Despite waking up several times through the night to conjure more <strong>Annihtion Grenades lvl 3</strong>, Alex still feels rested when morninges. Stepping out of his tent, he surveys the other yers around him. Some are also camped out in tents, while a few are simply lying in front of buildings, wrapped in sleeping bags or nkets. A handful are sprawled directly on the cold ground, using only their jackets for warmth.
“Did they expect a damn hotel?” Alex mutters, shaking his head. “These yers are badly prepared!” It’s clear to him that many aren’t taking this mission nearly as seriously as they should.
Alex feels confident. With his <strong>[Navigator’s Ticket]</strong> secured, the fear of being forcibly killed and eaten by those snake demons has faded. Now, with two days and a night left to kill, he intends to use every moment wisely. The demon-run exchange offers items that could bring in a lot of FC, and Alex ns to make the most of it.
He pulls some food from his inventory, stuffing his mouth with various items. The yer inventory slows decay but doesn’tpletely stop it, so he has plenty to get through: meats, bread, some fruit, and a mountain of energy bars. After a quick meal, he feels full and heads over to the well to wash up and get ready for the day.
As he finishes, Alex notices Eirini and Patricia approaching the well for water. He hesitates, remembering Tereza and Rishi’s advice about keeping his distance. Why risk opportunities for survival just to be “nice”? He needs every advantage he can get in this world, both for now and whatever awaits him in the future.
He looks at them with a solemn, somewhat apologetic expression. To his surprise, Eirini greets him with a friendly smile.
“Good morning, Alex… Can I ask you a question?” she says.
“Sure, what do you want to know?” Alex replies, deciding it can’t hurt to share a bit of information.
“I heard you already got your ticket… Patricia and I, like most of the other yers, didn’t go outside yesterday. We just studied the catalog. Can you give us a hint about what items we should be turning in?”
Alex shakes his head. “I studied that catalog for thirty minutes and got the gist of it. Ignore it. It’s only useful to identify stuff you find, you can’t aim for specific stuff! Just turn in whatever you stumble across. Even things not listed can be exchanged. Go out, kill some of the weaker animals, and turn them in! Don’t sit around doing nothing—you’ll die if you do! Risk it and get out, even if it’s dangerous. If you wait, you’re as good as dead. You <em>need</em> tickets!”
Patricia, who’s been listening intently, looks at Alex with a regretful expression. “I think we knew that already, but… it’s just so terrifying.”
“Isn’t it scarier to stay in this vige?” Alex replies. “In a few days, these ‘peaceful’ vigers will attack you! Anyway, you’ve already wasted half a day. Go outside, be careful not to touch anything dangerous, and stick close to the vige. There aren’t any deadly threats immediately around it. Just focus on gathering the items mentioned in the catalog, and you’ll have a solid shot at this. You two better get moving.”
He heads toward the vige exit, hearing Eirini say softly behind him, “Thank you…”
As Alex approaches the exit, he’s intercepted by a group of yers led by the woman who had demanded he “y nice” yesterday. She’s surrounded by others, their expressions a blend of respect, fear, and jealousy. Alex sighs internally, deciding not to antagonize them without reason, and stops to talk.
The leader, a woman in herte thirties, looks weak by his standards, clearlycking in physical stats. “I know this type,” Alex thinks, “too trusting, always wants to see the good in everyone, convinced there’s a peaceful solution for everything. Might as well hear her out, but it’ll be pointless.”
“What is it?” he asks, keeping his expression neutral.
“You… you already got your Ticket?” she asks, the tension in her voice obvious. “You need to help us get ours too.”
Alex feels a chill of disturbance. “Is this woman serious?” he thinks. “How and why should I do that? First of all, the ticket is non-transferable and limited to one per person. And I can see some of you eyeing me with greed—you can’t steal anything from me. The system anticipated this scenario, so even if you ambush and kill me, all you’d get is a bloody chest you can’t even open outside the Fantasy Realm!”
The woman raises her hands, her voice calming. “No one’s ambushing anyone, and we know you can’t trade your ticket. But you <em>can</em> trade the stuff you turned in yesterday, right? You need to gather more and share it with us so we can all make it through this!”
Alex nods thoughtfully and says, “I had simr thoughts. I n to do just that, and depending on what I find, I could maybe save a few of you—especially those whose tickets are cheaper. Although, those with lower costs also have worse chances in the exam, so it might make more sense to give priority to higher-level yers with better stats and more skills. Surely you’ve already decided who’ll get a ticket?”
A few of them seem surprised by Alex’s willingness to help, but before long, several voices chime in, each iming a reason to go first. “I need it first!” one yer asserts. Others argue, “As a level 1, you’ll never pass the exam! I’m level 4, not the strongest, but at least I have the basic skills. I survived 4 whole missions to make it here! I stand a chance to survive, so the ticket should go to me!” Another retorts, “No way! We could save three low-level yers instead of just you!”
Alex hides a smirk. He has no real intention of donating to “charity.” Instead, he’s nudging this hastily-formed group into chaos, using their desperation to maximize his own advantage. Just a few words, and he’s already seeded.
“STOP! NO ARGUING!” The woman leading the group surprises Alex by calling for silence. “We’ll use a lottery. It’s the fairest for everyone! Thank you, Alex, for agreeing to save us—you’re making the right decision!”
“A lottery doesn’t work for me,” Alex replies tly.
“Why not?” she asks, clearly taken aback.
“I’ll offer my spoils to whoever can offer me the most FC or the most useful items. No need for a lottery.” He gives her a calcting look. “Of course, I have my limits. If no one has enough, I might as well use my haul to buy something from the store that’s worth more FC. So maybe do your lottery first and pool all your items together. Then make sure the ‘winner’ has everyone’s stuff to offer in exchange for the chance to buy a ticket.” He grins slightly, relishing his strong negotiating position.
“YOU… NO! That isn’t right!” The woman’s face twists in shock.
“Oh? So I’m supposed to risk my life out there and not even get anything in return? I should just hand over my spoils to people too scared to fight for their own survival? That’s what you think is ‘right,’ huh?” He shakes his head. “Look, I won’t argue. I seriously suggest you all go out and gather your own items. I’ll even throw in some tips for a safer trip… for free. That much I’m willing to do.”
No one makes eye contact with Alex, clearly too afraid to take him up on his offer.@@novelbin@@
“Well then, I suggest you start preparing and pooling your items. Your lives are surely more important than a few possessions you don’t even n to use, right? If you want me to save you, I’d better head out and try to get more loot—who knows if I’ll even find anything today? I had a lot of luck yesterday.”
He pauses, then adds, “Or… I can offer you something that might make going out a little easier.” He holds up an <strong>Annihtion Grenade lvl 3</strong>.
“5,000 FC per grenade—I can sell you up to ten.”
“Who would pay 5,000 FC for <em>that</em> thing? Are you trying to scam us?” one yer uses.
“Seeing is believing.” Alex mentally lights the grenade’s fuse, which ignites with its signature purple me. He throws it high into the air, and a few secondster, it explodes. Several yers flinch, turning away in shock as shrapnel rains down, though none of them take damage, as the grenade’s effective range isn’t thatrge.
“With this, you can head out and gather your own items. If you run into trouble, toss the grenade at the beast. It might kill, scare off, or at the very least wound whatever’s after you so you can escape! I’m basically offering a ‘get out of jail’ card. 5,000 FC is nothing.”
Alex grins as a few yers rush toward him, and he uses the trade function to sell five grenades. A wide smile spreads across his face after the deals are finalized. “I can’t believe they paid 5,000 FC for a grenade that costs me nothing but a bit of MP to create! And since they won’t be making it out of this world anyway, my secret stays safe. If any of them survive, well… people outside already know about my grenades, and these yers don’t know any real details, just that the grenade is connected to me.”
<em>You received 25,000 FC</em>
The five yers who bought a grenade gather themselves, apparently deciding to head into the forest and try to gather items on their own. Alex respects that determination.
“Since you’re ready to fight for your lives now,e here. I’ve got a few tips for you.” He pulls them aside and exins some basic survival tactics: how to avoid danger, not to touch unknown objects, how to use dead animals as bait to distract beasts, and shares his knowledge of the terrain.
The yers seem genuinely grateful and, after thanking him, quickly leave the vige to begin their hunt.
Alex then prepares to head out as well, noticing that the remaining group is still deep in discussion, clearly split by disagreements. Smirking to himself, he decides to take advantage of the newfound freedom to chat with the vigers without any interference. Most of them ignore him, but a few share useful information about the forest, hunting tactics, and life in the vige.
“It wasn’t a waste talking to these vigers!” Alex thinks, pleased with the tidbits he’s picked up. However, one thing bothers him—a younger viger seems to be following him around, always lurking nearby. “What’s that beast doing? I have my Ticket, and even without it, I should be safe here for now!”
Finally, tired of being watched, Alex approaches the beast directly. “What do you want from me?” he asks bluntly.
“I WILL KILL HUMAN! DISSSSGRACE USSSS!” the beast hisses, barely managing to form words.
“What the fuck? That freak can barely talk,” Alex thinks, bewildered.
Suddenly, the beast lunges at Alex, swiping a massive w toward him! Alex dodges to the side, momentarily stunned by the unexpected attack. The beast swings again, and Alex narrowly avoids the blow, feeling the rush of air from the w passing just inches from his skin. Quickly, he pulls out his <strong>[Shield of Pluto]</strong> and manages to block the next strike just in time.
Abruptly, the attacks stop, and Alex sees several other vigers rushing over, grabbing the frenzied beast and dragging it away by force.
The navigator appears, looking at the still-dazed Alex. “Ssssorrry about that, human. Thisss little one is too eager… a dissssgrace. Pleassse ept thisss asss an apology.”
<em>You received 20 Tribaio Vige tokens</em>
“Well, thanks, I guess,” Alex mutters, deciding that confronting orining would gain him nothing. Nothing major happened, and the crazed beast is clearly being restrained now. He chooses to let it go.
The navigator watches Alex with a conflicted expression, as if he’d expected a more aggressive reaction.
“There’s danger everywhere… maybe my trust in the system was misced! If I hadn’t dodged, I’d be dead! Sure, the beast might get punished, maybe even killed, but that wouldn’t bring me back. I need to be even more careful from now on!” Alex realizes.
Alex checks his inventory, and his eyes widen as he notices an additional update next to his <strong>Annihtion Grenade lvl 3</strong> skill: <strong>(Grenades conjured: 7/13)</strong>. “What the hell? Those five already used up their grenades. What happened?”
Curious, he conjures a few more grenades to start regenerating his MP as he walks. He’d overheard the group mentioning they nned to head toward the small chain of mountains marked on the map to the west of the vige.
Alex makes his decision. “The west it is!” he mutters, carefully but decisively leaving the vige and setting off in that direction.