Dimension Beta

Tom accepted the quest, and more details popped up in front of him:

[Pech's Repeatable Quest]

Find customers for Pech's shop and earn gold as a reward.

Reward 1: 300 gold for each customer who spends at least 3,000 gold (max: 3 customers per day).

Reward 2: 50 favorability per customer.

Pech wasn't done yet. He handed Tom a sack of 100 potions. "Here, take these samples. But don't go throwing them around like candy. If you can't manage to get at least three buyers with these, don't even bother coming back."

[Quest condition applied.]

Tom didn't flinch. He inspected the potions, and everything seemed fine. Just to be sure, he logged out of Beta to dig up some information about Pech. He wasn't about to make enemies without knowing exactly what he was dealing with.

When he left the guest room, he saw Felix and his parents sitting around the dining table, enjoying a warm meal.

"Want to join us?" Felix's mom asked with a smile, already standing to grab him a plate.

Tom hesitated, his mom was waiting at home with dinner. "I'll have to pass today," he replied.

"What?!" Felix gasped, feigning outrage. "You saying my mom's cooking ain't good enough for you?"

Even Felix's mom joined in, pretending to wipe away crocodile tears.

With no way out, Tom sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright, I'll have a little."

Fifteen minutes later, Tom was pedaling home with a stomach so full it felt like it might burst. Every time he finished his plate, Felix's mom piled on more food, insisting he eat up.

When he got home, he kicked off his shoes and dropped his bag. His mom poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Perfect timing! Dinner's just ready. I made your favorite!"

Tom couldn't help but smile, but his gut sank a little. How could he tell her he was already stuffed when she'd gone to the trouble of making his favorite meal? He made his way to the kitchen and sat at the table, taking small, slow bites.

"Not good?" his mom asked, noticing his pace.

"No, it's great!" Tom said quickly, shoveling down a few spoonfuls to prove his point.

When he finished, she reached for the pot to give him seconds, but he stopped her with a startled shout. "Wait!"

She frowned. "You always go for two plates when it's your favorite. What's wrong?"

Tom decided to deflect, mixing a little truth with a bit of a lie. "I just… wanted to talk about my class change."

"Oh, that's right! It's about time," she said with a smile. "I got an email from your teacher saying parents should support you kids with your choices."

"Yeah, uh… I gotta admit, I already picked my class," he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

His mom's smile grew warmer. "You've always been so independent. I'm sure you made the right choice, and I'm proud of you."

Tom felt his throat tighten a little hearing her words. His mom had always been his biggest supporter, no matter what.

"I've got some awesome news," he said, his voice swelling with pride. "I managed to get an Uncommon class."

Her eyes went wide. "Really?! That's amazing, sweety!" She hugged him tightly.

Tom told her about his new class and his "big brother," Pablo. Of course, he left out the parts about starting a barfight, drinking beer and hanging out in a tavern.

"You've got to introduce me to this Pablo someday. I need to thank him personally."

"Mom, that's so embarrassing," he groaned, though he couldn't help grinning.

After talking with her for a while, Tom went to his room. It was Thursday, so he had three days off from school. He decided to spend a few hours digging up more info on Pech's shop.

He logged into the Beta forums and searched for "Pech." Hundreds of posts popped up, most unrelated to the old alchemist. Narrowing the search with terms like "Pech," "alchemy," and the city's name, he finally found some relevant entries.

What surprised him was how old some of the posts were. Some were hundreds of years old. Can NPCs even live that long? he wondered. Then again, it wasn't too shocking, considering Pech had a legendary quest.

The most recent posts were only two days old.

One user, Flickonmysword2345xxx, wrote:

"Not worth it! Total scam! Charges five times the normal price, and his potions barely work! Only 80% as effective as regular ones!"

Another post popped up shortly after, adding fuel to the fire:

"That old geezer's been polluting the city with his garbage for decades. My dad told me stories about how he got ripped off by him too. May he rest in peace."

The post ended with an almost mocking line of respect:

F.

F.

F.

F.

F.

Man, this guy's reputation is even worse than I thought, Tom mused, scrolling through more posts. One thing was clear. Pech was famous, and not in a good way.

Other posts echoed similar complaints about the quality of Pech's goods.

Tom thought back to the potions Pech had given him. They seemed fine. Was Pech handing out good potions as samples to lure people in, but selling defective ones in his shop? It made sense.

Tom was glad he'd done his homework this time unlike before, when he'd walked straight into Pech's trap. Should've done this from the start. Maybe I wouldn't have gotten ripped off, he thought bitterly.

Well, what's done is done.

Pushing bad products in Beta could have real-life consequences. NPCs were untouchable in the city, but Tom, as a low-level player and a small boy in real life, would be an easy target for angry customers looking for payback.

So, how do I handle this? he wondered.

…

The next day, Pech wasn't expecting any results yet. He figured the kid would take at least a few days. But suddenly, the shop bell rang.

A man in heavy armor walked in, carrying a massive greatsword.

Pech launched into his usual sales pitch, but the man ignored him, grabbing a crate of 50 health potions and dropping 3,000 gold on the counter before leaving without a word.

Pech frowned. The man's behavior was odd, but he didn't think much of it. Then, the bell rang again.

Two customers in one day? Pech blinked in disbelief. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened.

This time, it was a middle-aged woman, her body cloaked in a black robe with a hood pulled low over her face. A bow and a quiver of arrows were strapped to her back, and she moved with an eerie, almost soundless grace.

She didn't say much hardly a word, in fact. She made her purchase quickly and left the shop just as quietly as she had entered.

Not long after, a short man with a long white beard and a massive hammer slung over his back walked in. He eyed Pech with visible disgust but still bought his potions at full price before storming out without another word.

By the time the day was over, Pech had sold out his entire inventory. For the first time in years, he'd made 9,000 gold in a single day. He decided to close early, but just as he was locking up, Tom burst in.

"Got you three customers," Tom said, cutting Pech off before he could speak. "I'm here to finish my quest and get my gold."

Pech finally pieced it together, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Not bad, kid. You've got a knack for sales." He tossed Tom a pouch of gold. "Come back tomorrow. I'll have more work for you."

Pech assumed Tom had given out samples to lure customers, who then paid the inflated prices. But reality was far from what Pech imagined.

Behind the shop, Tom stood with the last customer of the day. His strategy was simple: tell people the truth and offer a deal.

He handed the man 30 high-quality potions.

Tom had made a forum post detailing Pech's poor-quality products but promised 30 good potions with every purchase. He'd been sure no one would bite, but with potions in short supply, five people contacted him. He could only fulfill three orders, but the other two agreed to wait until Pech restocked.

Tom grinned, satisfied. He'd recovered 900 gold of the 5,000 Pech had swindled from him. He even had another 10 potion samples left in his inventory.

With the gold from the pelts, he now had over 1,200 gold. Enough to buy beginner equipment. But he wasn't sure which gear suited his class: cloth, leather, or plate.

I'll ask Pablo tomorrow, he decided. No point wasting money on the wrong gear.

Logging out for the night, he went to bed, eager to see what the next day would bring. He dreamed of standing shoulder to shoulder with Pablo in the bar, throwing punches at rowdy customers who tried to skip out on their tab.

It was a beautiful dream.