Chapter 81: Contract
Golden Card City, City Hall.
Time slipped by unnoticed as Yone sat waiting in the polished marble halls of the administrative building.
In just over thirty minutes, he had already organized all the key data he’d gathered about Golden Card City. This kind of information was nothing short of a strategic treasure trove for the major guilds operating in this region, still fumbling in the dark.
He had already made 1.5 million dollars total for his Hell Mode dungeon, which wasn’t a big surprise since the popularity of Eclipse Online wasn’t as seven years into the future.
The game was still in its early stages, and more and more people would flock to it once they knew of its importance and that Eclipse Online was a literal treasure trove for anyone wishing to make it big.
Hence, his earnings weren’t that much...
Since he used the million dollars already for the little house he got on the outskirts of the inner wall, he saved the five hundred thousand rest for more pressing problems like funding Guardian Angels, and more importantly, his own guild!
Meanwhile, Yone divided the data he’d compiled into two distinct packages. One was a basic edition, a streamlined overview designed for casual or solo players. The other was a premium dossier tailored specifically for guild strategists and leadership.
The basic version offered a general feel for Golden Card City: events, key facilities, and basic survival tips. For instance, it noted the recurring large-scale trade fair held every three days, but skipped sensitive details like optimal farming locations or class-specific grind zones.
The premium edition, however, provided a much deeper breakdown. It highlighted which zones were best suited for different combat classes, where resource hotspots could be found, and offered insights into economic trends within the city. This level of detail was precisely what top guilds craved to gain a competitive edge.
Originally, Yone considered handling these transactions personally, selling directly to guilds in exchange for Gold. But that process would be a logistical nightmare, and Gold wasn’t what he needed right now. Money was.
After some thought, he opted for a cleaner route: selling both versions through the official forums like he did for the prior one, priced accordingly.
The basic guide was listed for 300 dollars, enough to help independent players navigate the city without feeling completely lost.
The premium package, however, came with a hefty tag of 20,000 dollars. For guilds, this was a time-saving investment. While they could eventually uncover this information, doing so would cost them at least two to three days of in-game scouting, coordination, and trial-and-error. And in a competitive game world, those days were priceless. Yone knew they’d pay for a shortcut if it meant getting ahead.
Just then, the receptionist returned with a polite smile.
"Lord Baron, Magistrate Chester is ready to receive you. Please follow me."
Yone nodded and rose from the lounge seat, following her up the grand staircase to the second-floor reception chamber.
The room he stepped into was spacious and tastefully decorated, its windows offering a clear view of the bustling city outside. Standing near the tall panes was a man in an immaculate silver-grey robe. He looked to be in his mid-fifties and leaned lightly on a staff crowned with a sapphire gem that shimmered faintly with arcane energy.
This was Magistrate Chester, Golden Card City’s chief administrator and a Tier 4 Mage at Level 200, one of the strongest figures in the region.
Even without speaking, the sheer presence of the man was undeniable. The ambient mana in the room flowed toward him instinctively, forming a quiet but oppressive magical pressure around his body. Yone could feel it the moment he stepped in.
But he knew that this was an unconscious action of Magistrate Chester; if he were to really employ his mana, he would turn him into smithereens in the blink of an eye. This alone showed how terrifying his strength is.
’Truly a dream that I want to come true,’ Yone looked at the middle-aged man with glowing eyes.
Even in his past life, he never got close to tier 4 and never even dreamed of achieving such a tier since he hit a full-stop bottleneck. But this time around, he felt that with the knowledge he had of the future, he could try to attempt it, and attempt even tiers beyond it!
"Young man, I understand you carry a letter from Richard?" Chester said calmly, a faint smile forming on his lips as he turned his gaze to Yone.
While the Baron title carried weight among common NPCs, to someone of Chester’s stature, a Tier 4 powerhouse, such titles held little significance. His status as the ruling authority of Golden Card City far surpassed that of a specialized adventurer.
"Yes, Mayor Richard asked me to deliver this to you personally," Yone replied, withdrawing the sealed parchment and offering it with both hands.
Chester accepted the letter, though he didn’t open it right away. Instead, he stared at Yone for a long moment, his expression contemplative. A sigh escaped his lips.
"So... the time has finally come. I’ve waited three decades for this message," he said quietly, his fingers tightening ever so slightly around the letter. "Never would I have expected it to be delivered by someone as young as you. But a contract is a contract, and I must honor the one I made long ago."
"Contract...?" Yone muttered under his breath, brows slightly furrowed.
This was the first he’d heard of any contract being involved. Despite all the data he’d gathered from his past life, there had been no mention of it. That player who first released the news about the recommendation letter never spoke of it, understandably so.
Still, Yone wasn’t fazed.
That player had pulled it off once before, since from that day onwards, he became a powerhouse and entered the ranks of top players. And now, with Yone’s superior knowledge, strength, and preparation, there was no reason he couldn’t do the same, or even better.
Truly achieving first time things on Eclipse Online is always rewarded!