Surviving These Unfair Scenarios [LITRPG - DIMENSION HOPPING]

The sterile, white walls of the lobby, bathed in the soft, eternal glow of its simulated sky, hummed with a renewed energy. Despite the recent harrowing situations from a couple of minutes ago, a palpable excitement now vibrated through the 'No Name' team. It was the thrill of the hunt and the anticipation of unlocking new power, like children on the eve of a grand festival. The moment of purchasing new skills and items from the system store was always a highly anticipated event, a strange ritual that felt like opening a surprise box filled with infinite possibilities. Each teammate carried a glint in their eyes, a spark of ambition, and a quiet determination to grow stronger.

Once they arrived at the designated store section, a vast expanse of polished wood and gleaming white spheres, Adam raised a hand, a gesture of quiet command.

"Gather around."

He said in a firm voice, and everyone instinctively obeyed, their movements a testament to the unspoken leadership he had cultivated.

"Again, we will discuss and choose what is best for each of us, as a group."

He paused, a faint, knowing smile touching his lips.

"Or at least, that is what I would have proposed, if not for everything we have been through together…"

Kazue, her head tilted in innocent curiosity, and with her long, wavy brown hair swaying with the motion, looked at him.

"What do you mean by that?"

She asked, her voice a soft, inquiring chime. Adam's smile widened, a genuine, open expression that illuminated his face.

"Unlike before, none of us are truly novices anymore. We have all experienced life-or-death battles, faced impossible odds, and pushed our limits. We know our strengths, and more importantly, we understand our weaknesses. Others can offer opinions, yes, but the truth is, no one possesses a better understanding of themselves than each of us."

He gestured around the circle, his gaze meeting each of their eyes, a silent acknowledgment of their individual journeys. Drake, with his blond hair falling casually over his sharp features, nodded slowly with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"That idea is excellent, Adam. Especially now that we've had firsthand experience with other users, some of them at very high levels... We've gained a much clearer understanding of how they construct their skill sets."

He cleared his throat, a low, rumbling sound. At Adam's silent request, a mere glance passing between them, Drake began to elaborate on his observations, his voice taking on the authoritative tone of a seasoned veteran.

"First and foremost, I observed that every truly experienced user adheres to a fundamental schema: a balance of offensive skills and defensive skills. The best, however, are those versatile skills that can serve both purposes. Additionally, they always possess at least one item that amplifies their skill usage, a skill to cover a specific weakness, and, above all, an invulnerability skill or some form of powerful support skill."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in.

"This seems to be the basic framework, and from what I witnessed, it functions remarkably well."

A collective murmur rippled through the group. Everyone considered Drake's words, and a dawning realization spread across their faces. It made perfect sense. Many of them were far from balanced. Chloe possessed healing and manipulation, but lacked direct offense. Li had devastating spells but little in the way of defense. Sebastian relied on his inventions, and Katya, Emir, and Gregor, while formidable, were only versed in attacking and disruption. The only one who truly embodied these balanced conditions was Adam himself, whose Demi-Lich nature and parasitic skills granted him an inherent versatility that allowed him to adapt to almost any situation.

Adam took the floor again, his voice firm.

"That is incredibly valuable information, Drake, especially since it has been proven in real combat situations. Therefore, we must adopt skill builds that are as similar to these as possible, optimizing our individual capabilities while strengthening the team as a whole."

Drake continued, his voice resonating with a quiet triumph.

"Yep! And thanks to what we earned in the Trade Nexus, we have a total of 350,000 points to distribute among us, in addition to whatever each of us already possesses. We will endeavor to divide them as equitably as possible, ensuring everyone receives a substantial boost."

However, as the blond explained, Li interrupted, his voice a cold, pragmatic murmur.

"The fact that those points are with you both doesn't help us in the slightest. It's not possible to purchase items from the store for another person, nor can points be transferred between users. So, having so many points concentrated in two individuals is, effectively, useless to the rest of us."

His cynicism was a familiar cloak, but the logic of his words was undeniable. Yet, a confident smile touched Kazue's lips, and she shook her head with a single finger wagging playfully.

"That's not entirely true."

She said, her voice brimming with a mischievous excitement.

"There is something we can do to bypass that problem."

Everyone stared at her, their expressions a mixture of confusion and profound curiosity. Even Li, usually so knowledgeable about the system's intricacies, seemed genuinely puzzled. Katya, however, suddenly snapped her fingers with a flicker of recognition in her blue eyes.

"Oh, right."

She murmured, a faint smirk touching her lips. Kazue, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, approached one of the gleaming white cubes that served as a store interface. She quickly navigated through the menu, her fingers dancing across the ethereal interface.

"When I was in the Nexus, Angela mentioned a very interesting lobby function that we would unlock later."

She explained, her voice a rapid-fire stream of words.

"But I am almost certain we should have it by now."

She tapped the interface one last time in a triumphant flourish. No one saw what she selected, but then, a massive system window, glowing with an ethereal blue light, materialized in the air before them, visible to all.

There was an option to view more information about the interest rate, but Kazue waved it away dismissively.

"That's not the important part!"

She exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.

"The important part is exactly what the description says! Now we actually have a way to share points! Plus, Angela and Meera both advised me that it wasn't a good idea to be walking around with too many points in our pockets anyway."

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She gave a playful shudder, as if recalling some unseen danger. Adam's eyes widened, a profound impression washing over him. He felt a surge of satisfaction, a deep, quiet joy at seeing how much his companions had grown, how much they contributed, and how their individual strengths were now weaving together to form a truly formidable team. He smiled, a genuine, open expression that lit up his face.

"That is a perfect idea, Kazue. Absolutely perfect."

Immediately, everyone converged on the store interface. A virtual safe, shimmering with ethereal light, materialized before them, its surface displaying a prompt:

One by one, with a mixture of awe and excitement, each member of the team approached the safe, depositing their individual points. The numbers on their personal displays flashed to zero, but the collective total on the safe's interface swelled, growing larger and larger until it finally settled on a staggering sum of 396,950 points.

Adam, his mind already calculating, quickly did the math.

"That gives us approximately 44,000 points for each of us to spend."

He announced, his voice filled with a quiet satisfaction. A collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the group, followed by a chorus of excited exclamations. It was a fortune, a vast reservoir of power waiting to be unleashed, and the possibilities seemed endless.

"I will choose last, the rest of you decide who goes first."

Adam declared calmly. The response was unanimous, a chorus of voices rising in agreement.

"Drake, Kazue, and Katya!"

They all exclaimed. After all, they had been the ones who had brought in this immense wealth for the team, and it was only fair that they should be the first to benefit. Even Li offered a rare comment.

"Honestly, I am quite astonished that you chose to share this amount of points in this manner."

He said, his voice low, like a thoughtful murmur.

"I doubt I would have done the same. But I accept that I will keep this in mind for the future. You have proven yourselves to be truly trustworthy individuals."

It was a rare compliment from the man, a testament to the profound impact of their recent adventures. Kazue, with her eyes sparkling with unbridled excitement, practically bounced on the balls of her feet.

"I want to be first, please!"

She chirped, her voice a high-pitched squeal of delight. Both Drake and Katya, with amused smiles on their faces, readily agreed. The girl practically skipped toward the white sphere of the store interface again.

"I know exactly what I want to buy!"

She declared, her voice filled with an almost manic certainty. She wasted no time, her fingers flying across the interface, quickly finding what she sought.

It was the very skill Magnus Thorne had used against her, a terrifying display of raw power that had left a lasting impression. She knew, with a fierce certainty, that this was something she absolutely had to possess. She didn't hesitate, accepting the purchase with a decisive tap, while Drake, who had been watching her, raised an eyebrow in surprise, but remained silent. Kazue continued her search, her eyes scanning the endless list of possibilities, finding items that made more than one eyebrow raise among her teammates.

That skill was truly strange, and excessively pricey, its visible utility almost nonexistent, yet Kazue seemed utterly enthusiastic about it. No one questioned her, for her enthusiasm was infectious, and her logic, however convoluted, often led to unexpected breakthroughs. The girl continued her spree.

----------------

Upon purchasing the last item, a voluminous, ancient-looking book materialized in the air before her, its pages thick and yellowed with age. Kazue reached out to grasp it, but it was so unexpectedly large and heavy that she almost lost her balance, staggering backward. Adam and Katya, who had been standing nearby, quickly moved to assist her, their hands steadying her as she struggled with the massive tome.

Adam was surprised. He had never seen Kazue show interest in anything academic, and a book, especially one that seemed to hold nothing special beyond its sheer size, was an odd choice.

Kazue, however, beamed at him, her eyes bright with a newfound understanding.

"I know that not everything in the system is just about buying pre-made skills, Adam."

She said, her voice filled with a quiet conviction.

"I want to learn and improve by myself, because that's where the best skills seem to come from."

Adam was genuinely impressed, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. Before he could speak, Kazue continued, a hint of playful embarrassment in her voice.

"But… I'm not very good at studying, so I might need your help if there's anything I don't understand."

The boy's face lit up, a genuine, open smile spreading across his features.

"Of course!"

He exclaimed, his voice filled with an enthusiasm that was rare for him.

"There's no problem at all! Studying is one of the things I enjoy the most, despite everything."

Katya, standing beside them, simply looked at Adam with a silent, murderous glare, her blue eyes narrowed into slits, but she said nothing, controlling her jealousy like a silent, simmering fire beneath her calm exterior.

In total, Kazue had spent 31,000 points, an exorbitant amount, but one that still left her with a substantial sum. She insisted that if anything else occurred to her, she would use the remaining points later, then she gracefully yielded the turn to Drake, who approached the white sphere of the store interface with a confident stride.

"Okay, I know exactly what I want to buy as well."

He declared, his voice firm and resolute.