Unwritten Mythos

Too much

"Sigh..."

Enko let out a weary sigh as he watched the others eagerly open their chests, their excitement quickly turning into bargaining chaos.

One player, unable to contain himself, shouted, "It's purple! Fish-Man's heart! I'm selling it for 150 points, first come, first served!"

"150 points?" someone scoffed. "Brother, Ye Gong sold it for 95 last time. Now you're charging 150?"

"Take it or leave it," the seller snapped. "If you're not buying, then keep walking!"

Nearby, others hawked their wares. "Cough cough, blue rarity—enhanced vision! 30 points, negotiable."

"White rarity, consumable adrenaline, 5 points!"

Amidst the haggling, someone turned toward Ye Gong, who had been quietly listening. "What did you get this time, Ye Gong?"

He glanced over, casually tossing his answer, "Purple rarity, fish-scale skin, 75 points."

"Now that's more like it! Only Ye Gong's got a conscience!" one player remarked, their tone both envious and appreciative.

Meanwhile, Enko stood at the edge of the crowd, shaking his head at the frenzy around him. His own earnings were dismal—just 18 points in total. Eight from the Fish-Men he killed, and the fixed 10 points for surviving. It wasn't enough to buy anything worth having.

Unused abilities could be traded for points, but once activated, they lost all trade value. That was why players immediately began swapping rewards the moment the settlement was over. It was the only way to make their hard-earned loot worthwhile.

Enko took a deep breath and stepped into the marketplace. "White rarity, grenade—10 points."

Mihawk, hearing the offer, sauntered over, his smug grin widening. "Well, well, newbie, you're still alive. I'm impressed. I've got my eye on you."

Enko barely spared him a glance, turning his gaze to the side as if the interaction was beneath him.

Mihawk chuckled, unbothered. "Hey, no need for the cold shoulder. I'm actually here to help you out. How about I take that grenade off your hands?"

"Ten points," Enko repeated, initiating the transaction.

But Mihawk waved the offer away with an exaggerated laugh. "Ah, sorry. I've changed my mind. How about I give you... three points instead? After all, white rarity? That's garbage. You'll be lucky if anyone buys it at all."

Enko's jaw clenched, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he silently exited the game, vanishing from Mihawk's sight.

Mihawk's smile twisted into a sneer. "Stupid,"

...

[The next game will begin in a month.]

Stretching her back, Mei sighed, "This is too slow. At their current pace, it'll take centuries for anyone to accumulate 50,000 points."

She refocused, her thoughts swirling with possibilities. "Go ahead and continue your arrangements. When the game starts again, aim for a larger crowd. A hundred participants is far too few."

With a flick of her will, Mei departed the game space, slipping back into her crack space.

079, the creature she had summoned, intrigued her. Through it, Mei began to form a plan. "Creating a game world is certainly possible. There's no reason I can't fabricate an entirely different real world."

Yet there remained the mystery of the essential ingredient for 079. She mused, "The steps can't be too drastic. I first need to uncover the raw material that birthed 079. Or perhaps I should finish my current experiments. Once I've fully explored its potential, I will inevitably grasp the key ingredients."