With a smile, Alex leaves the small chamber, his whole body now radiating strength and confidence.
As he walks toward the exit of the Skill Hub, he hears a couple of players talking nearby.
"I really want to upgrade my Axe Proficiency to level 6… I'm level 8, but I can't afford to buy a Small Soul Crystal! These damn things never drop, even from blue chests and I spent my FC on healing items," one disgruntled-looking player laments.
"I get what you're saying. I actually need a Medium Soul Crystal, but I haven't seen even one drop in more than ten missions," another comments.
A third player shakes his head at them. "You guys always play it too safe! I usually earn at least a Small Soul Crystal! Last time, I hit a jackpot and got two Small ones and even one Medium one! You've got to take risks!"
"I guess I shouldn't expect to find Soul Crystals in White or Green chests," the first player says with a sigh.
Alex ignores them, but as he walks outside, a grin spreads across his face.
Hehe, I'm getting Soul Crystals left and right! These bottom feeders sure have it tough!
'Oh, I got two Small Crystals and even a Medium one! I'm so good. Hahahahaha.'
I really need to stay calm and not mock them. I want to so badly, but I can't lose focus. This isn't a game…
He glances back at them once more as he leaves, his mood improving even further.
Okay… enough fucking around. Still, this kind of chatter actually matters. It's good to get some feedback from other people. Looks like my LUK has skewed my perception of value and rarity. That one time I was sad that I found only a Medium Soul Crystal and FC inside a Blue chest… other players would probably cheer if that happened.
Alex notices a few new messages from Tereza and Rishi asking about his whereabouts.
He reads Tereza's first—she's sent multiple in a row.
Did something urgent happen?
[Tereza: Where are you? It's been a couple of hours!]
[Tereza: Hello? Answer already?!]
[Tereza: Did you fall asleep inside the damn chamber?!?! RESPOND ALREADY!]
I spent longer than anticipated inside that damn cabin. Still, she's annoying…
[Rishi: I'm inside the Realm. Message me if you have some time.]
[Rishi: I met up with the others, take your time.]
Alex decides to quickly respond to Rishi.
[Alex: I'm done. Upgrading my skills took longer since it was a very high-quality skill.]
[Rishi: Interesting, we're still at the markets. Benezia is holding a private 1-on-1 study session. It's fairly interesting, even if I'm just spectating from the sidelines. She's already bought a couple of low-quality items and sold them right away. Menchi is admiring her and even taking notes. Apparently, she made 3,000 FC profit… It's not a lot, but if she can do that daily, then I guess you've found another way to make a lot of FC. I am quite envious. Though your choice of Supporters is certainly interesting. I'll refrain from commenting about personal tastes….]
… Fuck off!
A few minutes later, Alex reaches the Markets. It doesn't take long for him to spot a certain blue-skinned female with a magnificent, royal gown, her gaze slightly lowered, her cleavage drawing every eye in the vicinity.
I better not tell her—or worse, Jewel—that I really admire her outfit. She looks noble, important, stylish… but still has that erotic edge. The combination is exactly what I like. She looks so much younger and more energetic than in the game… I wonder how she would compare to Liara… Fuck, I need to hold back! She's 700 years old, come on, Alex, don't humiliate yourself. You already overdid it last mission. Shepard and Liara… I can't tell anyone what happened. I used up all my LUK and hit the jackpot, not only from the items and rewards, but also from a… relationship perspective. I really shouldn't get more greedy; it's getting pathetic. I can barely handle Tereza and Menchi.
As Alex approaches, Tereza gives him an annoyed look. "Took your sweet time! A gentleman does not let a lady wait for him."
"Shut up, woman! You are speaking to a biotic god!" Alex says smugly, making Tereza stare at him in open disapproval, crossing her arms.
Princess Jewel very much likes that Volus from Mass Effect 2. It's one of her favorite characters! Princess Jewel is so pleased that Soulmate also likes him and uses his famous quotes. ❤️
Alex rubs his head, cringing at himself and at Jewel's overly enthusiastic praise. "Thanks, Jewel… I guess."
"It's good to see you, my friend," Rishi says with a small smile toward Alex.
A few minutes later, the group sits together in a private room in one of the many restaurants lining the edges of the market. After a short wait, the table in front of them fills with delicious-looking dishes from all sorts of cuisines.
"I am not paying for this shit! I'm already broke. Sure, I have FC, but I need it to upgrade my equipment!" Tereza complains.
"These prices are quite affordable," Benezia notes. "We won't be paying more than a few hundred FC. I made 3,235 FC in just a few hours, so I guess I'll treat you all. Once I get used to the economy of the Realm and learn more about the many items, I could earn far more. If I slightly increase the risk, 10,000 FC a day should be possible. I suppose I could also target a few of those lower male lifeforms who constantly ogle at my chest to earn a fortune."
"Nice!" Alex says with a grin. "I guess your gown is a deadly weapon to players who can't control their urges. It's pathetic how easily they fall for something like that."
"... Alex, I'm not sure you're in a position to say that," Menchi comments, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Neither am I…"
Tereza nods, then glances briefly at Benezia's cleavage before looking away in shame.
Benezia gives Alex a tiny, disapproving look before softening her expression. "Your greed is unbecoming, human! You truly love FC. Though, I can understand it to some extent. With all these incredible items and opportunities—each demanding a large amount of FC—it's important to amass as much as possible. You also gave me a small fortune, so I suppose you have some control over your greed. I am quite pleased with the Realm thus far. It's been more than I could have imagined… especially after what happened with Saren. To be able to live like this is more than I deserve."
Alex studies her, a hint of concern in his eyes. "You should relax a little, Benezia. As much as I like FC, you've been through a lot. Don't stress yourself out. You can enjoy places like this, take a few days to read, take walks, enjoy massages in the real world, have a spa day with the others… and not think about the Realm. Not every day, of course, but enough to recharge occasionally. And if you ever want to talk about what happened, do it. Sometimes it helps to get your fears and problems off your tits—I mean, chest!"
He cringes and quickly shoves food into his mouth, acting like nothing happened.
Rishi smiles at Alex, while Tereza and Menchi both shoot him visibly annoyed looks.
Jewel's many red eyes also fix on him in silent disapproval.
"I am not familiar with that saying, human. But I suppose I should indeed relax a little and learn more about your world. I will try to find a balance—enough to almost maximize my gains, but still leave time to rest and broaden my knowledge," Benezia replies.
"Yeah… exactly!" Alex says quickly. "Anyway, let's talk. I have quite a few things I want to share with you, and I expect you to do the same! I already heard most of it from Tereza, but if you learned anything important, Rishi, you'd better tell me!"
Alex spends the next hour recounting his experiences in the Mass Effect world, while Benezia listens intently—more than interested to hear things from Alex's player perspective, rather than the flawed, incomplete reports she once received from Saren's spies.
"Are you kidding me?! A Black item?!" Tereza exclaims, striking the table with her fist. "Your LUK is incredible… but your risky way of finding a cure for the Genophage was ingenious as well. I guess all those playthroughs you and Jewel did paid off."
"I'm more interested in the items you got from Benezia… I assume you learned them, which is why you spent so much time at the Skill Hub?" Rishi asks with interest.
"Yes… that skill is the most broken one I've learned. Talking about becoming a Biotic god wasn't just a joke. A Gold Quality Body-Surgery—which is apparently a special item type, according to 1337—the Deep-Gold Skillbook, and the Gold Quality amp are insanely powerful." Alex explains, excited to share his thoughts.
"Anyway, there are times when we'll join random worlds. It's more than possible we'll end up in futuristic ones. The equipment from Mass Effect is absurdly strong. My Deep Purple Suit is probably as powerful as a Deep Black one. With its three mods and absurd amounts of shields, I'd be practically unkillable if I could use it in all worlds," Alex explains.
"I've bought a few items for you. If you ever end up in a futuristic world, you'll have an incredible edge," Alex says, handing over a Light and Medium [Gladiator Armor] to Rishi and Tereza, respectively.
"I also have weapons… do you want them?" Alex offers. "I got an assault rifle, pistol, sniper rifle, shotgun… take your pick. I also got two Blue-Quality skillbooks for pistols and shotguns."
"No, I don't have the proficiencies, and I don't plan to learn such a skill—even if I stumble across a higher-ranked skillbook," Rishi replies. "Thank you for the offer."
"Me neither. The armor is enough, thanks, Alex!" Tereza says, gladly accepting the armor.
"I'll pay for it, of course," Rishi adds.
"No need! These armors are gifts. However, Rishi, what I'm going to offer you next isn't. If you want those items, I expect something of equal value," Alex says.
With a knowing smile, Rishi asks, "Since you're addressing me specifically and not Tereza, I'm guessing you've got a few items neither suitable for you nor her?"
"Both items are extremely niche, but they'd sell for a fortune. Big guilds are bound to have players with SPR builds like yourself. Take a look at my [Saren's Embrace] and [Thorian Core]."
Rishi stares at the details of the items. "... I'm quite surprised. Your LUK is probably the most unfair aspect I've ever seen in the Realm. Not only did you obtain a Black Quality item and all those Gold Quality items from Benezia, but you also casually got two more Gold items? That armor… anyone with the SPR to equip it would be hard-pressed to replace it even at a higher level. As for me, who can't increase my PHY, this is almost like a cheat. Ten PHY, plus the additional benefits from Reaper Zeal, will turn my biggest weakness into my strength. I will directly equip and increase the Rank as well. This is a godsend for me! And the Thorian Core… I've never seen an item that grants a permanent bonus like that. It's obviously extremely valuable. I'm surprised you even mentioned it to me. The three stats alone would be just as valuable to you. I appreciate the sentiment."
Rishi smiles. "I'm afraid my offer isn't equal… but I think I might have something you'd be interested in! Take a look…"
Oh? Something for me? Let's see…
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