"What did you say? You're claiming you received the 'Gifted One' title? Are you mocking us? Other than the 'Notable One' and 'Rookie Genius' titles, I've never heard of any examinee receiving anything else!"
Somchai shouted in a fit of rage. He felt as though he was being insulted by the other party for the second time. While Somchai was weighing whether or not to strike to reclaim his honor, Ploy stepped in between them and spoke.
"That's right, Brother Nawa. Besides those two titles, I've never heard of anyone else passing the test and receiving a different one. If there were, the examiners would have definitely told us."
"I don't know about that, but the title I received is indeed 'The Gifted One,' not 'Rookie Genius,'"
Nawa spoke to Ploy in a calm, steady voice. He didn't pay the slightest attention to the raging Somchai, as if the other man's words were nothing more than background noise.
"Why you...! How dare you ignore the great Somchai? You must think you're so tough, don't you? The only reason you beat me earlier was because I let my guard down! In a real fight, I'd have someone like you on the ground in less than a minute!"
Somchai tightened his grip on the hammer, intent on taking down Nawa to wash away his humiliation. But Nathi stepped forward, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Cool it, my friend. That goes without saying—if it came down to a real fight, he'd be no match for you. But right now, I'm more interested in that 'alias' he mentioned."
"Nathi, don't tell me you actually believe his nonsense?" Somchai spat.
"Have you already forgotten about Adam White?" Nathi replied, his voice calm, yet his eyes remained fixed on Nawa, sizing him up.
"You mean Adam White? The American player who was the first in the world to reach the Super Player rank?" Somchai exclaimed.
Nathi nodded before turning to address Nawa.
"Adam White is a legend among players. There are rumors that he received a unique alias—one unlike anyone else's—right from the moment he took the player trials. If you truly possess an alias like that, can you show it to us?"
"I can't," Nawa replied flatly.
"Why not?" Nathi asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he scrutinized Nawa.
The primary benefits of an alias consist of various privileges granted by the system, such as service discounts or access to special system functions.
The determination of which alias a player deserves is handled solely by the player device's AI; even high-ranking officials of "The One" Association cannot interfere with this process. Naturally, these details are kept strictly confidential—unless the owner chooses to reveal them, no one can uncover their alias.
If a player wishes to disclose their alias, they can do so through the identification function, though it requires a service fee paid to the system. The cost varies depending on the rarity of the alias. Common aliases held by many players incur a fee of only a few copper coins.
Examples include the "World-Forgetter" alias, given to those who remain in The Oneness for over a year, or the "Wayfarer" alias, awarded to players who have traveled more than 10,000 kilometers.
However, for aliases held by only a small number of people—such as the "New Genius" alias that Nathi and his friends received—the service fee jumps to 5 silver coins.
The system charges such a high fee because it takes into account the benefits the player receives; the alias helps others recognize a player's exceptional skills and experience, which is highly valuable when negotiating work contracts, seeking sponsorship, or applying to join a guild.
But Nawa didn't see it that way, because the service fee for the "The Gifted One" alias he had received was an astronomical 12 gold coins—equivalent to over 10 million Thai Baht.
Nawa privately suspected it must be some kind of system bug, possibly related to his brain function measurement hitting a perfect 100% during the assessment.
"I have no reason to tell you,"
Nawa said with a deadpan expression. He chose this answer because he had already calculated that if he told the truth, not only would they disbelieve him, but if the matter escalated to a formal investigation by the Association, it would be a massive waste of time—and for Nawa right now, every minute literally meant money.
"Grrr... You dare play games with us?" Somchai gritted his teeth, about to lung at Nawa. But Nathi thrust out his hand to block him, speaking in a fierce tone.
"Are you looking for trouble with us?"
Nawa didn't offer a word in response. He stood his ground, motionless, without showing the slightest hint of fear.
The tension, which felt as though a battle could erupt at any second, finally dissipated when Nathi decided to sheathe his sword into his dimensional storage. He then spoke with a cold, aggressive voice:
"Let's go," Nathi said, turning his back and walking away immediately. Although Somchai was still fuming, he chose to follow Nathi.
In the end, only Ploy remained. It seemed she actually believed Nawa's words; she didn't even ask why he wouldn't show his "Gifted One" alias.
In fact, within the player community, demanding to see someone's stats or alias was considered a form of bullying. While there was no official rule against it, most people regarded it as an incredibly rude gesture.
"I apologize for my friends' behavior. They were very disrespectful," Ploy said, raising her hands in a respectful wai to apologize on their behalf. "Truthfully, they really are good people."
"It's alright. You don't need to overthink it," Nawa replied.
"But you should probably catch up with your friends. They might get angry with you too—at this rate, they might even kick you out of the party."
Nawa spoke with a relaxed demeanor, as if he were chatting with a close relative. He didn't quite understand it himself—why he felt such an immediate rapport with this young girl.
"Them? Angry at me? Not a chance. Didn't you notice the clothes I'm wearing, P?"
Ploy said, her eyes widening in an adorable expression.
"Ah, that's right. You're a Healer," Nawa replied with a slight smile.
It was common knowledge that the rarest and most vital class in any team wasn't the Tank or the Mage, but the Healer. No matter how dissatisfied a party might be, no one would dare kick out their only Healer.
Ploy tried to invite Nawa to join her team once more, but he chose to decline—at least for now. At this point, joining the same team was out of the question; even if Nawa just showed his face, it would likely spark another confrontation.
Eventually, Ploy gave up on her attempt and instead asked to add Nawa to her friend list, which he did not refuse.
The player device system features a Community function for sending messages within The Oneness, provided that both parties have added each other to their friend lists.
Once they were officially registered as friends in the system, Ploy invited Nawa to head into the city. Nawa agreed, as he had originally intended to explore the city anyway. However, as the two reached the city gates, Nawa found it necessary to part ways with Ploy.
Entering the city required a toll of 50 copper coins, which was equivalent to about 5,000 Baht in the real world. While it seemed a bit steep, for an average player, this amount was manageable. However, for the current Nawa, let alone 50 copper coins—he didn't even want to part with five.
Ploy knitted her brows and stared at Nawa before asking, "Don't tell me... the reason you didn't reveal your alias earlier was simply because you didn't have the money to pay the system fee?"
Nawa could only give a sheepish smile, neither confirming nor denying it.
Just as Ploy was about to press further, a soldier suddenly approached Nawa and spoke in a gruff voice.
"If you don't have the money for the toll, how about doing a job for me in exchange for entry?"
"What kind of job?" Nawa asked, his interest piqued.
Almost as soon as the guard finished his explanation, a "Ding!" echoed in Nawa's head, and a system window popped up:
(E-Rank Quest: Hunt 10 Wild Rabbits)
(Details: The guards at the gates of Mattehorn City have been on duty for a long time and require the horns of One-Horned Wild Rabbits to concoct a tonic. You must hunt 10 wild rabbits to complete this mission.)
(Reward: Entry fee for Mattehorn City)
(Reputation points upon completion: 1)
(Accept) (Decline)
"Hey, let me tell you something," Ploy interjected.
"Why is that?" Nawa turned to ask her, curiosity in his voice.
"Because the rewards are so low—they're hardly worth the effort. It's better to just go out and hunt on your own. Besides, The Oneness isn't a real game; even though the system's predictions are highly accurate, there's no guarantee that people in The Oneness won't break their word.
If you're going to take a quest, it should be at least D-rank. That way, even if they break the contract, the system still grants you reputation points,"
Ploy explained with a sense of pride.
Listening to her, Nawa felt a bit surprised. His system window clearly stated that he would receive 1 reputation point upon completing the mission.It didn't take long for him to realize the reason: he possessed the "Gifted One" alias.
This alias granted him a 25% bonus to reputation points earned from missions. This was likely why he was able to earn reputation even from an E-rank quest.
Originally, Nawa didn't see much use for reputation points since they couldn't be traded or converted into cash; they could only be used to pay for system service fees.
However, the moment he stepped into The Oneness, Nawa's perspective shifted. System services were essential, and their costs were exorbitant. While 1 reputation point seemed like a small amount, when exchanged for system service fees, it was worth approximately 100 copper coins.
"I think I'll give this quest a try," Nawa said. He already needed information about the local monsters, and since the soldier knew about them, there was no reason to refuse.
"Sigh..." Ploy let out a heavy breath before speaking with an even more frustrated tone.
"You don't realize it, do you? A player's Mana requires Energy Crystals to regenerate, and the absorption process takes hours. You're a Mage—use your power once or twice and your Mana will be gone. If you don't plan your hunt carefully, you're bound to end up at a loss."
"I appreciate your concern, but I'd like to give this quest a shot," Nawa replied confidently.
"You're really stubborn, aren't you? Fine. If you change your mind, you can find me at the inn inside the city. I'll likely be staying here for a few more days." With a huff, Ploy turned and disappeared into the city.
Seeing that, Nawa wasn't angry at all; he simply smiled and shook his head.
Nawa set off toward the meadows near the city gates, following the guard's directions. After walking for about an hour, he came across a vast grassland.
He spotted a large white deer grazing, with several small pink pigs nearby. From the look of it, there didn't seem to be any dangerous monsters in this area.
It didn't take long for Nawa to spot a One-Horned Wild Rabbit. It looked like a regular rabbit from his world, but twice the size, with a small horn protruding from its forehead. It darted back and forth across the field, popping in and out of view across the wide expanse.
"Ding!" the system sound rang in his head, and a message window popped up instantly:
(One-Horned Wild Rabbit [Common Rank]: Quest Target, 10 needed)
(Pay 2 copper coins for additional information)
(Accept) (Decline)
Nawa looked at the system window and shook his head. Everything in The Oneness really did cost money. Even data on a Common-rank monster required a fee to check.
Although Nawa was curious about the extra information the system offered, he ultimately chose to close the screen, prioritizing saving his existing funds for truly essential moments.
Nawa decided to analyze the monster with his own eyes. After observing it for a while, he concluded that as long as he watched out for the sharp horn on its head, it shouldn't be too dangerous.
Once he managed to catch one, killing it seemed simple enough—he could just crush its skull with his Liquid Metal Bracer or snap its neck.
With that plan in mind, Nawa began to sprint. However, the One-Horned Wild Rabbits were incredibly fast. Even though Nawa was faster, he still couldn't catch them because they would quickly retreat into their underground burrows.
Going down into those holes seemed too risky; while they were large enough for a person to enter, they were far too cramped to defend himself. Given the rabbits' speed combined with those sharp horns, they were not something he could afford to underestimate.
Nawa figured the only way to hunt these rabbits was to take them down before they could escape into their burrows, and he had to do it without getting too close.
This required a long-range weapon, such as a bow or a crossbow. However, the cheapest bow Nawa had seen for sale in "The One" Association shop cost more than one silver coin—not even counting the price of arrows.
"Sigh..." Nawa let out a long breath, muttering to himself. Catching ten wild rabbits in exchange for fifty copper coins might truly not be worth the effort after all.