Chapter Five: The Early Disadvantages of the Archmage

Just as Chu Fan was about to push open the door, he found it completely immovable, and a few lines of text appeared before his eyes.

[Kind reminder: Is the Chosen One certain about heading outside dressed like this?]
[Confirm to open the door and leave.]

Hearing the mention of attire, Chu Fan finally looked down at himself. The sight startled him—he was standing stark naked, not a single thread covering his body.

Ever since acquiring the power of the Blazing Fruit, his body had been filled with warmth. He hadn't felt the least bit cold, so he hadn't noticed his state. Now, realizing it, he felt a chill of fear run down his spine. If he were to dash out like this, he'd surely be branded a pervert.

He recalled that his previous T-shirt must have been reduced to ashes by his own flames. "Does the Chosen Paradise sell clothes?" he asked, unwilling to become a laughingstock over something so trivial.

[Detected: Chosen One's current rank and permissions. Exchange page unlocked; Tier One clothing now available.]

Suddenly, his vision was flooded with a dazzling array of garments. The cheapest started at a thousand Chosen Coins, with prices soaring up to fifty thousand. The most expensive, a set of armor called "Thunderlord Plate," gleamed with golden brilliance. It came with innate lightning resistance and an impressive boost of over thirty points to defense. Most extraordinary was its unique skill, "Swift Thunder," which, when charged with a Thunderstone (costing two thousand coins), could grant a five-point increase to both strength and agility for one minute.

It was an artifact worthy of being a trump card—capable of unleashing overwhelming power at a crucial moment. Chu Fan, even with his fusion ability, knew better than to underestimate the value of such boosts. In unknown derivative worlds, one could never have too many aces up their sleeve.

He was tempted, but fifty thousand coins was more than he could afford. So, his gaze settled on the cheapest options.

The thousand-coin garments lacked any active skills, but offered basic defense and resistance. Considering his lack of control over his fire abilities, buying ordinary clothes was unwise—they might just burn to cinders. Reluctantly, he spent two thousand coins on a complete set of flame-resistant robes (classified as blue-quality, ordinary).

The robes were pure white, adorned with delicate embroidery and a matching hooded cloak.

This ensemble provided ten points of defense and fire resistance, with a full durability rating of 100/100. Once dressed, Chu Fan was enveloped in the white cloak. For all its cost, the fabric felt soft and comfortable, fitting him perfectly. Even without a mirror, he was quite satisfied with his appearance.

He placed his hand on the doorknob once more. This time, the Chosen Paradise issued no further warnings about his attire. Assured, Chu Fan pushed open the door and stepped out.

A vast, open plaza unfolded before him, and Chu Fan emerged from a solitary door.

"Opting for the wizard's path right on the first floor?" someone muttered.
"He must be out of his mind."
"No, just a rookie," another replied. "He doesn't understand what awaits him, yet he's already invested in the mage route and wasted money on those flame robes."
"I bet he's got precious few coins left."

The plaza was lined with stalls and patrons sipping afternoon tea, enjoying fine cuisine. Chu Fan's arrival drew some attention.

Everyone knew the mage path could be powerful—provided one survived the early stages. Mages faced a slew of challenges from the start: they needed to prioritize intelligence to increase their mana pool—without enough mana, spells were out of reach. Early on, their repertoire of spells was woefully limited, leaving them lacking in both offense and defense. With so few attribute points to invest in constitution, mages were notoriously fragile.

As a result, in the early days, mages were the prime targets for treasure-hunters and killers. Until they'd matured, mages met untimely ends more often than not.

A warrior, a tank, or even an assassin balanced in strength, agility, and constitution would fare better. These classes could weather the storm with greater fighting and survival capabilities.

While mages required fewer points to focus on intelligence and spirit, they needed to buy basic spellbooks and train in the practice grounds. With low intelligence, mana regeneration was sluggish, making early advancement slow and costly. One had to buy mana potions to speed up progress, and such expenses devoured Chosen Coins.

And that was before accounting for the cost of staves, robes, and other class equipment. Faced with these hurdles, the veterans on this floor had rarely seen a new arrival take the mage path and live to see the second floor.

According to rumors, true mage specialists only began to emerge from the third floor onward.

Chu Fan paid the chatter no mind. He scanned his surroundings, then decided to fill his stomach first.

Those three days in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, he'd scraped by on odd jobs and the occasional free meal. As for sleep, he'd made do with any nook that offered shelter from the elements.

Soon he'd be sent to another derivative world. He deserved a good meal first.

He quickly spotted a promising eatery, made his way over, and took a seat.

"Welcome, sir. Please feel free to order," greeted a striking silver-haired girl who appeared almost instantly at his table.

Seeing her up close, Chu Fan was momentarily speechless—she was the very image of Elaina, silver hair and blue eyes exuding warmth and charm.

He didn't stare, though, and instead focused on the menu.

The drinks and dishes were priced between 1 and 30 Chosen Coins, with 30 being the highest. Clearly, a full meal here wasn't out of reach.

Chu Fan ordered a lemon soda, two bowls of rice, and three dishes, totaling 30 Chosen Coins.

"Your meal is being prepared. Please wait a moment," the Elaina lookalike replied sweetly, bowing politely before retreating to the kitchen.

Glancing around, Chu Fan noticed that every shop was tended by people either beautiful or strikingly handsome. Some faces were familiar: Rem and Ram from Re:Zero, Cloud from Final Fantasy VII, and even a few anthropomorphic characters, all highly recognizable.

But apart from the shopkeepers, most customers—like himself—were shrouded in a mist that obscured their features.

Touching his own face, Chu Fan felt nothing out of the ordinary, but he surmised that, aside from his clothes, he probably looked just as indiscernible as the rest.

To him, the atmosphere of the Chosen Paradise was lively and full of life—a vibrant world bustling with energy.