Upgrading Skills, Daily Life, and a Special Return to the Trading Hub

The next few days pass relatively quickly for Alex.

In the real world, not much changes. He starts working out at a gym again and settles into a more or less normal routine, except for his nightly trips to a nearby park, where he practices with his [Sword of Pluto] and [Shield of Pluto], honing his skills. For now, he decides not to do anything too risky, like gambling. Alex isn't a vain person, and he and his parents are still living comfortably. His goal is to get enough money to help his parents upgrade from their apartment to a nice house, maybe even hire a housekeeper, but he's willing to wait a little longer. "They don't seem like the type to change their lifestyle suddenly… and I can't exactly explain how I got the money. Becoming a professional gambler sounds weird."

He also makes regular visits to the Skill Hub and the Trading Hub. After a few days, he notices that the "spies" have almost disappeared, and the Skill Hub is practically empty.

Alex spends a total of 7,000 FC to push all his basic skills to level 2, in addition to the 1,000 he already spent for Basic Eloquence lvl 2.

He also decides to mercilessly throw away his FC, and even Soul Crystals, to upgrade his other skills. He raises Annihilation Grenade lvl 1 to lvl 2, costing him 2,000 FC, and Sealion's Icewing Embrace lvl 0 to lvl 2, which requires 3,500 FC.

His Innate skill, Genius Conjurer lvl 1, consumes a Soul Crystal and another 2,000 FC to reach lvl 2, while his gold-ranked skill, Alexandrian Royal Swordsmanship lvl 0, requires 2 Soul Crystals and an additional 3,500 FC to upgrade to lvl 2. Finally, he spends 2,500 FC to bring his Pistol Proficiency lvl 1 to lvl 2.

Alex notices that his Basic skills and even his unique skills are quite a bit cheaper than the blue-quality Pistol Proficiency. While his Innate skill and gold-ranked skill are cheaper in terms of FC, they demand Soul Crystals. He also knows that the cost of upgrading purple-ranked skills, although higher in FC, doesn't require Soul Crystals. With this information, Alex can now roughly calculate how much FC he'll need to spend after each world... a cost that will increase rapidly and eventually make it impossible to upgrade everything, at which point his level will no longer limit his skill progression.

"How am I supposed to save up 100,000 FC for [Pluto's Ceremonial Blessing] while still upgrading these insanely expensive, yet life-saving skills? This seems almost hopeless!"

Upgrading his skills cost Alex a total of 21,500 FC, actually 500 more FC than he initially had.

He only managed to afford these upgrades by selling his [Dagger] to another player who was desperate for a weapon and specifically wanted a dagger. Alex spotted the guy frantically shouting in the Trading Hub, as his next mission was about to start. Seizing the opportunity, Alex squeezed 1,500 FC out of him, probably the guy's entire remaining stash.

After acquiring all his skill upgrades, Alex's inventory and status looks like this, with all items unequipped:

Alex Kerber: Lvl 2 (Stats without items)

HP: 108/108, MP: 108/108

STR: 9, AGI: 9, PHY: 9, SNS: 9, CHA: 9, MNA: 9, INT: 9 SPR: 9, LUK: 9

Available Stat Points: 1

Innate Skills: Genius Conjurer lvl 2, Statistical OCD lvl MAX

Free Skill Slots: 0/2, Free Basic Skill Slots: 0/8

Basic skills: Basic Close Combat Prowess lvl 2, Basic Footwork lvl 2, Basic Endurance lvl 2, Basic Long-Range Combat Prowess lvl 2, Basic Eloquence lvl 2, Basic Concentration lvl 2, Basic Meditation lvl 2, Basic Mana Control lvl 2

Passive Skills: Pistol Proficiency lvl 2, Alexandrian Royal Swordsmanship lvl 2

Active Skills: Annihilation Grenade lvl 2, Sealions Icewing Embrace lvl 2

Fantasy Coins: 1000 Soul Crystals: Small x3 

Current Weapons: Mr. 5's Revolver (Deep Blue), Sword of Pluto (Deep Blue) Barbed Dagger (Light Green)

Current Equipment: Commander Shepard's Dog Tag (Deep Blue), Sealion's Might (Deep Blue), Shield of Pluto (Deep Blue), Armor of Pluto (Blue), Visor of Pluto (Blue), Cuisses of Pluto (Blue), Gauntlets of Pluto (Blue), Sabatons of Pluto (Blue)

Miscellaneous Items: Navalia Wolf Jerky x3 (Gray), Potion x3 (White), Antidote x3 (White), Eye Drops x3 (White), Jack's Spare Silvery Mask (Light Green) Navalia Fur Armor (White), Navalia Fur Boots (White), Navalia Fur Gauntlets (White) Solid Marine Saber (Light Green), Plant Essence x3 (Green), Frost Essence (Green), Steepled Hat (Green), Rod (Light Green), Mage Staff (Light Green), Silk Shirt (Light Green), Wrist x2 (White), Iron Sword (Light Green)

Special Items: Skillbook: Black Magic (Fire) (Blue), Skillbook: Black Magic (Fire-Blizzard-Thunder) (Purple), Pluto's Ceremonial Blessing (Deep Purple), Baroque Works Invitation (Purple)

Alex is particularly pleased with his HP and MP, both of which are already over 100, thanks to the 20% boost from Basic Endurance lvl 2 and Basic Mana Control lvl 2. Even after spending all those Fantasy Coins and Soul Crystals, Alex still has 3 Soul Crystals left. More importantly, he only sold his white-quality [Dagger] so far.

Alex's next task is to gradually sell his remaining items to other players without revealing his immense wealth and progress. It's time to return to his most loved and hated place, where dreams are born and die, the Trading Hub!

To stay anonymous, Alex decides he needs a new identity—something distinctive, yet giving no clues about his real self. He chooses to wear a completely red suit he bought just a few days ago from a local shop in the real world, along with his [Jack's Spare Silvery Mask]. Although the mask's effects don't work against other players, it's perfect for concealing his identity. To further protect himself, he wears a wig that looks generic and somewhat androgynous, costing Alex a significant amount of money since it's made out of real hair and looks realistic. Combined with his relatively high CHA, he projects a mysterious and eye-catching appearance.

Alex now draws a lot of attention, but his true identity remains hidden. Attacking someone or forcibly removing another player's clothing or items is severely punished by the Realm, so Alex behaves confidently and arrogantly, trying to portray someone above the rest. Of course, he only puts on his "outfit" after leaving his room. Walking out dressed like that from his room would only give away his identity for nothing.

With his new identity, Alex heads straight to the Trading Hub and sets up a new stall, offering his wares at premium prices!

He names his shop "Rare Goods from Gaia and Beyond!" Out of caution, Alex avoids selling anything that might connect him to his old identity. For now, he keeps [Quality Fur Armor], [Quality Fur Boots], [Quality Fur Gauntlets], and his reliable [Solid Marine Saber], knowing they might give away his identity to the four female comrades from his tutorial mission. He plans to sell these four items later using his real identity, as they are only average items that won't attract much attention. Three White Armor pieces and one Light Green Saber are useful, but far from special.

With his new identity, Alex focuses on selling the items he acquired in Gaia: [Antidote] x2, [Eye Drops] x3, [Steepled Hat], [Rod], [Mage Staff], [Silk Shirt], [Wrist] x2, [Iron Sword], and the extremely rare and valuable [Skillbook: Black Magic (Fire-Series)]. He also decides to offer his Green-quality [Plant Essence] x3 and [Frost Essence], quoting extremely high prices and using customer reactions to gauge their true worth. Alex isn't sure if he wants to keep some of these items, so he only puts 2 out of 3 Antidotes up for sale. Since he leveled up, his inventory space has increased, giving him the flexibility to be a bit greedier about what he keeps.

Alex's shop immediately attracts a crowd. His varied items and unique outfit draw a lot of attention to his stall. As expected, the Skillbook is the main attraction. He sets an outrageous price of 75,000 FC as bait. Several people offer decent deals, with one even proposing 20,000 FC, which Alex considers close to the item's true value. But he knows it would be foolish to sell it right away. He has nearly a month in the Fantasy Realm, with a constant influx of new players arriving and others returning with fresh loot. There will be plenty of offers for the Skillbook, and Alex plans to use it to draw attention to his other items, good but not flashy.

Some try to extort, blackmail, or trick him into revealing his identity or selling the Skillbook for a pittance. One thug even outright threatens to kill him, prompting Alex to laugh strangely.

"You really openly threaten to kill me, you braindead idiot? Thanks for showing me your face! You might not recognize me, but the next time I see you in a mission, you'll soon see my real face when I'm standing above your dying body and you'll remember this exact exchange!"

The thug, visibly frightened, covers his face and runs away. "What a total lightweight," Alex thinks, shaking his head in disbelief. He doesn't waste time on such losers and doesn't plan on paying them any more attention. At least after that little scene, the scammers and blackmailers steer clear of Alex, perhaps wary of his real identity and the valuable items he seems to possess.

Finally, someone approaches Alex—a woman in her late thirties. She smiles at him. "Let's talk privately so we can get down to business quicker... give me some space, everyone!" Alex then receives a notification, not from 1337 but from the general system: [Player Vivian Miller wishes to contact you. Do you accept her chat invitation?]

"1337!" Alex urgently speaks to his faithful companion within his mind. "Do I reveal my identity by accepting this chat invitation?"

[If Host accepts this invitation, she will know Host's registered name, which is currently set as 'Alex Kerber.']

"FUCKING BITCH! SYSTEM, BLOCK HER!"

[Player Vivian Miller has been Blocked. If the player wishes to interact with her in the Fantasy Realm, the player must remove her from the blocked players list.] The general system notifies Alex.

"1337, you need to warn me about things like that."

[While I wish to see Host prosper, the main system does not allow me to proactively give you advice. I can only help you by explaining system functions.]

After this ambush, Alex doesn't even look in Vivian's direction and ignores her, continuing to answer questions from other players, clearly signaling his utter disinterest in her.

Shortly after, he receives another notification: [Player Joe Miller wishes to invite you to an anonymous group chat. Do you accept?]

"1337, is this anonymous group chat really anonymous? Is my identity safe?"

[Host's identity will remain 100% safe. This is a one-time anonymous group chat. The previous invitation was an open chat that reveals your player name and allows for communication. This is nearly identical to your previous talks with the player called Roja, except you two exchanged contact information to speak freely without proximity restrictions. If you had accepted her open chat, you would have had to be nearby to communicate.]

"System, I accept the anonymous group chat."

Player ??? has joined the group chat.

Player Joe Miller has joined the group chat.

Player Vivian Miller has joined the group chat.

Player ???: "Tzzz, I already blocked that bitch. Do I seriously still have to listen to her during this group chat? Makes me want to leave already!" Alex says rudely.

Player Vivian Miller: "You arrogant fuck. You should be grateful I'm lowering myself to talk to a lone wolf like you. Soon, you'll either be crawling to people like me, begging to join my guild, or you'll just die. Anyway, I want to buy your Skillbook, and my brother set up this chat since you blocked me like a whiny loser."

Player ???: "One more insult, and I'm out. The price is clearly listed! 75k, not a single FC less. If you're going to offer me something else, don't waste my time and let's see it!"

Player Vivian Miller: "I'm offering you 15,000 FC. You know that's actually a fair dea—"

Player ??? has left the group chat.

"Fucking bitch," Alex mutters angrily. "What a waste of time."

This day, Alex draws a lot of attention, but also hate and envy, especially from one particular female player.

"Forget that loser. If I meet her in another world, I swear …" Alex thinks, feeling irritated.

By the end of the day, Alex successfully sells his [Steepled Hat] and [Silk Shirt]. Surprisingly, he doesn't even get the chance to barter, as they are bought at his listed price, and the system automatically completes the deal.

Alex earns a whopping 6,000 FC for the hat and 4,000 FC for the shirt!

"Damn, I should have asked for even more... These two items boost stats, after all, but I thought the downsides made them less valuable. The hat looks ridiculous, has extremely low durability, and can even fall off during a fight, all just for 1 STR. The shirt only boosts CHA and prevents you from wearing any real armor. Still, 10,000 FC for those two items is way more than I expected... Maybe the buyers desperately needed those stats. It's possible they're stacking specific stats on certain players. Maybe they have a strategy where one person handles all negotiations with NPCs, requiring a lot of CHA gear or something. The price I got seems fair enough, so no need to be upset. I also don't want to get a reputation for only selling overpriced items that no one buys. That could hurt my business in the long run."

"Rare and useful items for a high, but fair price. That's the kind of shop I want to run with this identity!"

"Let's wait a few more days before returning…. Maybe tomorrow, I can sell my fur items and my saber from the One Piece world!" Alex thinks, planning his next steps.