New Original Book: Chapter 1 draft [Beta Reading]

Alright guys, the first draft of the first chapter is here. I will be making some changes and this is not the final draft, but try it out. Give me your thoughts, anything is appreciated. I am writing this for you guys, so if there's anything you dislike or anything suggestions you want to make, I'm all eyes. 

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Terra: Area outside the Earth

Synopsis:

Earth is no longer the same as it used to be. Everything changed when Earth got integrated into the Terraverse system. Dimensional rifts began popping up across different parts of the world and humans were now able to gain supernatural powers through the system. 

Earth became involved in the fight for power and resources among different planets. Now, around a century later, Giants corporations have cropped up from different parts of the world, reserving the rights to Terra Exploration. 

Only the most talented, or the most privilege are allowed to venture into the unknown and obtain powers. It's a bummer, because Zach is neither. 

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Chapter 1

Life is unfair.

Some people are born successful, while some have to crawl their way up, going through insane amounts of suffering and hardships just to even reach the starting point of others. Zach was, unfortunately, among the latter category. But if there’s anything he has learnt while going through the hardships of life, it’s the fact that there is no room for whining like a bitch.

If you don’t want a life of mediocrity, you have to accept the cards you’ve been dealt and make the most out of them. You have to work hard when others sleep. And when others work hard, you have to work harder.

And even then, sometimes... you end up failing, even after giving your absolute best.

“Are you sure you aren’t going to reconsider our offer, Mr. Zachery?” Asked one of the three HRs, sitting behind the desk.

“I’m sure,” answered the young man sitting across from him with certainty. “This is the position I applied for, and I’m not interested in the R&D department.”

The man sighed. “Mr. Zach, you have potential. But not in the field work. Please enlighten me, how do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Zach took a deep breath. He already knew it. ‘They aren’t going to hire me.’ It was another bust. That’s why, he decided to answer truthfully.

“In 5 years, I see myself leading my own team into the Terraverse.”

Pin drop silence followed his statement. After which, one of the interviewers outright laughed while the other two gave him looks that clearly said: ‘Is this guy mental?’

The man in the middle nodded. “Mr. Zach, I wish you the best for your future endeavors,” signaling the end of the interview.

“I understand.” Zach got up from his seat, going for the glass doors.

“Having a progression factor of 1.2, He’s delusional.”

“Yeah, what a waste of time.”

“If not for his academic qualifications…”

Zach walked out of the meeting room, nonplussed about the not-so-discreet discussion of the people. This was not the first time he was facing such a situation.

A screen appeared in front of his face, invisible to others’ eyes and he crossed “Zorowitch” from the list that was displayed in the interface, leaving only one uncrossed name on the list.

Walking out of the exit of the huge skyscraper, Zach wondered if he should have tried harder to convince those people. There was a high chance he would have been hired if he had given a full account of his abilities or if he tried to sell himself better. But, in the end, it boiled down to just one factor.

‘It just wasn’t worth it.’

Zorowitch, or most of the big names on the list, for that matter, simply weren’t worth the grind. Loosening his tie, Zatch walked through the busiest downtown area of the city.

This bustling metropolis is called the Terravault city, the youngest and most developed city in the world, home of the most number of gates and dungeons.

The streets were wide and busy, and billboards and advertisements decked the huge skyscrapers on both sides.

“UPCOMING TERRAVERSE EXPLORATION LISTING”

“FORTUNE SMITHS: SINCE 1967

ORDER YOUR DREAM WEAPON NOW FOR 20% DOWN PAYMENT”

“EXPLORER RIGHTS UNIONS”

Looking at the quirky sights in the city, Zach found himself wondering if he would really have to leave this place soon, trying to find jobs in smaller corporations in smaller cities like New York or Beijing.

What he wanted to be was a Terra Explorer, currently the dream job for every young person out there.

What do Terra Explorers do?

They explore the areas beyond Earth. They venture into dungeons and gates, kill monsters, handle monster outbreaks, use cool skills and weapons, and get countless fans throughout the world.

But, that is just what small-time Terra Explorers do.

Zach's goal is bigger than that.

Terraverse.

The place where the best of the best Terra Explorers from different civilizations throughout the universe are called to explore.

The whole process is broadcast live and if you do well... well, for now, it's just enough to say, you will be a legend.

But thinking about all that will just be Zach getting ahead of himself.

'My Progression factor…'

The rate or ease with which an explorer can level up.

If it's 7 or higher, you're golden. All major corporations will hire you. If it's 6, you can still do it if you work hard. 5? Well, there are ways to increase your progression factor, so perhaps there's hope for you yet if you have an impressive trait.

Below that?

Forget it.

You can only hope to be hired in small guilds and there won't be much scope.

And then… below 2? You're a peasant. Find something else to do.

Unfortunately, due to special circumstances, Zach's progression factor has dropped down to an impressive 1.248, making him a peasant among peasants, resulting in all the big corporations giving him the boot without even considering his other merits.

So, what can he do now?

Try Exploring solo or join a small guild and work his way up?

Alas, that only happens in fantasies. In real life, you can’t even take a shit inside the Terra if you’re not affiliated with these long-standing multinational corporations, which have already secured the exploring rights to most of the dungeons and gates.

So, if Zach wants to fulfill his ambitions, he has to join one of these corporations.

“It all comes down to this one.” Zach murmured, looking at the last name on the list. Who was he kidding? This was the only place he wanted to work at, and it was also the place which was the least likely to hire him.

Currently, Earth’s indisputable number one. The Laxus. It's a collaboration between powerful guilds, coming together to create the world's most powerful organization.

Zach was surprised they even accepted his application considering the usual hiring criteria they have nowadays.

But since he has gotten the opportunity, Zach has decided he is going to get whatever job he can get. There is always scope for promotions and department change once he shows results.

…

A while later, Zach stood in front of what looked like the largest building in the whole area. The letters "L-A-X-U-S" were prominently displayed, floating in the air along with a sigil of four dragons entwining.

Teams of Explorers and other staff could be seen going in and out of the huge entrance. Zach spotted a few familiar faces whom he had actually seen on the tv or internet.

Zach reported his name and purpose to one of the employees at the reception desk and he was asked to wait in the lobby.

Two hours later…

There was only one interviewer this time. He had a head full of baldness and glasses which Zach knew weren’t for weak eyesight. actually knew about the man from the news and tv. Simon Madden, ex-explorer, who has now retired and now works in the Management field. All the big shot explorers in Laxus are managed by him.

Zach was surprised they sent someone so high up to interview him.

“So, you’re Mr. Zachery…?”

“It’s just Zachery, sir. No surname. I'm a fan.”

"Oh, you are?" Simons smiled delightfully. "Guess what? I'm a fan too. You're the one who discovered the use of Pasirus bark in muscle relaxation, right? And the one who discovered the use of Glomuzzle Pika. Those two have been incredibly helpful here, little fella. I came right up when I heard there was an interview with you."

SImon looked at his resume in astonishment. "Quite the resume you have here. Vellocio Institute. Summa cum laude in tactical warfare, strategy, Dungeon and Gate studies…. the list goes on. And you have quite a few research papers to your name as well.” The man adjusted his glasses. “Few people can match that at your age.”

It was the reason why he was getting the chance to interview in the first place. He had graduated from the best university in the world, the Vellocian Institute of Terra-Dimensional Exploration and Research, and spent 5 years working his ass out, squeezing every bit of knowledge he could get from his scholarship.


"I'll get you set up as a junior Researcher right away. You can work with some of the brightest minds in the world.”


“Thank you, sir. But I want a career in field work. I want to be an explorer,” said Zach.


Simon looked at his Progression Factor, shaking his head in incomprehension. “Why? You have excellent prospects in research and development. We have a need for hardworking personnel young minds like you there.”

Why? Why indeed. In actuality, Zach’s career was already set. Even though he was not cut out to be a Terra-explorer, he could still make a career out of his academic prospects. Terra-exploration is not only about fighting monsters and levelling up. There are departments like research and development, Fighting Tactics, Terra Architecture studies, just to name a few. Most of these fields only need you to have a smart, hardworking brain and some academic achievements.

So, why is he so hell-bent on taking the difficult path, which also has the highest death rate among any profession?

Zach’s eyes were filled with steely determination. “For me, it’s a matter of life and death.”

Simon looked quite disappointed. "Are you sure?”

"I'm sure."

A small frown appeared between Simon's eyebrows at this point. “You do realize that there is no chance you can actually do it, right? Terra-dimensional exploration is not a joke. Billions of Dollars are spent on the growth of each explorer. With you, there will be no return for the investment.”

The man was right, of course. Terra-dimensional exploration gets profitable only once an explorer reaches higher ranks. But the higher you go, the more difficult it is to level up. That’s why, the first thing to be considered in any Explorer is their progression factor.

Zach sighed. He knew it would go like this. Now he would be kicked out for his delusional thinking. Just like the previous times.

But, Zach won’t give up so easily this time. “Before making any decision, please have a look at my stats,” he said, making his status screen visible and turning it around.

The man adjusted his fake glasses to take a scrutinizing look. “Hm… those are decent stat— wait…” Simon looked at Zach in bewilderment. “Isn’t your progression factor only 1.2?”

The status screen can’t be faked, so that means those were Zach’s current stats. Zach’s current stats are by no means high, but they are stats what someone with a progression factor of 3 to 4 will have at his age.

“I have 3 traits. All of them are acquired.”

“Three traits?!” That managed to give Simon a pause.

Traits. They are like skills, but they are extremely rare, and extremely difficult to acquire. Most people only inherit traits, acquiring them is extremely rare, as you would have to do crazy things to get them. It was understandable why Simon was surprised.

Leaning forward, Zach made his final pitch. “Mr. Madden. I might not have the highest talent, nor do I boast the highest experience. But I can confidently say that I have worked the hardest out of all the aspiring Explorers out there. For the last decade, I have spent every single moment training and researching.  I was not assigned the proper resources for Exploration training at the institution but I’ve still managed to raise my stats to D rank. I have worked too hard to let something like the Progression factor stop me from my goals. So…” Zach looked Simon in the eyes. “Just give me a chance, Mr Madden. I will not disappoint Laxus.”

Simon was silent for a long moment as thought about the matter, shaking his head from time to time. "Are you sure you don’t want other positions?”

Zach shook his head.

Simon rapped his knuckles on the table while he thought.

'Come on…' Zach waited for the decision, inwardly crossing his fingers.

Simon took his time, after which he gave Zach a deep look. “Zachery, hiring any explorer below the factor of 5 is strictly against the company policy. But, at the same time, you definitely show promise.” he said, pursing his lips.

“It's not in my power to make decisions on matters like this. So, I will talk to the higher ups and we’ll get back to you.” said Simon in the end, offering him a hand shake.

Zach's heart sank.

Failure.

It was another failure. Zach knew a rejection when he saw one. 'We will talk to the higher ups and get back to you.' And 'It's not within our authority.' These are standard excuses that HRs give to the interviewees. Even though it's a more polite form of rejection, Zach hates this kind of reply the most.

Because there is nothing you can say to this response. The man has already said he doesn't have the authority and he will talk to the higher ups. It's like a dead end, while of course, it's actually not.

This man clearly has the power and authority to recruit him. He is just not because he simply didn’t want to bother. This is a big world, and there are thousands of options better than him in the Exploration field. The only reason he even got a direct interview with someone as high up as Simon was because they wanted him for his research.

Zach sighed. It seems he will have to accept the R&D job after all. It will severely impact his plans, but there is no other choice.

"Mr. Madden…" just as he was about to say it, Simon suddenly raised his hand at this moment, his interface popping up in front of him. It was a call. An important one at that, considering his panicked expression.

Shushing Zack, he picked up the call, putting on his most subservient expression.

"Yes, boss."

“What? Another one? Since when?”

“No! I had no idea! Okay...”

“Yes, yes, I will pay attention.”

Zach kept as quiet as possible. Someone who could make Simon act like this… Simon could guess their identity.

“Another substitute? One that can make a difference? But Boss, in such a short notice, how can—” Simon suddenly paused as his eyes landed on Zach.

“Wait, boss, I might have a recommendation. Why don’t we try this—”

Energy rippled in the air as Simon created a noise-cancelling field around himself as he began talking with a tentative expression, his eyes going glancing towards Zach from time to time.

After a while, he hung up and turned to face Zach.

“So,” he smiled, rubbing his hands. “I have a dream job for you.”

Zach had a bad feeling about this.