IMPORTANT AUTHOR COMMENT:
Hello everyone, I've had countless people practically screaming at their screens over this and the next chapter, so I want to emphasize a few things:
Sorry - maybe you're right - but I'm trying to take this in a specific direction, so let me cook for a few chapters, please!
The MC is still a total loser with a very flawed personality at this point. There's a reason he's living that kind of life and ended up in a bad spot in chapter 1. Only a few days have passed, so I don't want to magically turn him from a complete loser, who's never even been with a woman, into an ultra chad who's immune to women, manipulations and only thinks coldly and rationally about his future. The MC will change, and the next act will serve as a catalyst for that change. These characters won't be relevant to the main story at all. In fact, they will disappear soon and reappear MUCH later. After Chapter 23 they won't appear for a long time!
Thank you for reading!
Alex is gobsmacked. Instead of actually relaxing a little, Roja is giving them a lecture.
After arriving at the Skills Hub, she immediately leads them into a large, empty building and chooses a corner with some strange-looking tables and chairs.
"This Realm feels weird, like some old abandoned temple," Alex mumbles to himself. "I guess while people's fantasies have evolved, the Fantasy Realm is stuck in a past where people believed in gods like the Greeks and Norse. Still, I kind of love it."
Eirini chimes in, adding that the whole place feels strange. "It does look like a Greek temple, but it also contains symbols from other mythologies. It's like an amalgamation of many cultures' ancient beliefs."
"I studied archaeology, so I find this fascinating. I can't wait to record all these symbols and make sketches," she adds excitedly. "My colleagues will flip when they hear about this!"
Perlah snickers. "As if they'd believe you. Better keep it to yourself if you don't want to come off as crazy."
Patricia laughs. "Might make for a good spooky story after a few beers. Speaking of which... I could really use one right now."
Roja, as usual, isn't interested in small talk and cuts in. "I didn't call you all here for idle chatter."
"First of all, Eirini, if you tell anyone about the Fantasy Realm, you'll cease to exist. Immediately. You can only mention it to other players. Your system will explain more when you return to the real world."
Perlah frowns. "You know way too much about this place. Don't you think it's time you told us everything?"
Roja nods. "That's why I brought you here. A good friend of mine is part of a Fantasy Realm guild. A guild is just a group of people collaborating. You should know that," she says, looking at Alex.
Alex blushes a little and nods. "Yeah, who doesn't know about guilds?"
Even Eirini, Perlah, and Patricia nod along. They might not be hardcore gamers like Alex, but everyone's heard of guilds. Alex grins inwardly. "Nerds," he thinks, while ignoring his own nerdy inclinations.
Roja continues, "I needed money—desperately. So I accepted an invitation to the Fantasy Realm. I play by the same rules as you all, but I wasn't killed to get here. I came voluntarily."
"There are ways to profit from this Realm. Our guild, for example, has a billionaire member who buys items from members for insane prices. He once paid $10,000 for a basic recovery item. So, if you need money, after reaching level 5 and joining our guild, you'll be taken care of. Even if you don't have items to sell, you'll get a large salary that will solve your real-life problems."
Alex can't help but feel relieved. No more pretending to work at his office job!
Roja goes on, "I brought you here to explain the basics of this Realm and make you an offer."
She begins explaining the most important things about the Fantasy Realm: "This is the tutorial section where players between levels 1 and 4 are cut off from the rest of the Fantasy Realm. The worlds we're sent to are from different fictions—mostly anime, comics, games, and movies—based on current trends and our level. Either we'll face realistic worlds where people are more like us, or if we're unlucky, worlds with superpowers like the one we just went through."
Everyone sighs after hearing that.
"The scope of each mission reflects the world's power level, so don't be too afraid," Roja explains. "The next mission will start in no less than four weeks and no more than eight. The system will notify us one day before it begins."
"The Realm doesn't want to make us suffer; it's designed to make us grow. Its true purpose is unknown, but after reaching a certain level, players face a choice that changes everything. I think you've all been told by your systems that you can be permanently revived. But there are other options too. The problem is, no one knows what happens to those who make that choice. So few actually reached that point and they all disappeared."
Roja also explains that there are many "workers" in the Fantasy Realm—souls from other worlds who have become part of the Realm's infrastructure. "They're not players like us," she says. "Be aware of that."
The group exchanges uncertain glances.
"Now, onto something more practical," Roja says. "There are places you should know about to prepare for your next mission.
"The most important place is the Skills Hub. This is where you learn new skills, either through books or special events in the worlds. Strong enemies, like Mr. 5, are more likely to drop rare and powerful skill books. Alex, you probably got one, right?"
Alex, feeling guilty for claiming Mr. 5's chest, admits, "Yeah, I got a revolver and a pistol proficiency book."
Roja doesn't show any jealousy. "You earned it. That skill book can be used here to learn your new skill. But you only have five skill slots, so you need to be careful. Don't waste them. And yes, your book probably requires you to learn a basic skill first, right?"
Alex nods.
"Basic skill books seem cheap, costing just 100 FC for the book and a base of 500 FC to learn, but they aren't very powerful. Don't try to learn too many of them either," Roja warns. "It costs 5000 FC to unlearn a skill, and you'll lose everything you spent on it. Many players have died because they filled all their skill slots with mostly useless basic skills. Don't make that mistake."
Alex almost chokes. "Not like I have a choice!" he thinks.
Roja continues, "Focus on what combat style suits you. Base your skills around your innate ability and only learn the basics you absolutely need. Basic skills alone won't save you."
She then mentions the Trading Hub: "Players and workers sell all kinds of items there—armor, weapons, skill books, recovery items. One of my guildmates even bought a Devil Fruit from the One Piece world in the Trading Hub once. It's a funny story, apparently the seller refused to turn into a giraffe during fights, and thus could only sell it. Always look for good deals. Players set the prices, so there are plenty of opportunities. Perhaps you can even increase your FC by just reselling items you just bought before. If you don't need something, sell it right away. Hoarding items and FC can get you killed. You want to be as prepared as possible for the next world."
"If you need help with any of this, stay in contact with me," Roja offers. "And once you're level 5, you can join our guild once we enter the real Fantasy Realm," she says, looking at the other girls.
"What about me?" Alex asks, a bit offended.
Roja smirks. "You're... a special case. Our guild is mostly for women. It's not because we think women are weak and have to bend together, but... well, missions can be dangerous for us in other ways. There have been incidents. Of course, we allow trans and non-binary people to join us. We however, only allow men we can completely trust to join. No form of toxicity allowed, I've been told."
"Hmph, not like I need to join anyway," Alex mutters, remembering his toxic days trolling on the internet. He actually misses it a little at that moment. "Life without a bit of toxicity is boring," he can't help but smirk.
Roja laughs. "You can still ask me anything. I'm happy to help, guild or not. Not that I fully agree with that policy anyway, but I am new myself, so I won't rock the boat right away."
She then promises not to share their abilities with anyone, calling them friends after everything they've been through.
The group smiles, some of the girls hugging her. Then they share their stats, skills, and items privately with Roja, who gives them advice on what fighting styles and skills to pursue.
"You can buy your skills now and explore the Realm," Roja says. "Just be careful. You don't want to make enemies here."
She also explains how they can contact each other through the system, not unlike using an actual phone, and helps them exchange contact info.
As the group starts to split up, Alex stops Roja. "Roja... I could use some advice too. Please."
She nods. "Of course."
Alex shares his skills: [Expert Conjurer], [Statistical OCD], including their subskills, and his new grenade ability, trusting her with his full status and giving her the ability to see the full explanations.
FR-1337 suddenly chimes in: [I have organized the host's status since he clearly hasn't done it yet. No wonder your room at home is a mess.]
"Thanks, 1337, but I miss the details a little…."
[Host can still view full descriptions if desired.]
"Good to know," Alex smiles.
Roja stares at his shared status screen, her eyes widening in shock. "How...?"
Alex Kerber: Lvl 1
HP: 70/70, MP: 70/70
STR: 7, AGI: 7, PHY: 7, SNS: 7, CHA: 7, MNA: 7, INT: 7 SPR: 7, LUK: 7
Available Stat Points: 0
Innate Skills: Genius Conjurer lvl 0, Statistical OCD lvl MAX
Free Skill Slots: 2/2, Free Basic Skill Slots: 8/8
Passive Skills: None
Active Skills: Annihilation Grenade lvl 0
Fantasy Coins: 18,300, Soul Crystals: Small x2
Current Weapons: Mr. 5's Revolver (Deep Blue), Solid Marine Saber (Light Green), Navalia Hunting Bow (White)
Current Armor: Navalia Fur Armor (White), Navalia Fur Boots (White), Navalia Fur Gauntlets (White)
Miscellaneous Items: Navalia Wolf Jerky x14 (Gray), Navalia Arrow x66 (White)