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

Chapter 188: Reputation, Strategy, and a Date

Alex smiles, fully aware of Roja's jealousy and his own LUK.

"True, I guess I am a bit lucky! But after today's events, I think we should abort this stupid plan of catching the other players' and NPCs' attention. I get why we did it, as you've explained countless times—you need to build a reputation with the NPCs. It's important that your name is known by everyone, and it doesn't even matter much what they think of you. But I think everyone knows about us now...." Alex half suggests, half begs, already tired of being recognized by every single character he meets.

At this rate, I've got a huge reputation! I can live without the infamy, though... not sure if my reputation won't end up being a huge problem, especially if that stupid heir rumor spreads.

"Trust me, Alex, what you did earlier—and even that heir rumor—will be useful. You'll see. This kind of world is packed with hidden and side missions. Even your little trip today was a huge benefit, despite it not being a mission. Trust me on this," Roja says confidently.

She can't lie to me, so I'll trust her... in this regard at least. Let's see if it actually turns out to be true.

Everyone else is silent for a moment and Menchi suddenly asks: "Is that all? I want to leave! I can't wait to experiment with all the stuff you gave me, Alex. Even the normal food looks interesting! Good job raiding the kitchen. That should be a new rule, whenever you explore a new world, you raid the kitchen. Hehe!"

She stands up, plants a quick kiss on Alex's cheek, and leaves the room. Moments later, she starts ripping out half the furniture in the kitchen to make space for her system-bought kitchenware, furniture and new pots and pans.

"I'll help!" Tereza says, trying to get up, but Roja stops her.

"Wait, Tereza... let's talk about our plans first!" Roja says firmly.

"Tssss, fine!" Tereza huffs, casting a longing glance toward the kitchen.

"So, I'd suggest we head to the forest tomorrow. We should go as a group to determine the danger level first," Roja suggests, while Perlah nods along in agreement.

"Honestly, that sounds like a waste of time," Alex says bluntly. "I'd rather go solo. Since PvP isn't allowed, what's there to be afraid of? It makes more sense to cover as much ground as possible, figure out what's there to loot, and then share the information. I refuse to believe the forest is that dangerous."

"I agree!" Tereza chimes in with a big grin, clearly brimming with confidence, thanks to her new Devil Fruit.

I guess she can just fly above the forest. Tereza will probably be the best scout and the most important member for combat and exploration.

"You can stay in the outer part of the forest if it's too dangerous. But yeah, I want to go solo too. Tomorrow, though, we should definitely visit Hagrid to see what items he wants for exchange and what he's offering," Rishi adds.

"You guys... that's too risky," Roja says, frowning, clearly unhappy that her suggestion is being ignored. She's obviously not used to having her opinions disregarded.

"Everyone... we really should stick together," Perlah says hesitantly, looking a bit uncomfortable. "I just feel like we don't know enough about the hidden dangers of this world yet."

Alex looks at his two new teammates and says, "Perlah, now's the time to cover as much ground as we can. The real dangers will show up once the tournament starts. This is our chance to explore freely."

"Besides! This shitty forest is safe! Corruption? Maybe a corrupted centaur or a damn Acromantula. Sorry, but those things are a joke. I don't see the need to be careful. Let's focus on grabbing items, secrets, ingredients, and monsters for ourselves! Oh, and don't forget to grab the meat too, Menchi can cook it up for you. She'll give you the majority of the food and only keep a small portion for herself. You won't find a better cook anywhere. This is your chance to stockpile mass amounts of Green-quality recovery items," Alex says, his tone tempting and confident.