---Viktor's POV---
I watched as Alyanne's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Uh... leader, I know you took me in not because..." she stammered, trying to explain herself, but the more she spoke, the more chaotic it became.
"It's fine," I shook my head. "Just think of it as a story. No need to take it seriously."
The players were always bursting with energy.
Although I had specifically put up a language barrier between them and Alyanne, who knew what strange communication methods they might come up with to gossip with her? To avoid more outrageous rumors in the future, it was better to clarify things now and prepare her for anything unexpected.
I could see the confusion on her face as she processed my words.
"They really are... bold," she said.
From her expression, I could tell she found their chaotic way of doing things even harder to understand than the monsters.
"You're saying they don't follow rules, right?" I smiled knowingly. "I'll try to balance and restrain some of their reckless behavior, making their personalities... uh, closer to the humans you're familiar with?"
I couldn't keep the uncertainty from my tone.
The players' characteristics had their pros and cons, and I didn't plan to control them too much. But The Watchers couldn't rely on just the players forever. At the very least, new recruits shouldn't be scared away by them.
I noticed Alyanne shudder at my words.
What did he mean by "the humans you're familiar with"? I could practically see the questions forming in her mind. Were the players indeed... not normal? Were they the product of forbidden magic?
But she didn't dare ask more, simply nodding in agreement.
As for Edgar's housing task, I was pleased to see the three veteran players had gone above and beyond expectations. They built two side-by-side huts for him to use as a base for recovery and training. This conveniently turned his front yard into the new spot for distributing mission items, replacing the area near the church.
I had personally set up a magic array for the house's dividing cabinet in the middle. All items were stored in the back half of the room, preventing players from sneaking everything at once.
From my seat at a wooden table behind Alyanne, I observed as players swarmed in to choose their mission items.
She had redirected her focus to her work, showing none of her earlier unease.
A red-haired player cheerfully lined up, only to see the items allocated to him—a broken pickaxe and a damaged bamboo basket.
His face fell immediately.
"A discarded pickaxe, a torn-up basket... and we have to pay for broken tools? Are these mission items even serious?"
I watched with interest as Alyanne's timidity and hesitation vanished. She knocked on the wooden table with authority, urging the player to take it or leave it without wasting everyone else's time.
NeverShowOff and Garble, who had already taken their missions, crossed their arms and watched the new players' frustration with amusement.
Their conversation drifted to my ears.
---Third POV---
"I told them not to fall behind. Serves them right!" NeverShowOff couldn't resist gloating.
Mission items didn't respawn once their durability was used up.
During the days when new players hadn't arrived, the three veterans had already worn out most of the good tools. The first batch of newcomers had been lucky enough to grab barely usable items, but those who straggled through the rain, failing to stick with him, were lucky to get anything at all.
"We did warn them." Garble shrugged. "If they don't listen, that's on them."
He thought those two uncooperative players probably wouldn't make good long-term teammates anyway. It was better to complete the newbie guide missions with the three who followed instructions.
He frowned as he watched the red-haired player hesitating at the front of the line. Alyanne had already knocked on the table a second time to warn him.
"Why does it feel like the new NPC is deliberately making things difficult for him?" Garble wondered aloud.
The red-haired player's mission was to collect stones, so he needed a pickaxe and something to carry the rocks.
According to him, there was definitely a better pickaxe in storage, but Alyanne hadn't brought it out. And using a bamboo basket for stones?
That was clearly a joke.
"Really?" NeverShowOff turned to look, confused.
Just as the red-haired player grudgingly chose his items under Alyanne's death glare, the next player also received a stone-collecting mission.
In front of everyone, Alyanne brought out better tools for this second player, who happily selected them and left in a flash.
The red-haired player's eyes widened. "Wait, can I switch my items?"
Alyanne, understanding this from her list of commonly used player phrases, agreed smoothly, "Of course."
Then, she took back the better items she'd just brought out.
"So, I can't pick those tools after all?"
Alyanne stared back at him blankly.
"You're right. The new NPC doesn't like him," NeverShowOff finally spoke after a moment of silence. It was blatant favoritism.
The new NPC seemed to display her emotions far more openly than the two older ones—putting aside the mascot-like Luminaris.
"Unfair!" The red-haired player angrily charged toward the dividing cabinet. "I want to report this NPC for bias!"
"Calm down, man, it's not worth it!" A player in a blue gown grabbed his arm. "We can't beat them!"
"I don't care. I demand justice!" The red-haired player clawed at the air. "I want new tools!"
---Viktor's POV---
"This is the result of your training?" I asked Edgar.
"Just practical experience," he replied, sipping his water nonchalantly. With no tea left in our storage space, The Watchers were too poor to afford anything other than plain water.
"Expressing a clear attitude makes work smoother," he continued. "After interacting with the players for a while, I concluded that showing some backbone was essential. Otherwise, I wouldn't even know how many times my sword had been stolen by the players."
I nodded, understanding.
All he did was reassure Alyanne not to be afraid of angering them. Who knew she'd learn so quickly and start asserting her attitude ahead of time?
"From my observations, this ice dragon hasn't inherited the violent temper of her kind," Edgar noted. "Did that player upset her earlier?"
"Uh... maybe?" I wasn't sure. Was it the streaking, which went against the teachings of the Frostmoon Goddess? Or had Alyanne overheard the red-haired player's conversation?
It was fascinating how quickly her attitude had changed.
Before meeting the players, she had been terrified of them. Yet, in such a short time, all her respect and fear had been worn away. It just went to show how good silly players were at leaving unforgettable impressions.
A sudden idea struck me. Perhaps this little incident was a perfect opportunity to observe how the locals and players interacted. With that thought, I stayed still, continuing to watch the scene play out.
The red-haired player, unable to break through my magic array, eventually gave up in frustration.
Meanwhile, Alyanne put away the higher-quality tools again, as if ready to leave.
The blue gown player cried out in alarm, "Wait! I haven't taken a mission yet!"
The conclusion proved entertaining as the player, faced with the choice between saving himself and helping his friend, chose without hesitation.
With one swift motion, he shoved the red-haired player aside, slammed his hand on the table, and grabbed the remaining tools.
"Ma'am! I have nothing to do with that guy, and I'm not picky!" he said. "I think that slightly shorter pickaxe suits me just fine!"
"Traitor!" the red-haired player looked betrayed.
Selling out your own teammate? Well, that was players for you.
---Third POV---
The player in the blue gown took a step back to distance himself and deny involvement: "It's not me, I didn't do it, stay away from me!"
Although Alyanne couldn't understand their words, actions never lied.
She glanced at the two players.
One of them had actually brought out the mission item they had just taken back earlier—precisely the shortened pickaxe the blue gown player had been eyeing!
While its quality wasn't as good as the first player's, it was much better than the red-haired player's.
The blue gown player received it with delight: "Thanks, sis! Don't worry, I'm on your side all the way!"
Obviously, an NPC with key functions was more important than temporary teammates.
"This NPC is way too lively, huh?" NeverShowOff gaped, wide-eyed. "Did they develop a favorability system?"
Garble put down his arms, looking serious: "It's probably in the testing phase and hasn't been announced yet."
Well then...
The two veteran players exchanged a look. In the blink of an eye, they dashed to Alyanne's side.
"Dear Alyanne, is there anything you need help with?"
"We are people on a noble mission, returning to Aeltia with great purpose!"
"Have you had breakfast yet?"
Their overly eager attitude left Alyanne momentarily blank-faced.
So when the Knight of Dawn said things would go more smoothly, this was what he meant?
"And me too! Gorgeous lady, I'm also carrying the honor of a sacred mission!"
Before she could respond, the red-haired player had also squeezed in, smiling so brightly that it was as if nothing had just happened. He was spouting a flurry of words she didn't understand.
Alyanne's expression froze.
From the limited vocabulary she had learned and their expressions, it was clear they all wanted to help her.
But why?
Especially the red-haired one—she had just given him the cold shoulder earlier!
The Watchers were truly a strange organization.
Behind them, Viktor and Edgar, who had been quietly observing, put down their teacups. Edgar handled his with extra care—it was one of the Watchers' last few assets.
"Your players… don't seem to have great memories?"
"It's not that; they're just used to not holding grudges against NPCs. It's just that this particular player is a bit too carefree."
Viktor let out a long sigh.
He couldn't help but feel that the random bits of lore he had written up were now being shamelessly quoted right in his face by the players.
It was genuinely the kind of thing that made your toes curl with second-hand embarrassment.
He looked at the eager, "thirsty" players before him and seemed lost in thought. "Maybe we really need to recruit nerds with more stable emotions next time."
Who knows what kind of suffering these players had endured in other games to be so indifferent to NPCs treating them differently?
The moment they guessed there might be a favorability system, they immediately forgot the earlier unpleasantness and eagerly worked to gain points.
Even Viktor's conscience twinged at the sight.
Wait, a favorability system.
He slapped the table and stood up, grinning.
Of course! Why not just go along with their thinking and create a favorability system?
It's common knowledge that favorability systems in online games were often unbalanced.
Even if a player maxed out their favorability, the NPC might just send them a small handcrafted gift during the holidays.
But compared to the effort players put into gifting items, the reward was pitifully small.
And every NPC could have their own favorability.
This kind of currency was far more profitable than tangible magical coins.
It could also be used to balance other in-game attributes.
Perfect!
Edgar gave him a sidelong glance in surprise. "Who's the unlucky soul you've set your sights on this time?"
"No one. It seems your assistant has run into some trouble. Aren't you going to help her?"
Up ahead, Alyanne had no idea how to respond. In the end, she decided to play dumb.
Viktor had told her before: when faced with something incomprehensible, just pretend you can't hear or see it.
Edgar didn't even furrow his brow.
"If she can't handle something like this, then her competence is truly questionable. I suggest you reconsider her position."
"Fine, the responsibility is yours anyway. You're better at teaching newcomers."
Viktor only mentioned it casually, and his thoughts weren't far off from Edgar's.
What he needed was an assistant, not a burden.
If Alyanne couldn't handle the players, then her ice dragon bloodline wasn't all that valuable.
The Watchers already had a pureblood dragon...
Viktor turned and headed back.
"The players seem stable enough right now. I have other things to do, so I won't stick around."
The more Viktor thought about the favorability system, the more brilliant it seemed.
Relying on SAN value to solve the players' streaking issues wasn't a sustainable solution.
It could even blur the real purpose of the sanity mechanic.
And the issue of Luminaris not understanding currency values could also be perfectly resolved.
Each NPC's favorability could be its own type of "currency."
Set favorability to have no upper limit, and let the players spend it however they want!
It'd be enough to get that slacker of a Watcher moving!
---
Alyanne's stiff reaction left the players disappointed.
Garble was the first to give up. "Looks like the favorability system isn't finished yet. There aren't any specific missions."
NeverShowOff turned to leave immediately. "Alright, let's scatter!"
With the two veteran players saying so, the newer players also lost interest and went off to do their own tasks.
After some wandering, Garble chose the red-haired player as his newbie guide target.
NeverShowOff picked the blue gown player.
The two veterans parted ways at the gate, each leading their newbie players to complete tasks.
Garble took his newbie to clear out the remaining abandoned houses in the town.
The red-haired player's full username was [HornyHedgehog], so everyone just called him Hedgehog.
Over the past few days, all the wood around the town, large or small, had been chopped down by the three veteran players.
To find stone, they'd have to travel further afield.
Considering the travel time, this wasn't the most efficient task for new players. In contrast, demolishing the abandoned houses in town to harvest stone from them was a much better task.
Garble, now Level 4 and with better stats than the newbies, still took on the same task as Hedgehog to guide him.
Along the way, he explained game mechanics while teaching him how to demolish houses while preserving as much stone as possible. Hedgehog thought it sounded simple enough—until they actually reached the first abandoned house.
"This game is so hardcore!" he stared at the weathered walls. "Are we seriously demolishing houses?"
Garble positioned himself in front of a crumbling wall, pickaxe held at an angle. "Watch carefully. You want to hit right where the mortar meets the stone." He tapped the spot with his pickaxe. "See this darker line? That's your target."
The pickaxe struck with precision. Small chunks of ancient mortar crumbled away, leaving the stone brick intact.
Tap, tap, tap—each hit methodical and controlled.
Hedgehog leaned in closer. "But won't the whole wall just—"
"Shh." Garble worked his way around the brick's edges. "The trick is patience. Hit too hard, you'll crack the stone. Too soft, you'll be here all day." More mortar fell away as his pickaxe found its rhythm.
Debris collected at their feet. Sweat beaded on Garble's forehead as he worked, but his movements never lost their careful precision. Finally, he wedged the pickaxe behind the loosened brick and gave a gentle push.
The massive stone block, nearly as tall as Hedgehog's waist, slid free and hit the ground.
"Holy shit." Hedgehog circled the pristine brick. "Not even a scratch on it. How do you even know how to do this?"
"Found it online," Garble replied, still examining his handiwork. "The past couple days, we looked up proper demolition techniques. Once you get the hang of it, it's not too hard."
"Your turn." Garble handed over the pickaxe. "Remember—follow the mortar lines. Like tracing a picture."
Hedgehog gripped the pickaxe, grinning. "Time to wreck this place!"
"Wait—"
But he had already swung, sending a spiderweb of cracks through the next brick.
"Damn it!" He stared at the ruined stone. His enthusiasm barely dented, he rolled up his sleeves. "Let me try again!"