"Are you really selling a rare item?!" someone shouted from the back.
Arthur on his stall, nodded with a sly grin spreading across his face.
"Oh, I am. This is something special, unprecedented. You'll see soon enough, make sure you tune in."
Jasmine leaned over and whispered, "Wow, you really know how to attract traffic."
Arthur whispered back, "It's all part of the plan. The more you hype it up, the higher they'll bid."
As the noise in the crowd grew louder, Arthur couldn't help but chuckle. "Anyway, The auction will open in about 24 hours. Let your absent friends know, who knows you might be able to borrow some money and get it yourself."
After spreading the information about the rare item auction he would be hosting, Arthur left the area and dropped Jasmine off at the inn.
After that, Arthur logged out of the game. Arthur was used to the pull by now, so he relaxed as the reality around him changed.
Arthur stretched his arms as he appeared back in the hospital room, the faint beeping of medical equipment entering his ears.
He glanced around the room, his eyes landing on Charlotte, who was still resting peacefully. The soft rise and fall of her chest reassured him.
'She looks so small and fragile in that hospital bed.' He thought.
Arthur sighed, running a hand through his hair. "One gold coin," he muttered. "It's something, but it's nowhere near enough."
[Coins:] Gold: 1 Silver: 21 Bronze: 3
"That's around $12,103, I almost made enough money for the weekly expenses of the treatment. I should be able to pay for it pretty easily if I complete that quest."
[Ding! You have triggered the A-Level hidden village #420 quest: Help John Kill the silver serpent that killed his young daughter. Quest duration: Four days. Reward: Rare Skill book & 5 Gold Coins. Failure: You will lose -50 reputation points in the village, and most villagers will despise you.]
Arthur decided to check if there was any important news. Opening his new iPhone 6 he had recently bought, Arthur opened the tweet app.
He scrolled through the endless stream of news and updates flooding the app.
Most of it was things he already knew—talk of pseudo-elite bosses, theories about game mechanics, and complaints from players who felt underpowered.
"Breaking News: A player has successfully killed the first pseudo-elite boss monster. What does this mean—"
He swiped past it with a flick of his finger, muttering to himself, "Yeah, yeah, we've all heard that one before. Next."
The next headline caught his attention.
"Military forces begin integration efforts with beta players. How will this affect the global balance? Will beta players be considered celebrities?"
Arthur frowned, pausing his scrolling. "Military integration? That's... new."
Clicking on the article, he skimmed through it.
"Recent reports have confirmed that various governments worldwide are collaborating with high-ranking beta players, many of whom possess rare and legendary talents."
"There are rumours saying that this initiative is aimed at strengthening Earth's defence capabilities against potential threats posed by Armageddon's world merger. Officials have stated that this integration will prioritize elite players with C-rank talents or higher."
Arthur's brows knitted together as he read further. 'This...this can't be real, will the world actually merge?"
"If so, the governments are already taking action, trying to use the top players for their own goals. Well, it will be hard for them to find out the identity of specific players if they don't want to reveal it themselves" He muttered.
The article continued with speculative details about how beta players were already being treated as strategic assets. Governments were providing these players with resources in exchange for cooperation.
The resources included money, housing, and special benefits.
Arthur leaned back in his guest bed, his mind racing. 'This means they're not just watching—they're actively recruiting.'
He scrolled again, deciding not to dwell on the implications.
After reading for a while, Arthur decided that he had enough.
Arthur put his head on the pillow and he quickly knocked out and entered the world of dreams.
The next day marked its presence as the sun's rays filtered through the window and landed on Arthur's face.
Arthur stretched his arms, the stiffness of the night's sleep lingering in his muscles. The morning sunlight filled the hospital room.
"Ugh," he groaned softly, rubbing his eyes and pushing himself upright.
Turning his head, he froze.
A nurse stood next to Charlotte's bed, busily writing notes on her clipboard while performing a few checks on his sister.
Her presence caught him off guard, and he instinctively straightened, trying to act like he hadn't just been drooling in his sleep a moment ago.
The nurse, noticing his attempt at nonchalance, chuckled slightly but spared him any further embarrassment.
"Good morning," she said with a warm smile, finishing her notes and placing the clipboard at the foot of the bed.
"Morning," Arthur mumbled, his voice still groggy.
"Miss Charlotte has been such a cooperative angel this morning," the nurse said, her voice soft and professional as she adjusted the IV line attached to Charlotte's arm. "We'll be doing some final tests later with the doctor, and then we can begin her treatment in the afternoon."
Charlotte nodded, her calm expression still intact. She offered the nurse a small smile but glanced briefly at Arthur, her eyes silently asking him how he was holding up.
Arthur gave her a reassuring look, though his heart felt heavier than he let on.
"Thank you," he said to the nurse, forcing himself to sound more awake. "Let us know if there's anything we need to do."
The nurse smiled again. "Of course. If you need anything, just press the call button." She turned back to Charlotte. "Alright, Miss Charlotte, I'll be back in a few hours with the doctor. You just rest for now, okay?"
Charlotte nodded again, her expression calm. The nurse gave them both a small wave and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.