Fantasy Realm [One Piece] [Harry Potter] [Naruto] - [Progression] [LitRPG]

Chapter 80: A Difficult Path Forward

Alex, with Rishi and Tereza following close behind, leaves the bustling center of the tutorial section. More accurately, he's leaving Tutorial Section Nr. 4, a detail he's only learned a few moments ago. They head toward their usual spot, a forgotten temple ruin near the player rooms, where Alex explains everything that happened.

Rishi and Tereza look at him in disbelief. Rishi, clearly impressed, exclaims, "So, there are over 30 tutorial sections? And you argued with a high-ranking goblin merchant before one of the Realm's administrators—and came out on top? Pretty damn impressive!"

Alex sighs, frustration seeping through his voice. "I guess my argument worked, but I still lost somewhat. The goblin scammer got revived, and I'm still stuck with this stupid [285th Hunter Exam Application]. Worst of all, no one else will fall for this scam now. I'm probably going to end up entering that world with only the 20-something losers from before."

Tereza grins. "Don't worry, I'll join too. Honestly, I can't wait, finally, a real challenge."

Rishi adds, with a hint of reluctance, "I'll go too. We're not about to let you do this alone."

Alex, feeling genuinely moved by his two "unique" but loyal friends, smiles. "Thanks, both of you. I really respect it!" He hugs them, genuinely touched. But then he stuns them with, "I'm going in alone, though. No way am I letting either of you join me!"

"What? Are you serious?" Tereza shouts, confused and clearly pissed.

Rishi just chuckles, though a bit awkwardly, suspecting where Alex is going with this.

"To put it simply, we know next to nothing about this specific 285th Hunter Exam," Alex explains. "It's not even mentioned in the story. The only thing we know is about the 286th Exam—the one where Hisoka goes rogue and gets disqualified for killing an examiner. Aside from that, we've got one key piece of info: rookie odds. On average, only once every three years does a rookie pass the exam."

"What does this have to do with anything? We'll help you!" Tereza snaps, looking furious.

"First of all, Rishi, you're out," Alex says bluntly. "Your low PHY makes it impossible for you to handle something like a long-distance marathon, like the one actually happening in Hunter x Hunter. Your stamina is that of an average human. Could you run a damn 80-kilometer—around 50-mile, marathon at a fast pace? Obviously not, and you know it. Maybe it won't be a marathon, but chances are good there will be a similar test. You'd be stupid to take part, and you'd probably drag me down. You know it, so don't even argue."

Rishi raises his hands in a mock surrender, nodding with a smirk. "You're right, I know. And is it just me, or are you actually getting smarter?" he jokes, lightening the mood.

Tereza cuts in, rolling her eyes. "Guess that leaves me. So what's your brilliant excuse for me, then?"

"It's what the administrator hinted at—it's a damn death trap, like we suspected. But there's something even worse: the level difference. We know the system gives lower-level players a different starting point, as we saw in the last mission. Rishi and I had a safer start than you, remember? There's a high chance we'd all end up starting in different spots again. Sorry, Tereza, but this mission is starting soon. Tell me, do you actually know Hunter x Hunter in detail? The lore, the characters that might appear?"