"So, you've been to Taiban Village before, huh?" Somkid asked, looking at Nawa with suspicion.
"No, I haven't. But I overheard the guards at the gate talking about it, so I wondered if it might be the same person," Nawa replied, trying to calm himself down.
"I see," Somkid paused for a moment before continuing.
"From what you've said, it seems like it's the same person. The herbalist I mentioned is indeed in Taiban Village."
"Thank you so much, brother. I will never forget your kindness. If I have the chance, I will definitely repay your kindness."
Nawa's eyes sparkled, his face showing uncontrollable joy.
"Don't get your hopes up too high, little brother. It's been many years, and I haven't heard of such a medicine appearing on the market. Maybe that herbalist Mandis is just bragging,"
Somkid didn't want the other to have high hopes, knowing better than anyone that stories told in drinking circles are often exaggerated.
"It's alright, brother. I was going to Taiban Village anyway."
"Anyway, I already promised the guards I'd find out why that herbalist didn't deliver medicine to the city,"
Nawa replied, his face still showing a hint of hope, even though he knew the possibility was slim. But even so, having hope was better than having none.
"Hmph…" Somkid sighed deeply before speaking in a serious tone.
"Listen carefully. Don't think I'm being disrespectful, but someone of your caliber, little brother, can't go there yet."
"What's so special about there? Why can't I go?" Nawa asked, looking surprised.
"Hmph… You've just joined The Oneness, you probably don't know how dangerous things are outside the city walls. It's not a place where you can just go wherever you want. The area near the city walls is okay because there are soldiers patrolling, so there aren't many dangerous monsters.
But the further you go from the city, the higher the level of the monsters. And most of them see humans like us as their prey. Unless you're a Rank C player or higher, it's difficult to travel across the city alone."
Somkid warned him with good intentions, seeing the other as a young man with a strong sense of filial piety.
"I don't want you to throw your life away."
"Thank you for the advice. Although my stats aren't quite Rank C yet, they're already at the mid-Rank D level. As long as I'm not careless, I believe I can make it to Taiban Village."
"What?! You have stats at the mid-Rank D level already?"
Somkid exclaimed loudly, his eyes wide. It took him ten years to reach the high-Rank D level, yet this other person had only been in The Oneness for a few days and already had stats at the mid-Rank D level. While he didn't think the other person was lying, it was hard to believe.
"Or are you a student of the Asashi Academy?" Somkid asked, frowning in suspicion. Judging from Nawa's attire, he didn't seem like a student from the Asashi Academy.
"No, no. I'm not a student of the Asashi Academy. I was just lucky enough to have a kind person treat me to high-level monster meat. That's why my stats are a little higher than others."
Even though Nawa thought the other person was trustworthy, he still didn't want to reveal the truth about White Snake, so he decided not to tell the whole truth.
Somkid only mentioned what happened at the Future Guild's press conference at the association event. He was lucky to meet Yongyuth, a famous journalist, who treated him to a meal of high-level monster meat.
Somkid seemed to sense something the other person was hiding, but he didn't press the issue.
"I really envy those rich people. Just a few meals and they get more stat points than I've accumulated in a whole year."
Somkid said with a seemingly indifferent tone, but his voice was laced with sadness, anger, and resignation. It was a feeling of pressure that had gnawed at Somkid's mind for years.
Back when Somkid first joined The Oneness, he was full of dreams, hoping to build his future in The Oneness.
However, due to his impoverished family background, Somkid borrowed money for his initial expenses, and more than half of his earnings went towards paying exorbitant interest, leaving him with insufficient funds for self-improvement.
Ultimately, Somkid ended up working as a laborer player. But he didn't give up. He struggled, using the time between job offers to hunt common monsters around the city. He would eat the monsters to increase his stats.
After many years, Somkid's stats reached a high-level Rank D, with an average stat of almost 700, which is very high compared to typical players whose average stats are no more than 200.
Somkid's goal was to increase his average stats to over 1000. Only then would he be able to take the rank-up exam to become a Rank C player. If he passed, he would officially become a Rank C player.
Although Rank C players are still low-ranked players, their status and standing are vastly different from Rank E or D players. Banks and financial institutions offer low-interest loans to Rank C players, and guilds start accepting them as members.
As a guild member, Somkid would receive significant financial and resource support; it was essentially the first step towards becoming a true player.
In truth, Nawa himself almost found himself in the same situation. If he hadn't possessed knowledge of spacetime and the various things he learned from the Himmapan forest, he wouldn't have been able to develop himself so quickly.
"I appreciate your kindness, brother, but I want to save my father as soon as possible. I will definitely repay your kindness if I have the opportunity in the future," Nawa said seriously, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"Never mind the repayment. We're both Thais; we help each other out. It seems you haven't given up on your dream of going to Taiban Village, have you? Seeing you reminds me of myself when I was young. How about this? I'll help you get to Taiban Village without risking your life." Somkid said, then downed the beer in his glass in one gulp.
"What do you mean, brother? Are you going to travel to Taiban Village with me?"
Nawa asked, his eyebrows furrowed with surprise. He didn't expect the other man to be so kind to him.
"Don't look so surprised. I don't intend to take you to Taiban Village, even though I'd like to, I'm not strong enough to do that yet."
"I just wanted to check the Transporter Guild's mission board, in case there's a quest to Taiban Village. My younger brother has a Rank D stat now, maybe he could apply to be a laborer player and follow them."
After saying that, Somkid opened the system window and activated the Guild function.
This Guild function is accessible to players who are members of a guild registered with the Association. The function displays guild news and missions to members, with mission conditions determined by the guild administration. Some missions are open to anyone, while others require payment.
The Transport Guild uses this function to distribute jobs to millions of members across The Oneness. The guild lists the types of jobs and the requirements of employers looking to hire laborer players in various cities on the mission board.
When a guild member is interested, they must pay to accept the mission. After payment, the system displays the employer's details.
"Found it! This quest seems suitable for my younger brother."
After saying that, Somkid selected the mission and the system deducted 25 copper coins from his dimensional inventory. Immediately, a beam of energy appeared... It flowed out of nowhere before disappearing into the player's device.
Somkid looked at the system window with satisfaction before speaking:
"Listen carefully, little brother. In about a week, a client will come to this hotel. They need a player laborer to carry goods while they hunt monsters near the lake close to Taiban Village. If you get this job, in addition to the 3 silver coins you'll receive, you'll also get to travel to Taiban Village. How about killing two birds with one stone?"
"Thank you so much, Brother Somkid. I'll never forget your kindness,"
Nawa said, bowing his head in gratitude and taking out one silver coin from an energy crystal to give Somkid for the information. But Somkid refused, saying:
"Don't worry about such a small matter."
Nawa didn't insist on paying, as it would be disrespectful. The two continued talking for a while longer, until the table was filled with empty plates and many empty glasses. It had been a long time since Nava had enjoyed himself so much.