Liu Han was ostracized, and they started looking down on him with various whispers. Even after he mustered the courage to stay there and not go offline, some of the people began to mock him as a Zuiro.

"This is such a disaster. How can he cannot cast even the lowest-level spell?" said the man with an Iron Armor attached to his body.

"It's terrible to have someone like him out there," exclaimed his friend beside him, dressed like an Assassin. "They should remove the automatic search system."

"Agree," the Warrior there walked away with his friend. "To reduce the number of useless players in a team."

Liu Han heard what they said, and he couldn't refute that it was all factual and needed consideration. With that, Liu Han didn't have to enter the team for the second time.

Perhaps what Ha Suan said was true; maybe he should stop playing Axian.

He walked away from the sea of insults, heading towards a place to fix the Leather Armor he was wearing. The consequences of such demolition in the dungeon weighed heavily on him; he wouldn't be able to level up at the appropriate time anymore. 

After navigating through several bends that led him to an immensely crowded area, Liu Han was taken aback and filled with curiosity about the unfolding scene. People seemed to converge at a single point with great enthusiasm.

On closer examination, he discovered it was a Phoenix Guild, currently ranked third on the Axian leaderboard, having an announcement of their further schedule.

"We need a skilled Healer," told the young-looking man, his handsome face beaming with passion. "As we are planning to challenge the dreadful Gold Mane, we require a considerable number of support roles."

"That's the creature on the fifth floor, capable of destroying an entire city with a single blast, right?" whispered the man standing in front of Liu Han with his different appearance. He was an elf. "I've heard that not even the number one guild has managed to defeat it."

"Yeah, do you think they're genuinely considering it?" the slightly younger-looking guy beside him chimed. "However, the rewards from it are undeniably noteworthy for any guild."

"Regardless, even if they failed to take down that beast," the man with his pointy ears continued. "Simply being part of the Phoenix Guild is immensely advantageous."

The top Guild undoubtedly holds numerous benefits. It's not only about the well-equipped facilities but also the connection among its members that unlocks many exclusive features beyond reach for outsiders. Such as special shops, unique equipment, career opportunities, and superior life skills.

Initially, Liu Han had the desire to join the guild, even though it wasn't widely known. It would serve as a comfortable and secure second home for him. However, upon further reflection, he decided to steer clear of any features that involve interactions with others. He didn't want his presence to burden anyone else.

He continued where he wanted to go; it was not that far from here, either. At the corner of the towering buildings, there was a simple, small house with a wooden sign outside that read Sidetown Tailor. It is the third time Liu Han has come to visit her, to fix his same armor since then.

A doorbell rang after Liu Han opened the front door, making the woman who is sewing the clothes change her attention. She hastily stands up and smiles. "Welcome! May I help you with something?" 

"Of course, same issue as the last time." The lad walked toward her with a slumped face. 

"What? Again?" She is shocked and approaches him. "Let me take a look."

"Wait a sec," Liu Han said, pressing a button on his transparent small menu. For an instant, his armor vanished and appeared in his hand. "Could it be fixed?"

The woman took a thorough look, carefully inspecting the remaining durability for potential repairs. Normally, armor could only be fixed up to three times; beyond that, it could only be melted down for materials or sold.

Still uncertain, she carried the leather armor to the sewing table before finally stating, "You're fortunate. It can still be repaired, although it only increases the durability by 20%."

"Can't it be more than that?" Liu Han, dressed in a black undershirt, expressed disappointment.

The woman began fixing the equipment. "With damages like these, it's impossible to fully restore it."

Liu Han fell silent, seated on the sofa with a downcast look. "Is it that bad, ma'am?"

"Did you just battle a boss?" Anicca asked with interest, attempting to find out more.

"Yes, the first-floor boss," Liu Han exclaimed, rubbing his face with both hands. "And we failed to defeat it."

"I see," the woman occasionally glimpses at Liu Han. "My suggestion is to find a new armor. You won't last long with this one. It's not effective either."

"But, I can't afford a new one." The young man replied, absentmindedly scratching his messy black hair.

"Well, you could try finding a profession in Axian," a glimmer of hope appeared on Anicca's face. She halted her activity and fully focused on Liu Han. "Like me, you can earn coins just by doing daily tasks."

Liu Han smiled wryly. "I suppose I'll stick to Bounty Missions then."

The profession is one of the features in the Realm of Axian that offers a permanent job. With a profession, players will receive a guaranteed amount of coins every day by completing several assignments according to their chosen role. However, the value scale is relatively small and enough to just barely fulfill their own needs.

Interestingly, all available professions in Axian require real-life skills. For example, Anicca, who is a skilled tailor, decides to choose a similar profession in the game while also taking on the function of an NPC. Most of them dedicate themselves to Axian and assist other players in need.

Liu Han greatly admires those who, in addition to their real-world jobs, also engage in these professions in the game. The unexpected part is that those who take up a profession will receive Gems that can be exchanged for real-world money. This is subject to the condition that they have verified their resignation from their real-world careers and work exclusively in the world of Axian.

As for Liu Han himself, he doesn't really have a job in the real world, no talents to be proud of, and his life feels bleak and aimless. Therefore, he wishes to find a flicker of hope in the world of Axian. To discover his true self and his existence ambition. But right now, he had to log off because his stomach started to rumble, starving for all that happened to him.

[Are you sure to log out in Baturia Town?]

[Yes]

He blinked numerous times and tried to adapt to his different environment. All that he sees is a blank white ceiling, decorated with a simple black fan that spun not that fast. He wore a soiled white shirt and black shorts, lying on a crumpled mattress that looks sloppy. 

Liu Han sat cross-legged, reaching for the cable on the back of his neck with his right hand. There was some kind of device attached there, and he had to turn it off before completely unplugging the gadget. That was the cheapest model of the Xaindan Cooperation–the developers of the Realm of Axian–that only offered basic access to the game alone. 

"What a chaotic day." Liu Han mumbled, glancing around at that little disordered room. 

He found a cup of noodles beside the computer on the desk. Liu Han took a look at the monitor and noticed that some applications were still running, including the entrance to the Axian world. Without further ado, he shut down the machine and started to move out to cook the noodles. 

When he leaves his room, the atmosphere began to feel dire. Liu Han resided in a budget-friendly boarding house with extremely limited amenities. Moreover, the surrounding was far from tidy and pleasant. Particularly in the corridor, litter was scattered about, and neglected individuals passed by, occasionally loitering on the side of the lane.

"Hey, you there, got a cigarette?" A disheveled, bearded man greeted Liu Han as soon as he closed the door.

"Sorry, I don't smoke." The young man hurriedly retreated, trying to avoid the scornful glances from the people outside.

The hall appeared misty, but Liu Han knew his destination, only to be intercepted by a fat man adorned with tattoos. He wasn't wearing a shirt and aggressively shoved Liu Han.

"Where's the money from your street performance?" inquired the man, who bore a scar on his right cheek. "It's been two days, Elan."

Liu Han, whose real name is Elan, takes a deep breath. "I don't have it this time."

The man remained unfazed and his expression unchanged, still casual. However, he suddenly gripped Elan's clothes and pulled him up. "You know what's coming, don't you?"

"I... I promise I'll give it tomorrow, Mr. Ryan." Elan gasped, attempting to break free from the tight grasp.

Without hesitation, the rough and menacing man delivered a forceful blow to the young man's stomach, causing him to spit out onto the floor before collapsing. "I'll be waiting tomorrow, and if you don't, you won't leave this place unharmed."

The adult man named Ryan then returned to his room, leaving Elan lying in misery, with spilled noodles that he hadn't managed to make.

To be continued...