Since Dawei's race was now classified as Human, he was automatically teleported to the human capital after the 12-hour system timer ran out. The moment he appeared in the main city, a system message popped up:
[System Prompt: Candice invites you – Accept? Yes / No]
[Invitation from Candice]: Report to the Mercenary Guild.
Dawei raised a brow. Candice? That name doesn't ring a bell.
He quickly pulled up the system logs and checked the name. Then it clicked—Candice, the renowned NPC associated with the Human Mercenary Guild. One of the heavy-hitters in the game lore.
Each player chooses a race when they begin the game. Undead get partial immunity to physical damage. Elves enjoy a 5% bonus to HP. But humans? They get… nothing flashy.
Nothing, except one massive edge:
The Mercenary Guild.
Every human player could join it. And once accepted, they gained access to a network of powerful mercenaries—companions that could easily turn the tide in battles. Recruiting the right mercenary was equivalent to doubling your personal strength.
And every human player, upon arriving in the main city for the first time, was invited by the guildmaster herself: Candice.
A powerhouse on par with the Archmage of the Mage Tower or the Grand Druid of the Wild Circle, Candice was not just eye candy—she was a core NPC with access to high-level content. Getting on her good side was a golden ticket. Even a single triggered quest could be a game-changer.
Naturally, Dawei wasn't going to refuse.
He headed straight for the Mercenary Guild.
The streets outside the guild were packed—waves of players swarmed the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of Candice or trigger a mercenary mission. But no one recognized Dawei, despite his Godslayer title and the Goddess Blessing floating above his name.
"Figures," he muttered. "The great saga that slayed a god-tier boss gets drowned in the crowd."
Stepping into the guild, he was instantly teleported into a private instance—a clean, quiet room reserved for high-profile interactions.
Candice.
She stood before him.
A towering woman in ornate sword-armor, radiating command and elegance. Like most high-end female NPCs, her model was painstakingly detailed. She gave off strong "big sister general" energy—definitely someone otakus would pledge loyalty to within five seconds.
Her nameplate shimmered in gold. Dawei clicked to view her profile, but as expected, her attributes were locked. Titles? Stacked. Stats? Hidden. Clearly not someone to mess with.
"You've arrived, warrior," she said with a measured tone.
Then came the dialogue routine. She gave a formal introduction to the Mercenary Guild—its origins, its role, its advantages. Dawei zoned out a little. This was the standard onboarding most players received. No custom interaction. No triggered cutscene. Nothing special.
Until—
[System Prompt: Candice offers a quest – "Prove Your Strength." Accept? Yes / No?]
[Prove Your Strength]: Complete one mercenary mission to receive a reward from Candice. The higher the mission difficulty, the greater the reward.
Every player received this mission. Complete it, gain access to the full guild hall, and then start recruiting mercenaries.
To most players, this was a golden opportunity. But Dawei?
Tch. Playing by the system's rules? What a waste.
He'd slain a god-tier boss. Obtained SS-tier loot. Learned a Grandmaster skill. If he still had to grind low-tier missions like a commoner, what was the point of all his feats?
"Can't I just tell her I've killed a god?" he muttered. "No way to show the title. No system-verified proof. Dammit."
But he wasn't about to be led by the nose. Not anymore.
If NPCs follow a script, what happens when you flip the script?
Dawei decided to break protocol.
"Do you know about the Bounty Guild?" he asked.
That was his ace. The only thing that could validate his record—the Bounty Hunter Badge dropped by Count Sindro. It symbolized his victory against a godlike foe. If any item could shake an NPC out of script mode, it was this.
Candice's eyes lit up slightly. "You know of the Bounty Guild?"
Bingo.
Dawei smirked. So going off-script works. NPCs are coded to respond to emotional triggers. Show them something real, and they'll respond.
He opened his inventory and flashed the badge.
Candice's expression shifted.
"...That's the Bounty Hunter Badge!"
Success. Emotional reaction achieved. The system didn't even need a prompt—her dialogue had dynamically changed. This was a rare NPC AI response.
Dawei pressed the advantage.
"This badge belonged to Sindro, didn't it? It symbolized his former identity as a knight. Why is it now marked as a bounty token?"
Candice's brows furrowed. "Bounty hunter is a designation. Knight is a profession. Where did you find this?"
He could see it now—she was curious. Cautious. Her lines were no longer scripted. This was real engagement.
"From Sindro himself. I killed him. Took this from his remains. So tell me—does that prove my strength?"
Candice's eyes widened.
"The Vampire Earl… Sindro? He was practically a god...!"
[System Prompt: Candice doubts your claim. You must prove your strength.]
So close. But not enough.
System still needs validation, Dawei thought. Even if the NPC believes you, the game won't confirm it without conditions.
Still, this was progress. He hadn't triggered some generic questline. He'd cracked open a special interaction, unlocked a new path—and possibly nudged Candice toward being a future ally.
And if this didn't go anywhere?
He now had two paths:
1.Follow the normal mercenary questline and build rapport the standard way.
2.Take the badge to the Bounty Guild and force the game to recognize his record through a different system.
Either way, the wheels were in motion.
Dawei grinned to himself.
"The rules were made to be bent. If I can't show you I'm a godslayer... I'll make the system admit it."