'Man, this feels like those torturous days when I was studying for my college finals,' Alex thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
He had just finished reading the fifth Chapter of the alchemy book. Fortunately, the content wasn't too unfamiliar since it had similarities to topics he had learned in chemistry classes.
After a long sigh, he placed a bookmark on the page he had finished reading before closing the book in his hand.
Volume 1 - Foundations of the Flame: Basics of Alchemy.
Contents: Elements, symbols, simple transmutations, alchemical apparatus, safety protocols.
Suddenly, the young man heard a notification sound inside his head, which made his complaints disappear like ice melting on a sunny day.
< Intelligence +1 >
In ELO, you could actually raise your Intelligence Stat by reading books.
Of course, the books must contain something that actually taught something.
Alex chose alchemy to study, knowing he might be fighting solo most of the time.
Because of this, he needed to learn how to craft potions that could help him recover his health as well as deal damage to the enemies when thrown.
The young man had decided to follow a rigorous training method to maximize his day.
Run every morning.
And go to the library to read after breakfast.
He planned to raise his Strength, Agility, and Intelligence to lay down the foundation of his End Game build.
When he had played ELO, Alex's Job Class had been the Shield Savant.
It was a Hidden Prestige Class, and the young man had been the only one who possessed it.
However, he hadn't been the only one with a hard-to-acquire Job Class in the game.
He knew of at least twenty-one other people in ELO who had Hidden Prestige Classes just like him.
All of them were unique, and no other players in the game possessed them.
In fact, there was once a millionaire who asked Alex to sell his account to him for a high price.
However, Alex rejected the offer. He wasn't that desperate when it came to money, and he earned enough to live comfortably.
As the one and only Shield Savant in the game, he was personally recruited by the Guildmaster of ELO's number one guild, Endless Horizon.
Alex became the main tank of the guild and played a crucial role during Boss Raids.
Most importantly, his monthly salary was in the six digits, and it was paid in dollars.
Monster drops, especially Super Rare and Legendary Items, could fetch up to millions in the real world through RMT (Real Money Trading).
The Guildmaster of Endless Horizon, Death Kiss, made sure that her guild members were properly compensated, which was the reason why it had remained the top guild in ELO since the game's release.
She would even drop by Alex's house without warning and ask him to cook her dinner from time to time.
Remembering his beautiful and charismatic guild master, Alex couldn't help but sigh a second time.
'I wonder how she's doing right now,' he thought. 'She will definitely find it suspicious when she realizes I'm not present during our regular guild meetings. I just hope that she doesn't do anything reckless when she finds out I'm missing.'
Perhaps seeing the sad expression on his face, Dim Dim lightly tapped Alex's hand that was holding the book.
"Dim?"
"I'm fine, Dim Dim. I just remembered a good friend of mine."
Not wanting to ruin his day, he went to the Librarian to borrow the book for a few days.
"Just remember, if you don't return this book within three days, you will be charged one silver coin, okay?" the Librarian said with a smile.
"Understood," Alex replied. "I'll make sure to return it before the due date."
"Good. Please sign here."
"Okay."
After completing the borrowing process, the young man returned to the inn.
The sun was about to set in the horizon, proving how long Alex had spent reading the Basics of Alchemy in the library.
Since he was reading to learn something, he paid close attention to the proper use of the alchemical apparatus, as well as the other safety protocols to prevent accidents during the alchemical process.
"Welcome back, nyah~" the Waitress, who went by the name Dora, greeted Alex as soon as he returned to the inn. "Would you like to have dinner, a bath, or me, nyah?"
The Catkin waitress, who was in her late teens, asked Alex in a teasing tone.
"Dinner for two please!" Alex replied. "Also, nice try, Dora."
"Dim Dim!"
The Catkin giggled before telling Alex the menu that they have for dinner.
"We have roast beef, apple and meat pie, pickled vegetables, dark rye bread with cheese, and mushroom stew," Dora stated. "As for drinks, we have mead, wine, and just plain water. What are you guys having?"
"What do you like to have, Dim Dim?" Alex asked.
"Dim Dim."
"Okay, so give me two orders of dark rye bread with cheese and a roast beef," Alex said. "And plain water, please."
"Good, I'll have it ready in a few minutes," Dora said before going to the counter to tell the cook about Alex's orders.
The young man then headed towards a corner table, where he could observe the patrons who were drinking and eating happily.
He often thought of taverns as chaotic places where brawls happened regularly due to people being drunk with wine and mead.
Fortunately, despite the place being rowdy, he didn't see any accidents happening, which was a good thing.
The young man then thought about his current funds, which were now down to fifteen silvers.
He had booked his room for ten days, which had cost him three silver coins.
The food that he and Dim Dim had eaten for the past few days, including the bill for tonight's dinner, would be two silver coins.
This left Alex with only fifteen silvers, which was all the funds he currently possessed.
'After ten days, I will have to start taking quests from the Adventurer's Guild to earn money,' Alex thought. 'Gathering herbs is the safest option. If I happen to discover a rare herb in the forest, I might be able to sell it for a good price.'
Of course, there was a possibility of encountering monsters and other beasts in the forests.
However, Alex had Dim Dim with him.
The Dim Sum God could sense any threats in its surroundings. Last but not least, exploring the forest would allow Alex to map it.
This would allow him to see aggressive and dangerous monsters in the area that he had visited before, granting him another layer of safety.
While he was thinking about his future plans, a Catkin wearing a bamboo hat entered the tavern.
A sword hung on his waist, and the presence he gave off was that of an expert.
Alex, who noticed the Catkin's arrival, suddenly felt excited.
The reason why he had come to the Cat Tail's Inn was in the hope that he would meet the Catkin Swordsman, a very famous game character.
If you managed to become his friend, then you could request his assistance once, regardless of what it was.
Although you would only be able to ask for his help once, that was more than enough reason for Alex to try and befriend him.
The reason?
The Catkin, who was currently on a journey to master the ways of the sword, was actually the future Heaven's Sword of the Catkin Tribe.