Versatile: Alternate World

I already know that sooner or later, Riko will find out my real identity. However, I didn't expect it to be this soon. I wanted to conceal it for a bit but due to the situation that occurred, it can't be helped at all.

"Manato, can you also explain how you can materialize your weapon even though we are not in the game? I am quite sure that the shield you materialized is the shield you used during the battle in Sandurk."

"Huh? How did you know it was my shield? I don't think I have seen you in the game before?" though, in reality, I already know which character is her. I just have to act like I don't know to make sure that my acting is believable.

"Oh, that's right. I know you but you don't know my character in the game. In that case, let me introduce myself, remember the magician you accompanied together with Harmless Sparrow? Yep, that's me alright. The one who is always excited about what shenanigans you will pull out and likes to ruffle the feather of your pet."

"Dolly? That was you? But you are so different in the game... In real life you are so viol-" I did not finish what I was about to say when I realized what I was about to say. I almost dug my own grave there.

"What was that you are about to say?"

"I mean, you don't act like yourself when you are in the game. You sometimes leak it out if you are seeing something for the first time but most of the time, you are in serious mode."

"Ah, that. Well, I also wanted to be a cool magician so I wanted to at least portray myself as one in the game. Anyway, what's with that materialization stuff I am asking about? Don't you dare change the topic!"

"Sigh, let's go to my house, we needed to talk in private. Besides, I also need to bring Pandora back home since his brother is going back home around 2 in the afternoon."

"Hey, hey! Can I join in?" Janus pipes in.

"Huh? But you are not an Alternate World Player, why would you join us? You won't understand what we are talking about," Riko said.

"You said last time that you have a free cabin to use right? Then I will borrow that one to play, so if you guys are going to talk about the game, then I will also come along and at least listen to learn something on what the game does."

"You do have a point. Let's go now since the Police will bother us again if we keep on staying here with more questions," Riko said.

We went to Pops to say our farewells. After all, out of all the customers in Pop's Izakaya, we are the only one left.

"Pops, we will be on our way, it is unfortunate that your business has to deal with those thugs earlier but I hope it doesn't ruin the business," Janus said.

"Don't worry, they might be scared due to the situation from earlier but I don't think it will cause my business to lose that much."

Pandora pulls out her sketchbook and showed her message to Pops.

["Thanks for the food, Pops. I will come again in the future."]

"Thanks, young lady. You are welcome inside in the future and I will make sure to give discounts."

"What about us Pops?!" Janus chimed in once again.

"You are a regular here and you don't need discounts either since I will be on the verge of bankruptcy if I ever tried that trick on you."

"Oof, but I don't eat that much..."

"Bye Pops. We will visit again sometime," I said as we went outside the izakaya.

"You guys should also be careful too! Trouble is always looking around and we can't be too sure anymore who are good people and those who are not."

Riko has a car and since our destination is my mansion, we all got inside her car. She didn't drive and instead let Janus drive. Janus has a driver's license so I am not afraid of any accident happening if Janus is the one driving.

"So, what's the deal of your ability?"

"I recently manifested on this one after playing Alternate World for a whole day. After logging out, I suddenly felt the urge to do some of those 7th-grade syndrome poses and accidentally found out I can materialize my weapon and use it like how I use it in the game."

"So in short, you got an awakening after you wanted to do some cringe poses?" Riko asked while grinning.

"Don't call that cringy! It is a form of art that only cultured people can understand. You are still not cultured much, go back to school, you are still wet in your ears," Janus said with an enlightened look on his face.

"Bruh, we are just thinking the same thing!" I grinned and we did our high five claps with style.

"Ugh...seriously guys..." Riko can only shake her head.

It took a while before we arrived back in the mansion. I sent Pandora to her room when she said that she was sleepy after all of the commotions that occurred earlier which is kind of understandable.

Since we just ate lunch, I just gave the two of them a can of cola each.

"Can you show it again? Although we have seen it before, it was in the midst of a dangerous situation so we couldn't concentrate on how you did it," Riko said.

"That's fine," I said before materializing my Versatile weapon into a gun and spin it on my index finger for quite a while before holding them properly.

"Holy sh*t, for real? Didn't you use a shield before?!" Janus was surprised.

"My weapon can change form depending on what I wanted it to appear to look like. If I wanted it to become a sword, I can do that in a few seconds," and with a spin in my finger, the two guns joined together and became a black sword that looks demonic.

"That was so epic! Man, I also wanted to play Alternate World and do things as you do," Janus said.

"Unfortunately, this weapon is exclusive only for me and can be only used for me. In fact, this weapon is the only one existing in the game. And besides, my class can easily use it. If it was you, I am sure you will be stuck on a weapon exclusive to your class too," I explained.

"So it is a weapon similar to Heroic tier then?" Riko asked.

"Yes."

"If that is the case that you are the only one who can use it and can change your choice of weapon, that means you choose the worst class of all in the game?"

"I won't call it the worse but it is the hardest to manage out of all classes out in the game. Those who don't have the patience to grind  will have trouble using this class."

"What are you guys talking about?" Janus looked confused.

"Ah, I forgot that you have not played the game yet, so I will explain it. There are 19 classes in the game every player can choose during the creation of your character. Of course, they will add new classes in the future too so the number of classes will also increase. Last update, the game added three classes for players to choose from. Now, out of all those 19 classes, one can copy the rest of the 18 classes."

"Copy all of the 18 classes? Isn't that overpowered?"

"Yes. That class is called Versatile. In many cases, this class is overpowered as this gave the player the free will to choose which class he or she wanted to use for the gameplay and the versatility to use multiple classes in one attack like using magic and swordsmanship in one and most of the time, their class is also the one who can benefit the most whenever a new class was added since they don't need to undergo a class change process to do it. However, even though it is overpowered, it also has a catch," Riko explained.

"I will continue explaining this since I am the one who has the most knowledge with the class. Just like what Riko said, there is a catch. Out of all the classes in the game, the Versatile class has the slowest leveling pace. It was not because the class has a lower exp gain but due to how much exp was needed to level up. The spike of the necessary amount of EXP needed is just too big that anyone who hates grinding in the game would cry tears of blood."

"And you are saying you choose this class for yourself?! Isn't that just plain torture Manato?"

"It depends on how you play in the game. After all, this game is a "grinding and farming hell."