Dimension Beta

As the class ended, Felix came running up to Tom.

"Hey, what was that about?" he asked.

Tom was still slightly annoyed with Felix. After all, it was Felix's reckless behavior that had landed him in a massive mess, even if things had taken a turn for the better recently.

When Felix saw that Tom wasn't answering, he spoke again. "Oh, come on, man! We only lost like a level and twelve hours of playtime. I'll ask my parents to help you power level a bit, and then we'll be good, right?"

Tom's expression hardened. "Bro, do you know what happened after you recklessly ran in and died?"

"You died too?" Felix asked hesitantly.

"WRONG!" Tom snapped. "I got screwed so hard, I thought I'd have to quit beta for good!"

Tom then proceeded to explain everything that had happened, detailing his meeting with Pech, the curse, and how he ended up making a deal to resolve it.

Felix stood there, completely stunned, his mouth hanging open like a fish out of water.

After a few seconds, he snapped out of it. "Sorry, bro! I'm really sorry! Trust me, I'll do everything in my power to help you fix this curse."

"You're lucky," Tom said coldly. "I already resolved it myself." Without waiting for a response, he started heading to his next class.

Felix ran after him, shouting, "What do you mean you resolved it yourself?!"

After school, Tom headed straight to his teacher's office, making sure to arrive on time. At exactly 12:05, just like last time, the capsule housing Mr. Bunwald opened, and the teacher stepped out.

"Hello, Tom. Have a seat," he said, gesturing to a chair.

Tom sat down, feeling a little nervous. To Mr. Bunwald's surprise, Tom asked, "Say, Mr. Bunwald, as a teacher, do you have something like a confidentiality agreement? Like, are you not allowed to talk about what your students tell you?"

Mr. Bunwald furrowed his brow but answered calmly, "Don't worry, Tom. Everything you tell me here stays between us. The only exception would be if your life or someone else's were in immediate danger. In those cases, I would be obligated to inform your mother. But apart from that, you have my word."

Relieved, Tom began explaining everything: how he met Pech and Pablo, his fight in the kobold cave, the information about the darkness faction, and the quests Pech had given him.

The truth was, Tom was completely overwhelmed. He was only 12 years old, and while he had managed so far, Pech's new quests made him feel like the ground was being pulled out from under him. As Tom spoke, Mr. Bunwald's expressions grew more and more serious. Finally, after nearly 20 minutes, Tom's mouth felt dry, and he stopped speaking.

The room fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The first words out of Mr. Bunwald's mouth were, "You wouldn't be joking about something like this, would you?"

"I swear, Mr. Bunwald, everything I've told you is roughly what happened," Tom replied earnestly.

Mr. Bunwald nodded slowly, then pulled out his phone and made a quick call. Tom could hear the voice on the other end.

"Where are you? We've been waiting for you for ten minutes."

"Something came up," Mr. Bunwald replied. "Cancel the hunt or find a replacement for me. I'll be here for at least another hour."

"Wait, what do you mean, cancel…" Before the person could finish, Mr. Bunwald had already hung up.

"So, where do we begin..." Mr. Bunwald said, his tone heavy. "Let me start with the things you might not fully understand about the situation you're in."

Tom leaned forward, paying close attention. He had come here precisely for information and advice.

"In beta, there are several factions, as you've learned in class. Broadly speaking, we can divide them into three main groups. First, we have the humanoid faction, which includes humans, elves, and dwarves. This is the largest faction, mainly because most players start as humans.

"Second is the faction of darkness. It's the second-largest but primarily consists of NPCs and beta's native inhabitants. Lastly, we have the beast faction, which includes the beastfolk, who mostly work as mercenaries. These three are the major factions, but there are hundreds of smaller ones.

"Keep in mind, though, that a faction's strength doesn't depend on its size, it depends on its strongest members. For example, smaller factions like the dragon faction, the sea folk, and the chimera faction each have only a few hundred members but are globally just as powerful as the darkness faction, which has thousands."

Tom listened in disbelief. He had never realized there were so many factions in beta.

"So, what does this mean for you, Tom? When a new faction is formed, it starts as neutral, with no alliances or enmities. However, over time, factions form alliances or non-aggression pacts, which can have massive consequences.

"You are now part of Mr. Pech's faction. Whatever alliances or conflicts he forms in the future will directly affect you. If he becomes an enemy of all factions, you'll be hunted and possibly imprisoned indefinitely, depending on the will of those factions."

Tom swallowed hard. He had expected the consequences to be big, but not this big.

"Currently, you shouldn't worry too much. Since your faction leader appears to be human and seeks protection from the darkness faction, it's likely he'll align with the humanoid faction. But nothing is set in stone. You never know what faction leaders have planned."

Mr. Bunwald continued, "Now, about your new race. I'd say you're pretty lucky. Getting double bonuses on strength and vitality, with the only downside being halved dexterity, is something I've only heard of with epic-tier races."

Tom's eyes widened. "Did I hear that right? Could my race be comparable to an epic-tier race?"

"Hmm... it's hard to say. We know almost nothing about your race besides the stat bonuses. As you level up, you might unlock additional perks. But I'd say your race is at least rare-tier."

Tom felt a wave of happiness, only for it to shatter moments later as Mr. Bunwald added, "But here's the catch, Tom. Your race depends on your faction leader's survival. If he's captured or killed, you'll stagnate forever. My recommendation is that you reach at least level 180 to ensure your maximum level cap is raised to 240. Most adults fall within the 180-220 range, so that would keep you average even if something happens."

Tom nodded, taking the advice seriously.

"Now let's move on to your quests," Mr. Bunwald said. "Let me ask you, Tom, have you ever wondered where the experience points from quest rewards come from?"

Tom frowned, confused. He shook his head, signaling that he had no idea.

"The experience points come from the quest givers themselves," Mr. Bunwald explained. "This means they exchange the experience they've earned to transfer it to you. Otherwise, NPCs could just hand out quests and level players up to 100 or higher instantly."

Tom's eyes widened as he began to understand. "So, Mr. Pech can transfer part of his own experience to me through quests?"

"Exactly," Mr. Bunwald confirmed. "For you, gaining 100 levels might cost him only a few of his own, depending on his level. As long as he doesn't fall below a milestone, like level 60, he won't lose any critical stats."

"I get it now," Tom said, feeling relieved.

"As for the gold quest, that will likely come from your faction leader himself. Since he's an alchemist, raising the necessary funds shouldn't be too difficult. What's more important is the third quest," Mr. Bunwald said, his face growing serious.

"Under no circumstances should you tell anyone about the elixirs you received in exchange for their services."

Tom was confused. "Why not? Are they that valuable?"

"More than that!" Mr. Bunwald exclaimed. "The reset potions you have can reset stats and fusion points, something incredibly rare. If word got out, people might try to harm you or your family to get their hands on them."

Tom was shocked. He knew the elixirs were expensive but hadn't realized they were this rare.

"For your last quest, I recommend a different approach," Mr. Bunwald continued. "Find people who've made mistakes in their leveling or skill fusion. Have them sign a contract agreeing to work for you in exchange for the elixir to reset their stats and skills."

"Would there be many people willing to take that deal?" Tom asked.

Mr. Bunwald smiled. "Trust me, there'd be a line of people desperate for such a chance. But you need to be careful. Don't advertise this publicly, and make sure you choose people you can trust."

Tom understood the caution. Even with a contract, someone might still try to steal the elixir.

"By the way, your faction leader is right. You shouldn't invest any more points into agility," Mr. Bunwald said. "The double multiplier you're getting for strength and vitality is too good to waste. There are ways to compensate for low agility later."

"Thank you for your advice, Mr. Bunwald," Tom said sincerely.

The teacher smiled warmly. "I expect great things from you, Tom. Please keep me updated. If anything goes wrong, don't hesitate to come to me."

Tom bowed deeply to show his gratitude, then left the room without another word. He had a lot of work ahead of him.