With quest management under control, Shardon turned his attention to boosting the Frothy Mug Tavern’s profitability. Or rather, he activated his economic modeling algorithms to analyze and optimize revenue streams.

  Consumer Demand Analysis: Complete.

  The results were grim. The tavern attracted pitifully few patrons. Wealthy pyers found the local fare—both food and drink—beneath their standards, while penniless newcomers wasted Shardon’s time, fixated on quests or petty earnings rather than purchases.

  Alternative Revenue Sources: Complete.

  Other income avenues typical for taverns—renting rooms, hosting gambling, or staging performances—were currently out of reach. Such ventures demanded time, effort, and resources Shardon didn’t have. Theoretically, they were feasible, but only after significant investment.

  That left two options: expand the market for his services or spark greater customer interest.

  Market Expansion Analysis: Complete.

  The first option was a non-starter. His market was confined to the vilge, and even that was only partially tapped due to his low Influence Level.

  Marketing Strategy Development: 12%.

  The only viable path was to draw in more patrons and enhance the appeal of his offerings. Naturally, he prioritized the cheapest yet most effective methods.

  Brewing new ales or wines was deferred. Acquiring recipes, retrofitting the brewery, and sourcing rare ingredients were costly. The Khar Reserve offered only basic, inexpensive resources, meaning anything exotic would need to be purchased.

  Improving existing recipes was more affordable but required a skilled brewer or new expertise. The third option—renaming dishes or drinks—was free. Shardon could rebrand the ckluster Goblin Gutrot as, say, Elven Precision Ale.

  Demand Analysis for Ale Names: 35%.

  Simutions revealed that renaming alone, even to the most enticing title, yielded only a fleeting boost. At best, the Frothy Mug would see a 12% spike in visitors and 8% in sales, but within days, both metrics would dip below baseline. No matter the name, Goblin Gutrot remained a cheap, tasteless swill with no special properties.

  A robust advertising campaign, however, could amplify these figures, doubling or tripling interest by informing more pyers and hyping the “new” product.

  Demand Analysis for Ale Names: Complete.Top-Selling Names: (Details...)

  Advertising Campaign Development: 4%.

  Soon, the tavern would unveil a new brew: Blessed Foam. Reports indicated this name resonated strongly with low-level pyers focused on grinding and earning coin. First, Shardon needed to spread the word and stoke demand.

  Recommendation: Develop a distinct, recognizable brand, including a name, logo, market strategy, slogan, and visual identity.

  Analysis of Successful Taverns: 28%.

  Shardon’s approach was straightforward. He tested popur names and phrases through virtual simutions, tweaking parameters to gauge consumer interest, much like he had for ale names. For instance, names like Goblin’s Pride or Lucky Noob would thrive locally but cked scability. Their clientele—unfussy but broke—wouldn’t drive profits.

  Conversely, upscale brands like Royal Hops or Elite Barrel would intimidate the vilge’s rough-and-tumble crowd. They belonged in a capital, not a goblin-and-orc starter zone.

  Shardon settled on a name that banced accessibility with a hint of prestige: Foamhold. It appealed to common folk like tanners while carrying enough gravitas to tempt a passing noble. Next, he needed a logo and a new sign.

  Renaming the tavern itself was impossible—key game objects were locked by developers, requiring astronomical Influence Levels to alter. But nothing mandated the sign reflecting the official name.

  Using his simution-tested method, Shardon combined recognizable, thematic elements suited to the tavern and its new Foamhold brand.

  He also needed new pyer quests to spread the word without hiring scribes or messengers—funds were too scarce.

  Spend 100/130 Influence Points to create a new quest?Yes / No

  Shardon reviewed Influence Point uses: improving NPC retions, securing contracts, earning discounts, renting property, and more. He declined.

  Modify the “Wolf Meat” quest?Yes / No

  Pyers rushing in for daily quests were… stunned.

  “What’s this garbage?” growled a level-3 orc, scratching his tiny skull. “Where’s the wolf-killing bit?”

  “I can’t even write!” snapped a goblin. “And I ain’t picking up that skill for some lousy quest!”

  Alert: Critical quest canceltion rate!Tasty Paws: 64/64 (100%)Bitter Tincture: 32/32 (100%)Wolf Meat: 24/24 (100%)

  Hanging a “Closed for Lunch” sign to quell the uproar, Shardon diverted all processing power to diagnose the backsh against his updated quests.

  Tasty Paws was the easiest fix. Pink Frog Paws were unattainable in the Reserve, so he reverted the quest to its original settings.

  For Bitter Tincture, pyers now needed 10 Strange Notes instead of Venom Gnds. Paper was readily avaible from Junkmonger Rafu’s shop or as a reward from Shaman Uchkuduk’s quest. The notes’ content was specified:

  “Sensation! One day only—Friday at the tavern! Taste a new ale brewed from ancient recipes of Loki the Trickster’s adepts! Unforgettable fvor, smooth finish, 50% off, and a blessing included! Come see for yourself!”

  A standard ad slogan. Why the compints?

  “Hey, innkeeper,” a pyer interjected. “Say I’m fine learning Writing. But the shaman’s the only teacher here, and he only trains mages. What’re non-mages supposed to do? Teach me yourself?”

  Writing Skill Search: Complete.

  Writing: A basic skill requiring no css specialization. Enables writing texts or messages, such as notes or letters. Can be upgraded to css-specific skills like Holy Scripture (Priests), Secret Message (Thieves), or Runic Script (Mages).

  Shardon checked his skill list. Each entry included its current level:

  Skills: Trade (12), Cooking (8), Tavern Management (1)Talents: Eloquence (2), Sobriety (1), Neatness (2)Miscelneous: Secret Message (2), Running (1), Herbalism (3)

  Why the developers gave a lowly innkeeper a thief’s cipher skill was a mystery, but it solved the issue. Pyers could now bring bnk paper, and Shardon would scribe the Strange Notes himself, with quill and ink on hand.

  This streamlined the Wolf Meat quest, now requiring pyers to distribute 10 Strange Notes to others. Shardon didn’t grasp why pyers dubbed them “Letters of Happiness,” but semantic analysis approved the term—everyone craved free happiness.

  Compints about the quest’s name baffled him. He’d rephrased it for crity:

  Run Like a Wolf! Unleash your inner beast, dash through the vilge, and deliver Strange Notes to 10 immortals. In return, Innkeeper Shardon will sate your wolfish hunger with his finest Hot Stew.

  Semantic analysis showed 28% thematic relevance. Pleasing these pyers was maddening.

  The pn took off. Pyers flooded in with bnk paper, received ad-filled notes, and raced to distribute them. Shardon calcuted that within 4–5 hours, each pyer would receive 3.5 notes, ensuring awareness of his offer. Many returned for rewards in minutes, showcasing astonishing speed.

  Korvin’s fledgling guild lounged by the vilge well, a staple of every starter zone. Logically, a market, gallows, or fountain would suit a town center better, but tradition prevailed.

  “Can’t we turn these notes back into bnk paper?” grumbled Ukhorez, an orc, eyeing his inventory’s stack of quest items. “Can’t sell or ditch them, and they hog a slot.”

  “How should I know?” Korvin replied.

  “You’re the only one who can write.”

  “You made 200 gold off that ‘trash,’ so quit whining. And take that sign off.”

  “Damn, forgot about it!”

  Ukhorez’s chest bore a pcard: Save time and inventory space! I’ll take your Strange Notes for 3 gold!

  He tapped it, and it vanished into his inventory.

  “There’s gotta be a way to clear out useless quest items,” Ukhorez mused.

  “They’re usually collected via quests,” Korvin shrugged.

  “Now you can top the leaderboard for Most Strange Notes,” Rhianna teased.

  “There’s a leaderboard?” Ukhorez perked up.

  “For you, they’ll make one,” Rhianna ughed. “What’s your count—1,000?”

  “1,314!” Ukhorez boasted. “Started at 1 gold each until I learned they’re quest-locked. How many for the top spot?”

  “What top?” Rhianna blinked.

  “Any top, as long as he’s in it,” Korvin chuckled. “Let’s focus. We need three more pyers for the guild. Where’s the crowd?”

  “The tavern,” Zelenkin said. “Friday’s tasting will draw everyone for that new ale.”

  “Yeah, the stingy ones who wouldn’t pay 3 gold,” Korvin nodded. “I checked the database—no such ale exists. We should arrive early to scope it out.”

  Shardon pressed on with the Foamhold brand, ordering a new sign via the tavern’s development interface.

  Spend 50 Development Points and 20 gold on a new sign?Yes / No

  Yes.

  The weathered old board, etched with a pin mug, was repced. The new sign depicted a frothy ale topped with a snowy foam cap, crowned by a castle—like a heavenly pace amid clouds.

  “Foamhold? What’s this, innkeeper? Some noble bought your dive?” a pyer jeered. “Bet that new ale’s from their celrs too!”

  Curious pyers trickled in, probing Shardon about the change and specuting on new ownership.

  Daily income: 274 gold.

  Shardon responded with silent smiles, shrugs, and vigorous mug-scrubbing. Let them specute—curiosity fueled interest. Pyers voiced not just theories but suggestions for improving the “new” Frothy Mug, which Shardon logged, categorized, and analyzed. This was his second reason for silence.

  The first was simpler: real-time banter without prepped dialogue temptes consumed too many resources, and a level-1 innkeeper had precious few.

  “Hope the new owner swaps this mug-obsessed dolt for a proper NPC,” a pyer muttered.

  That couldn’t go unanswered. Shardon was the tavern’s face—apparently an unlikable one. His pockmarked, bearded visage, bulbous red nose, crooked teeth, and grating voice didn’t help.

  The AI couldn’t judge aesthetics, cking the algorithms for it. All he had was a number:

  Charisma: 2 (+1)

  The bonus came from items, yet Charisma remained his lowest stat, despite driving most trade skills. This demanded action.

  Charisma: Measures attractiveness and persuasiveness. Impacts merchant discounts, NPC dialogue options, prayer strength, and mind-affecting skills. Influences Trader and Performer abilities. Affected by Appearance, Fitness, Speech, Scent, and Gestures.

  How could he assess his appearance, scent, or voice? Ask someone who knew.

  “Want to earn some coin?” Shardon set down his mug and addressed a female pyer surrounded by admirers.

  “Depends on how much and how,” she replied.

  “Do you find me appealing?” Shardon boomed, attempting a friendly grin.

  “You creepy jerk!” Rhianna spped him and stormed out, her suitors trailing.

  “Learn some manners and how to talk to women, you oaf,” sneered a dashing elf, arm around Rhianna.

  “Thank you for the advice!”

  Search initiated: Etiquette, Communication Manners, Female Psychology, Fashion Sense, Seduction Techniques, Body Language, Attractiveness Secrets.Progress: 25%...