Required Stats: CHA - 7, SPR - 6, LUK - 5
Effect: Paragon or Renegade – Increases the chance to pass difficult speech checks and enables the character to influence events more easily. Warning, may affect Player’s personality.
Note: Red or Blue?
“I need this!”
Alex casually approaches the merchant, asking, "How much for the dog tag?"
“It’s Deep Blue! I barely survived a special Mass Effect mission that happened way before the actual start of the game and now I’m level 4, just one world away from leaving the tutorial. I risked my life completing a hidden quest, and this is all I got. I want 20,000 FC.”
Alex smirks, pretending to lose interest but keeps talking. “A hidden quest and all that effort for this piece of crap?”
“Piece of crap? The effect sounds great! What’s your problem?”
“Yeah, it sounds great. That’s the issue. Neither you nor anyone else can actually use it. How do you know it's any good? 5 LUK? Focus on CHA and SPR? Hah! Whoever tries that is as good as dead, even if they somehow increase their LUK.”
The merchant snaps back, “So why do you want it, then, huh?”
Alex sneers. “You’re level 4 and still don’t know much about the market? I’ve got an Altar of Sacrifice from The Binding of Isaac. I can turn this thing into a random item of the same grade. Sure, I can only use it once and it costs some FC, but I just need something better. I’m offering 2,500 FC.”
“FUCK OFF!”
Despite the harsh insults, the player haggles with Alex. He just needs to survive one more world to leave the tutorial and join his guildmates, which would drastically improve his survival chances.
After an intense bargaining session, Alex secures the item for 4,500 FC, leaving him with 1,500—just enough for another healing potion.
[Healing potion]
World: Fantasy Realm
Quality: White
Effect: Instantly heals 20 HP and minor wounds, can only be drunk once every 12 hours. May reduce the effectiveness of similar healing items.
Note: Basic healing item
Price: 1000 FC
“Can’t have enough potions. Not like I can just buy them at every corner.”
His winning argument was: “4,500 is enough for 4 to 5 healing items. That dog tag is useless trash and will stay that way, you know it. Keep it, and when you’re on the brink of death, remember this moment.”
Alex smiles, now more calculated and ruthless, filled with newfound conviction. “I play to win, not to make friends.”
Alex stands in front of the giant gate near the center of the tutorial selection with a smile, enjoying the feeling of wearing Shepard’s dog tag necklace.
Suddenly, a system notification pops up:
[Player Alex Kerber has been selected for a new mission. Please enter the Fantasy Realm mission gate near the central hub in 0 hours, 4 minutes, and 56 seconds or face soul deletion.]
“Let’s do this. 1337, wish me luck.”
[Host’s luck is already unprecedented. He doesn’t need more than he has. This system is impressed with the host’s changes over the last month and eagerly awaits his return.]
Alex stands by the mission portal in the central plaza, checking his status one last time, feeling proud of his progress. Oddly enough, instead of fear, he feels an unexpected surge of excitement.
Alex Kerber:Lvl 1
HP: 80/80, MP: 80/80
STR: 7, AGI: 7, PHY: 7, SNS: 7, CHA: 7, MNA: 7, INT: 7 SPR: 7, LUK: 7
Available Stat Points: 0
Innate Skills: Genius Conjurer lvl 1, Statistical OCD lvl MAX
Free Skill Slots: 1/2, Free Basic Skill Slots: 0/8
Basic skills: Basic Close Combat Prowess lvl 1, Basic Footwork lvl 1, Basic Endurance lvl 1, Basic Long-Range Combat Prowess lvl 1, Basic Eloquence lvl 1, Basic Concentration lvl 1, Basic Meditation lvl 1, Basic Mana Control lvl 1
Passive Skills: Pistol Proficiency lvl 1
Active Skills: Annihilation Grenade lvl 1
Fantasy Coins: 500 Soul Crystals: Small x1
Current Weapons: Mr. 5’s Revolver (Deep Blue), Solid Marine Saber (Light Green)
Current Equipment: Commander Shepard’s Dog Tag (Deep Blue) Navalia Fur Armor (White), Navalia Fur Boots (White), Navalia Fur Gauntlets (White)
Miscellaneous Items: Navalia Wolf Jerky x4 (Gray), Healing Potion x2 (White)
“Let’s do this!” he screams confidently as he enters the portal and his vision blurs.