Back in the banquet hall:
Madman: "What's gotten into this old geezer? Why's he flipping tables?"
Lord Cain was livid upon learning that his subordinates were killed and the Barrier Stone hadn't been retrieved. He slammed his fist on the table, smashing it to pieces in a fit of rage.
Orson smirked to himself. Messing up Cain's plans by killing his guards? No wonder the guy's losing it.
"You failed to submit the task item [Barrier Stone], resulting in significantly reduced rewards."
"You receive 4,000 EXP, 10 free attribute points, and 5 skill points."
As Orson had anticipated, completing the boss fight still yielded some rewards.
Although the reduced rewards stung, keeping the Barrier Stone for endless monster farming was worth the sacrifice.
Outside the instance, Empress rejoined her guild, and Madman logged out, citing some real-life errands.
Before he left, Orson gave him a nudge, recalling Madman's first hidden class discovery in his past life—an E-rank locksmith thief.
"You run into a hidden class, let me know before you decide," Orson advised.
Madman: "What's this? You're some kind of walking strategy guide now? Trying to get on my good side to pull me into your gang?"
Orson grinned. "Pretty much. I'm starting a guild. I'll buy a war seat soon. You in?"
Madman paused, slightly taken aback. After considering Orson's skill and straightforward nature, he replied candidly, "Sure, so long as there are girls around. I'm just a casual, anyway."
"Deal. Welcome aboard." Orson's smile deepened.
Madman might seem like a clown, always joking about women, but in truth, he was anything but simple. A military academy prodigy in real life, his tactical mind and knack for survival were top-tier.
Despite starting as a casual player and picking his class on a whim, Madman had later clawed his way into the top ten thieves without guild resources or backing.
Recruiting him was a major step in assembling a trustworthy and capable team. Orson didn't need a massive guild—just reliable players who could both fight and be trusted.
As Orson mulled over grabbing a late-night snack, a booming voice jolted him out of his thoughts.
"Criminal! Surrender immediately!"
Turning around, Orson saw a squad of NPC guards bearing down on him.
He slapped his forehead, realizing he'd forgotten about his 10,000+ crime points. Whether inside or outside the city, he was a wanted man.
"This guy's name turned purple? How many people did he kill to pull that off?"
"Brothers, that's Orgod! Kill him, and we're rich!"
The commotion drew dozens of players, their eyes glinting with greed.
If not for the NPC guards, they might not have dared to act. After all, this was the guy who humiliated Usher!
Orson sighed as more and more players swarmed in, calling in reinforcements.
In the eyes of US players, if their target had a health bar, then it was killable. If dozens didn't work, they'd bring hundreds—if hundreds didn't work, they'd bring thousands.
Faced with the growing mob, Orson simply smiled and clasped his hands together.
The players stared in disbelief as the infamous red-named Orgod calmly allowed himself to be arrested by the NPC guards.
"What the—? A three-time champion surrendering like that?!"
"This guy's got no backbone. Guess King Family wasted their 200 million on a wimp."
"Bet he had thousands of gold on him. Just slipped through our fingers… Damn it!"
The crowd could only watch helplessly as Orson was hauled off.
"You have been arrested by the Imperial Guard of the Holy Dragon Empire."
"Given your current crime value, you must pay a fine of 1,190 gold or serve 300 days in prison to clear your name."
"Will you pay the fine?"
Thrown into the city dungeon, Orson promptly refused.
Pay over a hundred thousand real-world dollars for killing a few NPCs and players? No way.
For most players, a 300-day sentence would mean deleting their character and starting fresh. But Orson wasn't panicking. If anything, this could be an opportunity for reinvention.
He tested his abilities in the cell but found that skills were disabled. His equipment slots were also grayed out, rendering violence useless. The anti-magic shackles on his wrists confirmed it.
"I need to speak with your warden," Orson called out.
"Shut it, punk!" barked a guard named Five Cent.
Orson chuckled and dropped an Imperial gold coin onto the ground.
Five Cent's eyes lit up as he scrambled to pick it up, even biting it to ensure it was real.
"Ah, dear adventurer, how can I assist you?" His tone flipped in an instant, worthy of an Oscar.
Orson smirked. Infinite Dimensions really nailed it. Even NPCs are corrupt to the core.
"Take me to your superior. I have urgent business to discuss," Orson said, his tone all business.
Five Cent hesitated. "Well, the boss isn't exactly available right now… How about I get you a drumstick instead?"
Another coin clinked to the ground.
Five Cent's face split into a greedy grin. "Right away, sir! Please follow me!"
He led Orson to the guard commander's quarters atop the city wall. As they approached, muffled moans of pleasure echoed from inside the ajar door.
Orson's smirk froze. So many hidden gems in this game. How did I miss this back then?
"Commander, there's a prisoner here to see you."
Five Cent pushed the door open a crack, only for a foul-smelling boot to fly out.
"Can't you see I'm busy?! Scram!" the commander bellowed.
A scantily clad woman darted past them, her face flushed with embarrassment. Orson marveled silently: Uncensored. Truly a masterpiece.
The commander, Wesley, glared at Orson with barely concealed annoyance. "You'd better have a damn good reason for interrupting me."
Five Cent gleefully waved another coin in front of Wesley's face. "This one's a big spender, boss."
Wesley waved Five Cent away and looked Orson up and down. "You realize bribing an imperial officer is a crime, don't you?"
Orson smirked, tossing him a pouch containing fifty gold coins.
Wesley's eyes gleamed with greed as he feigned indignation. "I am incorruptible!" he declared, closing the door behind him.
The pretense quickly dropped. "Must've been tough in the cell, huh?" Wesley said, grinning as he unlocked Orson's shackles.
Free of his restraints, Orson considered killing the greedy worm but checked Wesley's stats first.
[City Guard Commander Wesley: Level 30]
HP: ???
Attack: ???
Skills: ???
The lack of detailed stats was a clear warning: Wesley's strength far exceeded that of ordinary NPC guards.
Orson sighed inwardly. If Wesley had a skill like Invulnerability, fighting him could attract reinforcements and spell disaster.
Instead, Orson decided to negotiate. "Commander, how about we strike a deal?"
Wesley chuckled, his eyes narrowing. "Kid, I like the way you think."