I was back on Earth. Checking my phone, it was only 7:02 PM. Just twenty minutes had passed since I left Eldorath. I estimated I'd spent around eight hours there. I took a quick shower, then made a simple dinner.
Lying in bed, I ran through everything that happened in Eldorath. It still felt unreal. Before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep.
I woke up around 2:30 AM to use the bathroom. Afterwards, I grabbed some cold water from the fridge. When I went back to bed, I couldn't fall asleep. Fifteen minutes later, my drowsiness was completely gone.
So, I got up again, washed my face, and changed clothes. Due to a past accident, I hadn't been able to walk properly for a long time. I decided to go for a jog, my first since then.
I headed to the nearest oval. While walking, I heard a woman's voice, muffled and crying. "Mmmpph... mmm..." I saw a dark alleyway, poorly lit.
At the alley's entrance, I saw two men grabbing a woman, pulling her towards the far end.
"Hey! Let her go!" I shouted.
"Looks like we've got a hero," one of them said, laughing.
"Get out of here! Mind your own business, or we'll kill you!" the other yelled.
Ignoring them, I walked closer. One of the men stepped forward, raising a metal pipe.
"Glock 19, gain," I whispered. The gun appeared in my hand, aimed at him. His eyes widened, and he dropped the pipe, stumbling back. The other man, still holding the woman, also started to run.
Once they were about five meters away, I shot them both in the head. They fell instantly. I let them run a short distance, to avoid blood splatter on the woman. I approached their bodies and stored them in my dimensional storage. I couldn't leave them there; it would cause chaos.
The woman was unconscious, probably from fear or drunkenness; she smelled of alcohol. I had no choice but to carry her to the nearest hospital, about two kilometers away. We arrived quickly, and I felt no fatigue, likely from my level-ups and potions.
I found her phone, thankfully without a password. In her contacts, I saw "Dad." I called the number. After five rings, a groggy male voice answered, "Hello, daughter?" I told him his daughter was at the hospital and gave him the name. Then the call ended.
Fifteen minutes later, a Bentley Flying Spur parked out front. A middle-aged man in a white shirt, shorts, and flip-flops got out. I recognized him from the call. I held up the woman's phone.
"Who are you?! What happened?" he asked, his eyes hard. I explained everything except the part where i killed the men. Instead I said that the men ran when they saw a person approaching. His expression softened.
"Thank you. Where is she?" he asked. I led him to her room. After he calmed down, I told him I was leaving.
"Wait, young man. Here's this for you," he said, handing me a check for ₱100,000.
"No, that's okay, sir," I replied. He didn't insist, but gave me his business card.
"Alfred Uy" "CEO of Red Dragon Gold and Silver Trading Company" / "CEO of Red Dragon's Treasures INC." The biggest gold trading company in the country and an international jewelry store with over 100 branches worldwide.
"Call me if you need anything, young man. Thank you again." I nodded respectfully and left. Since it was only 5:00 AM, I jogged home, taking a longer route.
With one kilometer left, I tested my speed, running as fast as I could. I reached home in a minute, amazed at my 60 km/h speed.
Luckily, no one was around to see me. I'd have to be more careful.
I took a quick shower and made breakfast. Afterwards, I went to the nearby market to buy supplies for Eldorath.
I bought 20 kg of sugar, 10 kg of black pepper, 10 kg of chili powder, and various meats, vegetables, and fruits. I planned to store them in my dimensional storage later, when no one was around.
Then, I went to the convenience store to open early. I wanted to close early too, as other establishments were still closed.
While waiting for customers, I thought about Eldorath. I remembered the wild boar, how bullets had no effect, even at close range. I took out my phone and called a number.
"Hello, Henry! How are you?"
"I'm fine, Colonel." Colonel Arturo Cuevas, retired, was like a father to me after I was orphaned.
"Why did you call? Is there a problem?"
"I need to borrow some of your 'toys,' Colonel." "Toys" meant guns.
"Ah, no problem. What caliber do you need?"
"An assault rifle and a sniper rifle, Colonel. The more powerful the caliber, the better."
"Sounds like you're going to war. When do you need them? My collection is in Manila." he said jokingly.
"Tomorrow, if possible, Colonel."
"Alright. I'll have Dale bring them." Dale was one of the colonel's men and caretaker of his house in Manila. The colonel lived in Cebu now.
"Thank you, Colonel. By the way, tell me when you're back in Manila. I have a surprise for you."
"I'll look forward to it. Take care, Henry."
"Yes, Colonel. Thank you."
It was almost 3 PM; time flew. I closed the store, planning to buy more supplies for Eldorath. I also wanted to melt down my two gold coins; selling them as-is might raise questions about their origin.
I was on my way to the goldsmith near the store when I spotted a shop called "Panday Pira." They sold various blades, from knives to swords. Inside, I saw an array of machetes and swords hanging on the wall, and knives, balisongs, and kitchen knives displayed on tables.
"What are you looking for, young man?" an elderly man in his late 60s or early 70s greeted me.
"How much is your Tagalog machete, and what's its size?" I asked, pointing to a machete that looked expertly crafted.
"₱7,500, with a discount. The blade is 18 inches, and the handle is made of kamagong," he explained.
"How many do you have in stock?" I asked.
"Just that one for now, but we'll get more tomorrow."
"How much for the one-handed and long swords?" I asked, pointing to two swords displayed side-by-side.
"The one-handed sword is ₱9,500, and the long sword is ₱12,000."
"What discount can you give me if I order five of each?" I asked.
"I can give you the machetes for ₱6,000, the one-handed swords for ₱8,500, and the long swords for ₱10,000," he said, smiling.
"Can I make a down payment today and pay the rest when I pick them up tomorrow?"
"No problem, young man. Should I reserve them?" I nodded, and we walked to the counter.
"Your total is ₱122,500, but I'll make it ₱122,000," he said. I checked my bank account, which only had ₱60,000 left, so I made a ₱50,000 down payment, leaving ₱10,000 to avoid account closure. He handed me the receipt.
I went straight to the goldsmith. "How much to melt gold?" I asked the man sitting there.
"How many grams?" he asked.
"Twenty grams."
"₱700." I agreed to the price and handed him the coins.
"Where did you get these gold coins? The design is unusual," he said, examining the gold's purity by scratching it on a black stone and applying acid.
"I don't know; they were inherited," I explained.
"Okay. They're 24 karat." He started melting the gold, then poured it into a bar mold, stamping it with "20g, Gold 999.9."
I went to a gold and silver trading store across the street, asking their buying price per gram, as it differs from the selling price.
"The market price is ₱4,300 per gram today," the clerk said. I'd checked the market price beforehand, which ranged from ₱4,360 to ₱4,367, so I agreed.
I handed them the gold bar, and they tested and weighed it. After the tests, they gave me the payment.
"Twenty grams of gold, ₱4,300 per gram, totaling ₱86,000," they said, handing me the money. I counted it, then pocketed it, secretly transferring it to my dimensional storage.
I went to a fabric store and asked about heavy cotton fabric.
"₱170 per yard," the salesclerk said.
"Twenty-two yards of white, red, and blue, please." Elian and I had agreed on 20 meters, but they sold it by the yard, so I bought 22. I also bought rough, low-quality fabric to wrap the pepper and chili powder, which were still in plastic bags.
I found a mirror shop and bought five simple, frameless mirrors. I also bought two large jars with lids for the sugar, each holding 10 kg.
Back home, I transferred the sugar, pepper, and chili powder into the jars. Then, I showered, ate, and went to sleep.
The next day, around 10 AM, I got a call.
"Hello, Henry, Dale here. Where should I bring Colonel's delivery?"
"Oh, Dale, bring it to the store," I said, giving him the address.
"Alright, I'm on the expressway. I'll be there in about an hour."
"Okay, be careful, Dale."
A Raptor pickup truck parked in front, and Dale carried two long, hard plastic cases. I met him to help.
"Thanks for bringing these, Dale," I said.
"No problem; Colonel's orders," he replied. Inside the store, I locked the glass door, and we went to the storage room.
I opened the smaller case, revealing an "FN SCAR-H." A .308 caliber rifle, often used by special forces, known for its power and penetration. It came with two fully loaded extra magazines.
The second case held a "Barrett M107" and an extra magazine.
"Colonel's collection is incredible," I said, impressed.
"Colonel said to let him know if you need manpower; his men are ready anytime," Dale said.
"I will, thanks." Dale left shortly after. I stored the guns in my dimensional storage.
It was 5 PM when I closed the store. I hurried to the nearest guns and ammo store, arriving just before closing. I bought 100 rounds of .308 caliber ammo for the SCAR-H and 100 rounds of .50 caliber ammo for the Barrett. The .308 rounds were ₱30 each, and the .50 rounds were ₱150, totaling ₱18,000.
I went to "Panday Pira" to pick up the swords, arriving before their 6:30 PM closing time. The elderly man greeted me.
"Young man, I thought you weren't coming," he said.
"Sorry, I had other things to attend to," I replied. I saw my order stacked on a table, the blades and handles looking high-quality. He called a young man to pack the swords into boxes, each with a protective sheath.
When I was about to pay the ₱72,000 balance, I realized I only had ₱68,000 from the gold sale. I used ₱4,000 from my bank account, planning to deposit money tomorrow to avoid a penalty, as I needed a minimum balance of ₱10,000.
I took a tricycle home, as I couldn't put the swords in my dimensional storage where others could see. At home, I showered, ate, and took a short nap before returning to Eldorath."