The core members of Umbra shared a look as they climbed up to the 6th floor with Draco. So far, the first five floors of the Rank 7 Shop had been exactly how they had expected and slightly more.
It was like a mall, with each higher floor possessing greater and greater benefits and fewer detriments to those able to rent it. The fifth floor alone may have been limited 5 shop spaces, but each acted almost like its own mini-market.
The kind of profits those shops could make the vendors was truly terrifying. If Umbra received only 10% yet could still earn slightly more than 150,000 platinum per week, only God knew how much they all made with 90% remaining in their hands.
On each floor, there had been a hefty human presence, but the core members had ignored them as they did their inspection. The fifth floor alone was more congested than a market during that famous black-something sale day from before World War 3.
The sixth floor though, was quite small and more like an executive lounge. There were many prime and high-tier couches, as well as soft rugs and carved tables. The room was quite cool since the cold runes kept the temperature perfect.
It was almost like having an A/C on 24/7, only that these runes were powered by Worldly Energy. There was a bar at the end that had a wide array of food and drink available for the powerhouses who resided here.
There was also a large requisition board that showed the name of the requisitioner as well as what he wanted and what he would give up in exchange.
After all, the 6th floor was the Private Bazaar. People could come here to request for specific items or goods that weren't common, in exchange for something that was of somewhat equal value.
Draco was received by the overseer of the 6th floor, who was a beautiful woman with a tight-fitting outfit that displayed her curves. She had great proportions and wore something akin to a blue cheongsam.
She was tall and had creamy skin. Her face was quite sharp and she looked intelligent and like someone with great willpower. Her eyes were clear and their hazel color gave her an ethereal look.
She had a clean face with bright red lips that contrasted her skin tone. Her hair was cut short, much in the same style as Riveting Night. She also had long legs that were quite supple, so many eyes traveled there.
She bowed to the core members of Umbra. "Hello all. My name is Janet and I'm grateful for your help in giving me this position."
Draco was quite surprised with this Janet. Not only did she use her real name - like he did - she also managed to become a core serf member, yet looked like someone who would be adept at either combat or a Tradeskill.
She was definitely someone who could rise to the top with such a demeanor, so why was she a serf player? Even more, how come he had never heard of her before?
Draco's curiosity was piqued, so he decided to ask. "Nice to meet you. Forgive my impoliteness, but why are you working as a serf? I feel like you would excel in either combat or Tradeskills."
Janet seemed surprised by his question, and went silent before answering slowly. "Before I reached level 10, I was in a party with some female friends I knew from the real world. When we were all questing in a dungeon, I found a secret passage leading to a rare treasure chest. I got lucky and inside there was a Rare consumable that increased sword mastery by a few points."
"Since it was so valuable, there was a dispute over who should keep it. Even though I was the one who found it - and objectively was somewhat more skillful than my 'friends' - they still managed to seize the item."
"They also then proceeded to take all my equipment and money, leaving me unable to fight monsters to progress. So, I signed up for the Umbra serf player recruitment and managed to become a core serf player."
"I was quickly able to make more than I ever had before thanks to this, and I realized that I quite prefer managing this business over fighting all the time."
Towards the end, Janet's voice became quieter. Her hazel eyes glimmered with contentment and drive, showing that she did not dislike her current situation at all.
Draco was slightly impressed by this.
Just because his climb in this life had been smooth didn't mean that the same went for everyone else.
Others usually experienced such painful backstabbing, assuming they didn't end up with teammates like Local Lord who would r.a.p.e or abuse you when they were stronger.
Draco nodded to Janet. "You will find that your choice was right. Tell me their names and I'll make sure that they will never do something like that to anyone else ever again. For now, brief me on the situation surrounding the sixth floor of the Umbra Mall."
Janet began without pausing. "The sixth floor so far has seen a hefty amount of business. The majority of the top-level transactions involving Epic and Legendary items occur here."
"This is because our Rank 7 Shop can objectively judge the value of items to trade, and can also keep the identities of the traders secret without fail. Not even Rank 7 entities can see through the methods within."
"How we make a profit is through the service fee for the incognito and security service provided by the establishment. This fee is a mere 5%, which is why many powers are willing to use us over other similar establishments."
"The other benefits provided are the advertis.e.m.e.nt and ease of exchange. Essentially, the parties doing the transfer don't have to sit and wait. They can make their exchanges from anywhere in the world with the tokens we provide them."
"It allows them to contact us, or any interested party willing to barter, in real-time. With the provisions of the Rank 7 Shop, we can easily send out their requests to the various powers and agencies to see if anyone is willing to trade all without disclosing their identity."
"However, due to the nature of the transactions, it is usually hard to take our share. The parties are usually bartering goods of high value, so it's not like they can cut off 5% of it to give to us more often than not."
"Most of them also don't want to pay the monetary costs for them either because they do not have the liquid funds or the fee is too high due to the value of the items."
"As such, they normally deposit items of equal value to the fee, as ascertained by the Rank 7 Shop's system."
Janet finished this all in one breath. When it came to the first 5 floors, the core members of Umbra had an idea of how it worked.
However, for the sixth floor, they were as new to it as Draco was. They were naturally astounded to hear how it actually worked. It seemed like all their previous assumptions had been wrong.
If what was traded were Epic and Legendary items, materials, and equipment, then at least, 50% of their weekly income must come from this floor alone.
But then again, it couldn't be so, because Janet herself had just informed them that most paid with items. Very few paid with currency, so it meant that the sixth floor actually amounted to a small percentage of their weekly income.
Yet this was even more terrifying. Should all the items they had been paid with being transferred into currency, Umbra might be drowning in funds for years to come.
The core members of Umbra became flushed and even Draco was greatly shocked and impressed.
By the Gods, a Rank 7 Shop was too overpowered! Someone nerf this damn building!
Just joking haha.
Draco began to really look forward to sending 5 buildings to Rank 7 in the Vita Settlement. Just imagine the kind of crazy benefits they could gain from doing so…
Janet saw their crazed looks and laughed suddenly. She felt like this guild - which people believed to house divine seers and unparalleled gods - was just a typical player guild with members who were just extremely talented.
This was naturally what Umbra actually was. However, an outstanding reputation could make a person or entity seem greater than they are in the eyes of the common man.
Draco calmed down his emotions and spoke to Janet solemnly. "Take us to the treasury for this floor."
Janet bowed and led them behind the bar. There, they were admitted to a sizable storage room with a large double door at the end. She led them to the front of this double door.
Janet turned to Draco and Riveting Night. "This door only opens for the Guildmaster or alternatively for either one of the Vice Guildmasters, so might I ask one of you to open it?"
Draco looked at her strangely. "If you can't open it, how do you put things inside?"
Janet blushed slightly and answered sullenly. "When the transaction is made, the system automatically handles the collection and deposit. I'm just here to explain everything and entertain the guests while they handle transactions."
Draco nodded.
He was sure she and some of their serfs could act as aides and servers for the powers coming here, but they would need a dedicated roster of men and women to serve the more… questionable… needs.
Cherry could fit that group once her training was done, along with the slaves Riveting Night had already purchased and the ones she was bound to purchase in the future.
Draco walked up to the door and pressed his emblem to the door's scanning rune. After ascertaining that his qualifications were valid, the door slowly opened.
The core members of Umbra walked through that door to see what could possibly be on the other side. When they did, their steps halted and their blood chilled.
In front of them were neatly arranged rows of items with different descriptions and prices, like an everlasting shelf. However, what had these core members of Umbra chilled to the bone was the rank of these items.
There was nothing below Rare Rank! Whether it was materials, equipment or items, everything began from the Rare rank and some were even Epic Rank!
Wow!
Even Draco was amazed. This whole vault could fully fund three Divine Guilds, much less one. And this was after less than a month of activity…
Draco took in a deep breath and turned to Sublime Notion. "Organize the usable Rare items and distribute them to our guild members starting from expert rank to basic members."
"For the Epic items and equipment, distribute them to the most suitable core members."
Draco's words were like a thunderbolt striking the core members. They had been busy idly fantasizing about the Rare items and what they could do with them when their Guildmaster suddenly said they would be sharing Epic items.
Rina couldn't help but ask with a shaky tone. "D-Draco… how much are we supposed to pay for those E-Epic items…?"
Draco laughed and shook his head. "What are you talking about? I'm giving them out for free~"
The moment Rina heard this, her eyes rolled back into her head as the materialistic woman fainted due to overload.
Everyone couldn't help but chuckle at her antics and their excitement began to bubble when it came to sharing the items. Like wild animals, they rushed into the vault to hunt for their boons.
From their earlier laughing and genial demeanor, one could not recognize those amiable friends and comrades who had transformed into these red-eyed beasts looking like they would directly rip flesh out with their teeth.
Their movement speeds became abhorrent as they rushed through the whole vault. Even Happy Saint - who was a non-combat class player as well as an older man - was leaving afterimages behind him as he ran.
Draco and Riveting Night didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the behavior of their core members. Should any external party see them now, the ill.u.s.trious reputation of Umbra would crumble.
Draco shook his head and waited for them quietly. It didn't take long for all of them to return with flushed faces and wide smiles. The earlier manic monsters were gone, replaced by normal humans.
"I hope you are all satisfied then?" Draco asked with a grin.
Everyone affirmed this. Even the usually silent Dreary Traveler and Silent Walker spoke out their happiness. Draco was most surprised to see that Warm Spring, the usually shy and gentle girl, was smiling the widest.
He had seen the cute-faced girl turn into a horned rabbit, hopping about the place and yoinking everything she could see with zero shame or conscience. Was this always in her character or had Eva started rubbing off on this sister of hers?
"Great. Let's go check out the final floor then."
Everyone nodded and put away their gains quietly, behaving like they had just gone to take a look instead of actually taking things, each item being something that could support any guild for months to come.
Janet, who had seen this all, had understood that she was a frog in the well.
Her mind entered enlightenment as she suddenly comprehended the truth about humankind. She now considered herself a full a.d.u.l.t who had seen all the world had to offer, and couldn't be surprised anymore.
As such, she bowed quickly and scurried away from these core members. While they wore the skin of humans, what resided inside were loot crazed monsters that would forsake their dignity for good loot.
Draco took the core members of Umbra to the topmost floor, which - as was the trend with Rank 7 buildings - was a super mini small world of its own.
However, unlike the Guild Hall's or the Castle's which were malleable, this one was fixed. That meant that it could only be changed manually and not by manipulating the ambient Worldly Energy.
The Auction World was an auditorium-style room with special compartments near the ceiling that had a good overview of the stage.
Each of the compartments were marked with a number, while the interiors were opulent and fully furnished. The seatings for the common members were plentiful, being even more numerous than many stadiums combined.
For every few square meters of seating, there was a large screen hovering in the air to provide a close-up of the stage. Draco noted that each of the VIP rooms were almost hovering in the sky and they also naturally had screens with them.
The stage itself was rather average in size and design. Items could easily be displayed, no matter what size they were, and everyone could see what was going thanks to the thousands of screens.
Draco was surprised though, as the last time he had visited it wasn't this large. It was like the original design had been stretched like a piece of rubber or bubblegum.
A better way to describe it would be that someone separated the VIP compartments from the common seatings and then proceeded to furiously copy and paste the design for the seating over and over till they collapsed.
The screens were also a new addition, and Draco couldn't help but wonder when or how this had happened.
A serf player who was cleaning the area near the entrance saw Draco and froze. Then, with trembling legs, the fellow fell to his knees and began to sob.
"Guildmaster, please don't punish me! I had no hand in that madwoman's additions to your floor!"
Draco gazed at the player with a strange expression. Why was he so fearful that he would be angry?
While changing things up without telling him was certainly distasteful, the result was actually in line with what he wanted.
Draco decided to see exactly what was going on here. "Lead me to the overseer."
The player yelped, but didn't beg anymore. Instead, he led the group to the overseer's compartment, where one could hear a banging noise going on inside.
Draco and Riveting Night shared a weird look, while the other core members blushed. With the sounds being made, it was painfully clear as to what was going on in there, but they couldn't back away.
Draco simply pushed the door open. He was welcomed into a VIP room that was designed similarly to the ones in the Bazaar. It resembled a top-class hotel lounge more than anything else.
In the center of the room was someone who was using a chisel and a hammer to work on a stone sculpture. While every eye in the room focused on the impressive sculpture, Draco was focused on the person doing the sculpting.
"It's you!" Draco said with surprise.
The woman doing the sculpting turned around and faced Draco with a smile, her blond hair tied behind her neck, while her amber eyes gleamed with amus.e.m.e.nt.
"Yes, it's me," Amber replied with a smile.
The main researcher for the AI project of the GloryGore Labs was actually logged into the game and had joined Umbra as a serf player.
What's more, she had gotten in as a core serf member, and was therefore eligible to become overseer.
To top everything off, she was responsible for the final floor.
This was just…
Amber blew the dust away from her life-sized sculpture, which finally caught Draco's attention. He didn't know whether to be impressed or worried that it was a perfect rendition of him from how he appeared in the real world.
Amber walked up to Draco, her eyes glowing as she gazed at him. Her voice was quite strange as she spoke to him when she got close.
"I have joined your guild. I hope you don't mind. After all, I've passed your test with flying colors. I find that I have nothing to do ever since you came and left."
Draco's brows furrowed. "You should be working on your project. How do you have time to fool around here?"
Amber seemed to have been waiting for this question as she smiled strangely.
"According to the script, I should've had died back then, possibly after you had your way, or end up enslaved without the ability to think. However, none of that happened and I was left with free will... and more time than what I know what to do with it."
"As such, I decided to use that time to observe you and how you interact with this world."
Draco felt the chills from how she spoke like he was some prime specimen for dissection and investigation... as if the moment she discovered all his secrets, she would have all the answers of the universe within her hands.
"Aside from that, why have you altered the area? Or better yet, how?" Draco asked seriously.
"I have some powers. I just thought it would be better like this. Don't worry, I'll mostly stay in this room while I'm online. I also don't plan on interfering with anything you do, just like the AI."
Draco could only sigh in defeat. How was he supposed to deal with what was essentially the GM of the game?
Beat her? Impossible.
Subdue her? He forewent the chance back then and he would forgo it now. Whether it was Eva, Hikari or Roma, they were overall better than Amber by a hundred times.
Ignore her? That seemed to be the best option for now.
As such, Draco only said. "Announce that Umbra will be holding our opening auction in 90 days."
Without staying a second further in this strange woman's room, he led the core members of Umbra out and towards the Vita Settlement as fast as he could.
Amber smiled widely as she watched Draco leave, and her bright eyes gleamed with a strange intent…