Greed

"|I WILL GRANT YOU POWER|"

Flinch— 

My finger was only an inch away from the button that would exit me out of the game.

Power? Is that what it promised?

"Will you really give me pow-"

Wait. What am I thinking?

'Why am I trusting this voice?? It could easily be a demon that is trying to trick me.'

I've done so much research to know this, but..

'What if it's a hidden quest? A quest that would grant me a class?'

Should I still go for it?

"Is it worth it?", I muttered.

My face's lips were trembling.

This time not in excitement but in Greed.

Pathetic greed.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this.."

I entered a cave which the voice led me to.

My breathing shivered while I took my steps feeling both stupidity and curiosity.

Only a few seconds passed and I had reached the end which had a huge boulder.

The ominous feeling had grown bigger.

I felt a purple aura escape around the circumference of the boulder. It had ancient scriptures all over it.

I reached my hand out to touch it-

"Hey."

Stop.

I turned around to see a hooded woman wearing a cloak covering her entire body. She had white hair which I could barely see through the shadows veiling herself.

"Don't touch it. If you leave here, I'll give you ten gold coins."

She threw the bag of coins at my feet.

Ten gold coins?

I looked at the mysterious lady with confusion.

'You can convert all of that to money and it will be worth half the money to buy my first car.'

And even enough to buy myself a brand new VR Pod—enough to start over again. On a new account with my desired weapon.

But..

I look at her with suspicion.

Is this thing that valuable?

So valuable to the point where she'll give me that much money.

Is it..

"Rare..?", I muttered looking at the boulder behind me.

"I will give you ten seconds. If you don't take the money and go, then I'll kill you."

She unsheathed her sword and pointed in my direction.

"Ten.."

What should I do?

"Nine, eight, seven.."

Either buy a new Pod..

"Six, five, four.. three"

or risk it all for an unknown gem?

"Two-"

I picked the pouch up.

"Good, now leave-"

But then, I threw almost all of the coins at her, including the pouch itself.

"You bastard!!"

She dashed towards me but-

Slice!— 

I sliced through the rock while she also wounded me almost entirely.

"You're dead!!"

Please...

I ducked and hit her eye with my last remaining coin as she barely missed.

Crumple!— 

The boulder crumbled and a purple crystal was seen on a stone tablet.

Almost there.. please..

Inches away, my hand almost touched the crystal before-

Slit!— 

I felt my back be cut.

"N-no.. almost.."

My eyes slowly lost unconsciousness until I forced myself.

"N-no!!"

I grabbed the purple crystal.

「 Checking users compatibility.. 」

「 94% compatibility with user! 」

「 Teleporting to a safe location 」

"No, you bastard!!"

Bzzztt!— 

Lightning surrounded me as it formed a circle.

"I'll kill you!"

The sword was just inches away from me before the lightning,

Teleported me away.

Clap..

Boom!—