After Eleanor and I ate and caught up with each other, she throws me a small envelope as I lay on the couch.
"What's this?" I ask as I open it.
"A wad of cash," she replies. "The virus we took down had a bounty. It was messing with the junkyard's systems and causing the owners to lose millions everyday. So, they got the players involved."
I take out what's inside and tremble at the thick, green stacks of shiny paper in my hands.
"H-how much is this?" I croak.
"About 10k," she says nonchalantly. "It should've been more but the payout managers needed to pay everyone who participated in the raid."
I sweat profusely. I've never held this much money in my life.
"Wait, you can earn money playing this game?!"
"Uhhh yeah? What'd you think? That I'd wear that ridiculous outfit and play this game for fun?"
"Kinda! You looked badass in that witch outfit and you control fire. FIRE!"
She sighs. "Times have changed Devon. I thought it was ridiculous at first too but the Kaleidoscopes let us normal guys do things that used to be the jobs of computer wizzes."
I look at the cash in my hands again. She's right. Times have changed and I have to adapt. A normal job won't cut it. I clutch the stack in a tight fist and resolve myself.
"Eleanor, what level are you?"
"Huh? Why so sudden?"
"Just answer, man."
She groans and waves her hand to show me her status window.
+
[Status Window]
Name: Eleanor Grace Samson
Class: Firebird of The Apocalypse Lvl. 51
Job: Toymaker of Destruction
EXP: 35,000
Strength: 51 (+29)
Dexterity: 51 (+50)
Sense: 51 (+6)
Defense: 51 (+20)
Magic: 51 (+35)
Skills: Fire Mastery Lv. 3, Toymaking Lv. 4, Flying Lv. 6 ...
+
I look at her in disbelief.
"What the hell have you been doing while I was at the hospital?" I ask.
She dismisses the window with a flick of her wrist. "Trucking as usual. But the boss had a system malfunction in his fleet and he chose me to get the Role-players' DLC to deal with it."
"I guess it was worth the investment. But that doesn't explain how your level get so high!"
"Well, after that whole thing, some of his friends wanted help with their businesses too. Man, I swear this fucking city watch too much porn or something."
I groan and put my face in my hands. "Man, you got something so cool! Meanwhile I'm level 1 with a dogshit status window."
She raises an eyebrow. "Level 1? Didn't you last hit the boss?"
I wave my hand to show her my status window.
+
[Status Window]
Name: Devon Miller
Class: Hero of Gluttony Lv. 1
EXP: 0
Strength: 0 (+2)
Dexterity: 0
Sense: 0
Defense: 0
Magic: 0 (+4)
Gluttony's Abyss: 0%
Skills: Overeating Lv 2, Virus Digestion Lv. 2, Robotics Lv. 1
+
Upon seeing my status window, she stifles a laugh.
"Pfft. What the fuck? Hero of Gluttony? That suits you!!"
"Hey don't make fun of it! It might not be cool like 'Firebird of the Apocalypse' but it still got some nifty functions."
"Hey, man you were saying it was dogshit before. I don't know why you're defending it now."
I blush. "W-well. I can't do anything about it so I'll just have to make the best of it."
She continues laughing and I wait until she calms down.
"Whew," she wipes the tear from her eye. "But come on man, fuck! 0 EXP even after you last hit the boss? Is it a bug?"
"I don't know, but I technically didn't last hit the boss. I used a skill to consume it," I reply.
"Ah! That's why. I've heard some classes forgo EXP gain for some advantage that their class gives," she explains. "So what did the skill give you?"
I point to the stats and skills list. "I got an increase in my stats and the robotics skill. Oh! And I also got an item out of it," I reply and wave my finger to summon a cracked, red orb.
She leans in closer to inspect it. "Hmmm. Do you mind if you sell it to me? It's a good material."
"You have a Creation or Transformation skill that's Uncommon or higher?"
She nods proudly. "Of course! When you reach level 40, you get to pick a job. I chose the Toymaker and made the bear you saw in the junkyard."
I think for a bit. Robotics isn't high enough level for me to make use of this anyway. And who knows when I'll get a Transformation skill that's Uncommon or higher.
"Sure, but how much is this?"
She forms a circle with her index finger and thumb and peeks through it. "Hmmm, around 100 gold maybe?"
I look at her curiously. "Gold? As in real metallic ones?"
"No, dumbass. As in the currency in the game," she replies and pulls up her inventory. It's filled with a bunch of stuff but she enlarges the currency section. "Right now, I got 5k gold. And by the way, each gold is worth around 97 cents."
My ears perk. "There's an exchange rate?!"
She chuckles. "Hey man, if you keep being surprised like this, you might get a heart attack when I take you to a dungeon the tomorrow."
I jump up from the couch and almost drop the orb. My heart is racing with excitement and I probably have the widest grin on my face. "There's a dungeon?! Why can't we go now? Where is it."
"Calm your horses. Shiiiit. I didn't think you'd be so into this? Did you always dig video games?"
"Oh, ever since I was a kid! Now tell me about this dungeon!"
She sighs. "Well, after the boss battle yesterday, we got an announcement that a C Rank dungeon opened in the junkyard. Didn't you get it? It's for levels 1-40 so you'd fit right in."
"Map!" I call out and just as she says, there at the junkyard, there's a massive skull with a [Rank C] plastered bellow it.
I can't believe this! It feels like I've been transported to one of those games I played all those years ago. I'm elated but I furrow my brow when I realize something.
"Wait, if it's only for levels 1-40, then you're not coming?" I ask her.
She scoffs. "No man, I got better things to do than babysit you. Look, I already got some guys you know from the junkyard to help you out. Plus, I also got someone with the [Archeologist] role to help out so just listen to her and none of you should be blinded for 24 hours."
Her last comment raises alarm bells. "Wait, blinded?"
She cocks her head. "What didn't you know? If your Kaleidoscope's integrity reaches 0, you get a blindness penalty for 24 hours. That's the risk you take for doing this stuff."
"Wait! Isn't that too dangerous?!"
"Relaaax. Medacorp would send caretakers to take care of you. For a price of course. 500 gold minimum for each caretaker you need."
"Shit! And I'm assuming if you can't pay, you go into deficit."
She gives me a thumbs up. "You got it! Look at that smart brain working its ass off."
Damn it. I'm level 1 with no offensive skills. I need to prepare or else I'd go into debt even when I just started. Wait, there is one way.
"Can you take me on a leveling bus?" I blurt out.
"Leveling bus? As in party up with you and help you grind levels?"
"That's right!"
"Nah, I'll pass," she shows me a face full of disinterest and even disgust.
"But whyyy?" I grab her leg in tears.
"Get the fuck off of me. I got a job man! Some big fatass in Central asked me and other players to take care of some spy in his company. I gotta go undercover for the entire operation so I can't help you."
"Wait, you'll be gone? So who's gonna take care of Veronica?"
"You of course!" she finally kicks me off her leg. "What? Did you think I came here just so I could see you kneel on some L*gos?"
"Whaaat? But I thought you set up the dungeon delving tomorrow!"
"Exactly! Veronica just got her Kaleidoscope installed and I also got her the DLC so she'll be joining you. That's why I got the [Archeologist] in the first place."
My heart leaps.
"What class did she get?" I ask.
She thinks for a bit. "I think it was some support class? I don't remember. Just go ask her tomorrow."
I'm beyond excited. I get to go into a dungeon AND play a game with Veronica? I really want this to be a great experience for her. I'm assuming that [Archeologist] is some sort of guide class that can detect traps and secrets so we should be safer than most parties. Still, I need to fix my garbage offensive stats.
"Fine," I reply to her. "I'll do something about it and take care of Veronica tomorrow. She'll be at your house right?"
"Yeah, the key's under the carpet and your stuff's also there since the landlord was forced to kick you out," she replies and snatches her purse from the kitchen counter.
"Wait, are you going? What about this orb?"
"Sell it to me later. I need to go to Central," she says as she heads out the door. Then, she pauses and turns back to me. "Oh right, after this job, I'm gonna buy a new house. You should think about where you wanna live too. That, or just stay in the junkyard. It's a place that suits you after all," she flips me off as she closes the door. I flip her back.
Damn. I didn't even think of finding a place to live again. Did I really intend to stay in the junkyard and hope for the best? I shudder even at the thought of staying there for another week. I need to get my shit together.