Dimension Beta

Inside a Small Shop

"What the hell's with these prices?! A basic healing potion shouldn't cost more than ten gold apiece! Why are they listed at fifty? That's daylight robbery!" the customer barked across the counter.

The shopkeeper barely even blinked. With a smirk, he fired back, "If you don't like it, then go shop somewhere else."

The customer glared, fists clenched. "You know as well as I do that, with all the recent chaos, most shops in the city have had their potions seized. This is the fifth store I've tried, and their shelves were bare, too!"

The shopkeeper shrugged. "There you go, then. Shelves are empty everywhere, as you can see, and these are my last potions. Don't want 'em? No problem. Someone else will be here to buy them soon enough."

Right then, a young woman with an expressionless face strolled into the shop. Without a glance at the fuming customer, she walked right up to the counter and asked, "Do you still have level 50 healing potions?"

"Ohhh, sharp eye, miss. Yes, indeed, I have some left for a mere fifty gold a pop."

The customer snorted, ready for her to scoff at the price. But instead, her response stunned him.

"All right. I'll buy the whole lot."

The shopkeeper shot the man a smug grin as he stared at the woman, dumbfounded. "Of course, my dear lady. Step right up; I'll pack all the potions for you."

The man snapped out of it. "Wait a second! I wanted those potions first!"

"Weren't they too pricey for you? Move aside now! I've got a sale to make."

"Wait! I was here first! I'll take all of them for sixty gold each!"

The shopkeeper raised a brow. "You sure? That'd be three thousand gold for fifty potions."

"I'm sure!" The man didn't give him a chance to second-guess it.

In seconds, the man had thrown down the gold, grabbed the potions, and left in a hurry.

The young woman and the shopkeeper were left alone. As he counted the gold with a grin, she asked, "Did I do everything right, Master?"

Without looking up, he chuckled, "Perfect job, Marien. You really outdid yourself this time. Your timing was flawless."

Then he pulled fifty more healing potions from behind the counter, restocking the shelf with ease. These were just a small piece of the stash he'd built up over the years.

Just then, the door bell jingled. A sign of another customer. The shopkeeper adjusted his robe in a cracked mirror, ready to greet whoever walked in.

Marien slipped out the back, on standby if needed.

"Welcome, welcome to my humble little shop, gentlemen," he said as three men stepped in. But when he saw who they were, his smile faltered for just a second.

"Well, if it isn't the good fellows from the Black Boot. What brings you to my fine establishment?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"Save the act for the customers, Pech. Where's the money you owe us?" one of them snapped.

"Oh, that... Yes, yes, of course." Pech scratched his head. "No need to come in person for that! Unfortunately, things have been rough lately. Hard to get reagents for potions, and the army's been seizing stock."

One of the men cut him off. "We told you to cut the crap. Do you have the money or not?"

"Of course, of course." Pech pulled out a small pouch. "I can only pay the interest and a bit on the principal. Here, five hundred gold, gentlemen," he said, handing over the pouch.

The man snatched it, weighing it briefly in his hand.

"This'll do for now, old man. But don't forget. If you don't start paying up soon, things will get ugly."

"Oh, absolutely, gentlemen! I'll do my very best to pay you back soon," he said, bowing low.

As soon as the three men left, Pech straightened up, grinning. "Idiots. They'll be waiting a long time for that money," he muttered, returning to his place behind the counter.

Marien reentered the shop. "Do you still have level 50 healing potions?" she asked.

"Stop! Sequence over. That was just the loan sharks, busting my chops again."

Without another word, Marien stood still by his side like a puppet waiting for the strings to be pulled.

"Those dimwits really soured my mood. We're shutting down for the day, Marien. Go lock up," he grumbled, flipping the green "Open" sign to "Closed."

Just then, the bell jingled again.

"Hey! Can't you read? We're closed!" he shouted, digging through a box behind the counter.

A young boy, no older than twelve, stepped in, looking nervous but determined.

"I... I…"

"Spit it out, kid! We're closed. Say your piece or get out!"

The boy took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. "I heard you have a legendary quest. Please, give me a chance to complete it!"

"Ah, this again," Pech muttered under his breath. He then fixed a bright smile on his face.

"Ahh, only a true adventurer can handle such a quest. Tell me, boy, are you sure you want to take it on?"

Eyes full of hope, the boy nodded. "Yes, please, let me have the chance!"

"All right then, boy. First, I'll need a deposit of five thousand gold. Got it on you?"

The boy seemed prepared. Though he was young, he heaved a heavy sack onto the counter, pushing it toward Pech.

Pech eyed the sack with barely concealed glee but kept up the charade. Clearing his throat, he handed over a slip of paper. "Well then, here is the legendary quest. Don't come back until you're ready to complete it."

The boy's eyes shone as he looked at the quest log, but then his face fell, puzzled. He looked up to question Pech, but the man had already slipped out the back door.

Confused, the boy left the shop, hearing the lock click behind him. He wandered off, wondering if he'd made a huge mistake.

Across the street, a group of drunks sat outside a tavern, clinking their mugs as they watched the boy's befuddled face. One of them burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! Another poor sap took Pech's 'legendary quest'!" he bellowed.

"You got it, brother. Must be a newbie. Sure, we're not supposed to post info about legendary quests online, but every veteran knows what's in that 'quest' if you can even call it that."

"All these rookies, thinking they'll score fame and fortune. As if! There's a reason that quest's never been completed."

"Haha, too right. Speaking of, you owe us a round! Didn't you bet no one else would take the quest this year?"

"Ah, damn... all right, boys, drinks on me!" he laughed, and the sound of their cheers filled the street.

Meanwhile, young Tom wandered aimlessly, oblivious to the racket. The only thing he focused on was the quest log in his hand. No matter how often he reread it, he couldn't make sense of it. With a disbelieving grin, he shook his head. Now he understood why people said this quest was impossible.

New Quest: [Mr. Pech's Legendary Quest]

Bring me your mother and let her spend the night with me <3.

Quest reward – 500 Favorability

…

In the meantime, Mr. Pech had arrived at a certain establishment. Women in revealing outfits stood outside, waving to him the moment they spotted him.

Two of the ladies immediately hooked their arms around his and escorted Mr. Pech inside. He was a regular, and the women already knew all the best ways to coax the money out of his pockets.

"Get the best room ready for me, ladies! Tonight's a celebration!" he hollered. Outsiders could see the gleam in the women's eyes as they looked on, jealousy flashing at the two who had snagged him first.

Inside a private room, dancers and musicians gathered, putting on an exclusive show just for him. Meanwhile, other young women poured him drinks and massaged his shoulders while another one fed him delicacies.

This continued until late at night.

The next morning, Pech woke up completely hungover. As he tried to stand, he smacked his head on the underside of the table he'd been lying under.

"Fuck!" he yelled, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

Looking around, he recognized the room as the one he'd spent last night in. Empty bottles littered the place, and the table was still piled with cold food. There was stuff he couldn't even remember ordering.

He grabbed a piece of bread from the table, already going stale, and took a big, satisfied bite as he shuffled out of the room.

After a quick check, which confirmed that all the gold he'd earned yesterday was gone, he made his way home.

A satisfied smile could be seen as he looked ahead. "Those bloodsuckers cleaned me out. Not surprising, heh…" he muttered as he strolled through the streets back toward his shop.