Chapter 5 - Chapter 5

You have not eaten for a long time, the 'Easy Hunger' debuff has been received

Every 30 minutes, your endurance level will decrease by 10%

Potions of endurance will not help

If the endurance is depleted, you will receive the 'Heavy Hunger' debuff

Every 30 minutes, the life level will decrease by 10%

Potions of life will not help

Try to eat on time!

'What an accurate and correct explanation! Thanks a lot. I will die of hunger, then revive, and, if I do not eat for a while, will get this debuff and die all over again. With my sensitivity, I really need to eat on time and make sure the food isn't rotten.'

"Grandpa," I said excitedly, "Do you have anything to eat?"

While I was thinking, the jeweler began to sort out his belongings and laid them out on the table.

"No, of course not," he answered without distraction. "There is an eatery in this building. There." Without looking, Grandpa waved his hand to the side, "At the end of the corridor. Wait a bit, and we'll go there together. Don't go there alone, it's better if you go with me."

"Yes Grandpa." I sat down on the lonely little chair by the door.

Grandpa finished in a little over an hour, and I watched anxiously as the figure of fifty in the line turned into forty.

"Let's go," he said, taking the key and nodding at the door.

I immediately ran out of the room. Grandpa, closing the door carefully, turned the key in the lock and walked to the end of the corridor slowly. I impatiently circled near him, and mentally counted down the time until the next tick.

"Are you really so hungry?" The old man was surprised and perturbed by my actions. "Eh, youth. There is no patience in you."

Grandpa! Hurry up! I screamed in my mind. No time for stories! Not now!

But finally, we came to the end of the corridor, I opened the double door and let the jeweler go ahead in front of me.

It was a huge hall, poorly lit by some dim glowing balls on the ceiling, with a lot of chaotically arranged tables, at which a dozen or two people could be found sitting. On the right, near the entrance, there was a long counter with trays and dishes, and in the opposite, far corner, I saw two people cooking something in a large copper pot, standing by an open stove.

"Take two trays, bowls and spoons and go to the cooks," Grandfather advised me. "I'll talk to them for awhile."

Trying not to attract attention, although those who needed to, had noticed us already, I grabbed trays, a couple of deep wooden bowls, and walked to the stove along the wall, away from the tables. The closer I approached, the more I felt the pleasant smell of freshly cooked food.

Grandpa took the trays and bowls from me and filled them with food for me and him.

"Let's go to the far table," the jeweler suggested.

"Mmm!" I cautiously tried the first spoon, it was something like a thick soup, and closed my eyes with pleasure. "Yummy!"

I don't know what it was made of, but it tasted pretty good. I ate quickly, but neatly.

Endurance is restored 50\50

Life is restored 30\30

'Great! I would finally be able to relax. I could forget about food for at least the next twelve hours. As far as I remember, in this game it is enough to eat only once a day, and food can restore life after minor injuries. And how could I have forgotten that? However, even if I had remembered, I still had no money for food.'

"Hey, Grandpa," a man with an obvious gangster's face sat next to us, "Who's that guy?" He pointed at me with his finger, which had a dirty, gnawed fingernail.

Grandpa looked confused.

'What do you want from me, huh?' I thought, annoyed.

"Kraven," the jeweler whispered, a little scared.

"I don't care what his name is! What is this noble creature doing here?" The angry man was staring at me now.

I was silent, although I wanted to respond, but Eran had advised me to not draw attention. And the voice of reason also required that I sit quietly and not get in trouble.

"Why are you silent? Are you dumb or what? Maybe a cat got your tongue?" the bandit offered mocking questions. "Grandpa, leave us alone," he aggressively, but gently, pushed him off the bench, "Let us have a heart-to-heart talk. I don't like, as you know, such gentlemen."

Grandpa was standing nearby and blinking, while his hands began to tremble nervously. He didn't know what to do. It was clear to me that he shouldn't interfere and he had no one to ask for help.

I tensed up, anticipating a big problem, and the advice, to not show off, wouldn't help much there. Of course, I knew how to fight well, but that was in real life. Five years of daily martial arts training increased my speed, reaction time, and reflexes—which are very important for a pilot. Moreover, I not only drove flyers but also trained, so my dexterity and attentiveness were at the highest level.

'But the game has its own rules. I don't have any real powers here. There are only those that 'Noria' has recently given me.'

'Oh, and I thought the day had started off poorly. No, it had started very well, but it will end even "better"—with my death! I don't think that this thug wants to talk to me. Alas, perhaps this is my fate.'

I didn't wait for a move from the bandit and, having grabbed the first thing nearby—a tray, I hit his impudent face with it, accompanied by the words, "Fuck you!"

You have dealt physical damage -3

A translucent message popped up before my eyes for a split second.

What was I hoping for? Could I kill him? It was way too unlikely.

Blood sprayed from the bandit's broken nose and he wiped it off with his sleeve. "The noble has some character, yeap? You know." He pulled out a little knife, with a crooked serrated blade. "Well, since you have quite a tongue on you, I'll cut it out right now!"