Chapter 7: Starting Life in Another World
Chapter 7: Starting Life in Another World
“First, you must stop by the Guild after returning from the dungeon. We can buy your Magic Stones if you wish, and you also need to report briefly on your adventure. If you provide new information that the Guild doesn't have, we'll even give you a reward. And based on those reports, the Guild provides basic dungeon information to other adventurers. That's how the system works.
For your reference, the entrance of the dungeon is a habitat for rabbits, giant rats, and raccoons, with a recommended level of around 10.
Honestly, this is all common knowledge, and it would be strange for an aspiring adventurer not to know these things. This isn't an excuse, but that's why I sent you away this morning, thinking you were just hitting on me with nothing better to do. I'm so sorry.”
As she apologized again, the receptionist looked up at me with a cute, pleading expression.
Gah! She was already a beauty, but to see an intelligent, older-sister type who you'd never expect to make a face like that… It was a wonderful gap in character that forced a critical hit.
Faced with an expression that any man would have to forgive, I found myself waving my hands and saying it was fine before I even realized it. Besides, it wasn't like she was completely wrong about me hitting on her.
“Thank you. If you find a quest you'd like to take among those posted on the Guild wall, just bring it here to register. After you complete it, come back here to report, and you'll be paid immediately.
The Guild does take a certain commission, but the rewards listed on the quest forms already have that fee deducted, so you don't need to worry about it.”
I see. It was a decent system. It wasn't like anyone would hire me personally without going through the Guild anyway, so there was no reason to be stingy about the commission.
“By the way, the easiest quest available right now is to collect ten rabbit pelts. Quests are first-come, first-served, so I'm not really supposed to tell you this, but I'm letting you know because I feel bad. Please don't tell anyone else. Ah, but you're still level 1, so this information probably isn't very helpful. I'm sorry.”
“No, it's plenty helpful. Ten rabbit pelts, right? Here you go.”
As I took ten rabbit pelts from my inventory, the receptionist's eyes widened.
“Weren't you level 1?! How?!”
“Well, I was lucky enough to level up a bit after that.”
“But your job level is still 1, isn't it? How on earth…”
“Actually, I have a rather unique job. I was lucky, and my job level went up too.”
“Now that you mention it, that's right. Ah! Are you perhaps an Outworlder?”
“An Outworlder? Well, if you mean someone who was kidnapped by the goddess of this world, then I guess that's me.”
“I see. This is the first time I've met one in person, but I've heard that those brought here by the Goddess sometimes have unusual jobs. Here is your quest reward, 90 Copper.”
That's it?! What the hell are the prices like in this world?
For reference, this world's currency was 100 Copper to 1 Silver, and 100 Silver to 1 Gold.
“Ahaha. Well then, here are the Magic Stones… and what do I need to do for that adventure report you mentioned?”
“Oh my, you've gathered quite a few. Please wait a moment.”
The receptionist took the Magic Stones and placed them in some kind of machine.
It seemed to be a device for appraising their value.
“You only went to the dungeon entrance, correct? For the report, you just need to tell me the types of monsters you fought and the materials you obtained from them.”
While I was finishing my brief report, the machine appraising the Magic Stones stopped.
“You fought wolfdogs on your first time out?! And the value of the stones is 4 Silver and 62 Copper… It seems you weren't lying. To do this much on your first try is amazing. Perhaps that talk about being a legendary Saint wasn't just a bluff after all?”
“Ahaha… I guess you could say that.”
I subtly averted my gaze from her sparkling eyes.
It's one thing to get carried away and show off on my own, but when someone sets the stage and hypes me up like this, it's kind of embarrassing.
It's definitely not because I'm shy or a virgin!
I mean, I wasn't a virgin in virtual reality to begin with! Wait, this is reality. Huh?! Come to think of it, does that mean I've lost my virginity in the real world now, too?!
Isn't this a flag for me becoming a true Sex Master in reality?
“Well! Too many spoilers would ruin the fun! Please look forward to my future exploits!”
“Hehe. Yes, I will.”
Unlike this morning, the receptionist smiled as if she was genuinely amused.
Is this the power of no longer being a virgin!
Thank you, Alicia!
And so, after a friendly chat with the receptionist, I finished my business and even got some extra information on monsters I could handle.
In the end, I had 5 Silver and 52 Copper. I still had materials left to sell, and I'd already made more than my initial funds. My own adaptability was frightening.
It seemed I'd gathered enough money for now, so I decided to deal with the remaining materials tomorrow and rest at an inn for the night.
I strode confidently into the first inn that caught my eye, only to find a woman who looked like a wild boar sitting at the counter.
“Welcome.”
With a face that makes me want to leave, you have the nerve to say 'welcome,' I thought.
Damn it, what rotten luck.
“I'd like to stay for a night. How much is it with meals?”
“4 Silver for one night, 50 Copper per meal.”
“That's expensive!”
“What are you talking about? It's about this price anywhere you go. If you can't afford this, go find a stable to sleep in.”
Does appearance correlate with personality in this world or something? What an attitude.
“Just in case, I'll ask. Is a short stay, not a full night, 3 Silver?”
“You know your stuff.”
“Sayonara!”
I immediately turned on my heel, left the inn, and started walking while looking at my map.
The destination was already set.
“Welcome.”
“I'm here for one night.”
“Yes, that will be 4 Silver for one night. If you'd like to add meals, it's an additional 50 Copper each.”
“I'll have dinner for tonight and breakfast for tomorrow, please.”
“Alright. That's 5 Silver. Will you be eating in the dining hall? Or should I have it brought to your room?”
“I'll eat in my room.”
Truthfully, it would be better to eat in the dining hall and eavesdrop for information, but I was too exhausted today.
“Very well, I'll have it brought up as soon as it's ready.”
Of course, the place I had come to was the same inn I'd visited with Alicia, the one with the rather pretty clerk.
I'd underestimated this world because of its medieval fantasy appearance. To think that a place with facilities like this was just average.
Once in the room, the first thing I did was stand in front of the mirror.
I could see why the receptionist had been so apologetic.
Even a beggar wouldn't look this ragged.
Is it a relief that I'm so handsome I at least look like a 'flower beggar'? No, that's not a relief at all!
My sneakers… well, if I really stretched it and called them vintage fashion, they weren't completely unwearable.
But my tracksuit was a complete mess, ripped and torn all over.
Wait a minute. Looking closely, it seems I desperately protected my torso, so my arms and legs took the brunt of the damage.
The torso part was full of holes, but at least it wasn't ripped to shreds.
Maybe it would look a little better if I cut it into a short-sleeved shirt and shorts?
Of course, I'd look like a fashion terrorist with no room for excuses, but the face completes the fashion. The face completes the fashion.
I immediately went downstairs, borrowed a pair of scissors from the clerk, and turned my clothes into a t-shirt and shorts.
I admit it. I was wrong.
There's a limit to what a handsome face can cover for.
With this, my goal for tomorrow was set. I'll earn enough for the inn and at least one new set of clothes.
After dinner, I lay on the bed staring into space, lost in thought.
To be precise, I wasn't staring into space, but at the skill window floating in it.
First, I couldn't think of any way to return to my original world from this one. I considered conquering the labyrinth, the game's clear condition, but with only one life, that wasn't a realistic plan.
And to be honest, I didn't particularly feel like going back. It felt a little bad to say, considering my parents were probably worried sick about their only son, but this was a wonderful world where I lost my 24-year-old virginity on the very first day. It would be strange to want to go back.
I went through hell in the dungeon, but when I thought of it as the price for losing my virginity and for the glorious future ahead, it didn't feel like I had suffered that much.
So, what should I do to survive in this world? The easiest way would be to seduce a high-level woman and have sex with her. Normally, if you have sex with a high-level partner, you'd just get drained and that would be the end of it, but I have the Saint's skills.
Sex Mastery 3
Passive Skill
Your overall sexual abilities are enhanced, increasing the pleasure generated during sex by [6%].
Last Resort of Pride 2
Active Skill
Cost: 100 Resources
No matter how powerful the opponent, you will protect your final pride as a man.
Upon ejaculation, forces your partner to climax with pleasure equal to [2%] of the pleasure you receive.
The effect of Last Resort of Pride increases by 1% for every 100 Resources you possess.
These were the two basic skills of a Saint that you learn at the start of the game.
In this world where pleasure during sex directly translated to EXP gain, Sex Mastery was, in short, an experience booster. What's more, it didn't just increase the partner's pleasure but my own as well, making it a broken skill that could be used to level up party members through intercourse.
And the broken skill that surpassed even that was Last Resort of Pride.
At first, I thought Alicia had orgasmed because of my magnificent tool, but after looking at the skill window, I realized that wasn't it. I must have unconsciously activated the skill while putting my back into it.
With this skill alone, I could gain a certain amount of experience no matter how high-level my partner was, allowing for power-leveling.
The problem was, high-level women like that had no reason to have sex with me.
Alicia did say she'd do it with me again if she felt like it. Should I beg her on my hands and knees? But I'd have to run into her first for that to even be possible.
And I didn't think I could seduce battle-hardened, high-level women who've seen it all with just my meager silver tongue.
In the end, it was an impossible plan.
If power-leveling by seducing a high-level partner was out, the next best thing was to find a party member of a similar level to grow with.
I wouldn't be able to power-level all at once, but if we did it a lot, our skill levels would rise, we'd gain momentum, and both our levels would increase quickly.
Of course, it didn't have to be a party member, but since I'd be leveling up my partner as well as myself, it would be best to have someone I'd be with for a long time.
Alright, now that I've decided, there are some skills I'll need.
Like stats, skills could be acquired in two ways: learning them directly through practice, or by spending points.
Of course, both methods required you to meet certain conditions, like having the right job or prerequisite skills.
I'd prefer to raise skill levels through proficiency to save points, and I wanted to learn them on my own, but there were some skills I had no idea how to acquire.
For example, Analyze. Right? You can't really picture how you'd learn that, can you?
Do you learn it by just staring at someone and desperately wishing to understand them? If so, I would have learned it and then some when I was staring holes into the receptionist's selfishly large chest, trying to grasp its measurements.
Since I didn't learn it that way, I had no choice but to spend points on skills like these.
So, I decided to invest in two skills for now.
Analyze 1
Active Skill
Cost: 1 Resource
Analyze a target's abilities by looking at them.
Can determine the [Level] of targets up to [1 level] higher than your own.
Sex Analyze 1
Active Skill
Cost: 1 Resource
Analyze a target's sexual preferences by looking at them.
Can determine the [Erogenous Zones] of targets up to [1 level] higher than your own.
They were an Adventurer skill and a Saint skill, respectively.
I'll save the rest of my skill points for now.
I'd love to just randomly spend points on all the delightful-looking skills in the Saint tab, but those seemed like skills I could eventually learn through practical experience. No need to waste points.
Thinking I might impulsively waste all my skill points if I kept looking, I closed the skill window and covered my face with a pillow.
It had been a tough day.
And I had spent it fighting desperately.
The actions themselves weren't that different from playing a game, but the reason it felt so intense must be because this was all real.
For now, I'll get a good night's sleep.
I have a mountain of things to do tomorrow.
I have to wake up early, earn money for clothes and the inn, and use Analyze to look for a suitable party member among the adventurers.
And there's something else I want to test in the labyrinth.
I slowly drifted off to sleep, organizing tomorrow's to-do list in my head.
Just before I lost consciousness, I felt as if I were being looked down upon by the warm smile of a beautiful woman—one who seemed familiar, yet at the same time, not of this world.