Dimension Beta

Back at his alchemy shop, the first thing Mr. Pech did was check his status menu:

[Name: Pech]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Alchemist]

[Level: 367]

[Health Points: 5/10,113,050]

[Mana: 40,601/44,140]

[Vitality:367]

[Strength: 367]

[Dexterity: 367]

[Intelligence: 2202]

[Wisdom: 2202]

[Level 10 Skills: Summon Water, Rock Strike...]

...

[Level 360 Skills: Advanced Alchemy, Advanced Earth Magic, Golem Engineering, Mana Shield]

[Status Effects: Minor Inconvenience Curse - sometimes you're slightly unlucky, Baal's Pact - lose 10 HP each day until death]

Pech exhaled deeply. "Damn, still alive."

Without hesitation, he grabbed a potion from behind the counter and drank it in one gulp. Like every other day, he watched his health inch up to 15/10,113,060. He thought back to the old days.

Back when he was a young, naive traveler, he'd come across a hidden cave, filled with relics of some hellish cult. A closer look had revealed it to be a sacrificial chamber of the Hell Faction. He'd been about to leave when he tripped and accidentally pulled a lever, activating the altar in the middle of the room. The next thing he knew, he'd blacked out, as if in a dream, and had a strange encounter with a dark presence. He couldn't recall most of what they'd discussed, but one line had stuck with him:

"For this exchange, you pledge your soul to me."

The first thing he'd noticed afterward was that his health points had multiplied tenfold. He assumed he'd traded his soul for some kind of longevity. But Baal's Pact didn't quite fit with that theory.

At first, he'd been pleased with the Pact. But soon enough, he'd realized it came with a few... side effects. He couldn't regain the health he lost each day through healing potions or other remedies. He even sought out powerful priests from the Order of Light, but they couldn't help either.

Back then, he'd realized he'd need to take drastic measures. With his health draining each day, he'd be lucky to last another twenty years. So he started learning alchemy, figuring he'd brew his own means to stay alive. It took him over a decade to create a potion that could actually boost his health points.

The alchemy world had been in an uproar when he developed the potion, but it didn't take long for them to dismiss it as useless. For regular people, it barely added a single point to their health, and once they took it, they couldn't use any other healing potions for the rest of the day. This flaw made the potion worthless to adventurers, and interest faded fast.

But Pech had noticed that, for him, the potion boosted his health by ten points each time he used it. He figured it must have something to do with the initial boost to his health points from Baal's Pact. Apparently, he'd gained some passive buff that multiplied his health by ten.

"Sigh... I may be tired of this life, but Baal's not getting my soul without a fight. Every day I stay alive, it's my way of sticking it to him. And if I die... so be it. Haha."

Pech decided not to dwell on the past. He flipped the sign on the shop window, signaling to Marien to open up for the day.

Marien was a homunculus that Pech had created some time ago using his Golem Engineering skill. She had her limitations, though, like barely being able to act on her own and needing a mana infusion every few days just to function.

…

Meanwhile, across town, young Tom was sprinting to school. He'd overslept and missed the bus but couldn't afford to be late again.

Just as the bell rang, he stumbled into the classroom. The doors closed automatically, and a hologram of a middle-aged man with a stern expression appeared before the students. Tom quickly sat down, though his thoughts were elsewhere.

The teacher began his lesson.

"Most of you have been waiting for this day for a long time. Now that everyone in your class is finally twelve, you all have access to Dimension Beta. Some of you have already started leveling your characters and assigning skill points. Remember, these actions are nearly irreversible. Unless you have enough money to buy a potion that resets them. In the coming weeks of our Beta curriculum, we'll discuss the various classes and skills so that you can make an informed choice about the path you want to take."

A large projection appeared at the front of the class. "Let's go over the basics. Four hundred thirty-one years ago, Beta Corp. created a fully immersive game that took the world by storm. Over the last 400 years, Dimension Beta has evolved into a second world, almost indistinguishable from ours in terms of realism.

"No one could have predicted back then that the player base of this world would eventually grow to over 95%. Only a few people in isolated communities have managed to avoid its lure.

"Due to automation in our world, there's almost no work for ordinary people to do. The government provides each citizen with a minimum stipend and a login capsule. But to live in wealth... well, there's almost no way to do that.

"For this reason, most people seek work in Dimension Beta or try their hand as adventurers. Now, let's talk about the history of the past 400 years and what it means today..."

Tom was gazing out the window, lost in thought. He'd gambled all his starter gold to trigger the legendary quest, only available to players under level 10. Just like many before him, he wanted to challenge his fate. Maybe there's a way to beat this quest? he wondered.

The bell rang, snapping Tom out of his daydream.

"And don't forget to submit your essays on 'My First Skill' by the end of the week," he heard the teacher say as his hologram faded.

Tom had math next and began heading to his classroom. One of his classmates caught up with him and started chatting.

"Hey, Tom, everything okay? You looked kinda zoned out back there," he asked.

"Ah, yeah, I'm fine. So... have you decided on your specialization in Beta yet, Felix?"

A grin spread across Felix's face as he pointed to himself. "You're looking at a future Banner Knight!"

"Banner Knight? Ah, so you're going for a leveling support class. Not a bad choice if you want to make some money."

"And what about you? Any plans?"

"Well, um..." The school bell rang again, signaling the start of the next class. Tom used the distraction to dart to his classroom. "I'll tell you later!" he called as he ran off.

The rest of the day passed without any surprises. Tom arrived home, already kicking off his shoes before he stepped inside. In the hallway, he could smell his mom's cooking, and he headed straight to the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom," he said as he walked in.

His mother glanced over at him and gave him a warm smile. "Hey there, how was school?"

"It was... okay. Hey, uh, Mom... I have a question."

"Oh? A question? That doesn't sound like you, Tom. What's up?"

"Well, umm... have you ever thought about, you know, getting married again?"

At that, her ladle dropped from her hand, landing with a splat in the pot. She turned around, a curious expression on her face. "Where is that coming from? Did someone at school say something to you again because... you don't have a dad?" she asked, her eyes filled with worry.

"No, it's just... never mind. Forget it."

He couldn't bring himself to say it. Even though he was only twelve, Tom had a pretty good idea of what "spending the night with a woman" meant. After all, they'd covered it in health class.

He ate dinner with his mother, then headed straight to his room. It wasn't anything fancy, just a desk, a bed, and a Beta Capsule tucked into one corner.

He took off his school clothes, climbed into the Capsule, and closed his eyes. Moments later, he heard footsteps and voices around him. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the bustling marketplace of the city, right where he'd logged out last time.

Without hesitating, he made his way back to the alchemy shop where he'd taken the quest. Since the quest was clearly impossible, he figured he might as well try to get his money back.

But as he stood in front of the shop, he hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Suddenly, someone called out from behind him, "Hey, young man in front of the alchemy shop!"

Tom looked around, left and right, searching for the source of the voice.

"Yes, you, behind you!" the voice called again.

Tom turned and saw a group of men already halfway through their drinks, waving him over. Curious, he decided to see what they wanted.

"What can I do for you, sirs?" Tom asked politely.

One of the men joked, "Fancy up, you scoundrels! Apparently, we're 'sirs' now, ha!"

The whole group burst into laughter, like it was the funniest thing they'd ever heard.

"Listen here, kid," one of them said, "if you're thinking about trying to get your money back, you can forget it right now."

Tom was confused about how they even knew that was what he was up to, but before he could ask, the man explained, "It's written all over your face! Let me guess, you got swindled by old Pech just like the rest of 'em. You're not the first, and you won't be the last to try and get your gold back."

"But don't waste your time," he continued. "That old miser has never given anyone their money back."

Tom was first surprised, then disappointed as the truth sank in. He thanked the men with a short nod for the advice but still decided to enter the alchemy shop.

The man who'd warned him just shook his head, raising his drink. "Looks like the next round's on me, boys!" he said, before the rest of the group burst into laughter once again.