A Herbal Shop from the Start: I Want to Be a GM

[After Transmigrating into a Newbie Village NPC, I Became a GM Thanks to Player Recognition]

Right after transmigrating, Ivy was stuck running a shabby herb shop, barely scraping by on the three or five potions she sold each day. When players walked in, she was just like every other NPC: quoting prices, giving change, and delivering mechanical dialogue.

Then one day, a badly wounded player rushed inside, and she instinctively warned him, "You're poisoned. Don't use random medicine." The player froze. "This NPC is pretty interesting."

That night, a transparent panel appeared:

[Recognition +1]

[Current Recognition: 1/100]

[Requirement to unlock 'Interactive NPC' permissions: 100 players must know you]

Ivy: ??? So the more players knew her, the more powerful her permissions became?

Fine. She got it.

Players soon discovered that the herb shop owner remembered everyone's name and habits, that her quests always held hidden storylines and Easter eggs, and that she could even send players little notes.

The forums erupted with discussions:

[Is that newbie village NPC actually a GM?]

[Her questline has such a good story]

[I've been taking her quests for a whole month, and I feel like she's trying to tell me a secret]

Later, while the nobles were still sneering that commoners weren't fit to learn advanced magic, Ivy could already post a server-wide announcement: "The spellbook's on the black market. Come get it yourselves."

When the king sent his knights to surround the town, three thousand players drew their swords and rose up for her, cutting down the royal regime.

Sitting in her shop and leafing through her mother's notes, Ivy murmured, "Mom, I'm close to finding the truth."

And the players were her strongest weapon.