"The Red Gem," I finally said.

Calexa gracefully swirled in the air, nodding in agreement. She spoke, her voice echoing through the chamber :

"Alright, finally! Now, just grasp it."

I moved slowly towards the gem, feeling a moment of hesitation.

"Just grab the gem!" Calexa encouraged me once more.

"I'm... just a second," I replied, my uncertainty lingering.

The decision weighed heavily on me.

"Maybe I'm making the wrong decision," I hesitated, doubting myself.

Calexa let out a sigh :

"There is no correct or wrong decision."

I took a step closer to the Gem, acknowledging that it seemed like the most sensible choice. It offered higher starting Strength and Vitality stats, healing abilities, an extra shield and improved inventory options. Despite that, I couldn't shake off my hesitation.

I reached out to grab the gem, but stopped just inches away from it, my hand hovering in the air.

"No," I said, retracting my hand.

I backed away, needing another moment to contemplate.

"A Warrior would be a good base class, allowing me to survive longer and raise my levels and stats before choosing something more fitting based on my experience in the tower. But..."

I paused, my thoughts racing.

"But?" Calexa echoed, waiting for my decision.

"I play games. This is basically a twisted game. Mage classes usually take time to grow stronger and only become truly powerful later on, but they are usually stronger long term. Warrior seems like a solid starting point, especially if I can specialize or change later. It's the most obvious choice and it has the superior starting gear," I explained, wrestling with my thoughts.

"So, the Red Gem it is then!" exclaimed Calexa, eager to move forward.

"The thing is, this isn't a traditional fantasy RPG. It's different," I murmured to myself.

With determination, I made my decision and swiftly reached forward, grabbing the Blue Gem. The Rider class.

As my fingers touched the gem, the two other gems turned to charcoal and fell onto the table. Simultaneously, a leather armband materialized on my right arm, featuring four empty slots. My clothes vanished, and I found myself dressed in a post-apocalyptic biker suit reminiscent of Mad Max. I inspected the suit, noting its worn appearance, yet it felt comfortable.

My HUD displayed a "5" on top of the inventory icon, and an empty quick bar with eight slots appeared at the bottom of my vision. I accessed my inventory using FOCUS.

I was greeted by a fresh addition to my interface—an additional display nestled beside the familiar inventory tab. This new feature took the form of a sleek status bar, presenting my current stats. Glancing at it, I discovered that the values listed were the base ones from the class, unaffected by the "Generic" gear I possessed.

Within my inventory, several new items awaited me. There was a Health Patch that could restore 25 health points. The rusted knife and the old wooden crossbow had no descriptions aside from their name. Lastly, there was an orange box that caught my attention. I used FOCUS to learn more about it.

"Random Orange Gem Box - Category I. Can only be opened out of combat."

"How do I use my inventory?" I inquired, seeking guidance from Calexa.

She floated closer to me, explaining :

"You should now have a quick access bar at the bottom of your HUD. If you mentally decide to move an object there, it will appear on your body. As for the Loot Boxes, like the random gem one, just think about holding it in your hand, and it will manifest. You'll get used to it, don't worry."

I placed the knife and crossbow on my quick bar, witnessing how they materialized and attached to different parts of my suit.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"This is convenient!" I remarked, pleased with the newfound system.

Calexa examined the newly added gear, commenting :

"It's a pretty crappy start, but at least we're making progress. Items placed in your quick bar are equipped on your person. Be mindful of the limited space available. Different items occupy varying slots, so choose carefully. It will also affect your speed and mobility based on your Strength and Dexterity attributes. Now, open the box! Your first Gem – well, aside from me!" she chuckled.

"Okay," I said, reopening my inventory and mentally deciding to hold the box in my hand. The icon vanished, and before me appeared an orange metallic ornate box, about 10 inches squared, glowing intensely with swirling particles of light. Engraved on top were a large Roman numeral one and a gear symbol.

As my fingers touched the box, a strange sound filled the room, and my vision became momentarily blurry. Interferences appeared on my HUD, followed by the word "CHAOS" glowing and changing colors.

"CHAOS already?!" Calexa exclaimed.

The loot box began rotating rapidly, generating a crescendo of sound and increasing in speed. The room shook, emitting smoke and gusts of wind. I crouched down, clutching onto the floor for stability. Calexa moved closer, and I held her in my hand, seeking to protect her.

"Is this good or bad?!" I shouted, struggling against the high-pitched noise and the wind.

"50/50!" she replied, her voice barely audible amidst the chaos.

Suddenly, everything ceased. The loot box stood still, pulsating with an intense glow. Calexa floated toward it, her voice filled with alarm ;

"Oh, shit!" she exclaimed.

"What?" I asked, joining her by the now stabilized box.

The Roman numeral one on top had transformed into a number three.

"It upgraded?" I asked, astonished.

"It went from Category I to Category III. I've never seen this happen before.", Calexa admitted.

"What triggers Chaos?"

"No one really knows. It's... well, chaotic. You have 5 points in Chaos, which is quite significant to start with. But that alone shouldn't have triggered it."

My HUD reappeared, returning everything to its previous state.

"Is Category III much better?" I inquired, intrigued by the possibilities.

"It's like... WAY, WAY better!" Calexa responded, her excitement evident as she circled around.

"What does the gear icon represent?"

"Orange Gems are associated with Engineering Power. It could entail anything related to robotics, gears, computers, robots, vehicles, and more. I'm surprised you chose this class without first asking questions about the other Gem colors."

"I didn't think about it until now," I admitted. "I got carried away with everything that is happening. I am still not sure if I am dreaming..."

With renewed determination, I moved forward and touched the box once again. This time, it opened with a melodic tune. An orange gem emerged, larger than Calexa - about the size of an apple -, radiating a powerful light. I used FOCUS to learn more about it.

"ORANGE GEM of Hermes - Category III

+25 Vitality

+10 Engineering

+20 Dexterity

Unique Power: 'Celestial Chariot' - Vehicle: Self-powered Hoverboard, remains active for 1 second for each Dexterity and Engineering point. Cooldown: 4 hours."

"That's awesome!" I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement as I leaped into the air.

"Okay, this is ridiculous," Calexa remarked, astonished.

"I've never seen such a high-level Gem on the Noob Floor. I'm not sure what happened, but this is simply ridiculous. I wonder why Chaos triggered like that."

"No idea, I guess I m just super lucky!" I replied.

"This time, yes. Chaos isn't always beneficial," Calexa cautioned, her voice now filled with concern.

I looked at her, appreciating her worried demeanor.

"Chaos is supposed to be chaotic. Let's enjoy it while it lasts, no?" I said softly.

"You're right!" she exclaimed, her mood improving. "This is an excellent Gem. You should equip it. Simply place it inside your armband. You don't have any other Gems yet, and even if you did, I don't think you could find a better one at this point."

I grasped the floating gem and secured it in one of the armband slots. It settled perfectly, taking the precise shape of the round slot. I opened my stats window:

Level 1 Rider BASE Strength 15 Vitality 145 Intelligence 10 Engineering 30 Dexterity 40 Charisma 5 Luck 5 Chaos 5 Gem Active GEM of Hermes - Category III

"This is fantastic!" I declared, a smile spreading across my face.

"It's pretty mind-boggling, indeed," Calexa agreed.

"How do I activate the gem?"

"Just tap it or focus on it while looking at it. But don't do it now; Gems require time to recharge. Let's wait until we actually reach the Noob Floor."

I gazed at the wooden door on the wall, the sole entrance and exit to the room.

"I suppose we go through there?" I asked, pointing toward the door.

"Correct, and only I can open it. Are you ready?" Calexa asked.

I touched my knife and crossbow, affirming ;

"I am ready."

She nodded and turned toward the door. As she did, it swung open, flooding the room with bright sunlight.

"I am ready..." I murmured to myself, following Calexa through the door and into the light.