Martin sat on his couch, a beer in one hand and the newly-acquired membership card in the other.
It's currently Saturday, a perfect day for anyone to go on dates or spend time with their family.
But Martin was currently doing none of the two as he read the Nexus members' benefits that had appeared on a hologram screen from the card.
'So my current monthly stipend for being a bronze member is $1000…'
Martin couldn't help but take large sips of his beer as he applauded the financial backing of the Nexus organization.
'I can just play a game, then be rewarded $1000 from it… This does not include the coins converted from the game to the real world.
1 bronze coin is worth about a dollar, so I just got $100 from working at Nancy's tavern in a night. But that was because of the bonus she gave me.
Assuming Silvie and Jane made 1 silver, then they got 10 dollars every night.
It's certainly not a lot for people living in a first-world country, but here though…'
With 10 dollars a day, Martin could eat in a restaurant 2 times a day, and still have enough money to buy coffee from a local coffee shop.
And that 10 dollars would only come up if Martin had worked as a waiter in the outskirts of the city.
If he could become a proper adventurer later and sell monster materials, then it would be possible to earn 1 gold or even more every day.
'If I could earn 5 golds every day, then I would become a millionaire in a year…
At that point, I don't need to go to work anymore in real life…
And that's not including the monthly stipend and other benefits from the organization.'
A Bronze member received $1000 just for doing nothing.
A Silver member received 1 invite privilege, $2000 monthly stipend, and basic healthcare insurance both in the real world and Nostravia.
A Gold member has 3 invite privileges, $8000 stipend, luxury housing loan with 0% interest, more insurance, and la imited quota for item transfers between worlds.
Then the Platinum tier membership offered 5 invite privileges, $15000 stipend, investment options, teleport scrolls, access to the time-dilation chamber, and all the previous benefits, but just better.
Martin could only stare at the hologram screen while shaking his head.
'This is better than what most companies on Earth offer. This one didn't even include nosy coworkers and dumb bosses as unwritten working conditions.
Hell, there are no real working conditions at all.'
Martin then looked at the requirement to upgrade the membership tier.
If one wanted to upgrade to the silver membership, then they needed to complete some quests from the church in Nostravia.
If you want to go to Gold, then you need to complete more quests and also have at least a knight nobility-level of influence in Nostravia. You didn't have to be a noble, but you needed to have the same amount of influence as one.
For the Platinum one. There were more quests to complete, and having a baron-level of influence. Which means you have to rule over a thousand or more individuals, or have the influence to do so in a large organization.
Martin took another sip and caressed his membership card lovingly. "Truth be told, you already had me with a $2000 monthly stipend and no mandatory weekly meetings."
'But if I want to really live comfortably without having to worry even if I did nothing other than laze around for 5 days a week, then I need to reach Gold tier membership…'
Just from the stipend alone, he would get a little less money yearly compared to his current job, but if Martin could earn an additional 10 gold coins a week, then he would dwarf his current salary as a manager in a nationwide company.
Martin's dream of lounging around in a fantasy world would come true if he could do that.
'Well, this is certainly a real quick-get-rich side hustle that nobody will find on the internet.'
Though the question mark in his mind grew bigger as to why this organization seemed to want people to live inside the game, but didn't want the public to know of their existence, Martin decided to figure it out as time passed.
He would just abuse the benefits as long as he could.
'Now let's see what has happened to my beloved unique skill.'
Martin then messaged his father, telling him he wouldn't be coming to visit him this week, and told him to stop flirting with his caretakers.
He also messaged his little brother to visit his father if he had the time.
Martin then wore the VR helmet and looked at the clock.
'16.30… If my guess is correct, then it would be 4.30 A.M in Nostravia.'
With a burning question in his mind about where his magical IDE went, Martin wasted no time as he logged back into the game.
Just as he had expected, the sun was barely peeping out of the horizon as Martin found himself back in the alleyway where he had logged out before.
The first thing that he did was check his status.
============Status ================
Name: Martinus
Race: Human
Age: 31
Title:-
Job: -
Level: 0
Job History: -
Attributes:
Vitality: 1,1
Mana: 10,000
Strength: 2
Agility: 1,3
Endurance: 0,7
Intelligence: 4
Charisma: 7
Passive Skills:
+Silver Tongue Lvl. 1
+Dagger Mastery Lvl. 2
+Shooting Lvl. 1
Active Skills:
+Wind Step Lvl. 1
Unique Skills:
+Magic IDE
+Elderly Resilience
============================
He ignored everything else and went to his unique skills.
Martin released a sigh as he once again found the Magic IDE skill in its place.
'It's still there… It was really hidden from the receptionist's crystal ball…'
If the skill had really disappeared for some reason, then his plan to revolutionize the musket would go down the drain.
He would be stuck with a skill that forces him not to move much instead.
Fortunately, that wasn't the case.
'I need to finish the adventurer course faster so that I can earn enough money for my own musket!'
With that thought in mind, Martin headed to the adventurer's guild, planning to level up his skills faster so that he could quickly join the field training to increase his level.