Hours later after walking for so long before the sunset. Ian finally emerged from the forest, pushing aside the tall grasses as he stepped onto the road that lay ahead, bathed in sunlight.
With a surge of relief, he started walking again, his brief pause giving way to a sense of urgency as the sun dipped below the horizon. Hurrying to find shelter, Ian navigated through the crowded streets, ignoring curious glances. His eyes locked onto a hotel in the distance, and he quickened his pace. "Finally, I can rest," he murmured, stepping into the lobby.
As Ian approached the counter, a kindly old lady greeted him. Just as he was about to request a room, he hesitated, his mind racing with a sudden realization: he had no local currency. A frantic inner monologue erupted: "System... I don't have money! I'm completely penniless!" Meanwhile, he maintained a calm facade, smiling politely at the lady as he struggled to compose himself.
Just as his struggling the system finally appeared.
[Ding! The host didn't worry, just put your hand inside your pocket and you'll be able to get the wallet that the system provided for the host]
Ian's tension melted away as he smiled calmly at the lady, pulling out the wallet the system had provided from his pocket.
" I'd like to book a room for a night, please," Ian said politely, looking up at the lady behind the counter.
"That'll be 3,000 Jenny," she replied. Ian opened his wallet, and with the system's discreet assistance, he silently verified the amount. Satisfied, he handed over the payment.
The lady counted it, then handed Ian a key. "Your room is on the second floor, number 029, to the left," she instructed, pocketing the money. With the key in hand, Ian walked to the staircase and ascended to the second floor.
Ian settled into his room, locking the door and taking in the view of the dark street below. After a quick glance, he turned his attention to freshening up, pulling out a change of clothes from his inventory and heading to the bathroom. Clean and refreshed, he lay down on the soft bed, but his mind began to wander. He had arrived at the hotel with virtually nothing – just his wallet.Then a sudden thought struck him: he had arrived at the hotel with nothing but his wallet. "Wouldn't people find it suspicious that I suddenly had a change of clothes?" he wondered.
"Whatever," Ian murmured, sitting up and feeling a pang of hunger. He pulled out a loaf of bread from his inventory – one of the items he was supposed to sell. A mischievous thought crossed his mind: "If I'm the seller, does that make it mine? Can I eat it without the system getting mad?" With a shrug, he took a bite.
After he finished eating he took out a bottle of water seeing that the system is silent not warning him from his doing (eating the food and drinking the water for sale).
The comfort of the bed and a full stomach proved to be a potent sleep-inducing combination, and Ian soon found himself fast asleep. The following day, he emerged from his slumber to find that he had slept in late, the clock on the wall showing that lunchtime was just around the corner. Ian yawned, stretching his arms above his head, and got out of bed, his movements slow and relaxed. He pulled out a comb from his inventory and began to work on his tangled, golden hair, the soft bristles gliding through the strands with ease. With his hair looking somewhat presentable, he ambled towards the bathroom, after a while he walked out feeling refreshed and ready to face the day.
"It's time to head out," Ian said to himself, his voice gentle as he walked out of the room, dressed in a fresh set of clothes. Although he had changed into a new outfit, the similarity in style and color to the previous day's attire might lead onlookers to believe he was still wearing the same clothes. Nevertheless, Ian felt revitalized in his crisp, new garments, and he made his way out into the bustling streets, blending in with the crowd.
As Ian strolled down the street, he caught sight of a small, cozy restaurant and his curiosity got the better of him. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, his eyes adjusting to the warm, inviting atmosphere. The aroma of freshly cooked food wafted through the air, and Ian's stomach growled in anticipation. As he waited to be seated, Ian's mind wandered back to his predicament - he had no clue where he was in the world. The restaurant's decor and the people around him offered no clear hints, leaving him to wonder what city, country, or even continent he might be on.
"Huh?"Ian's eyes widened in surprise as he spotted a familiar figure sitting across from him - a boy with short, blond hair, dressed in traditional attire. After a few double takes, he confirmed that it was indeed Kurapika, one of the main characters from his story. Despite the impossibility of a 2D character transforming into a living, breathing person, Ian wasn't hallucinating. A memory flashed back to the first scene where Kurapika appeared, which was set in a restaurant, and the similarity to his current situation made him more certain that this was real.
A sudden realization hit Ian like a ton of bricks: "So I'm in Whale Island?!" His inner voice shouted the question, and before he could process the implications, the system panel materialized before his eyes, invisible to everyone else. A cheerful chime accompanied the notification:
[Ding! A new task has arrived!] The panel displayed the details: [Participate in the incoming Hunter Exam and obtain a Hunter License for smoother travel in the future]
The stakes were clear: [Reward: 8 additional points in strength ] [Failure: -4 points in Strength]
Ian was on the verge of dismissing the system's notification when his eyes landed on the consequences of failure, and his heart skipped a beat. "Minus four points?!" he exclaimed inwardly, alarm bells ringing in his mind. He recalled that his current Strength score was a paltry 13 points, and the prospect of it dropping to 9 if he failed the task sent a shiver down his spine. The risk was too great to ignore, he couldn't afford to fail.
With a sigh, Ian felt a wave of hopelessness wash over him. He thought back to his first task – to sell one item – and how it had seemed inconsequential at first. Without a deadline, he hadn't felt the pressure, knowing that failure to sell wouldn't incur a penalty as long as he didn't try. But now, the prospect of gaining even a slight boost in power from the reward made him reconsider, he began to see the task in a new light. "Completing this might just give me the tiny edge I need to take on the Hunter Exam," he rationalized, his motivation reigniting.