Shaking off his frustration, Alex focuses on the matter at hand. “Anyway, ignore them,” he says, addressing Roja directly. “Sorry for butting in, but we have some serious questions, Roja. Tell us about the stat threshold and what happens if you surpass it.” His tone is calm but serious.
“Stat threshold? Whatever could you mean?” Roja replies, her expression one of feigned innocence.
“Please don’t mess around,” Alex says, his voice steady but firm. “We know that once a certain stat surpasses the threshold, something happens. Name your price if you don’t want to share the information. We’ll find out anyway once we reach the main Realm, so it’s not like this is some massive secret.”
Though Alex doesn’t activate his [Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag], he taps into its power subtly, channeling the mindset it represents. He begins to understand the balance between the Renegade and Paragon approaches, wielding both confidence and diplomacy as tools to achieve his goals. However, he always chooses one extreme to solve his problems, this time deciding on using a Renegade method to get the information he needs.
“Hmmm, is it just me, or are you slowly growing up?” Roja says in a smug tone, her expression feigning pride. “Looks like your only real weakness is slowly getting patched up. That makes me feel a bit proud… but also regretful. Children aren’t supposed to leave the nest so soon.”
“Is it just me, or is every female here a damn psychopath?” Alex retorts, suddenly turning his gaze toward Perlah, as if trying to analyze what devil might be lurking in her.
Rishi, standing nearby, shows the faintest hint of a smile, as though silently agreeing with Alex’s observation.
“Oh, come on,” Roja replies dismissively. “Your friends and I just like to have a little fun. Now, you correctly said you’ll learn these things once you reach the main part of the Realm. Do you really need to know about it now? It’s not really necessary, is it?”
“If it’s no big deal and we’ll learn about it soon anyway, you might as well tell us now, huh?” Alex counters smoothly. “Let’s call it a gesture of good faith. Or… are you not serious about our team? I don’t like being taken advantage of.”
“...” Roja is momentarily speechless, caught off guard by Alex’s directness, his Renegade attitude clearly pressuring her.
Rishi gives Alex an approving nod, and Alex takes note, realizing something important. He’s happier observing and keeping his cards close. If I take the lead, it’ll give Rishi more opportunities down the line. It’s best if they don’t realize what he’s capable of just yet, Alex reasons, adjusting his strategy.
“...You owe me one, okay?” Roja finally says, leaning forward slightly. “If you accept our team and can genuinely tell me you’ll do your best, not just to survive and fulfill the contract, but to really try your best to achieve the best results as a team—I won’t be stingy. I’ll just tell you. Truth be told, that information isn’t even free inside the Main Realm. It’s only for serious players. Most players below level 10, or even level 15 or 20—don’t learn about it naturally.”
“I want to achieve the best results in the next mission. I promise you I’ll do my best to make our team succeed!” Alex says earnestly.
He doesn’t outright activate [Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag], but he feels its influence nonetheless, tapping into the Paragon side of it this time.
This… I… what am I doing? Alex wonders. I didn’t want to say that outright, but I just blurted it out.
“You… Okay, I trust you,” Roja says after a moment, her voice softening. “You can be quite corny sometimes, but I know you’re not acting. Going through one mission with you is enough for me to tell. Your character is so different from what I remember…. Is this what Americans call Carrot and Stick? Don’t you usually need a partner for that approach? Looks like you’re doing it on your own. It surprises me that you can say these things so naturally.”
Alex, still slightly confused, thinks to himself, Whatever… For now, my impulsive answers are working. There’s no need to question them… but sooner or later, I’ll need to think about whether it’s a good or bad thing to rely on [Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag]. It affects me now without even activating it… Would it be even stronger if I used it now? If I could gain even a fraction of the real Shepard’s abilities… it’s not just about combat strength, stats, or abilities… but personal strength. Strength of character….
“You wanna know about it that bad? Fine, I’ll tell you…!” Roja says, glancing around to ensure no one else is nearby.
She then begins explaining in a calm, matter-of-fact tone:
“Once a stat reaches 30 points, it will be declared as your primary stat. When that happens, you gain various bonuses. The same applies to your secondary stat, but the bonuses will be reduced. Still, your secondary stat is equally important. Your third and fourth stats that reach the threshold also matter and will provide very small bonuses as well. These are called side stats.
“Once these two side stats reach 30, it will take two stat points to increase them. For all other stats, it will take you three stat points to increase them past 30.
“You see, it’s quite important to think about your future and fighting style. Once a few of your stats reach 30, you’ll reach a point of no return. As far as I know, this can’t be reverted… ever. Want to switch to a mage class after reaching 30 in your physical stats? Impossible. You’ll lack the unique benefits you would have gained if you’d chosen MNA as your primary stat. And, of course, it will cost you three times as many stat points to improve it.
“I won’t tell you the details of the bonuses, though—that information will cost you. 50,000 FC, and I’ll tell you more. I also know quite a bit more about this whole system, which contains a huge trap. It’s not apparent now, but you’ll learn about it eventually. By that point, though, it might be too late. If you want to make it far, you’d better pay up,” Roja concludes, her expression serious.
“...!”
Everyone listens intently to Roja’s explanation, their faces filled with surprise. Alex, in particular, finds himself deep in thought. Being a special case, he wonders what would happen if all his stats reached 30 at the same time.
After a long pause, the group decides not to pay Roja for the additional information—for now.
As they prepare to leave, Alex, feeling the urge to return the favor, asks Menchi to give Roja and Perlah two White-ranked dishes. The two accept the gesture with a smile, clearly aware of Menchi’s reputation as a talented cook. By now, Menchi’s cooking abilities have become well-known, as she continues to empty the market of all Gray- and White-quality meat, as well as the rare Green-quality meat whenever it’s available.
Returning to Alex’s room, the group, Alex, Rishi, Tereza, and Menchi, stare at each other, the weight of Roja’s explanation sinking in.
Rishi breaks the silence, smiling slightly. “Well, let’s test if that’s indeed true.
“System… use a few of my remaining points and increase SPR to 30!” he commands, directing his system with his mind.