After struggling all morning, Ren finally completed the quest.
Although his pace was slower than initially expected, he still achieved his goal, defeating the required number of Fangrats.
However, the process was far from easy.
Crowded hunting grounds, fierce competition between large groups, and the constant need to move around to avoid being pushed to the outskirts drained both his stamina and mental energy.
Every time he spotted a living monster, he had to rush in before someone else could strike first.
Every time he landed a finishing blow, he had to stay alert, wary of others swooping in to steal his reward.
Not to mention the times he had to retreat, unable to face those who had claimed the hunting grounds for themselves.
This morning wasn't just a simple hunt, it was a tense struggle between solo players and organized guilds.
Stepping through the wooden gate leading back into the Starting Town, Ren exhaled deeply.
Although this place wasn't completely safe, at least here, he didn't have to constantly fight over every single monster.
The town remained as bustling as ever.
Players gathered around the quest board, carefully scanning for jobs that suited their abilities.
Others stood by NPC stalls, bargaining in hopes of getting good items at a lower price.
Further away, the clang of metal rang out from the blacksmith's forge, where players busily repaired their weapons and armor after long battles.
Ren quietly made his way to the quest reward counter. He needed to collect his reward before deciding on his next step. But his thoughts kept circling back to this morning's experience.
The way large guilds could easily manipulate hunting grounds to their advantage.
The way solo players like him were pushed to the fringes, unable to fight back.
The way he was forced to find an alternative path just to complete a simple quest.
He knew this issue wouldn't stop at today. It would continue, day after day, becoming more apparent as the gap between resource-rich players and those with nothing grew wider.
If he didn't find a way to adapt soon, he would remain stuck at the bottom of this system, pushed further and further away until there was no way forward.
But what was the right path to take?
Things didn't stop there.
Just when Ren thought at least the quest system was fair, he realized he was wrong.
Even the quests were being monopolized.
In the past, the quest board was a place where anyone could freely access and choose jobs based on their capabilities.
But now, some large groups had started to control even that.
They not only grabbed the best-paying quests quickly but also set up unwritten rules to limit access for others.
The strong guilds registered quests in bulk, accepting multiple jobs at once without completing them immediately, just to hold the slots and prevent solo players from earning rewards.
Some took it even further, they formed organizations, divided territories, and managed resources as if they were running their own dominions.
Ren saw a young player standing before the quest board, fists clenched upon realizing that all the viable quests had already been taken.
"No way… These were still available this morning!"
"How are we supposed to make money if there are no quests left?" another player muttered helplessly.
Ren glanced at the board. The easier quests had long been claimed. What remained were dangerous tasks requiring long travel distances or mandatory party formations.
He stood still.
Hunting monsters was already difficult, now even getting a quest had become a battle.
It felt like every path for solo players was gradually being blocked.
The large groups weren't just benefitting from their numbers, they were establishing a system that ensured they maintained their advantage while squeezing out players like him.
Ren clenched his fists.
If this continued… how were solo players supposed to survive?
But it wasn't over yet.
Just as he was contemplating the situation, a shadow loomed beside him.
"Hey, kid."
Ren turned. A tall man clad in dark leather armor stood before him. Behind him, two others quietly approached, their gazes carrying a clear sense of dominance.
"First time taking a quest, huh?"
His tone seemed casual, but Ren didn't need long to catch the underlying message.
He didn't reply, merely shifting to move toward the reward counter, only for a rough hand to block his path.
"Relax." The man smirked. "Guess you don't know the rules around here yet, huh?"
Ren stared at him.
"Rules?"
"That's right. Rules. If you want to claim your reward smoothly, you gotta pay a little 'transaction fee.'"
"And if I don't?" Ren asked flatly.
The man raised an eyebrow, his smirk turning sharp.
"Then you might run into a bit of trouble."
One of the lackeys behind him loosened the sword at his hip, the steel glinting in the dim light.
A blatant threat, right in the middle of town, in plain view of everyone.
Ren scanned his surroundings. A few players had stopped to watch, but no one spoke up.
Some even avoided his gaze, as if they had seen this happen before.
They had accepted this as part of the unspoken rules.
Ren's fingers curled slightly.
This morning, he had been pushed out of the hunting grounds.
Now, even his reward was being extorted.
They thought that because they had the numbers, they had the right to take whatever they wanted.
A quiet chuckle escaped his lips.
"How ridiculous."
The man frowned.
"What?"
"I said...how ridiculous."
Ren repeated, this time clearly, his voice carrying a faint smirk, his gaze sharp, not fearful or hesitant, but assessing the people before him.
The tension in the air spiked immediately.
The leader's brow furrowed slightly, his eyes sharpening as he looked at Ren. He hadn't expected a lone player like him to have the audacity to laugh so provocatively in his face.
The ones standing behind him began murmuring, and one of them subtly lifted a dagger, fingers tightening around the hilt as if ready to strike the moment Ren did something foolish.
But Ren remained still, showing no intention of backing down or faltering under the pressure of the crowd.
"What's so funny, kid?" The leader's voice dropped lower, the amusement in his eyes vanishing, replaced by a barely perceptible trace of caution.
"There is something funny," Ren tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over each of them as if weighing whether they were even worth his attention.
"You took over the hunting grounds, and now you want to monopolize the quest board, too. But no matter how hard you try, this world has no place for the weak."
A light breeze passed through, stirring up tiny specks of dust in the air and causing Ren's dark hair to sway gently.
"Do you really think you can maintain your position forever?"
The people in front of Ren stiffened slightly, not because he was wrong, but because he had so blatantly laid out the truth in front of everyone without the slightest hesitation.
"You little...!" One of them growled, but before he could finish, the leader raised a hand, signaling him to be silent.
He stared at Ren, and for the first time, his gaze was no longer just that of a bully lording over the weak. There was a flicker of contemplation, a reassessment of the prey before him.
"You talk as if you have a better way," he narrowed his eyes, his tone slow but laced with an underlying threat. "Or do you actually think you can change anything?"
Ren didn't respond immediately. He took in a slow breath, keeping his breathing steady, then relaxed his shoulders.
His gaze was no longer that of someone merely trying to act strong, it had become calm, sharp.
"I don't care about changing this system."
He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, not too fast, not too slow, just enough to make the crowd instinctively hold their breath.
"I only care about surviving."
The atmosphere grew heavy.
A long silence stretched out, with all eyes locked onto the two of them, waiting to see what would happen next.
Then suddenly, a chuckle broke through the tension.
"Hah, interesting."
The leader laughed, stepping back slightly before crossing his arms, amusement flickering across his face like he had just found something worth entertaining.
"Alright then. Since you don't know the rules around here, I'll give you a chance."
He raised a finger slowly, as if considering his next words carefully.
"Just hand over half of your quest rewards, and we'll let this slide."
There were a few murmurs from the surrounding players. Some frowned slightly, but no one spoke up against it.
Everyone understood that people like this were troublesome, and no one wanted to invite trouble onto themselves for the sake of a stranger.
Ren stared at him.
Half?
Why should he accept that?
He had spent the entire morning completing this quest.
To earn those rewards, he had to compete against others, keep moving, endure exhaustion, and push forward bit by bit.
And now, just because they had numbers, they thought he would give in so easily?
No.
Ren exhaled slowly, his gaze darkening, his voice unwavering as he spoke.
"What if I refuse?"
His words made the group immediately narrow their eyes, irritation flashing across their faces at his defiance.
One of them smirked, his eyes glinting with mockery.
"Then you'll have trouble. Simple as that."
Ren didn't reply right away. He scanned the area, quietly taking in the oppressive silence and the onlookers who watched but had no intention of intervening.
He had two choices.
One, he could back down and hand over half his rewards to avoid conflict.
But if he did it once, there would be a second time, a third… and before long, they would see him as an easy target to exploit.
Or two… he could fight back.
Ren's fingers curled slightly.
He wasn't someone who sought out fights, nor did he have allies to support him or a shield to protect him from the overwhelming numbers.
But if he backed down now… then for the rest of his time here, he would always be the weak one pushed to the sidelines.
Ren lifted his head, his dark eyes cold and unwavering under the dim light of the area.
"I'm not giving you a single Cor."
The air seemed to freeze the moment those words left his lips.
The leader blinked, then let out a short chuckle, not out of amusement, but because he genuinely hadn't expected Ren to answer like that.
"I see…"
He raised a hand, and immediately, one of his men stepped forward, fingers resting on the hilt of his sword in a clear threat.
"Looks like you need to be taught a lesson, kid."
The onlookers held their breath.
A fight was about to break out.