As Alex moves to leave the room, Menchi steps forward.
"Before we do those important things you mentioned, Alex… how about we test out that skill?" she suggests. "I also want to know the details. I've wanted the Trading skill for a while! I need it to get better prices when I go shopping or sell my items. Of course, Benezia could still help me out, but I think I want to have that skill too!" Menchi explains eagerly.
"1337? There are six ranks, right? Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, Master, and Grandmaster. Grandmaster is currently locked for both Benezia and Menchi since it requires Gold-Quality. But they can both reach up to Master+, right? Benezia's Teaching skill is at Expert+, just a step below the second-highest Master realm. What would that mean for Menchi? Would her skill start at Basic? The lowest skill-level?" Alex wonders.
[Supporter Menchi's initial skill level depends on a couple of factors: Supporter Benezia's Teaching skill, her level in the skill she wants to teach, and Supporter Menchi's quality, aptitude, and suitability for that particular skill. This system is not allowed to predict the outcome; however, the Host should be able to predict the result himself. As long as Supporter Benezia's Teaching skill—and the skill she wants to teach—is higher than Supporter Menchi's, she can even increase her pupil's skill level after teaching it to her. The closer the skills of the two Supporters in terms of rank, the more ineffective that method becomes, however.]
Alex thinks for a moment, mumbling to himself. "Menchi's not bad at trading—she's done well out there and made a steady profit. Her quality is also at Purple, so that's quite high. I think she's really compatible with the skill. Both of Benezia's relevant skills are at Expert+... 1337, one last question. Can you unlearn these skills?"
[Yes. However, it costs 10,000 FC per tier to unlearn a skill. A Basic skill costs 10,000 FC to unlearn, Intermediate skills costs 20,000 FC, and so on. Sub-grades do not matter in that regard.]
"Good, that's relatively cheap. I think you should do it—Benezia, Menchi," Alex concludes.
"It will take time, I can feel it. Let's do it when we return from the Realm," Benezia says.
"While we're here, let's try to find more Supporter skills. Maybe we can buy some. If they're that easy to unlearn, you can just freely learn a few more skills, Benezia—especially because once you reach level 20, you'll get your fourth free skill slot," Alex says.
He then thinks a moment longer. "Here's 200,000 FC. It's a start. Feel free to engage in some trading to grow that amount—or buy anything that interests you."
He transfers the funds to her.
She accepts without hesitation and throws Alex a meaningful glance.
Is she calling me cheap? Her expression is always unreadable…
Tereza and Menchi both stare at him.
"Does that include sexual servi—" Tereza begins, but Alex uses his recently increased AGI to smack her on the head before she can finish her lewd joke.
Menchi laughs. "Come on, Tereza. That isn't anything new. Alex was never stingy. That includes you, by the way. I wish he'd buy me a fruit comparable to yours."
"You couldn't even use it," Tereza replies, rubbing her head.
Princess Jewel thinks Benezia should use that amount of FC to hire someone to teach her basic gaming skills. It might not even be enough for that colossal task. Princess Jewel sees no hope.
"Let's move on already," Alex says, finally opening the door to his room.
As they walk through the guildhouse, they stumble across Qingfeng—the guild leader of the Sundered Circle, which Alex, along with his Supporters, pet, Tereza, and Rishi, had joined.
With a polite smile, she greets the group. "It's nice to see you three again. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Benezia. You too, Jewel, of course," she adds, smiling warmly before focusing her gaze on Jewel with a loving expression.
"Do you require another room? We have quite a few left," she asks gently.
"Your choice," Alex says, glancing at Benezia.
"I'll thankfully take you up on your kind offer then," Benezia responds.
"I'll order our maid to prepare your room. It will be ready in a few hours," Qingfeng promises.
"If you have time, I'd love to get to know you better—however, no pressure. I'm usually in my office. If you ever feel like enjoying a cup of tea, please visit me," she says before walking away.
"Can't deny that she's popular, huh?" Tereza remarks.
"Frighteningly so…" Alex agrees, while Menchi nods with a smile.
Once Princess Jewel has evolved, she will be the most popular being in the entire Realm!
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Maybe the most popular spider—if you aren't already," Alex says.
Finally, the group leaves the guild house and walks toward the entrance of the player tower.
Alex walks beside Benezia and then calmly says, "Benezia, obviously, you know that people will approach you with varied intentions. Not just out of curiosity—they're probably already forming plans to take advantage of you. You can do whatever you want, and you probably know more about these things than I do, but I just want to stress this: the other players are not allies. They're nothing but rivals and potential enemies. If they can benefit from it, they'll hurt, rob, torture, or kill me without hesitation. The Realm works that way."
Benezia reveals a hint of amusement. "I appreciate the warning; however, there is absolutely no need to concern yourself with me. I am used to this kind of treatment. It has been centuries since I've been successfully taken advantage of."
"Minus that Saren thing, of course," Alex mumbles.
Benezia turns to stare him down, clearly offended.
As they continue walking, despite their casual demeanor, people can't help but stare at Benezia.
On their way to the Skill Hub, no fewer than a dozen players point, gawk, or try to start conversations with her.
Finally, they reach the Skill Hub, and Alex turns toward the others. "I might need a while… I only have a single skill to learn and upgrade, but it could take some time. Feel free to wait or check out the markets."
"I guess we'll take a walk, then," Tereza says.
Menchi agrees. "Contact us once you're done."
Princess Jewel will wait….!
It's fine, Jewel. Waiting all alone would be weird. Have some fun with the others. I'll see you in a while.
Alex enters the relatively empty Skill Hub, spotting only a few groups scattered across the floor and hundreds of vacant cabins.
He picks one toward the back and immediately feels a wave of nostalgia.
Now that skills don't improve at every level, this experience is something novel, huh?
"1337, I want to activate my [Body Surgery: Retroactive Eezo Exposure and Asari Alpha Implant]!
[Body Surgery: Retroactive Eezo Exposure and Asari Alpha Implant]
World: Mass Effect
Quality: Gold
Requirements: 20 PHY, 20 SPR, 16 SNS, 14 INT
Effect: Retroactively changes the body to mimic the effects of in utero exposure to Element Zero.
Effect: Increases the Power and Duration of every Biotic ability by 30% and reduces the Cooldown of every Biotic ability by 10%.
Effect: Increases Recovery of Biotic Power by 20%.
Note: The remnant of an abandoned Asari experiment that aimed to create a Biotic Implant specifically for Asari.Has been modified by the system to work on humans.
Note: Can't be traded
[Acknowledged, Host. Prepare yourself, this process might take a while. You will probably lose consciousness.]
As soon as 1337's words enter Alex's mind, he feels a sharp sting. Just a second later, as 1337 as predicted, Alex blacks out.
He wakes up, feeling his head stinging, with each of his heartbeats, his head hurts, making him feel like he has been implanted with a deadly bomb, slowly ticking down, ready to explode.
"Damn… that was brutal. I still feel a sting… my head hurts. It's like something is stuck inside my head." Alex curses. "How long was I out?"
[Host was unconscious for 2 hours and 27 minutes. A rather swift recovery. The foreign feeling will soon disappear, as your body gets used to the changes. All high-quality Body Surgery items are perfectly safe, and the system ensures that you won't feel any discomfort in the long run.]
1337 is teaching me again! So there are more Body Surgery items, and if 1337 mentions high-quality ones, there must also be low-quality ones… interesting! I wonder if there is a limit or if I can modify my body endlessly. I'll keep an eye out for them!
"Now… 1337, finally. I want to use [Kunrith's Biotic Tome]
[Kunrith's Biotic Tome]
World: Mass Effect
Quality: Deep Gold
Requirements: In Utero Eezo Exposure and a suitable Implant of at least Light-Purple Quality.
Requirements: Basic Endurance lvl 5, Basic Meditation lvl 5, Basic Long-Range Combat Prowess lvl 5, Basic Concentration lvl 5
Leveling Requirements: 1 Soul Crystal (small), 1,000 Fantasy Coins + 500 per level
Effect: Grants the user access to basic Biotic abilities and unlocks the Biotic Power resource at lvl 0.
Effect: Grants one Biotic skill per level, starting at lvl 1. The user can influence the skill they're receiving. Uses up a skill slot.
Effect: Rapidly drains the Stamina of the user when applied in battle.
Note: Kunrith is the Goddess of war and hunting. This Tome is a sacred treasure, accessible only to highly accomplished Matriarchs.
Alex, despite his aching head, is unable to hold back his curiosity and decides to learn his skill now.
He feels his head being filled with information as soon as the System notifies him.
[Player has unlocked the Biotic Power resource]
[Analyzing Biotic Power (BP) resource:]
[The amount of BP depends on your Biotic skill's level and your combined PHY and SPR stats. Each point of PHY and SPR adds 1 BP to your pool.]
[BP recovers by 1% every second—the amount of BP is therefore not related to the player's recovery speed.]
[Warning: Frequent use of BP will drain Stamina, fatigue the player, and cause hunger, requiring the player to eat more frequently.]
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