The Million Dollar Idea!

With the mother-daughter duo safely out of sight and the elusive third party nowhere in sight, Darian figured it was prime time for another gaming session. Crackling his knuckles in readiness, he took a moment to double-check the door lock – because, you know, fool Darian once, shame on the door; fool Darian twice, shame on his gaming session.

The familiar groaning sound of the pod opening its hatch reached his ears, annoying him.

"Well, I guess my first splurge with the winnings will be on some top-notch gear. I mean, what kind of rich guy slums it with lousy, faulty, and bug-infested equipment?" he mused aloud.

He shook his head in mock disappointment as he stepped into the pod, leaning back against it.

"Close," he ordered, and the doors hissed once again, sealing shut and enveloping him in complete darkness.

A small hiss escaped his lips as he contorted himself, attempting to make the pod as comfortable as possible. Suddenly, hundreds of blue lights illuminated the space in every direction.

[Retina scanning...]

[Successful.]

[Welcome, P ness]

He blinked to help his eyes adjust to the sudden brightness. Blue, transparent holographic screens flickered to life, filling the air like small cubes with windows that displayed various information. The high-tech display danced around him, creating a futuristic spectacle within the confines of the pod.

Then, the colors transformed, and landscapes began to materialize on top and beneath those windows. Once again, he was transported inside the captivating world of VALE.

"Always a sight to behold, isn't it?" he mused, stretching himself and feeling the subtle shift between reality and this virtual realm. As he flexed his body inside the machine, he observed his virtual self mirroring the same motion. Unlike other virtual worlds, Vale skipped the character creation hassle and simply fashioned a character based on your actual body.

In VALE, the saying went: "If you're handsome, you've got bitches; if you're ugly, well, good luck working in the mines. Those pickaxes won't swing themselves, you know!" It was the only place where your virtual charisma directly translated into your virtual life, and some players were known to spend more time on their virtual hair than in real-life salons.

The world of Vale felt more like home than his reality ever did. Released only a few months ago, Vale swiftly took the world by storm, unlike anything seen before.

A fantasy medieval RPG game, Vale boasted an infinite array of options. Unlike traditional games where the goal was to complete quests and reach an ultimate endpoint, Vale operated more like the sandbox game Minicraft.

The possibilities were endless—you could choose to explore the vast lands, discover hidden places, construct houses, or even buy land and cultivate farms. It was a virtual utopia, offering a haven for those seeking adventure, creativity, or simply a break from reality.

In the realm of Vale, it was a wild carnival of possibilities – a place where everything was up for grabs, from epic quests to impulse buys, and hidden wonders waiting to be uncovered. It was a world so diverse that no two players could ever boast the same tales of adventure.

"Well, if you exclude the main story quest, but who needs that drama anyway?" he pondered, waving off the idea. "Let's savor the game's buffet of excitement without the extra side of chaos, shall we?"

Back when the game officially launched, he juggled not one, but two jobs. It was a rollercoaster of persuading his father, who passed the torch to begging his stepmom, who finally coughed up the cash (with interest, because, hey, life's got to be interesting), all for the sacred Vale gear. The lengths he went to dive into the Vale spectacle spoke volumes about his commitment to escaping the humdrum reality.

Once he delved into the game, he swiftly resolved to become a knight – because, let's face it, knights were undeniably cool. Off he went to a knight guild, eager to commence his training.

Months later, when he found himself still a novice knight while others who started alongside him were already earning promotions, a harsh realization struck – the game wasn't exactly fair.

And my dear droogs, when a game lacked any pesky microtransactions and yet your gaming companions managed to outshine you, well, then you couldn't help but acknowledge the harsh truth: you, my friend, were a less-than-stellar player in the grand game of Vale.

A NOOB!

In an attempt to turn over a new leaf, he bid farewell to the knightly pursuits and ventured into a new job. This time, he aspired to be an adventurer—roaming the lands, discovering new things, and unraveling the mysteries of the unknown.

Yet, a few weeks into his adventurous stint, the stark reality hit him like a rogue arrow to the knee – he sucked, and he sucked hard in that field.

"Who knew being an adventurer is hard?" he sighed in disappointment.

Throwing in the proverbial towel, he decided to simplify his life and donned the apron of a humble blacksmith. After all, he had a soft spot for swords, shields, hammers, and armor—might as well stick to what he liked. Sometimes, the road to success was a winding path with a few detours, or in his case, a series of epic fails and a one-way ticket to blacksmithing.

But, alas, he discovered that the new kid in the blacksmithing block outshone him, and he stumbled upon a hidden talent for managing rather than hands-on crafting.

Undeterred, he tried his hand at being a hunter, a farmer, a baker, a cook, a guard, a dancer, a merchant, a gambler, a noble, a bandit, a mage, and an archer. Alas, each endeavor ended in a resounding failure.

"It seems being a player is not for me," he sighed, a sense of defeat washing over him as he cried himself to sleep that night. Sometimes, life in the virtual realm can be just as challenging as reality, if not more so.

But lo and behold, one fine day, he had an epiphany and decided to become a manager. To his own astonishment, he not only embraced the role but excelled at it.

"Managers are cool too!" he cheered, discovering the thrill of managing was just as satisfying as swinging a sword or casting a spell.

Under his capable management, the blacksmith shop flourished, becoming the talk of the town. Soon, his fame echoed across the city, and players from all corners started flocking to his shop.

Yet, reality had its limits – the shop, despite its success, remained a humble establishment with two blacksmiths and him, the charismatic persuader, at the helm. There was only so much that two blacksmiths could forge, and a limit to the products he could sell.

So, armed with a small fortune bestowed upon him by Murakami, his blacksmithing guru, he embarked on a new adventure, yearning for something that would undoubtedly make him rich in the real world.

Although he could trade in-game coins for actual currency, he had grander aspirations than a modest fortune; he aimed to become the next 'Alone Mucus.'

Before parting ways, Murakami shared some profound wisdom, his voice carrying the weight of years. "Remember, son," he had said, "No money, no hoes. And whatever you do, do not let a bitch be your downfall."

The sage advice reverberated in his mind until a curious conversation caught his attention in a dimly lit alley.

"Come on, 200 gold coins is worth more than what you're offering," argued the middle-aged man.

"What do you think I am, old geezer? A damn street slut, eh?" The NPC woman spat on the ground, then took another puff from her cigarette. "My clients are nobles, wealthy adventurers, and heroes, not some accountant or farmer."

The NPC woman, who went by the name of 'Sasha,' engaged in this peculiar negotiation. Intrigued, he observed the exchange.

"Listen," the accountant or farmer pleaded, "200 is all I can offer, and even if I pay 250, you'll still say no, won't you?"

"Correct," Sasha flicked her cigarette on the ground. "500 or no deal."

'Interesting,' he thought, rubbing his imaginary chin and thoroughly amused by the unfolding spectacle.

"500? Do you think I'm made of money? Even a knight himself can't pay that much, Sasha. Please reconsider."

'500, huh? Maybe I've found my calling.'

And thus, Darian made a life-altering decision – he would become a pimp.

Of course, Sasha burst into laughter, the farmer accountant left cursing at her, and she spat on him, telling him to scram and never bother her again. The alleyway negotiation took an unexpected turn, leaving our adventurer contemplating a career path that was, well, far from conventional.

'500, huh? Easy. Sasha, just wait and see. I'll make you my... business partner, or at least put you on the payroll.'

'Murakami, I guess all your advice is being swept away in the downpour, and there's no market as consistent as a brothel throughout human history.'

As if a lightbulb flickered on in his head, his brain began buzzing with ideas.

'This is it. I'll start the first-ever player-made brothel in Vale. I'll become rich!'

And thus, Darian embarked on a journey to pioneer a new frontier in virtual entrepreneurship – a brothel boss in the fantastical realm of Vale.