Letter of Recommendation

"It's complicated," he muttered, furrowing his brows in indecision.

With swift, precise cuts, the middle-aged man splits the apple into eight pieces, skillfully placing them on a plate. "I'm just genuinely curious," the middle-aged man chuckled, handing over a plate of peeled apple slices.

Taking a slice out of courtesy, David takes it in with satisfaction.

After, he grabbed his phone and logged into the Idle RPG game.

"I'll show you, just keep it quiet," he whispered, curling his hand towards the man's ear.

Bringing up his phone, he displayed the mobile game, Idle RPG: Road to the Top. The middle-aged man's brow furrowed in confusion as he looked at the game's content.

David points towards each different pixelated animated images on the screen and explaining each of them.

"There were 5 goblins, one of them evolved into a Deranged Hobgoblin," David explained, his gaze momentarily drifting to his dog running with a pixelated replica of himself, battling goblins.

A moment of silence enveloped the hospital ward as the middle-aged man looked at David in disbelief. Then, his expression shifted to one of joy, as if seeing an unpolished gem. But abruptly, his vibrant face turned stoic. "I would like you to join the Rift Association, specifically under my tutelage," he said monotonously.

"What is this old man scheming now? Is this a big deal or something?" David inwardly questioned while peering at the old man.

"What does it mean to be with the Rift Association?" He asked.

David, lacking knowledge about the world due to his orphaned upbringing, laughed nervously. "My whole life was just a mobile game and work. I didn't get the opportunity to explore the world."

The middle-aged man continued to give David a scrutinising look, seemingly trying to determine if he was human. Finally, he sighed. "It's an association where promising individuals like you can join to defend Australia from Rifts."

"I don't understand," he uttered with a look of fluster.

"Why are you offering me, an F-rank, this opportunity? I thought F-ranks were considered unpromising," David questioned.

—-

(Daydream)

"You think you can become a hero? A weak hero is unnecessary, a burden to others trying to protect the lives of many," the examiner had stated with absolute certainty.

David's eyes twitched involuntarily as he looked down in disbelief.

"An F-rank will never be a hero. Give up on that dream, fool. No one is going to remember a dead person anyway," the examiner had said, rubbing David's head with pity.

A blunt reality check momentarily overrode David's vision, but soon, his unwavering spirit resurfaced.

"Is there a way for me to become a hero?" he had asked determinedly.

The examiner had looked into David's eyes, brimming with determination. "Activating a dormant second or third core. They are extremely rare cases."

—-

"Earth to David. You there, unpolished sprout?" the middle-aged man interrupted, pulling David back to reality.

"Oh, um, I just had a daydream about the past," David replied, returning to his senses.

The middle-aged man sat down and introduced himself. "Let me introduce myself," he said, removing his hat and placing it on his lap. "I'm Von, the chairman of the Rift Association."

David's eyes widened in shock, his mouth hanging open. "HUH?!" He exclaimed, realising the significance of Von's position.

"Why is the chairman personally investigating and inviting me to join the association?" David wondered. "Doesn't he have better things to do?" He complained inwardly, though he felt a sense of appreciation at the attention.

Chairman Von chuckled. "Well, your case caught my attention the most when someone notified me about the strangeness behind the incident."

David's back received a hearty smack, a gesture akin to that of a proud father.

David's fist clenched with determination as he spoke, his words tinged with a mix of reflection and hope.

"I once believed that childhood dreams were destined to crumble beneath the weight of reality," he admitted, his gaze drifting upwards to the bland expanse of the ceiling, mirroring that of a clean slate within him.

"But perhaps this marks a new beginning for me," he concluded with a smile, his eyes closing briefly in quiet resolve.

Moved by David's heartfelt speech, the generous middle-aged man couldn't help but admire the resilience and innocence encapsulated in the young man's words.

"I am considering admitting you into the Rift Academy," he announced, his tone brimming with confidence.

"You would occupy one of the five coveted seats reserved for the association."

"The Rift Academy? The one renowned for producing Rift Officers capable of defending entire cities and nations?" He exclaimed, recalling Aaron's past mentions of the prestigious institution.

"Indeed," Chairman Von confirmed with a nod, his expression brimming with hope like a saint. "And you will enter with my personal recommendation letter." With that, he extended an envelope bearing the stamp of recommendation and the chairman's signature.

"But from now on, you will be in the eyes of others met with jealousy. How you deal with it will be upon you." 

Disappearing without a trace, David looks with genuine appreciation and admiration.

With the presence of the chairman gone, he couldn't help but sigh with relief.

"This envelop is a walking bomb, how am I suppose to get to the academy? Wait, he didn't even give me the address!" David couldn't help but get annoyed at that thought.

Stretching his body, letting out a sigh of relief, "I guess him being with me for 30 minutes was long overdue for some F-rank." 

Before David commenced to find the unknown location, he opened his game again and observed his daily rewards. Muscle memory flowing like cog wheels spinning in sequences, with each action from login and doing acts, David becomes immersed in the Campaign.

He looked at the first act and felt paranoid of the big goblin in a pixelated form. However, his curiosity couldn't stop him from pressing the Afk Rewards within the Campaign screen.

[E-rank Crystals: 18x]

[Wooden Spear - 5 ATK - Indestructible]

"I guess the spear was from immersion," he continues to ponder about the calculations.