Dimension Beta

Tom walked over to Pablo, who was leaning on the bar, chatting with an older woman. She had a kind smile that immediately made Tom feel at ease.

"Hey there, kiddo," she greeted him warmly.

"Hi," Tom replied shyly.

"This here is Melisia, our barmaid," Pablo said, gesturing to her. "And those two guys over there are Kennor and Hando, our waiters."

Tom glanced toward the two men. Despite wearing shirts, their broad shoulders and thick arms were impossible to miss. They were clearly built like tanks, though not as massive as Pablo.

Is it normal for tavern staff to look like bodybuilders? Tom wondered, realizing this might just be a quirk of Pablo's rowdy establishment.

Pablo interrupted his thoughts. "Alright, boy. I want you working here for a while. It's time to get your hands dirty. I've taught you the basics, but you'll only really learn by putting them to use."

Tom was confused. "Wait... working here? Fighting in a tavern? Won't that, uh, wreck the place?"

Pablo just grinned. "Don't worry about that. For now, you'll be working as a bouncer."

Before Tom could fully process what that meant, a notification popped up:

[Pablo's Bouncer Quest]

Work as a bouncer in Pablo's Tavern. This quest resets daily at 6 PM.

Reward 1: 100 Gold

Reward 2: Up to 10,000 EXP (varies by the number of patrons ejected).

Tom hesitated, nervous about his ability to handle rowdy guests. Then he remembered the experience he'd gained from hunting and skinning monsters. At Level 15, he was no pushover anymore.

He allocated his unspent stat points as Pablo had advised:

[Name: Tom Stein]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Brawler]

[Level: 15]

[Health Points: 850/850]

[Mana: 200/200]

[Vitality: 75]

[Strength: 75]

[Dexterity: 45]

[Intelligence: 15]

[Wisdom: 15]

[Level 10 Skills: Beginner Brawler's Stance, Punching Fury]

Despite his improved stats, he still wasn't sure he could take on real people.

The tavern started to fill up, becoming so crowded that it was hard to keep track of everything. Tom sat at the bar next to Melisia, sipping his usual juice.

At first, nothing happened. Tom hoped it would stay that way.

Then the shouting started.

Two men were arguing and soon began throwing sloppy punches at each other. Too drunk to fight effectively, they both knocked themselves out in a matter of seconds. The surrounding patrons burst into laughter, enjoying the brief chaos.

Pablo whistled loudly and pointed at Tom. "You've got work, boy!"

Tom gulped and approached the unconscious men. He grabbed each one by the collar and, using his newly improved strength, dragged them both out of the tavern. Surprisingly, the crowd parted for him as though this were completely normal.

Reaching the alley beside the tavern, Tom laid them down gently, not wanting to ruin the tavern's image by leaving bodies sprawled out in front.

When he returned, another incident was already brewing. A man had drunk himself unconscious and collapsed onto the floor. Tom dutifully carried him out as well.

The night continued like this, with Tom hauling out one drunken guest after another.

By 11 PM, the tavern was at its peak. People packed shoulder to shoulder, the noise level was deafening.

Tom was on his way back from the alley when someone bumped into him hard, knocking him to the floor.

"Watch where you're going, you little punk!" slurred the drunk man who'd shoved him.

Tom stood up and squared off against him. "You've had enough. Time to leave," he said, trying to sound confident.

The man sneered, clearly sensing Tom's hesitation. "Who the hell do you think you are? You think I'm just gonna listen to some little shit like you?"

He reached for Tom, but Tom was quicker. Anticipating the move, Tom grabbed the man's wrist and yanked him forward, driving his knee into the man's gut.

The drunk stumbled back, wheezing, but he wasn't done. "Oh, you're dead now, kid!" he roared, a fireball suddenly forming in his hand.

Tom froze. A spellcaster? He didn't know what to do.

Before the fireball could fully form, a hand came down hard on the man's neck. He collapsed to the floor instantly, unconscious.

Tom turned to see Pablo standing behind the fallen man, his usual grin on his face.

The tavern erupted into cheers:

"Hell yeah, kid!"

"Got some guts, don't ya?"

"Nice work, bouncer boy!"

Tom's face flushed red as he realized the crowd had been watching the whole time.

"Drag him out and then meet me at the bar," Pablo said, clapping Tom on the back.

Tom hauled the unconscious spellcaster out to join the others in the alley. Dusting off his hands, he returned to the bar, where Pablo was waiting.

Tom expected praise but instead got a stern look. "You know what you did wrong?" Pablo asked gruffly.

Tom thought for a moment. "I should've de-escalated the situation. He's a customer, after all."

"Hell no!" Pablo barked. "Screw the paying customers. You let a spellcaster finish channeling! Next time, you go in hard and fast and don't give 'em a chance to get their magic off. Always be the one to strike first! That's the Brawler way! Hahaha!"

Tom nodded, taking the advice to heart. Pablo was right. He couldn't afford to hesitate like that again.

"I think I'm done for the night," Tom said. "Same time tomorrow?"

"You got it, boy. See you then!"

A notification confirmed the quest's completion, and Tom received his rewards.

Logging out of Beta, he stumbled out of the capsule, completely drained. It had been a long day, and his body was begging for rest.

He climbed into bed and fell asleep instantly.

The next day, Tom followed the same routine he'd been building: checking the forum for buyers, selling Pech's potions, hunting monsters, and skinning them for their pelts.

Unfortunately, there were no power levelers in the forest this time, so his haul was much smaller than yesterday.

Even so, Tom managed to collect around 40 pelts, which wasn't bad. He returned to the city and headed straight to the tannery since he didn't have any additional materials besides the pelts today.

"You're back, boy!" Casper greeted him warmly as Tom walked in.

"Hey, Casper," Tom said, handing over the sack of pelts. "It's not much today, but I hope you guys can still make use of these."

Casper inspected the sack and grinned. "Don't worry, kid. This'll do just fine." He quickly handed Tom his payment.

With another 1,500 gold coins jingling in his pocket, Tom was satisfied with his small but steady side hustle.

"Is Smork around?" Tom asked, curious about the armor progress.

Casper gave him a knowing smile. "Oh, he's here, alright. Check the back left door. He's been waiting for you."

"Thanks!" Tom said, heading to the indicated room.

When Tom entered, he saw Smork slumped in a chair, fast asleep. His snoring filled the room.

Tom hesitated. Should he wake him? Before deciding, his eyes landed on a nearby table, where several carefully folded pieces of pelt armor were laid out.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he walked over to inspect the armor. One by one, he picked up the pieces, marveling at the craftsmanship.

Tom inspected each piece of gear laid out before him, starting with the smaller ones:

[Normal Deer Gloves]

Weight: 0.1 kg

[Uncommon Wolf Boots]

+15 Armor

Weight: 0.5 kg

[Uncommon Beaver Leatherpants]

+20 Armor

Weight: 0.7 kg

Everything seemed normal at first glance. But when Tom reached the final piece, he immediately recognized the pelt. It was made from the massive bear with the scarred hide.

It was a hood that transitioned into a cape, crafted from the striking fur of the beast. As Tom picked it up, he felt a strange shiver run down his spine.

[Rare Bear Cape]

+45 Armor

Weight: 1.5 kg

You are intimidating

The armor bonus alone was intimidating. It added almost as much defense as the rest of his gear combined. But the last bonus left Tom scratching his head. What does "you are intimidating" even mean?

"Not bad, eh? Like it?" came a voice from behind.

Tom spun around to see Smork, now fully awake and watching him with a satisfied grin. He must have been observing Tom's reactions the entire time.

With pure enthusiasm, Tom nodded eagerly. "They're incredible! Thank you so much!"

"What are you waitin' for, boy? Put it on and come outside. We're all waitin' on you," Smork said before walking out.

Tom wasted no time. He stripped out of his old gear and started equipping the new pieces. As he put on the wolf vest, he remembered how his shirt had restricted his arm movements during previous fights.

"Guess I'll go shirtless like Pablo," he muttered, slipping on the vest directly over his bare chest.

Finally, he donned the bear hood. As it settled over his head and shoulders, a notification appeared in front of him:

Set conditions met. While wearing the full set, you gain the following bonuses:

+5% movement speed (tripled outside of combat)

Active Passive: Call of the Wild – Perception increased during wilderness combat

Tom wasn't sure what perception meant yet, but the increased movement speed alone was worth it.

He adjusted the hood, letting the cape flow naturally down his back. The sheer presence of the set gave him a newfound confidence.

Pulling the hood fully over his head, Tom turned to leave the room. His heart raced with excitement to show off his new gear to the others.