World Online

Jake raised his hand and everyone moved aside to give way to the person who had just spoken. It was a middle-aged man.

Calling him a middle-aged man would be a stretch though. After all, he was pretty well built and looked like he was in his mid-thirties. But the scars on his face and his uncovered shoulders meant that he had the same scars in real life.

This was someone who was quite the thug in the real world. Jake squinted, trying to see who it was that just spoke. He tried to recognize him, but not everyone was going to be famous in the future.

The crowd parted, trying to look at the person who already had a Rare class just a week or two into the game. With everyone struggling to get these classes, and the opportunities being so far and few, just the best of the best were getting to that stage so early.

This middle-aged man started walking up the stairs, and after a few seconds, Jake could see him completely. Even among this huge crowd, this man's blue eyes and dark hair set him apart entirely.

For such gentle eyes, his face did not match at all. Looking at his face was like looking at a tiger that was trying to tear its prey's head off.

As for the rest, they were all struggling just to get by.

"Good. We will start here then. Follow me." Jake smiled and then looked at the guard.

"After this, if anyone else is a Rare Class or higher, send them in one after one, after I am done with him inside. Send them in the descending order of their levels. I want to cover all the good prospects first." Jake told the guard as he started going up the stairs.

Soon, they were on the top floor, with Jake sitting at the head of a table, while the middle-aged man stood opposite to him,

"So, what is going to happen? Do you want to test my skills?" the middle-aged man asked, his nervous face giving quite the amusing contrast to the strong exterior that was visible when he walked toward Jake the first time.

"I don't need to test your skills. The quest giver already did that. If you weren't capable, then you wouldn't receive a rare class. I don't want to waste my time on doing something that is already proven." Jake shook his head as he pushed a piece of paper towards the man.

"So then, what is your name, what is your class, and how much do you want per month?" Jake asked bluntly.

"I am... I am Infinite Pines. You can see my character name, can't you? As for my class, I think that it is private, and I can't afford to reveal this to someone who still hasn't taken me in as a guild member." Infinite Pines said. His eyes were moving constantly as if he was worried about something.

"What do you need the money for, Infinite Pines? Some past that has caught up to you?" Jake smiled.

This might anger the person in front of him, but if Jake played this right, then it would all fall in place properly.

"I... want to be a member of the guild. I can start earning along with the guild, right? I can get a salary. I want to join the guild then." Infinite Pines said hastily as if the offer was going to leave the table.

"Just read the contract on the table, will you? Or are you going to tell me that you are satisfied with a hundred silvers a month?" Jake sighed and said.

Infinite Pines looked at the paper that Jake had pushed with confusion. He started going through the clauses, and then stopped at the end.

[For Rare Class, Remuneration is 10 Gold, with a special bonus based on performance.]

"Te-ten gold?" Infinite Pines stuttered. This was money that he did not expect at all! He needed money fast, and he did indeed need to pay off old debts. Jake was right on. But never in his life did Infinite Pines expect to make this much money in the first month of the game.

"Are you lying? Is this a trap to lock me in the guild?" Infinite Pines asked, looking around to see if someone was going to pounce on him.

"Did you look at the size of the crowd outside? It looks like your tough shell is only an inch deep. Can't you think properly? As long as you reveal your Rare Class here, then you can become a part of one of the fastest rising guilds in the entire world." Jake said.

"Fine. But no matter what my class is, I can get this gold right?" Infinite Pines said.

"What are you worried about? There is no useless class. All classes exist for some reason. You just have to know the right way to use it." Jake smiled.

"Fine. I am not an attack based class. Happy? I can't help you on the battlefield. In fact, I won't even be on it. I am a blacksmith. I thought that I was getting a good Rare class, but it turned out that the Rare class that I got was that of a blacksmith." Infinite Pines finally said.

With this weight off his shoulder, he looked at Jake fearfully, trying to gauge any change in expression.

But there wasn't any. Jake acted like he didn't even hear anything.

"Is that all? Then can you sign the contract now, or do you still have another problem? But there is just one slight adjustment to the contract. Two, actually." Jake said as he took back the contract.

In Infinite Pines' head, there was only one thought running in his head.

"He isn't going to give me any money, is he? He is going to give me less than everyone else."

"Good. So, you will get the ten gold, but you have to work a hundred hours a week, and you can get a commission off of your work. I will work out the proper part later, but you will be an indispensable part of the guild here. I need you to keep working here. Sign the contract, and join the guild then. After you are done, I will send you to the blacksmiths on the edge of the city, they will help you start working." Jake said as he pushed the contract back to Infinite Pines.

"Wait, what?" Before Infinite Pines could understand what was going on, a message popped up in front of him.

[Shadow King wants to invite you to his guild: Bright Horizon. Accept Y/N]

"You aren't going to decrease the money that I get?" Infinite Pines asked, confused.

"For someone with so many scars on you, and that terrifying face, you sound like a child. Why would I go back on my word? I said that every rare class has its use, did I not? Then I have a use for you. Do you want the money or not?" Jake asked.

"I do. I do." Infinite Pines vehemently nodded and he signed the contract, accepting the invitation into the guild.

"Go to the second floor. Any of the blacksmiths there will tell you where to go. And under no circumstance will you tell them the contract that we have signed." Jake said and he nodded to the guard at the edge of the room, guarding the stairs.

"You can send in the next one now."

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