Chapter 14

When Jack Avery's eyes fluttered open, the scene before him was hard to make sense of.

expanse of dazzling white—there was no sun, no boundaries in sight. The floor beneath him was as reflective as a mirror, casting a clear reflection of his figure.

He was back in his own clothes—a simple white T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, all inexplicably clean and new, as if even the old stains on his sneakers had miraculously disappeared.

Jack looked around; as he took in more of his surroundings, a cacophony of noises began to fill his ears, reminiscent of breaking the surface of a tranquil underwater world to be greeted by the noisy shore above.

What was this place? The game was over, but was he not allowed to go home yet? Or had a new game already begun?

"Hey, just got back from the quasi-world?" Jack turned to see who had spoken.

The speaker was a young man in his twenties, tall and slim, with striking blonde hair and large, round eyes that sat above a high nose. His mouth curved into a friendly smile, marking him as outgoing and sociable.

Jack Avery didn't know him.

Upon seeing Jack's face up close, the blonde man paused. "Wow, you're beautiful!"

Jack silently stepped back, his recent game experiences still haunting him.

Noticing Jack's caution, the young man laughed. "Don't worry, I'm straight." He scratched the back of his head, then added earnestly, "You really look great—naturally handsome..." Realizing 'beautiful' might have been too feminine a compliment, he quickly corrected himself, "I mean, very handsome!"

Jack offered an awkward but polite smile.

The blonde man was gregariously forward, introducing himself without any hesitation. "I'm Jonas Kim, a beginner explorer. Just call me Jonas!"

"Nice to meet you," Jack responded, choosing not to introduce himself just yet.

Given the bewildering circumstances, Jack thought it wiser to keep his own details undisclosed for now—potentially rude, but certainly safer.

Jonas didn't seem to mind; he sized Jack up quickly: "You're new here, aren't you?"

Jack nodded.

"I'm pretty new myself, only one world ahead of you..." Jonas said, motioning for Jack to follow him. "Come this way, let me show you around!"

As they moved forward, the surroundings became a blur to Jack—not due to any complexity, but because of the sheer volume of people. Most were dressed like Jonas in silver-white uniforms, though a few were in casual attire, all with expressions ranging from bewildered to intrigued, likely all newcomers just like Jack.

After a seven or eight-minute walk, Jonas led Jack to a striking cobalt-blue semi-circular building.

"This is the lobby," Jonas explained. "It's where all newcomers need to check in!"

Without waiting for Jack to ask any questions, Jonas ushered him inside. The lobby was much more spacious than its exterior suggested. The design was minimalist, the only feature being a gigantic water screen at the front, devoid of any other decorations.

"Come this way, do it like this," Jonas instructed.

He placed his hand on the water screen, causing a ripple to spread across it, although nothing else seemed to change.

Jack hesitated, taking a moment to look around. The water screen was enormous and circular, with many people placing their hands on it and then closing their eyes. Several newcomers in casual clothes did the same.

After watching for a moment, Jack placed his hand on the screen.

Immediately, the screen in front of Jack flickered and displayed something resembling a system interface.

Jack glanced at it briefly, and his pupils contracted in surprise.

"Don't worry, you can only see your own information here," Jonas reassured him.

Jack Avery breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was startled too, the first time," Jonas confessed. "The terminal gives out really detailed info, right? But you don't have to worry, no one else can see this but you!"

Jack nodded, his mind full of questions, but he chose not to voice them.

Without waiting, Jonas prompted, "Don't get caught up in your personal info for now, check out the mission rewards!"

"Okay," Jack responded and began to focus on the information displayed.

The screen listed his personal details, so comprehensive they were almost comical, chronicling his entire nineteen years of life, from birth onwards. Even Jack was startled to see such detailed information about himself. He noticed the name Evelyn Chase and wanted to look up his father's name, but the field relating to his father was blank.

What was that about?

Jack was puzzled but felt it inappropriate to discuss such personal matters with Jonas, whom he had just met, so he decided to set aside his curiosity for the moment.

Besides the overly detailed personal information, the other interface elements resembled those in the game system. The tabs included "Quasi-World," "Mission Rewards," "Items," "Skills," and "Marketplace."

Jack clicked on the Mission Rewards. The screen shimmered and, with a whooshing sound, displayed: "Completion of 'Which Way is Love?' achieved at 100%, reward 1000 gold coins."

Jack wasn't sure about the value of the currency here and didn't know if 1000 gold coins was a significant amount. He recalled that an entry privilege in the game offered a tenfold increase in reward money. Had he chosen that perk, he might have received 10,000 gold coins.

The thought was certainly tempting, but had he actually selected that tenfold reward perk, completing the mission might have been impossible.

Jonas asked him, "So, how much did you get?"

Jack didn't reply verbally. He opened the marketplace on his device and saw that all items were priced in silver coins—his reward must have been substantial.

Jonas, noting Jack's calm expression, reassured him, "No worries, man. Starter quests are usually straightforward, and the rewards aren't massive. I got a hundred silver coins on my first try, which was pretty lucky!"

A gold coin was worth a hundred silver coins, and Jack Avery had inadvertently earned a hundred thousand silver coins.

Jonas continued, "Just don't blow it all at once, okay? There are a few items that are really worth the investment. You'd hate to miss out!"

"What items?" Jack inquired.

Jonas gestured to his own outfit and said, "You definitely want to grab this uniform. It's the lowest tier, but it's tough—it can save you from a fatal hit in the quasi-world. It's an incredible deal for newbies!"

Jack nodded and scrolled back to the marketplace. The uniform was listed for only fifty silver coins.

"And with the remaining fifty," Jonas advised, "I suggest you buy the universal language pack. The newbie game includes built-in language recognition, but you won't have that advantage in the next mission."

Jack found the universal language skill in the skills section for forty silver coins.

Jonas added, "You'll have ten silver coins left. Do whatever you want with them, but I'd recommend saving them rather than wasting them on frivolous entertainment."

Jack looked at his account balance—99,910 silver coins remained. Okay, it was time to be frugal.

Just then, a giant announcement flashed across the massive water screen in the hall:

[Announcement: S-class world 'Love Left or Right' has been cleared. Designer: X. Cleared by: Anonymous. Scenario now available for purchase.]

The grand announcement set the entire lobby abuzz. "Holy shit, an S-class quasi-world! Who's the powerhouse that cleared it?" "If I remember correctly, X's quasi-worlds are trials for newbies, a newcomer, huh?" "Damn, that's wild! Special skills for clearing an S-class world, this newbie's going to skyrocket!"

The crowd buzzed with excitement, their whispers filling the air. Jonas was stunned. "Man, comparing yourself to others is tough. This newbie's unbelievable, acing an S-class on their first try. They're shooting straight to the top!"

Jack Avery, who wanted nothing more than to forget that ridiculous game, grimaced silently.

Jonas, looking a bit envious, remarked, "I'd love to know the story of that S-class world, but it's too expensive. Just the text version costs a hundred gold coins."

Was there a video version, too?

Suddenly, the water screen changed to display a grand medieval castle.

Jack's heart clenched.

Jonas exclaimed, "Who's this boss who bought a full-screen broadcast?"

Jack's expression darkened. So, there was a video version. Could it expose him? He was new here and wanted to keep a low profile.

To his relief, the character depicted as Cyrus on the screen bore no resemblance to him.

Jonas noted, "Too bad the person who cleared it remained anonymous. Would've loved to see what they look like."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did he notice the small print at the bottom of the screen.

Designer: X.

Jack narrowed his eyes. There was a designer for this game?