"Qiang, if I, a Lv1 newbie, go fight the Gray Realm monsters, won't that just be delivering food to them? I think I better pass on that."
After Qiang finished speaking, Wang Zhifan didn't hesitate much before politely declining his invitation.
Obviously, he's just a Lv1 new player, literally fresh out of the gate. To go challenging those Gray Realm monsters that have invaded reality after just clearing one dungeon would be a sure path to having no idea how to even spell the word 'death'.
Although Wang Zhifan hasn't been a player for long, he had already been lurking on player forums before finding Qiang as a source for purchasing a Player Professional Card, gathering a lot of information about players. He knew that the Gray Realm threat, which had emerged in recent years and could only be handled by players, wasn't something to take lightly.
It's not that those Gray Realm monsters are particularly powerful, but because they invade the real world. In reality, if players get injured fighting these monsters, they don't get the free treatment they would when leaving a dungeon. A minor injury isn't too much of a problem, but if one were to get seriously injured or disabled, things would really get out of hand.
"Hmm... Mr. Wang, I understand your situation now; suggesting you go now might indeed be a bit risky."
To Wang Zhifan's surprise, after he politely refused, Qiang didn't insist but instead started echoing his concerns. However, this person shifted gears quickly, revealing his merchant nature.
"Brother, given your current situation, you do need to boost your strength quickly. Conveniently, I have a batch of Fine Layer equipment right now, including a Fine Layer great cleaver that's just right for your profession. Do you want to upgrade your gear? I bet you didn't get any handy weapons after just one dungeon, did you?"
"Uh... Qiang, how much does that Fine Layer great cleaver cost?"
Wang Zhifan was caught off guard by such a sudden sales pitch, but he didn't show any sign of being taken aback, instead using a tone of desire mixed with financial embarrassment to cautiously inquire about the price.
"Hehe, Mr. Wang, we've known each other for a while, you can rest assured about the price—it's definitely a bargain, less than half of what you paid for the Professional Card, a fixed price of just eighty thousand national currency!"
Seeing how Wang Zhifan seemed very tempted, Qiang quickly revealed what he thought was a highly affordable weapon price.
"Eighty thousand?! Qiang, I can't afford it right now. Let's talk when I've saved enough! I've got something on, talk to you later! Beep beep beep~"
For just a Fine Layer weapon, asking for eighty thousand national currency left Wang Zhifan speechless. He quickly hung up on the guy and began to use his mobile banking app to check his current balance. He vaguely remembered that the original owner of his body had nearly drained his savings to buy the Player Professional Card, leaving him possibly in a severe financial crisis.
True enough, once Wang Zhifan managed to recall the original owner's banking app password and log in, he quickly found that he was a pauper now, with the combined balance of several bank cards amounting to only a thousand or so!
"Goodness, this guy really went all out to become a player. He didn't just quit working for years but also completely exhausted the money sent by his parents..."
The situation gave Wang Zhifan a bit of a headache, though he fully understood why the original owner would act this way, having thoroughly absorbed their memories.
The original Wang Zhifan was just an ordinary young man from a small town in Xia Country; his family was healthy, and they lived a fairly decent life.
However, after graduating and moving to the city to work, he suddenly received the shocking news that both his parents had died unexpectedly. Initially, the contact person told him they were murdered by a gang of villains, but upon returning home he discovered this wasn't true. He eventually learned from official sources that his parents had been caught in a Gray Realm incursion and died at the hands of Gray Realm monsters!
This revelation began his journey into understanding the world of players, leading to a strong desire to become a player and avenge his parents—otherwise, he wouldn't have spent so much time and money seeking out a way to purchase a Player Professional Card.
"Original owner, since I have inherited everything from you, I've also taken on your hatred for the Gray Realm monsters. But I'm too weak for now, and dealing with them will have to wait until later."
For the original owner of the same name and surname that he had crossed over into, Wang Zhifan felt quite sympathetic. The original bearer had become a player of the disadvantaged Fighter profession solely to seek revenge but fell in his first dungeon run. Though the result was unfortunate, his unwavering determination was commendable.
"But I must resolve this financial issue quickly. Otherwise, there might not even be enough for this month's rent, let alone the next."
Feeling troubled, Wang Zhifan closed the banking app and started ordering food on a delivery app. Since he didn't have much money left, he had to opt for affordable and filling fast food, avoiding anything that looked more tempting or nutritious.
As for cooking for himself, that was not a realistic option given his current circumstances, as his rented room lacked a kitchen and any usable cooking utensils.
"The original owner seemed to work in IT before, but it's been more than a year since he worked. I wonder if I can find a suitable job based on his past experience."
To solve the current financial issues, Wang Zhifan started pondering the feasibility of returning to the workforce, even if the thought made him somewhat reluctant.
Thus, as he awaited the arrival of his fast food, Wang Zhifan quickly sat down at his laptop and began drafting a resume for submission.
The ordinary day passed quickly, the city remained lively and bustling into the night, but it was of no concern to Wang Zhifan. After filling up on fast food, he spent the night until midnight figuring out viable solutions to escape his financial crisis.
The next morning, after freshening up and grabbing some buns outside, Wang Zhifan sat down to check the responses to the resumes he had sent out the night before. But it was clear that none of his applications received any response.
"It's already eleven, and I've sent out dozens of resumes since yesterday, but not even a single interview invitation... Looks like I'll have to try Plan B."
Since earning money through employment wasn't progressing well, Wang Zhifan immediately considered another means of making money. This path, however, posed some danger and didn't guarantee success.
"Let's hope the previous reward selection wasn't just a fluke... Dungeon, launch!"
Having made up his mind and preparing himself, Wang Zhifan suddenly vanished from his rented room, entering a mysterious dungeon world.