36 First/Last day of work

Levi stirred awake with a sense of renewed clarity, a stark contrast to the usual mental fog that lingered after logging out from Aetheria Online. Though his body would be resting during gameplay, his mind always remained active, constantly exchanging signals with the console causing minor brain fatigue. Aware of the potential health risks, Levi made a mental note to take breaks more frequently.

It was a Saturday morning, and he had decided to resume working at the bookstore today, so he could maintain a steady source of income. However little it was, it would at least cover some of his needs and possibly next month's rent.

Levi had gotten the job around six months ago when he moved out of the Central District and into the Outskirts. It was a rather easy job, where he would show customers around the store and also man the register. 

Since there were usually only a few customers, it allowed him time to study for his entrance exam. The owner of the store, Madam Ellie, was hardly ever around so he was mostly left alone to do as he pleases. The pay was very handsome compared to the workload.

As Levi prepared for the day, donning fresh clothes and preparing to face the day's challenges, he couldn't shake the feeling of anticipation mixed with a hint of anxiety. Madam Ellie, the stern but fair proprietor of the bookstore, was not one to overlook his absences lightly.

Upon getting to the bookstore he noticed there was a new face standing behind the counter, putting on a work apron. 

"I didn't come to work for only two days and she already found a replacement… what did I expect, it's Madam Ellie afterall," Levi sighed.

"Good morning, is there anything I can help you with?" The young man asked as Levi stepped into the bookstore.

Levi maintained his composure "Yeah, I'm looking for Madam Ellie"

"She stepped out, but she will be back shortly, is there anything else I can help you with?" He asked 

"Not exactly, I'll just wait for her," Levi answered, sitting on one of the small chairs. 

'I'll need a good story to tell her if I want my job back,' Levi reasoned.

A few minutes later, a commanding middle-aged woman, with short white hair and a few wrinkles, entered the bookstore. She wore one of her pretty long gowns with high heels that made her almost as tall as Levi.

Her brows furrowed and her expression became even more stern as she noticed Levi.

"What are you doing here?" She asked harshly.

"After Mr Lucky vouched for you I hired you, trusting you would have proper working ethics but you were absent for two days without any notice. That is unacceptable. I've already found a replacement." She said sternly, shifting her gaze to the new worker

"I'm really sorry about that ma'am," Levi said with a remorseful tone "I had an emergency, I couldn't—"

The Middle-aged woman's lips tighten into a thin line as her eyes narrow, exuding a palpable frustration. "Excuses won't suffice. This is a professional environment. You've been replaced. End of discussion."

"But I—"

A flicker of impatience flashes across Madam Ellie's face, her voice firm. "No 'buts'. Pack your things and leave."

Levi hangs his head in defeat, sensing the finality in her tone.

'She didn't even let me use my good story' Levi thought, disappointed.

Madam Ellie had always been a strict woman, she had previously worked in the Central District as a corporate executive until she decided to enter into something less exhausting. Now she owned a few shops around the Outskirts, including the bookstore.

Levi had forgotten that with her past in the corporate world, she expected a certain level of professionalism from her workers. There was nothing else he could do. He didn't have anything to pack so he simply left the store and returned home.

As he lay in his bed watching the ceiling fan turn, he began reflecting on his actions.

"Now I'm an unemployed twenty-one-year-old, with only a little above $650 to his name," he lamented. 

He couldn't go and ask Mr Lucky for another handout, after he had already helped get this job.

Finding a new job that offered as much leisure as the last would be very difficult, but he needed to earn money one way or the other. 

The other option would be joining the construction workers in doing manual labor, but with this build, he would just be signing up for torture.

 "or maybe a convenience store?" he contemplated, then again, that would demand more working hours, time he would much rather spend leveling up in Aetheria.

 Still, he needed to find a way soon, if he didn't want to start living on the street.

"But first let's see what has been happening at home during my absence," he said as he grabbed his console off the table and put it on.

He couldn't help but chuckle self-mockingly at the fact that he was slowly accepting his identity as a player, the same people who had killed Elsa. He has no other option but to accept becoming what he hates if he wants the revenge he so desires.

After the usual log-in process, he appeared right outside his father's craft shop. It was early noon and he could feel the soothing warmth from the sun.

He had spent only seventeen hours outside Aetheria, while according to the gaming time, two whole days had passed. 

With the time ratio being 1:3, it meant the time in Aetheria was three times faster than the real world time. It would feel like you have lived three whole days if you spent the whole day online, although the only people who could play for that long were players who had the more recent versions of the Xgear consoles since they were pods.

The bell above the door jiggled as Levi stepped in. He could hear his father from the back room hammering at something, as usual, before abruptly stopping.

"Is anyone there?" He called out.

"It's just me Sir," Levi replied, joining him in the backroom.

"Oh, warrior you're back… come see what I've made," he said with excitement.

"I made it with the leftover material from the minotaur horn. There wasn't much so I could only make a few" He handed Levi one of the arrows he had made. 

___

Tauric Arrow 

Grade: Epic grade

Wind resistance: 85%

(Attack power-: 100)

___

"This is really impressive," Levi gawked as he appraised the arrow.

'A long-range weapon with such a high attack power could easily make a person overpowered. A well-aimed surprise hit could even one-shot very strong enemies' he reasoned.

"I know it is," Sir Owain bragged "I already sold most of it to some hunters yesterday so I could buy new materials for Crafting, I kept this one as a souvenir for you,"

Levi's expression softened "You didn't have to sir," 

"No no, of course I did, I practically owe all this to you" Sir Owain gleefully confided.

"And also I have a proposal for y-"

He paused as they heard the doorbell jiggle, notifying them someone had stepped into the shop.