Its possible to play for free, you need to have the motivation to understand how to make money, enjoy the game and progress. The easy way is "blablabla game is pay towin"
I started this game free and i still play with everything farmed ingame. its possible. ppl will tell u its impossible.
Make alts buffers, (Hierophant for Prophecy of might (+25% skill crit rate, skill crit dmg, p,m crit dmg)
Make Sword muse (Assault +15% patk pdef)
Make a tank (Aura with +10% patk and great boost on pdef mdef skill cooldown)
and maybe a healer too they got a 10% patk buff.
So now ugot ur buffers setted up and ur party, yes u will need to improve ur gears over time. ncwest often do events, free events, where everyone can make a Few bilions , with those few bilions u can upgrade ur Seed bracelet by exemple, and buy very cheap Agathion +7-8 that you need, exemple Aries, give skill crit dmg, cancer skill crit rate, leo patk, and those 3 +7/8 are under 5-10 bil.
Use you'r creativity, read promos, look at useful items, check the market, try to Buy stuff, that u could either Resell later , things that will get value. Exemple, they do a promo , and a Rose potion will be 15 milion, that's cheap, because offer and demand, then u stock up some, and resell them later etc etc on many items, its not impossible, if you like the game and want to keep going. that's the way. then Enchanting stuff is also something that could work in certain promo/condition.
That's what i been doing for years and now im top 1 geared on server, and everything i made was made ingame. using brain and business mechanic. its fun. if you understand it, step by step. Nothing is impossible. IF you can't do it or dont have the motivation, then yes u need to spend money, to progress FasteR. Even 10-20-50$ help. ifyou use the money u spent to make more money, and use the profit to gear up so u can keep making money. ur on the good path.
Have a good day, Andouille.