All the dreamers rushed to the shop and stocked up. Once they were ready, several portals opened, and most of them left the hall.
I, on the other hand, waited until they were all gone. I stayed behind.
I approached the job board and snooped around a bit. I was looking for something that matched my mediocre stats. I saw lots of quests that probably would've gotten me instantly killed. A shiver ran down my spine.
My eyes settled on a small paper that read:
> Gather:
Sigh Daisies x10
Water from the Still Pond x10
White Panacea x10
Time Limit: None
Reward:
10 EXP
20 Neiros
Recipe Unlocked: Basic Healing Potion x1
My eyes lit up. I grabbed the slip, and instantly a page in my grimorio popped open in front of me:
"Gathering Quest for Losers."
"Does everything in this place just insult me?" I muttered as I walked toward the shop.
Since 299 people had already been through the shop, most of the good stuff was gone.
Didn't matter. I didn't care either way.
I bought clothes, two daggers, and class-specific items. I ended up spending 3,000 Neiros total, but I'd gotten the essentials.
I equipped my weapons and gear. Gave myself a little spin like I was on a fashion runway and said:
"Damn, I look good."
Then I opened my Dreamer page. It had changed a lot. I checked my stats:
> [Dreamer Name: Rashed]
Class: Alchemist – Rank 1
Level: 1 EXP: 0/10
Stats:
HP: 25 MP: 30
SPD: 12 +5
STR: 12
DEF: 11 +2
AGI: 11 +2
INT: 15 +3
LUCK: -15
Skills:
Dream Botanist (P): You can recognize any plant, fungus, or material you find. Doesn't work on monsters, but does work on dropped items.
Accelerated Brewing (A: 5): You can speed up the maturation process of potion brewing.
Recipe Reader (P): You can understand crafting recipes thanks to your class.
Transmute (A: 15): You can convert one material into another similar one—if it's already registered.
Basic Resistance (P): Immune to status effects from Rank 1 monsters. Does not work on bosses.
Macuto / Equipment:
Silent Dagger (Uncommon)
Poisoned Dagger (Common)
Leather Pants (Common) DEF +2
Explorer's Boots (Common) AGI +2
Botanist's Shirt (Uncommon) INT +3
Red Ribbon (Common) Useless, but looks cool.
Mist Cloak (Epic) SPD +5
Macuto / Class Items:
Mortar & Grinder
Flasks x30
Runic Stove
Cauldron
Incense
Purifiers
Not bad, honestly. Or… so I thought.
A portal opened. Just before I stepped in, I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard a familiar voice.
"Wait."
I turned and found myself face-to-face with the silver eyes of the Administrator.
He looked directly into mine.
"You're too weak to go alone. Here, take this."
He handed me a strange, sky-blue ring. It sparkled a lot.
I looked at the ring, then back at him.
"What is this?" I asked.
"Put it on," he replied with a smile.
I slipped it on—and was immediately blinded by a flash of blue light.
When my vision cleared, I saw what looked like a Hello Kitty with a cape… and a spear.
"Why are you giving me a Hello Kitty?" I asked, completely lost.
"I'm Nekos, you idiot. Not Hello Kitty," the cat snapped, furious.
My eyes went wide.
"It talks?" I looked at the Administrator, even more confused.
He just looked at the two of us and said:
"This is Nekos, a spirit guide. He'll assist you in your adventures."
Then he walked away, waving goodbye.
I stared at Nekos for a while.
"So… how much are you worth?" I asked with a mischievous smile.
"I'm priceless. But if you ever try to sell me, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life," he said, spinning his spear.
We stepped into the portal and appeared in a wide-open field.
A cold breeze brushed against my face. It was beautiful.
After enjoying the fresh air for a bit, I activated my skill:
[Dream Botanist]
I began to explore. The place was actually really nice.
On my way, I found several of the mission's plants.
> [Obtained: Sigh Daisies x5. White Panacea x5]
[Info saved in the "Alchemist's Herbarium."]
I looked over at Nekos, still floating behind me.
"Hey… what are you exactly?"
"I'm a guide. Isn't it obvious?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.
We kept chatting and walking for a while until we arrived at a clear pond. Then a notification popped up:
> [Welcome to the Still Pond, where the fallen rest.]
The name echoed in my mind. I felt a chill crawl down my back.
There was a strange rattling sound—bones clashing behind me.
Sweat rolled down my cheek.
I looked at Nekos, who still had that same mischievous smile on his face.
"Nekos… where are we?"
He looked at me, amused.
"A graveyard, obviously," he said, then laughed.
"DUCK!!"
I dropped to the ground instantly. Something shot over my head at high speed. I rolled across the dirt.
Then I saw it.
A skeleton in battered armor, wielding a rusty sword, took a few steps toward me and growled in a voice full of malice:
"Who dares disturb our place of rest?"