that much, not to mention his ridiculously overpowered stats.

"Sorry, I've already set up my own team," Alden said, shaking his head. "But I appreciate the offer."

"Oh, I see. Fair enough. But how about this—we could still partner up long-term."

"Works for me," Alden nodded. Then, as he was about to leave, something clicked. He turned back and asked, "Wait, did you just say you're the heir of the Skyspire Guild?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, since we know each other, let me give you a heads-up. Watch out for your sister."

In his previous life, three months after Twilight of the Gods launched, the news broke that the Skyspire Group had undergone a major internal shake-up.

The heir of the Skyspire Guild—Skyspire Shield himself—got into a car accident when his brakes failed. The incident left him paralyzed.

Six months later, another bombshell dropped: it was revealed that the mastermind behind the sabotaged brakes was none other than his sister.

"My sister?" Skyspire Shield frowned. "What about her?"

"Just remember what I said," Alden replied with a wave of his hand. He felt he'd done enough by giving a warning.

Whatever happened to Skyspire Shield after that wasn't his concern.

This time, Alden didn't log off right where he stood. Instead, he returned to the Rookie Village first. He couldn't afford to take risks—not with that assassin still out there.

That would be a real pain if he logged off in the wild and got ambushed during his logout timer.

Once offline, he glanced at the clock. It was 8 a.m.

Finley was still gaming, so Alden didn't bother him. He opened the fridge and started making breakfast.

Twilight of the Gods was a groundbreaking game for many reasons, but one particularly fascinating feature was how playing it left your body fully rested and your mind sharper.

Some experts claimed the game put players into a sleep-like state, but that wasn't entirely accurate.

It wasn't until much later in the game's lifecycle that the truth came out: leveling up and gaining stats in the game actually had a subtle spiritual effect on players in real life, enhancing their mental state and focus.

"Hey, Fatty! Log off and come eat!"

Because of budget constraints, Alden and Finley used standard gaming pods, not the premium nutrition pod.

It was said that the highest-grade nutrition pod, once filled with nutrient solution, could keep players online for up to two weeks without needing to log off, with all their nutritional needs being met.

Finley logged off moments later, grinning. "You were right, Alden. Soloing is definitely the way to go—making money's way easier this way.

"Guess what? Today, I scored a Level 7 piece of gear and sold it for 12 grand. The whales in this game are something else!"

Alden smiled without giving a clear response. It's not that there are a lot of wealthy individual players. On the contrary, the number of rich players is quite small.

The real reason behind the inflated prices for equipment, skill books, and other items is the guilds, corporations, and the government.

The guilds saw the massive popularity of Twilight of the Gods. They knew that it would definitely bring in big money in the future.

After all, even the PC gaming industry had already reached ten of billions, and Twilight of the Gods' gaming industry was sure to be hundred of billions trillions, or even trillions.

As for the corporations and government, they knew the game's true nature and understood just how crucial it was to get stronger in Twilight of the Gods.

Alden understood why Finley was so powerful early on. He had chosen the warrior class, and after leaving the Rookie Village, he encountered a minstrel.

The minstrel was reciting some nonsensical poetry, and Finley, in response, started reciting ancient poems from the history of Lardovia.

This move didn't upset the minstrel at all. Instead, the minstrel was highly impressed and immediately wanted to become Finley's disciple. The apprenticeship gift was three passive skills for the warrior class.

With these three passive skills, Finley became incredibly strong later on in the game.

Double Armor, Double Shield, and Double Strike are the passive skills.

The effects of the skills are as follows.

Double Armor: Reflects a percentage of the damage taken back at the attacker.

Double Shield: Every time a control skill is used, you gain a shield based on a percentage of your health.

Double Strike: Every attack (including skills, equipment effects, potion effects, etc.) may trigger multiple effects.

These skills offered a nice balance—damage reflection, shields, and extra damage—and they were all passive skills that could be triggered infinitely.

Moreover, Double Shield and Double Strike could stack.

For instance, the warrior's charge skill was a control skill that would trigger double shielding. If Double Strike triggered multiple effects, the shield would also trigger multiple effects.

"Alden, I'm level 9 now, and I got three passive skills," Finley said excitedly. "I'm sure I'll get even better gear later."

Alden nodded. "No rush, I've already paid for Brielle's surgery."

"Paid for it?" Finley was surprised.

"Yeah," Alden replied, taking out the payment receipt. "I got lucky and soloed a boss."

"Wait, hold up, you're Frost King?" Finley asked, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Alden nodded. "Yeah, eat first. I'll send you a guide for the Rookie Village. There are a lot of hidden rewards there."

"Wow, you're incredible, Alden. If Cassius knew about your achievements, he'd probably regret everything."

As Alden ate, he mentally reviewed the Rookie Village guide. Each class had some suitable hidden rewards.

"Fatty, go to the tavern in the Rookie Village and buy two bottles of the most expensive liquor. Take them to the blacksmith and have him craft the best warrior weapon for you.

"Then, he'll give you a chain quest. The more you complete, the better your rewards."

"Got it," Finley agreed eagerly, not questioning how Alden knew all this.

After dinner, Alden handed Finley two more guides—one for Monkey and one for Glasses.

"Fatty, you log in first. I'm going to check on Brielle."

"Let's go together."

Finley didn't log in by himself but accompanied Alden to the hospital. Since Alden had already paid, the hospital was arranging for the surgery.

In the hospital room, Alden looked at unconscious Brielle, his gaze softening.

"Doctor, when does Brielle's surgery start?" Alden asked.

"It's already being arranged. The surgery will happen this afternoon. You just need to sign here," the doctor replied.

"Okay."

Alden nodded and signed the surgical consent form. After completing these formalities, he returned to his rented apartment and logged into the game.