MMORPG: I was BUGGED-Chapter 278: Bargaining Chip

"Simply put, I want official entry into your group. In return, I expect no harassment or legal action against me once our collaboration concludes. I need absolute secrecy surrounding my involvement and presence as well."

Xin understood that his account name would eventually be exposed. The best move at this point was to formally establish an alliance, leveraging his advantages.

Fortunately, they wouldn’t recognize his face, and even if they knew his account name at the end of this dungeon, searching for Lord Schrodinger in the game wouldn’t pose a problem.

After everything was settled, Xin planned to change his account name and fade into obscurity.

Ragnarok Reaper scrutinized X. "If you wanted to join us from the start, why didn’t you enlist in the first place?"

"I have my reasons," Xin replied, unwilling to disclose that his low level prevented him from joining earlier and that he was the one who cleared the high-profile Abandon Dwarven Fortress.

He didn’t want to disclose how he had cleared that fortress in exchanged for a spot in this expedition. He wanted to enter the Castle of Doom with his own terms.

Eclipse eyes narrowed. "You . . . I don’t trust you," he said low and slow.

"That’s right," Fighting Bunny added, "How can we trust a player hiding his identity?"

Xin nonchalantly shrugged. "You don’t have to trust me. All I want is a share of the EXP, gil, and loot at the end of this. We can even have a [Blood Contract] to seal the deal so both parties can be rest assured."

A [Blood Contract] allowed players to form online agreements, with severe penalties for non-compliance, including death and significant EXP loss, or any penalties the players deemed appropriate.

It was a popular on-the-spot remedy for sudden issues or conflicts.

"We’ll get back to you after a brief meeting to discuss this," Ragnarok Reaper stated.

"Take your time," Xin replied.

Ragnarok Reaper, Doom Harbinger, Eclipse, and Fighting Bunny convened at the room’s corner for an emergency meeting.

Xin suddenly felt awkward when he found himself standing alone, uncertain on what to do.

Xin wasn’t worried about his safety here, though. He knew Hilda was nearby. A call from him, and she would rush to his aid.

There was also no PvP inside the town. But Xin wasn’t sure about his safety once he was outside tomorrow. He would definitely write it in the contract.

Meanwhile, Ragnarok Reaper and the others murmured about what course of action to take.

"I don’t trust him," Eclipse reiterated, boredom evident on his face.

"Me too," Fighting Bunny added. "If we allow him into our ranks, he might do something, and we’d have no way of tracking him once this is over."

"He would do something regardless of whether we let him in or not," said Doom Harbinger. "I suggest we let him in to keep a closer eye on him."

"Doom Harbinger is right," Ragnarok Reaper agreed. "It’s better to keep him closer. Besides, regardless of this guy’s background, he entered our ranks without us knowing, killed Salathiir with one shot, and even had the NPCs go underground for safety. He’s more useful to us than we think. I say we use him until the end."

"But . . ." Fighting Bunny hesitated as she briefly glanced in X’s direction. "There must be a reason why he’s hiding his identity and secretly infiltrating our ranks. He might be a spy for other guilds."

"I see your point," Doom Harbinger acknowledged. "But he’s already here, and even if he’s a spy, we can’t do anything to him while he’s inside this town. I bet that he already know everything by this point. It’s better to use him instead."

After further discussion, Ragnarok Reaper faced X and spoke seriously, "We’ll agree to let you in, but we’ll form that blood contract."

"Fine by me," Xin replied with a shrug.

The group then proceeded to discuss the terms of their agreement, including no killing on both sides, no divulging of secrets, and the fair distribution of loot until the dungeon’s completion, among other specifics. These were the major terms agreed upon.

"Am I officially part of the team now?" Xin inquired, having dotted his blood onto the parchment to seal the deal.

Ragnarok Reaper responded, "Yes. Now, you have to tell us your class and race. It’s fine if you want to keep your stats secret, but we need to know your class and race to assign you to the right place."

Nodding, Xin shared, "I’m a beastfolk and a Mage." That was all he was willing to reveal.

There was a moment of silence before Eclipse sighed. "I don’t trust you," he said again.

"A beastfolk, huh?" So the rumors that he might be a cat was true, Fighting Bunny thought. She then imagined a black cat walking on two feet with a large hat over its head, wearing eyeglasses perched on its nose, and holding a staff or a book to cast magic.

She wasn’t sure whether to smile or not at the thought. She likes cats, but she doesn’t want her cats to look like a humanoid.

"A Mage?" Doom Harbinger exchanged a knowing look with Ragnarok Reaper. They understood that X’s was concealing his true race and class, only offering a general idea.

At least, he isn’t an idiot. Doom Harbinger appreciated X’s discretion, realizing that confirming specifics would make it easier to track him down later.

"Then you can join Maya’s group. She’s in charge of the mages unit," Ragnarok Reaper assigned. "Now, let’s move out and discuss our plans for tomorrow. It’s time to address the concerns of the others."

One by one, the others exited the room. Before leaving, Eclipse stared at X with his serpent-like eyes. "I don’t trust you," he declared before exiting the room.

Xin wasn’t bothered by their lack of trust; he wasn’t here to make friends.

His original plan was to remain hidden, but when he discovered that he could direct the NPCs underground through Poppy’s assistance, he found his bargaining chip with the guilds.

The sole reason they allowed him entry and signed the [Blood Contract] was because of this unique ability.

Now, all he needed to do was lay low, fulfill his role, and disappear without a trace. His only hope was that Victor wouldn’t recognize him along the way.