Hearing Pothos's somewhat surprised voice, everyone quickly flipped to the last page, [Hire]. The page showed two large headshots, like ID photos, depicting two NPCs from the same faction Ed and Seraphina.
The players clicked on the two players' avatars to check their services, and the more they looked, the more alarmed they became.
Ed noticed the subtle changes in their facial expressions and knew they were seeing the real highlight, which made him secretly happy.
Seraphina learned a lot from Ed, and if Ed learned anything from Seraphina, it was only one thing. "This costs money."
What is being presented to the players right now is this terrifying scene:
[Body Restoration: Charged based on completeness, maximum 1 gold.]
[Resurrection: 10 silver/time. Additional charge applies if the body is incomplete. Reference service [Body Restoration] (first time free).]
[Team Healing (Beginner): 1 gold/day for teams of 5 or fewer, 2 gold/day for teams of 5-10...]
[ Combat Assistance): 1 Gold/time (Entering and exiting battle counts as one time).]
The players looked at the price list and exchanged bewildered glances. To say that Ed was so greedy... didn't seem so. Such a good game didn't even have a way to recharge, so charging a little in-game currency for in-game services was really nothing. On the contrary, it could increase the realism of the game.
But the thought that things that were free before now cost money still made everyone feel a little sad.
[ Howling Pothos ]: "I know what everyone is thinking, but in my opinion, these adjustments are normal since it's the closed beta phase. I even think that what we're playing now is the real test content; the previous ones were just a demo at best."
After thinking about it, everyone realized there was some truth to it. For many games, closed beta and open beta are completely different games, and such a groundbreaking masterpiece needs to be carefully polished.
[ The Good Times Don't Last ]: "I think... these combat-related paid features might be a subtle way of telling us to cherish life in the game... Besides, healing doesn't necessarily have to be done by Ed, he sells items, we can buy them in advance."
Everyone looked at the player who had achieved the first kill achievement on the entire server, and felt that his explanation made sense. The " Vine Bandage Pack " looked very useful, and the price wasn't too expensive.
Ed, who was in the middle of a conversation, also showed a satisfied expression upon hearing this.
For the natives of this world, if there is such a capable person who can help them do so many things, then this fee is truly the epitome of conscience.
However, Ed also had to consider the players' feelings when setting prices, and finally settled on a hiring price list that looked a bit expensive but was actually acceptable if you gritted your teeth.
After the last deepening of his plantification, Ed was able to confirm that as his level increased, many things that were previously impossible would gradually become feasible.
Many things that are very difficult for animals are much simpler for plants.
Just like the services he set out, although he has to do them himself now, they can be handed over to some specialized plants or puppets in the future.
Just as everyone was slowly accepting the fact that Ed had become "heartless," the voice of [ Howling Pothos ] came again:
"Why don't you... take a look at the page about Seraphina?"
The group sensed the unspoken meaning in the other person's words and quickly closed Ed's service list, instead opening Seraphina's list, only to find that the content was unusually concise:
[Targeted Assassination: 10,000 Gold/attempt (Full refund if unsuccessful)]
[Join a battle: 1000 gold (full refund if defeated)]
[Join a war: 50,000 gold (unlimited battles until the war ends)]
[ Zhongde ]: "... Is this something I can see?"
[ Do Some Farm Work ]: "I suddenly think Ed is quite kind; he only charges one gold coin at a time."
[ Good Times Don't Last ]: "But he's not guaranteed to win, is he?"
[ Shit Appraisal Master ]: "You can't have all the good things..."
The players chattered for a while, and then [ Good Times Don't Last ] and [ Shit Appraisal Master ], two of the more powerful players, accepted the quest [Opening Trade Routes]. With boxes of fruit and the help of Many-Footed Hoofed Beast, the two headed towards Dragonborn Village.
The other four all accepted the mission [Explore Territory]. They had a clear understanding: although the reward for this mission seemed small, as long as the exploration area was large enough, they could occasionally find some high-value targets, and the profits would be greater than running a trade route.
If you encounter some monsters while exploring the map, you can also complete daily extermination tasks and submit materials, which can yield considerable rewards.
As for the third quest related to the Strangler Fig, with resurrection and healing now being paid features, players have chosen to put it on hold until at least two of them have leveled up.
The players left the castle satisfied, Ed finally had some free time again.
The server shutdown was indeed effective; after adding a lot of new content and gameplay, he, the guide NPC, seemed to be able to relax a bit.
Just then, Seraphina found Ed.
Do you have time now? I have a question for you.
"Speak."
"You told me before that these Soul Returner need money to be controlled, but you gave them money, so why did they all hand it over? If it were us dragons..."
"Precisely because they are not dragons."
Ed shrugged:
"The body is merely their appearance; the soul is their essence. In this sense, these Soul Returner cannot truly possess the coins. Therefore, all we need to do is record them and grant them the right to use those coins. This is why a simple copper coin contract can retrieve all that money."
Seraphina nodded thoughtfully, then asked:
"If that's the case, you don't need to borrow so much money from me. You only need to buy the number of precious metal contracts you can sign from me. This is a technique of our race, and it will be much simpler."
Ed shook his head and confidently held up two fingers:
"First, the number of Soul Returner will increase, and the amount of money scattered outside will also increase. This cannot be solved by a simple contract. Soul Returner are not fools; they must see real money and be able to exchange the numbers on the contract at any time."
Second... have you ever heard of a 'bank run'?
Seraphina shook her head in confusion.
Ed immediately laughed:
"Then I'll briefly explain this little 'trick' to you..."