Dimension Beta

Tom's journey started at the blacksmith's shop, where he went to buy a skinning knife. Originally, he planned to get a basic knife for a few gold coins, but one particular item caught his eye:

[Uncommon Skinning Knife]

+5-10 Cutting Damage

Increases the chance of harvesting rarer materials from monsters.

The listed price was a whopping 4,000 gold. However, after some haggling with the smith, Tom managed to cut a deal. He handed over nearly 3,000 gold and 20 of his remaining 30 potions to seal the purchase.

Equipped with the knife and a massive sack for storing pelts, Tom headed back toward the forest where Felix's dad had taken him for power leveling. On the way, he hunted down a few stray monsters, using the opportunity to collect materials. This time, he wasn't leaving anything behind.

After about an hour of traveling and hunting, Tom had collected nine wolf pelts and a single deer hide. However, only three of the kills were his own; the rest were from monster carcasses left behind by others. This wasn't unusual, since most players couldn't be bothered with professions like skinning, and the small amount of gold they'd make from pelts wasn't worth the effort.

For Tom, though, it was different. He saw value in building his skinning skill early, knowing it would allow him to harvest higher-level monsters in the future.

Setting his sack on the ground, Tom climbed a tree to scout the area. From his vantage point, he could see groups of two to three wolves roaming around. Perfect targets.

He jumped down, ignoring the 10 fall damage he took, grabbed his sack, and sprinted toward one of the wolf packs. Hearing him approach, the wolves turned and prepared to fight.

Tom employed his favorite tactic in situations like this: no tactic at all. As the first wolf lunged for his leg, Tom used the momentum to deliver a kick straight into its open jaws.

Unfortunately, without leg armor, the wolf's teeth still managed to bite down, costing him 50 HP. Tom didn't back down. Before the wolf could recover, he slammed a second kick into its stomach, sending it crashing into a tree where it lay motionless.

Turning to the remaining two wolves, Tom found himself flanked. He dodged the first one, grabbed it by the tail, and swung it over his head, smashing it into the other wolf. Both wolves staggered, and Tom took the chance to pummel them until they stopped moving.

Though the fight cost him 100 HP, Tom felt accomplished. While skinning the wolves, he reflected on what he could've done better. If I'd gone for the wolf's head instead of its side, I could've avoided that bite, he thought.

Climbing back into a tree, Tom surveyed the area for more targets. This process repeated for about two hours before he decided to take a break.

He hid his sack under a bush and logged out of Beta. It was late afternoon, and his stomach growled, reminding him he hadn't eaten.

Heading to the kitchen, Tom noticed his mother's capsule was active. She was clearly working and didn't want to disturb her.

Opening the fridge, he found leftovers from yesterday with a note attached: "Don't forget to take breaks and eat."

Tom chuckled. His mom meant well, but Beta was so captivating and new that it was hard to pull himself away. He devoured the leftovers, finishing the entire pot, then checked the forums.

Only one new inquiry about Pech's potions had come in, which surprised him. Tom responded, then deleted his original post and created a new one to bump it higher in the listings.

With that done, he logged back into Beta.

Thankfully, his sack was right where he left it. He picked up where he left off but soon heard the sounds of a nearby battle. At first, he ignored it, but then he spotted a massive banner towering over the trees.

Curious, Tom crept closer, peeking through a bush. In the clearing stood a slightly smaller banner than the one Felix's dad used this one was about seven meters tall. A young swordsman wielding something resembling a katana fought with incredible grace, cutting down wolves with fluid, stylish movements.

It was obvious the swordsman had been trained for years; such skill couldn't be achieved in just a few weeks.

"Can I help you, boy?"

Tom jumped, startled by the gruff voice beside him. A grim-looking man had approached without him noticing.

"Uh… s-sorry! I just saw the banner and wanted to check if it belonged to a friend's parents," Tom stammered, stumbling back.

"Hmph. And what's their name?"

"Uh… I don't know their first names, but they're the Hogen family," Tom replied nervously.

"Tch. Lucky for you, I know them. But don't get any bright ideas about tagging mobs for experience, or I'll personally send you back to the city."

m… sorry for the trouble. I won't tag anything, I promise. But, uh, would it be okay if I skinned the dead ones?" he asked hesitantly.

"Get lost. Didn't I make myself clear?" the man snapped.

The swordsman, having overheard their conversation, spoke up. "Julius, let him do it."

The man called Julius clicked his tongue in annoyance. "If we lose experience for this, don't blame me."

The swordsman simply signaled it was fine, and Julius stepped aside without another word.

Tom got to work immediately, starting with the wolves. His movements grew faster and more efficient as he warmed up.

The swordsman noticed Tom keeping up with his pace. "Interesting," he muttered, quickening his attacks.

Without exchanging words, a competitive rhythm developed between them. Tom skinning animals and the swordsman slaying them.

When the last enemy fell, only the bear carcasses remained.

"Not bad," Julius commented. "Looks like you both improved."

The swordsman walked over to Tom, extending a hand. "My name's Cesar."

Tom, surprised, shook his hand. "Tom. Thanks for letting me skin the bodies."

"It's nothing," Cesar replied before heading back to Julius. Moments later, they vanished into the air, just as Felix's dad had before.

Tom now had over 100 usable pelts and hides. The bear pelts were next. Though he hesitated at first, his experience with wolves gave him confidence, and he managed to extract four bear pelts.

One of them was particularly impressive a complete pelt, including the head, from the largest bear of the group. A jagged scar ran across the face, giving it a fearsome look. Tom was proud of this particular trophy.

Satisfied, Tom gathered additional materials from the bears claws, livers, gallbladders, and hearts before using a teleportation scroll to return to the city.

At the city gates, Tom must have been quite the sight. A small boy barely 1.6 meters tall dragging a massive sack nearly twice his size. Over his shoulder was a smaller bag, dripping blood and emitting a foul stench.

He first visited a butcher and specialty shop to sell the organs and bear claws, earning 200 gold coins. Then, he returned to the same tanner as before with his pelts.

The tanner was thrilled. "Young man, these pelts are excellent quality! I didn't expect you back so soon with new stock. You've got talent.

Tell you what. Bring your pelts here from now on, and I'll give you 20% above market price. Deal?"

"Deal!" Tom replied, beaming.

Casper extended a hand. "Name's Casper."

"Tom," he said with a smile.

Casper's eyes fell on Tom's vest. "Wait a second… are you the kid Pablo told us about? That explains why you wanted to keep that pelt last time."

"Wait… are you Pablo's friend who made this vest?"

Casper shook his head. "Not me, but my master did. Hey, old Smork! Get over here!"

An older, wild-looking man in his 40s or 50s emerged shirtless from the back.

"What do you want, Casper?" he grumbled irritably.

"Look at what the kid who brought us pelts last time is wearing. Recognize anything?"

Smork leaned in close, inspecting Tom's vest. After a moment, he grabbed it, feeling the material. "No way… you're with Pablo, aren't you?"

Tom nodded, and Casper whispered, "Sorry about him. He's still sharp with his craft but not so great with his eyes anymore."

Smork promptly kicked Casper across the room. "I may not see well, but I can still hear just fine, you brat!"

Turning back to Tom, Smork grinned. "Alright, kid, let's see what you've got."

Smork rifled through the sack, tossing pelts into two piles. One for the majority and another for the better-quality hides.

"156 standard wolf pelts, 12 uncommon wolf pelts, 1 normal deer hide, and 3 normal bear pelts," Smork muttered. "Pablo probably told you about the set, right?"

Tom nodded eagerly.

"These materials are almost enough to finish it. Tell you what. I'll cover the rest and give you 1,000 gold for the lot. Consider it a favor for Pablo. Deal?"

Tom nodded excitedly. "Yes, please!"

Then he remembered something. Pulling out his second bag, he said, "Can you do anything with this?"

Smork peeked inside and grinned. "You've got some real luck, kid. I'll make something special for you. Come back tomorrow."

Thanking him again, Tom stored his gold and checked the time. Realizing he was running late, he rushed to Pablo's tavern, arriving just as the clock struck 6 PM.

The tavern was alive again, filled with patrons drinking and eating.

As Tom walked in, Pablo's booming voice greeted him. "Boy! Over here!"