Everyone froze, but Justin quietly nodded. It was as he suspected.

  Now it was confirmed—these people were truly "real."

  'The system doesn't intend to turn everyone into players. Nor does it plan to supplement the population from elsewhere.'

  Thus, there was only one answer. Divide the existing people into rulers and the ruled.

  The ones who adapt to the system and actively step up will become rulers, while those who avoid danger and seek safety will become the ruled.

  'I expected this would naturally happen eventually, but I didn't think the system would go out of its way to create a hierarchy.'

  Justin glanced around at the group's reactions, which were completely polarized.

  The "Pioneer" group, those who dedicated themselves to quests from the beginning, looked startled, but not displeased. On the other hand, the "Layman" group, who had been receiving one-sided protection, looked like they'd been hit in the back of the head with a blunt weapon.

  An awkward silence lingered, and Justin spoke up again.

  "I see. That's how they are classified. Can you see other people's status windows?"

  "Strictly speaking, I can only see their level and title. But that's more than enough for me."

  "Then, as a 'Pioneer,' I have a question."

  "Ask anything you'd like!"

  Algrim accepted the term "Pioneer" without any denial and bowed his head.

  Justin repeated the question the man, classified as a "Layman," had asked earlier.

  "You said you're a tradesman. What exactly are you selling? Weapons or armor?"

  "That's a fantastic question! Of course, I sell weapons and armor, but that's not all!"

  With a smile, Algrim snapped his fingers.

  A yellow window appeared in front of Justin. It was similar, yet distinct from the bluish status window.

  "What is this? A status window? Why is this here?"

  "Wait, this isn't a status window…"

  Voices murmured around him, indicating he wasn't the only one seeing this.

  Algrim clasped his hands together and addressed the "Pioneers."

  "This is a catalog of the items I'm selling. Over time, I'll be able to offer more, but for now, this is the limit. Please, take a look!"

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  Upon closer inspection, the translucent window seemed to be a catalog. The categories were diverse: food, weapons, armor, and even home improvement.

  Justin immediately entered the weapons section.

  [Weapons]

  Dagger: 20 Mana Stones

  Scorched Staff: 50 Mana Stones

  Novice Warrior's Sword: 150 Mana Stones

  Apprentice's Staff: 200 Mana Stones

  'Nothing better than the quest rewards, it seems.'

  The highest-priced item listed at the bottom matched the final quest rewards. Among them was the Apprentice's Staff, which he had obtained.

  The fact that there was nothing superior to the final quest reward brought a smile to his lips.

  'If the items obtained with so much effort had no value, it'd be demotivating.'

  If there had been something better right away, it would have dampened his enthusiasm. It would imply that someone could overtake him just by trying a little later.

  But nothing in the shop surpassed the final rewards.

  For a while, he and the other leaders would retain their advantage. At best, someone could hope to reach their level, but only with equivalent effort.

  'Mana stones as currency?'

  While Justin blinked at the thought, Algrim continued.

  "As you can see, the currency I accept is mana stones! Now, what are mana stones, you ask…!"

  Algrim began to explain, but Justin already had a rough understanding.

  Mana stones were small gems located near the heart of monsters with a certain level of power. In the game, one could collect them by searching the corpses of slain monsters.

  These collected mana stones were used to exchange for rare items with traveling merchants.

  'But in the game, very few actually gathered mana stones. It took too much time.'

  If you wanted to level up, it was better to spend time killing another monster than collecting mana stones. If you needed money, increasing the productivity of a town took priority.

  Thus, it was a half-abandoned feature in the game. But here, it had become one of the most important currencies.

  'It makes sense, considering they can't rely on people's taxes at this point.'

  While Justin understood this, Algrim raised his voice to deliver what seemed to be the most important information.

  "Everyone! Please focus! If you miss this part, you will regret it! Please open the food section and check it out!"

  Food? Now that he mentioned it, that section did exist.

  In a way, it was the most important category, yet Justin hadn't checked it.

  He opened the food section, and to his surprise, the list was almost empty. There were only two items available.

  [Food]

  Drinking Water 500ml: FreeSteamed Potatoes (Complete Food): Free

  "…Is this all there is?"

  Someone spoke, expressing what everyone was feeling.

  It was great that they were free, but were they supposed to live on water and steamed potatoes for years?

  Algrim shook his head dramatically at those words.

  "Of course not! If you wish, you may purchase any food from the old world, depending on the number of mana stones you possess!"

  The basic offerings were just water and steamed potatoes. If you wanted something else, you'd have to talk to Algrim and buy it.

  "However, there is a bit of a price difference based on the type of food. A hearty meat stew, for instance, would cost about ten mana stones."

  "What!? That's outrageous!"

  "No, that's just ridiculous, no matter how you look at it."

  Even Justin was taken aback.

  Wasn't fifteen bowls of meat stew about the equivalent of a final quest reward?

  "Please, everyone, calm down. I'm talking about an abundant meat stew. Foods like sandwiches or hamburgers are relatively cheaper."

  The price varied depending on the type of ingredients and preparation. Generally, simpler foods with fewer ingredients cost between one and three mana stones.

  The atmosphere began to settle when people found out the relatively reasonable pricing for some items.

  That's when Derek Stone, who had been silent until now, stepped forward with a grim expression.

  "Hey, tradesman! Isn't this too much?"

  "Too much? What do you mean?"

  "The food, the food! The difference between those who prepared in advance and those who didn't is too great!"

  Derek pointed in every direction with his fingers and shouted.

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