Dimension Beta

Tom was perplexed about the sapling's potential value. To him, it seemed useless.

"You know what is most sought after in this world?" Pech suddenly asked, breaking Tom's train of thought.

"Money?" Tom answered hesitantly.

"And where do you get money from?"

"By selling things like monster drops?"

Pech grinned. "Exactly. Now think about the deer that used this sapling as its... toilet."

Tom's eyes widened as realization struck him. "Oh, sh*t. That deer must be at least epic or legendary tier!"

"Exactly. Now the question, boy, is this: information about this deer would be incredibly valuable. We even have proof that it might be a legendary creature. So, do you want to keep this information hidden or sell it for a quick buck?"

"How much do you think we could get for this kind of information?" Tom asked, his excitement growing.

"A few million, at least," Pech replied casually.

Tom's heart raced at the thought. A few million gold would already be a significant chunk of the money they were trying to collect.

But as he thought about it further, Tom hesitated. If the deer really was that powerful, when would he ever get another chance to hunt such a monster? The image of the deer that attacked him earlier came to mind. Could it have been that same deer?

Pech noticed his hesitation and said, "Let's keep it a secret for now. I don't think many people will wander into that area, so the deer should remain undiscovered for a while."

"Now," Pech continued, "let's talk about your mission. Did you find what we were looking for?"

Tom proudly emptied all his spatial pouches in front of Pech. The underground laboratory was instantly filled to the brim with glowing grass and moss.

Pech had expected Tom to gather a few square meters' worth of materials, but the sheer volume left him speechless.

His shock only grew when he inspected the materials and realized that every single piece was of uncommon quality or higher. He had told Tom to only collect the better-quality items, but this level of thoroughness far exceeded his expectations.

"You've outdone yourself, boy," Pech said, marking the quest as complete.

Moments later, Tom's experience bar filled five times over, and he shot up to level 52.

Excited, Tom quickly allocated his new stat points and asked, "How much do you think we can make with all these materials?"

Pech pulled out a small notebook and began making calculations. After about a minute, he replied, "We're not doing as well as we could, since we're missing some wings. You've brought a lot of the main ingredients, but right now I can only brew about ten cauldrons' worth, which would produce around 2,000 potions. At 1,000 gold per potion, we're looking at about 2 million gold."

"Only 2 million?!" Tom exclaimed, shocked.

At first, it sounded like a lot for a day's work. But then Tom processed Pech's comment about the missing wings.

"Wait, does that mean we could make more if I bring you more wings?"

Pech, still scribbling in his notebook, turned to Tom. "Indeed. If you can gather another 4-5 square meters of wings, we could maximize the profit."

"By how much?" Tom asked eagerly.

"Another 4-5 million, give or take," Pech replied.

Tom was ecstatic. "Okay, I'll do my best!" he said with determination.

But suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him.

Tom remembered that he hadn't slept yet, and the exhaustion was catching up to him.

"I'm going to sleep for now," he told Pech.

"All right, see you later," Pech replied.

…

Tom logged out of the game, lay down, and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

He didn't know how long he had been out, but he woke up to someone shaking him.

"Tom! Tom! Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Groggy and disoriented, Tom opened his eyes to find his mother hovering over him, phone in hand.

"Yes, hello," she was saying into the phone. "My son isn't waking up. I don't know what's wrong. I just found him like this!"

Realizing what was happening, Tom's mind snapped into focus. He had to act quickly before an ambulance arrived.

"Mom, Mom, listen! I'm fine!" he shouted.

His mother gasped, startled by his sudden outburst, but quickly sighed in relief.

"Looks like he woke up," she said into the phone. "Yes, I'm sorry. Thank you. Goodbye."

She hung up and turned back to Tom, her face a mix of worry and frustration.

"What happened? The school called to say you didn't show up today, and when I came to your room, I couldn't wake you up at all!"

"I'm sorry I made you worry, Mom. I just overslept because I was busy in-game," Tom admitted sheepishly.

"Tom Stein!" she scolded, using his full name. "What did I tell you about skipping school to play Beta instead?"

Tom winced. He knew he was in trouble. "I'm sorry, Mom. It won't happen again, I promise!"

"It better not!" she snapped. "Now, what were you doing that was so important you couldn't go to school?"

Tom hesitated but decided to tell her everything. It felt wrong to keep her in the dark when he had already involved his teacher and even Felix's parents.

By the end of his story, including the part about the three reset potions, his mother's anger had faded into amazement.

She was surprised by the adventures her son had already experienced and couldn't help but reminisce about her own younger days when she was filled with the same adventurous spirit.

"Okay," she finally said. "But next time, let me know, so I don't get a heart attack when I find you like that."

Tom nodded earnestly. He didn't want to cause her any more trouble.

Then, unexpectedly, she asked, "How many people have you recruited so far for your quest?"

"Well... Felix agreed to be the Transfer Knight, but I'm still missing the healer and the beastmaster. Why do you ask?"

"Well," she said, "I'm not sure why Pech needs a beastmaster, but maybe I can help."

"You?" Tom asked hesitantly.

"What's that supposed to mean? Do you not want your mother to help you?"

"No, it's not that," Tom stammered. "It's just... he might want you to do something weird."

"Something weird? What could he possibly ask me to do that I can't handle?"

Tom didn't tell her about the quest he had received when he first met Pech. After changing races, the quest had disappeared from his log, and he hadn't mentioned it to anyone since.

"I'll ask if it's possible," Tom said. "What level are you right now, Mom?"

"I'm at level 169," she replied. "All my stats are split between Intelligence and Vitality, with the rest in Wisdom. I've also focused entirely on beastmaster skills, so they're all at Tier 3."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Don't worry, son," she said, kissing him on the forehead. "You must be hungry. How about we celebrate your achievements by dining out tonight?"

"Really? But can we afford that?"

"Don't worry," she said. "Special occasions like this deserve to be celebrated. Now go wash up and put on some nice clothes. I'll wait downstairs."

Tom hadn't eaten out since his 12th birthday half a year ago, so he was excited.

He got ready quickly, putting on a designer pair of pants his mother had gifted him for his birthday.

When he came downstairs, his mother was already dressed up. Her outfit wasn't as expensive as Tom's pants, but she looked elegant.

They walked together to the same restaurant they had visited on his birthday.

Tom ordered his favorite meal: steak and potatoes. His mother ordered a steak with a mixed salad.

For many people, it might have been an ordinary meal, but for Tom and his mother, it was a rare treat.

After finishing, they paid the bill and began their walk home.

Halfway there, a man emerged from a side street, holding a knife and pointing it at Tom's mother.

"Give me your purse! Now!" he shouted.

Tom froze. A robbery? In this day and age? With basic needs provided by the government, why would anyone resort to this?

His body tensed automatically. He was ready to lunge at the man, even if it meant risking his life.

But before he could act, his mother took his hand and squeezed it tightly.

Tom relaxed slightly, watching as his mother handed over her wallet.

The man snatched it and fled back into the alley.

Neither of them gave chase as they knew it wasn't worth the risk.

Instead, they called the police, who arrived within minutes.

Together, they searched the alley and were relieved to find the wallet discarded in a corner.

The small amount of cash inside was gone, but all her documents were still there.

After giving a description of the thief, the police offered to drive them home.

Once home, Tom couldn't help but ask, "Mom, why would people still rob others when they have food and shelter?"

His mother looked at him and answered, "You're too young to fully understand, Tom. The government may provide for basic needs, but for some people, that's not enough. Sometimes, desperation or greed leads them to do terrible things. That's why you need to work hard, so you never find yourself in that kind of situation."

She kissed him on the forehead.

Tom thought about her words and the man in the alley. She might be right, but he resolved to never find himself in a position where he couldn't defend himself.

"Maybe I should take some self-defense classes," he thought.

Exhausted, Tom went straight to bed. He hadn't slept much the night before, and his body desperately needed rest.