Fantasy Realm — Naruto: Blood-Mist

Alex Kerber: Lvl 6

HP: 363/363, MP: 373/373 AURA: 263/263

STR: 18 (+13), AGI: 18 (+4), PHY: 18 (+7), SNS: 18 (+2), CHA: 18 (+5), MNA: 18 (+10), INT: 18, SPR: 18 (+5), LUK: 18 (+6), NEN: 18 (+2)

Fantasy Coins: 237,500 Soul Crystals: Small x20 Medium x5 Fantasy Shards: 131

As Alex equips his [Strength Ring (+3)], he's now qualified to re-equip his [Executioner's Blade R2]. With his STR surpassing 30, Alex feels an incredible surge of power coursing through his body.

Damn, I feel great. I don't even care about the 47,000 FC I just lost—45,000 for the ring and 2,000 to upgrade my sword, who cares? I think with my current weapon and STR I could one shot pretty much anyone with my combo, if I manage to land a hit.

"Despite my Statistical OCD lvl MAX, my stats are pretty uneven now. Especially INT, SNS, and AGI—they're on the low side. Sure, they're still way higher than what most people have when they aren't focusing on them, but still. I need to decide if I'm fine with that. For now, I think it's smart to focus on STR, especially with my current gear and skills," Alex explains as they walk back to the player tower.

"Using your big boy sword to one-shot enemies, huh?" Menchi teases, "I guess if it works, why not? Just hope you don't end up in a world where that's not quite so effective."

Alex gulps and stops for a second before moving on. "Don't say that… please."

She could be right, though… Well, I can always use mission items to avoid that scenario. Should be fine.

"...I have the skills to compensate… I think?!" Alex says, now clearly less sure of himself.

Menchi pats his shoulder. "Stay calm. With Nen—especially your insane mastery over all basic and advanced Nen techniques—you definitely have the skills to compensate."

"Thanks… but yeah, it didn't hurt to get a reminder. I appreciate it, Menchi."

"...You better prepare for any situation then!" Tereza cautions him, looking worried.

Princess Jewel is also slightly worried. Her skillset might not be very useful in certain environments.

Leave that to me, Jewel. I will protect you.

The group makes it back to the player tower and returns to Alex's apartment.

Time passes slowly, as everyone focuses on their own goals and ambitions.

Alex keeps practicing and spending time with Jewel, also making frequent visits to the markets to scout for interesting skillbooks, unique items, or cheap gear to convert into shards, without any noticeable success, however. He and Menchi often head to the third floor of the player tower, a specialized training zone that simulates different environments. Thanks to Menchi's experience as a hunter, she's able to give Alex some very practical, real-world advice.

Tereza spends the next few days browsing the markets as well—usually with Menchi—who's constantly hunting down rare ingredients and selling freshly made dishes.

One morning, after eating breakfast, they all lounge on Alex's couch. He gently pets Jewel, who twists her body in delight, clearly enjoying the affection.

"So you finally made a long-term contract for a small stall, Menchi?" Alex asks.

"It only cost me 3,000 FC. The location's decent, too. I'm aiming for cheap and consistent sales. I'd rather earn small profits and build a reputation than overprice things. I even managed to get my hands on a few Green-quality monster corpses, so I can keep cooking Green dishes. If things keep going this way, profits will steadily grow. For now, I need to get a reputation and some fame among the players. If solo players bring their cooking-related loot to me, I'm even willing to give them better deals. The more ingredients, the faster I'll improve and the more money I'll earn."

"..."

This is almost going too smoothly. Menchi really is a treasure.

"Keep grinding, then. If you ever need help, just ask. Anyway—Rishi messaged me earlier. We forgot about it, but there's an event happening today in the Player Tower. Remember the newbie welcoming event? It turns out that it's half about an introduction to the Realm for new players and part about guild scouting opportunities, at least according to Rishi. We haven't seriously considered joining a guild yet, but there might be one out there that fits us. Maybe something focused on trading or services? We all agreed not to join a guild if it means taking orders—but a guild with no obligations, one that's more of a network, might be worth it."

"That sounds like a smart idea," Tereza replies. "Some guidance and better trade deals wouldn't hurt. I'm not looking to team up with randoms, but a loose association of like-minded players? That sounds doable."

"Rishi will meet up with us later. We should definitely check the event out," Alex adds.

The day moves along quietly, and eventually Alex, Tereza, and Menchi head back to the Realm.

Alex leaves his room on the sixth floor and descends to the fifth floor of the tower, where both Rishi and Tereza have their rooms. As expected, they're already waiting for him near the stairs.

Now gathered up, the group heads down to the second-lowest level—Floor 1—used for special events and reserved purposes. Rooms here can be booked using enough FC.

As they arrive, they see quite a few players walking into a specific hall. It looks rather small compared to the other massive chambers of the Realm, which are completely empty.

"I guess this is a relatively small event," Alex comments.

"Apparently this kind of event is held at least once a month. Doesn't surprise me that the very largest venue isn't needed. Might also be to save some FC for the guilds," Tereza replies.

As they approach the event hall, Alex suddenly stops. "I see two friends… These two welcomed me when I first arrived here. They even gave me their card… they are from the Seeker guild."

Moving forward, both girls spot Alex and wave at him.

"Hello there… Lucia and Merve, right?" Alex says, correctly recalling their names.

"Hmph. Alex Kerber, huh?" Lucia replies sharply. "Your name's been spreading fast through the Realm. You didn't accept our invitation to visit the Seeker guild headquarters—instead, you signed up with those manipulative goblins. I don't like it. And I don't like that huge sword on your back either. Not hiding anymore, huh? Showing off now that everyone knows who's backing you? Arrogant."

Alex takes a closer look at her. Brown hair, relatively tall… but ultimately forgettable. No distinct features.

He turns his gaze to Merve. She looks similar, but she's clearly more reserved.

Sisters? Cousins? Whatever. Doesn't matter. And yeah—getting a reputation isn't a bad thing. Hiding myself won't help long-term, especially now that rumors about me helping Glimmerwhisk are out. The goblin union doesn't exactly keep things secret. Most of those greedy fuckers probably sold the info the second they heard it. Glimmerwhisk can't control rumors.

"Just did a friend a favor. I was planning to visit you eventually, but it couldn't hurt to check out this event first before visiting any guilds, right? Don't misunderstand me—I actually feel mistreated right now. By the way, are the Seekers sponsoring this event too?"

"Hmph, sure! I don't believe you! That sword suits you. I bet you love to overcompensat—" Lucia starts again.

This jealous bitch… Still stuck doing grunt work despite being my senior in the Realm. Now she's just bitter.

"Shut up, please! The next time I hear someone accuse me of overcompensating, I'll pull out my cock right here and now!" Alex snaps, clearly pissed off.

Soulmate mustn't!!

Merve quickly steps forward and gently tugs Lucia back. "Lucia… don't be like that. We're sorry. Yes, the Seekers are one of the top 20 largest guilds in the Realm after all. Only a handful of us larger guilds are actually organizing this event. Our guild, unlike most of the big ones, tries to be welcoming. The others aren't interested in helping new players—they'd rather exploit them."

Sounds smart. This kind of hazing is probably expected. These guilds are clearly also using this event to fish for recruits, I don't believe they spent FC and waste their time out of the goodness of their hearts.

"I… I'm also sorry," Alex says, grateful for Merve's intervention.

Better to play nice. I don't want to burn any bridges.

"I guess I am too. Let's just forget it and have a good event, alright?" Lucia says, looking a little embarrassed.

"Deal," Alex replies, offering his hand. She shakes it, looking embarrassed, while Merve seems relieved.

"You're his friends?" Lucia asks, looking at Rishi and Tereza. Her eyes then land on Menchi—her expression twisting with envy.

"That supporter is way too good for you… just saying what everyone else is thinking, no offense."

"None taken, Menchi is awesome, I admit it," Alex says with a grin.

Hehehe get more jealous, you stupid bitch!

"We are indeed his friends. Anyway, thanks for organizing this event. We should head inside—it's about to start and we wouldn't want to be rude, would we?" Rishi says, smoothly redirecting the conversation.

That's new… Rishi usually doesn't care about acting polite. He loves a good challenge, but it looks like he's forcing himself to play nice here.

The group enters the hall. Inside, hundreds of players are already gathered.

By Alex's rough count, there are easily a few hundred attendees—and the event hasn't even begun yet.

Alex leads the group toward the left side and sits down near the back, not in the mood to be the center of attention for once.

As the hall slowly fills, Alex notices a cluster of people gathering near the stage.

"Some of them look like priests… and a few of the women are dressed like nuns," Alex points out.

"I've seen a couple of them in the Realm," Rishi adds.

"Me too, now that you mention it," Menchi says. "I see all kinds of players passing by my stall, and those obviously stand out."

"Religious fanatics?" Alex guesses.

"Why fanatics? Let's be a bit more open-minded, I find the concept of religion inside the Realm quite interesting," Tereza replies. "Anyway, we'll find out soon."

"If you join their sect, Tereza, I'll get angry," Alex says, looking slightly worried.

"I am not! I am merely interested in their philosophy!" She says, looking misunderstood.

"As far as I can tell, there are players from four different organizations," Rishi says, observing the event organizers.

"The Seekers, and the people cosplaying as priests and nuns—that's two. So you see two more distinct groups? I definitely don't," Alex admits.

"Just a hunch. We'll find out soon," Rishi says, smiling.

Right then, a few players step forward and shut the doors to the hall.

Just as Rishi predicted, four players slowly step onto the stage. The hundreds of players in the hall turn to look, curiosity lighting up their expressions.

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