That assumption began to shift when players finally reached City stage. The sheer number of them alone made a difference. And among those players, lifestyle professions played a particularly disruptive role.
As soon as lifestyle players like the herb gatherers, miners, material collectors etc. entered Astralis City, the market changed overnight. Resources that had once been scarce and in constant demand began flowing in abundance.
The effect only grew as combat players advanced. By fighting monsters and clearing dungeons, they brought back even more rare materials and with so many lifestyle groups organized under the banners of different powers, the supply of herbs, ores, and monster materials skyrocketed. These groups trained within their guilds and factions, producing refined goods that were then sold directly into the various cities markets.
The sudden wave of products reshaped the economy.
Even Kaito, in his past life, had witnessed a business war erupt inside the Astralis City. One of the major chambers of commerce clashed head-on with a rising player faction. The conflict wasn't just fought with weapons on the streets it extended into the markets, with undercut prices, trade blockades, and fierce bidding wars. That period of chaos was one where Kaito had taken advantage and reaped enormous profits for himself.
Still, many players misunderstood the reality of Astralis City. Some thought that, since NPCs viewed players as god-sent beings, they wouldn't dare to harm them even if their interests were threatened. They believed that safety was guaranteed.
But that was only wishful thinking.
The truth became clear as soon as players reached the city stage from where the novice period was over. From then on, the protections granted by the main god system of Glory such as preventing NPCs from harming players within settlements were revoked. The city stage marked a new era, where players stood on equal footing with NPCs in both risk and consequence.
That meant players had to be extremely careful about who they made enemies with. Astralis City might have rules that prohibited fighting within its walls, but those rules only applied to the weak. If a player dared to provoke one of the city's major powers, it was simple enough for those powers to pay a price and have a player quietly removed or even placed into confinement as while players couldn't be killed outright, they could still be held captive, and this often resulted in devastating losses for those unfortunate enough to be targeted.
And because the rules existed only to restrain the powerless. Those with strength or influence always found ways around them.
This was the point where players began to truly understand Glory's nature. From the city stage onward, they could rely only on their own power. NPCs were no longer guaranteed allies. In fact, NPCs could be just as dangerous as rival players if their interests were threatened.
Glory's world was alive, moving forward with or without the players. It wouldn't bend itself for them.
Kaito vividly remembered one event that drove this truth home. When Duke Reynard announced the large-scale expansion mission for Astralis City, one of the branch missions involved encroaching on land that belonged to neighboring nobles.
For the players, it seemed like a golden opportunity. They didn't consider the political consequences. But for the Solaris Kingdom, this was no small matter. Even Duke Reynard himself, despite being a Duke, couldn't openly seize the lands of his neighboring nobles, without facing accusations of rebellion.
So he did the next best thing he had the players do it.
On the surface, it looked like a chance for players to contribute to the city's growth and get some rewards in return. But in reality, all the risk fell on their shoulders. Any negativity, any punishment, would fall on the players, not on Duke Reynard.
At first, players didn't realize this. Many believed that since Duke Reynard was the strongest NPC in Astralis City, he would protect them. Some even thought that the other nobles or the system itself would prevent harm from coming to them.
They were wrong.
The moment the players encroached on the neighboring nobles' territory, the first one to act against them was Duke Reynard himself.
He declared them aggressors, punished them severely, and then directly seized the disputed land for himself. To the outside world, he presented it as justice he had punished lawless raiders and was merely taking the land as a rightful reward.
The neighboring nobles, who were relatively weak, could do nothing. The most powerful among them was only an Earl, already elderly, with his strength barely at Tier 5. Against a Tier 6 mage like Duke Reynard, he had no way to resist. Forced into a corner, the nobles could only bow their heads and accept his claim.
That single event shook the player base to its core.
They had believed that NPCs would never move against them directly. They had thought their role was to help the NPCs, to be favored and protected while continuously strengthening themselves. But the reality of Glory was far harsher. NPCs can and would act to protect their own interests, and even if players stood in the way, they would be crushed without hesitation.
From that point onward, players realized that Glory was not just about competing against each other. It was also about surviving in a world where NPCs could be allies one moment and enemies the next. Strength was the only guarantee.
And from that point onward, the real game began.
At first, the players had no choice but to unite. They had to fend off the overwhelming power of the NPC factions. The gap was immense when the strongest player was only a Tier 3 powerhouse, the Solaris Kingdom already boasted multiple Tier 6 NPCs. The difference in strength alone could have crushed them completely.
But the sheer numbers became the players' greatest weapon. There were so many of them that even the powerful NPCs could not ignore their presence. By working together, the players managed to hold their ground. Slowly, they adapted and began to play more carefully.
They stopped relying only on brute force and started using strategy. Many began inserting themselves into the various NPC factions, building influence from within. By gaining strength through combat and establishing positions in politics, the players gradually tilted the balance of power.
As more and more players rose to higher positions, the advantage NPCs once held began to shrink. The moment the first Tier 6 player appeared, everything changed. For the first time, players could stand shoulder to shoulder with the NPC powerhouses.
The NPCs, who had once scoffed at players and treated them as disposable tools, were forced to reevaluate. Some still resisted, but many began to acknowledge that players were not just pawns they were equals. And those NPCs who had chosen early on to form good relations with player powers found themselves rewarded for their foresight. They had gained allies, wealth, and influence because they had not underestimated the newcomers.
In truth, whether things turned out well or badly often depended on luck and timing. Some players found themselves elevated by fortunate alliances, while others were crushed under the weight of NPC schemes.
After that, the players broke off their alliances and turned on each other once again which then led to a major reshuffle. And as they had gained the upper hand against the NPCs, they no longer fought with just their own strength. They began using NPCs as well hiring them, commanding them, and weaving them into their forces. Some high-ranking players even commanded entire armies made up of both NPCs and players, opening a whole new chapter in the struggle for power in Glory.
But for Kaito in his previous life, his limited strength had kept him far from such struggles. His influence was minimal, and he could not participate in the great battles of power between the top players and the NPC elites. He could only watch from the sidelines.
But this life was different.
Now, Kaito knew where everything began. He understood that the first steps he took here in Astralis City would shape the path ahead. This time, he would not let opportunities slip away.