Clearly, [ The Dark Archmage ] has encountered the same worldview dilemma as [ The Lion Hidden in the Eyes ] before.
This clearly outdated game world has seen something different emerge.
But then again, if these are the services being promoted...
Maybe we should really buy some?
After all, it's always good to have the same things in the game world as you do in the real world. Besides, the game world is much more dangerous and unpredictable than reality. You never know when the insurance you buy today might come in handy tomorrow.
Furthermore, why did this Dragonborn spot him in the crowd at a glance?
While somewhat puzzled, she was also eager to change the subject, trying to regain her already limited say and prevent her wallet from spending too quickly.
So why are you telling me all this of all?
The young woman, of Dragonborn, scratched her hair sheepishly.
"Because I believe you are my target customer."
"?"
[ The Dark Archmage ] felt this sounded a bit strange, but thinking it might just be a system translation issue, she asked again to confirm:
"How... how did you figure that out?"
The Dragonborn said apologetically:
"Although I only started this job today, I've seen Soul Returner like you appearing in the vicinity these past two days."
"You just started working today? No wonder I've never heard of insurance or anything like that before. So what did you do before? You said you saw similar Soul Returner around here. Were you in this area before?"
I work as a shop assistant at that store over there.
The Dragonborn pointed to a grocery store not far away.
"So, you got fired?"
"Um."
"Why?"
The [ Dark Archmage ] became somewhat interested in the Dragonborn before him, and the shop the dragonborn pointed to was clearly Great Prospects General Store. [ Shit Appraisal Master ] and [ Good Times Don't Last n't Last Long], though not profitable, weren't bad people; why would they fire someone for no reason?
"Because my boss said I'm bad at sales and that I easily offend people with my words."
"I see."
[ The Dark Archmage ] pondered the Dragonborn's words and then asked:
"Then what does it mean to be Soul Returner like me?"
"His eyes were lifeless, his clothes were tattered, and he walked along the roadside with his head down, afraid of seeing acquaintances."
Your former boss was right.
The Dark Archmage sensed that the Dragonborn before him had questionable emotional intelligence, which was indeed true, but it wasn't always the case, especially in an industry like insurance sales...
Feeling like she'd been attacked for no reason, the [ Dark Archmage ] initially planned to turn and leave, but then she remembered that it was just an NPC in front of her, and she felt somewhat relieved.
After all, I'm a socially awkward person, and the reason I can have normal conversations with NPCs is because they're not real people. Since they're not real people, there's naturally no reason to be angry with them—that's probably how the program was written. This NPC was programmed to be emotionally unintelligent and sarcastic, so what can you do?
Thinking of this, she calmed herself down and asked:
"Tell me about this insurance... the price and coverage."
The young female Dragonborn sensed a business opportunity was coming her way, and her expression immediately became lively, but what came out of her mouth were clearly template lines she had only recently memorized, and were even a little awkward:
"My Soul Returner. Our insurance policy is primarily based on your death—no, the number of times you've undergone bodily reconstruction within the last month—for safety assessment and pricing..."
The Dark Archmage suffered from a condition where her eyelids would twitch at the mention of "death." She forced a bitter smile and continued listening, curious to see what this Dragonborn could possibly have up his sleeve.
"The starting price for the ' Bloody Night Personal Safety Insurance ' is ten silver coins. The insurance period is unlimited. The trigger condition is that the Soul Returner is forced to rebuild their body and be resurrected. After triggering, the cost of rebuilding the body will be fully reimbursed. After triggering once, the insurance will be invalid. Subsequent purchases will increase the base price by 20%, with a maximum price of 200%, or twenty silver coins, per purchase."
[ The Dark Archmage ] understood now. The terms of this insurance were much simpler than those in the real world. In short, as long as he bought it, he could get a free full resurrection. Considering that a full resurrection without any physical remains costs one gold coin, while the insurance would cost at most twenty silver coins, it was still a small profit if other losses were not considered.
Ultimately, could this be considered a form of motivation for another attempt?
She vaguely remembered that the "re-attack incentive" during the last attack on White Wax Town was written in the event details, but this time it was directly integrated into the game world and even became optional content, which could be considered an improvement.
But the insurance is called " Bloody Night Personal Safety Insurance "? Does that mean the insurance will expire after the event? Or is there some other design in store?
[ The Dark Archmage ] couldn't figure it out for a moment, since she couldn't ask the NPC in front of her when the limited-time event would end. However, she felt it was still very necessary to share this information on the forum.
"Then tell me more about the body recovery service."
The young Dragonborn continued, beaming with excitement:
"There is no fixed price for body retrieval services. The price will be determined based on factors such as the location where your body was lost, the weight of your belongings, and whether you wish to bring your body back with you. The Soul Returner to retrieve the body needs to define the area where the body was found, the weight of your belongings, and their estimated value. This part cannot be lied about; otherwise, if the Dragonborn goes to retrieve the body encounters danger, the Soul Returner will be held responsible..."
That makes sense, the Dark Archmage nodded slightly as she listened, but she still had no intention of purchasing the service.
Despite her social anxiety, she was also a fairly skilled gamer. She couldn't accept dying herself; she couldn't possibly delegate even something as simple as retrieving her body to an NPC.
So in the end, the [ Dark Archmage ] only spent ten silver coins to buy an insurance policy. After signing the contract at the bank counter where Seraphina was located, using a copper coin as a medium, the insurance officially took effect.
Looking at the number 00001 on the contract, [ Dark Archmage ] finally realized that he was actually the first client of the world's first insurance salesman. Seeing the happy expression on the young Dragonborn woman's face, she really wanted to ask him if he could get a commission from this deal.
But remembering that he had other things to do, the [ Dark Archmage ] politely waved and headed towards Dragonborn Village.
She hadn't forgotten what she was supposed to do next—find a way to get the blowgun out and then retrieve her own body.
Not far from the castle, a young Dragonborn man pulling a dragon-powered chariot stopped beside the [ Dark Archmage ]:
" Soul Returner me, do you need a car?"