The car was nothing like anything he was familiar with.
The interior was sleek, simple, and luxurious, offering way more features than he could even guess about.
It consumed an otherworldly substance as fuel, far more efficient than petrol, and it was clear from the feel and what he was experiencing.
This car, though somewhat similar in shape to the ones he knew, worked in a completely different way. There was no steering wheel, instead, it hovered about a meter above the ground.
And no, it wasn't the magnetic concept he thought it might be. The ground wasn't magnetic. It was that same otherworldly substance at work.
And the result? A ride so efficient and comfortable, he hadn't even imagined it possible.
He sat on the seat next to the driver's, where the car's owner and driver was seated.
Though he was still tense, the natural curiosity humans have to explore the unknown was overwhelming enough to counter his building stress . He was so absorbed in observing the surroundings and comparing everything to the Earth he knew, that the rest just faded into the background.
Seated beside him on the driver's side was his friend or better said, Enric's friend.
Envoy Clark.
Though Envoy was lost in his own thoughts, the way Enric was looking around with such curiosity was enough to catch his attention and make him speak.
"Enric, what are you looking at?"
That single, casual question was enough to pull Enric out of his reverie and snap him back to his senses.
"Ahh, nothing. I just thought that girl passing by looked like someone I knew."
"Is that so?"
Envoy's eyes squinted, then slowly rolled toward Enric, though his face continued to look straight ahead.
"Enric, just stick to the plan. After I become High Priest, I promise you a reward worthy of your loyalty. Your disfigured face won't matter anymore. You'll be able to get all the girls in the world."
He paused to gauge Enric's reaction.
"Don't you want that, Enric?"
A bead of sweat traced his temple. 'Of course things weren't going to be that easy,' he thought, but his face remained a perfect facade of a smile and satisfaction, exactly what Envoy wanted to see.
"Of course I want that. Because of my disfigured face, even a whore dared to look down on me. But after I gain the influence you promised, I'll show them."
Envoy let out a short chuckle. "Don't worry. After I become High Priest, you'll be able to do much more than just that."
Tactically Enric responded with the same kind of chuckle matching Envoy's energy.
And soon enough, just as he'd been hoping all this time, they reached their destination: his new home.
"Okay, see you later," Envoy said with a brief wave before driving off.
"Finally," Enric muttered under his breath, letting out a quiet sigh as he scanned his ID card again.
"Let's see... floor 2, apartment 3, huh."
Before him stood a massive 20-floor building, lined with mirrors and flanked by beautiful gardens on either side.
"Damn, this is way better than my old place." He gazed at the stunning facility in awe.
Not wasting time, he started searching for the elevator.
There were three gardens surrounding the building, forming a flower-like design when viewed from above. While the structure looked modern and luxurious, it wasn't entirely unfamiliar, more like similar to the buildings he'd known back on Earth.
Following the path ahead, he reached the first-floor entrance, where a reception desk and a small open office came into view. A muscular guard sat there, keeping watch.
The guard recognized Enric, so instead of acting the way he usually did with masked or suspicious visitors, he simply gave Enric a brief nod of acknowledgment and let him pass.
Enric nodded back and glanced around to find the elevator and there it was, just beside the desk.
He quickly approached the panel, and a digital board lit up, displaying the floors. He tapped on the 2nd floor, and suddenly, another window popped up showing the list of apartments on that floor.
"What?"
He was slightly surprised by it, but dismissing the thought, he tapped on apartment 3. Instantly, a light flashed and engulfed him. The next moment, as his vision cleared, he found himself standing inside the apartment.
What... was that?
He was stunned, but just as quickly, he calmed down. He had already seen enough strange things on his way here, and it was clear by now that this definitely wasn't the Earth he once knew.
And no, he wasn't dreaming either.
This was his new reality.
He scanned the room. It was simple, equipped with various tools and tech he couldn't identify yet. Still, the essentials like the bed and furniture looked familiar enough.
The room was painted mostly in shades of blue, except for one black rectangular section beneath his feet, the spot he had appeared on.
"So you can teleport around the building from here? Great."
He looked around in awe. And as he had guessed, there were no doors only windows.
Letting out a deep sigh, he dropped onto the bed. After everything he had just been through—surviving a near-death situation and dealing with nonstop strange things, his body felt completely drained.
But even though his body begged for rest, he knew the danger wasn't over. His situation might look comfortable, but he wasn't any safer than before.
He couldn't say much about living right now, but if he let his guard down, death was almost guaranteed.
Lying on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling, he finally opened the countless notifications buzzing in his head.
[Congratulations, host. You have successfully completed the first quest…]
[Processing rewards…]
"So it really was a system, huh?"
[1. Information
2. Access to Main Quest
3. The Rightful Gift]
[The following are your rewards. You may claim them one by one by selecting each option…]
{Information!}
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