บท 14: Chapter 14: Franklin Crashes the Party

With the gold coins Luca currently possessed, he could easily exchange them for tens of thousands of dollars.

This would significantly improve his family's financial situation.

Additionally, Luca needed to buy a better gaming pod, which would allow him to spend more time in the game.

While a gaming helmet could put players into a state of rest, it couldn't provide the necessary nutritional supplements.

A gaming pod, on the other hand, would allow a player to stay online 24/7 without worrying about physical health.

However, he needed the gold coins to enhance his in-game strength for now, so he couldn't spend them recklessly.

Also, a good gaming pod could cost upwards of a million dollars, which he didn't have enough for at the moment.

Fortunately, these matters weren't urgent and could be addressed in due time.

With these thoughts, Luca finished his meal.

After informing the others, he headed back to his room.

"I'm done too!" Susie, wiping her mouth, quickly followed him back to her own room.

Watching their retreating figures, Sini sighed in frustration, "These kids, running off to play games before even finishing their meal. They're becoming more and more unruly!"

Donald initially wanted to defend them.

But he wisely kept quiet after seeing his wife's expression.

Back in his room, Luca didn't immediately dive back into the game. Instead, he habitually checked the game forum to see if there were any major events happening.

Today was the first day of Eternal Game's launch, so the forums were bustling with activity.

Major guilds, clubs, and professional players were all posting about their progress in the game.

As the first player to reach level 10, Luca was a hot topic. There was even a popular post about him.

[A Top Player Appears in Riverfall City: First Level 10 Player in the Game!]

Luca clicked on the post.

He found videos and photos of himself, covering everything from getting on Sophia's carriage to grinding monsters on Wind Plain and Starlight Lake, and later entering the Beast Forest with Catherine and the others.

Judging by the angles of the photos and videos, they must have been taken by nearby players at the time.

[ShadowCat: I was lucky to start in the same main city as Luca. Here are some videos and photos taken by players in Riverfall City of Luca's battles, shared for everyone!]

Luca didn't remember anyone named ShadowCat.

Maybe just a passerby. He wasn't too concerned and scrolled through the comments out of curiosity.

[Second Floor: NPCs can show favoritism? This game is too realistic!]

[Third Floor: That damage is insane. A normal attack doing several times the damage of my skills!]

[Fourth Floor: Judging by his movement and techniques, Luca is clearly not an ordinary player. Is he a pro from some club?]

[Fifth Floor: Could he be an insider from Eternal Game? It feels like we're playing a different game!]

...

Reading through the comments speculating about his identity.

Luca wasn't worried.

Since Luca had enabled the privacy feature earlier, his appearance was masked by the system, making the captured images a blur of pixels.

As long as his real appearance wasn't exposed, he didn't mind the rest.

After browsing the forum for a while and not finding any useful information.

Luca shook his head, closed the forum, lay down on his bed, and put on the game helmet.

Tonight, he planned to complete the Demonic Rune Mage profession change trial.

...

Riverfall City, West Street.

In Franklin's clinic, a flash of light signaled.

Luca's figure return.

Inside, Franklin was excitedly working with his eagle mouse at the experiment table.

The young man named Kaman was awake and able to walk, looking much better, though still pale from blood loss.

Catherine was nearby, checking on Kaman's condition.

Noticing Luca's appearance, both of them were momentarily stunned.

Catherine quickly turned to Kaman and said, "Kaman, this is Luca Witch Doctor, the one who saved you. Hurry and thank him!"

Kaman was taken aback.

He hadn't expected his savior to be a young man about his age.

Once he processed this, Kaman hurried over, sincerely saying, "Mr. Luca, thank you for saving my life. I will remember this favor. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

[Ding! Catherine's favorability towards you +200, reaching 'Trust'!]

[Ding! Kaman's favorability towards you +500, reaching 'Trust'!]

Favorability levels are: Neutral, Good, Close, Trust, Loyalty, Never Betray, with each higher level being increasingly difficult to achieve.

It mostly depends on the NPC's personality—some are easier to win over, while others are much harder.

For example, Sophia's favorability has hardly increased, making her a tough case for Luca.

Luca waved his hand, signaling them not to worry about it.

He then turned to the red-haired Catherine and asked, "Captain Catherine, did you report the situation in Beast Forest to the city lord? What did they say?"

The Hydra issue needed immediate attention; otherwise, it would become even more difficult to deal with as its power grew.

Luca didn't want to end up like in his previous life, where he was devoured by the nine-headed demon serpent.

Catherine sighed and shook her head, "I'm sorry. When I went to the city lord's mansion, I was stopped by the city lord's son, Matthew. Although I told him about the matter, from his reaction, it didn't seem like he took it seriously."

Both Catherine and Kaman showed clear disdain when mentioning Matthew, indicating their strong dislike for him.

It was evident that he was an unreliable playboy.

Luca shook his head slightly and said to Catherine, "You don't need to worry about this anymore. Tomorrow, I'm going to Howard Manor. I'll find a chance to inform Miss Sophia about it."

Riverfall City was the territory of the Howard family, and Count Ryan Howard was a Diamond-level Blood Magic Grandmaster. His strength was more than enough to kick the current Hydra back into the Abyssal Demon Realm.

"Miss Sophia?" Catherine and Kaman looked surprised upon hearing Luca's words.

Sophia, the noble daughter of the Howard family, was one of the most prestigious figures in the entire Emerald State.

They hadn't expected Luca to know her.

However, the two quickly realized that it wasn't all that surprising for the student of a purple-gold level Witch Doctor to know the count's daughter.

With this in mind, they looked at Luca with newfound respect.

After all, the young man in front of them was now a significant figure in Riverfall City.

Luca didn't pay much attention to their looks.

He turned to Franklin and said with a smile, "Teacher, I'm planning to complete my profession change trial. Would you like to come with me?"

Hearing this, Franklin, still holding his eagle mouse by the ear, replied proudly, "Of course I'll go! How could I miss my student's profession change? I'm your teacher, after all."

Catherine and Kaman also looked curious.

They eager to know what main profession Luca, as Franklin's student, would choose.

Unfortunately, since Kaman hadn't fully recovered yet, they had to stay behind to look after the clinic for Franklin.

Franklin then called for a carriage, and he and Luca headed to the Mages' Association.

By now, the sky had completely darkened.

Even though it was night, the game world was still bustling with players. They gathered in small groups, wearing clothes similar to the NPCs, making them indistinguishable from ordinary residents.

This scene made Luca feel a bit nostalgic.

In his previous life, he had been one of those players.

But this time, things were going to be different.

The carriage drove through the city.

Soon, they arrived at the Mages' Association.

The hall was brightly lit.

Many mages in robes chatting and drinking tea on either side.

Old Carl stood on a stool, arranging quest cards on the wall.

Noticing the newcomers, a mage who was sipping his tea casually glanced over.

When he saw Franklin, dressed in a black robe with a stern expression, he froze for a moment.

Then, his eyes widened in shock, and he spit out his tea, spraying it all over the person opposite him.

"Holy crap, Franklin?!"

His exclamation caught everyone's attention. All the mages in the hall turned to look at Luca and Franklin.

Seeing it really was Franklin, a collective gasp echoed through the hall.

"Holy crap, why is that lunatic here at the Mages' Association?!"

"Is he here to cause trouble again? Last time, I heard some unlucky guy turned in the wrong quest, and Franklin came here ready to tear the place down. It took President Lucia to calm him down and send him away!"

"Jeez! I remember that kid next to him; he took on one of Franklin's quests today!"

"Holy moly! What are you waiting for? Go get President Lucia! Franklin's here to cause trouble again!"

...