"When you said I was from the modern world, are there other people like me that also resides in this town?" I asked the old man while I look around the town.
"Did you even read the Earth update, young man?"
"Yes?..." I looked at him bizarrely with my eyebrows raised with that hint of uncertainty.
"Looks like you are unsure yourself. I'll give you a brief explanation while we walk to the adventurers guild to get you an identification. The Earth update happened 10 years ago, the world expanded and Earth from parallel universes merged into one, the expansion was necessary to fit the elements of each universe. Our current universe is 2e1c, well that's what the god that descended announced." He explains as we walk through the busy street of endless stalls.
10 years ago? I don't understand how that even happened, I have no choice but to accept it. Also, a god? Is that the Almighty Creator the Goddess of Wisdom talked about? The explanation only raised more questions for me.
"Is that why the town looks like a merge of different architecture?" I can't help my eyes to wander around because the town buildings have different styles; the usual modern that I used to know, medieval, and some hints of ancient style.
"Yes, it's every Earth in every parallel universe combined," he clarified.
"So, how did you know I don't have any identification?" I looked at the old man with a puzzled face.
"You'll understand once you get your identification."
I kept silent all throughout our walk after that reply and looked around to familiarize myself with this new town.
"Here, we are. I'll talk to one of the employees to guide you in the registration," he went inside the building for a few minutes.
"This looks... so peculiar. A modern glass building fused with medieval architecture," this spectacle of a building looks like lego pieces that don't match each other forcefully jammed together.
"Stop standing there and come inside!" The old man yelled as he walked out of the door.
I entered the door and the inside is nothing like its unusual outer appearance. It was decorated with glass furniture, fancy wooden designs for the tables and chairs, chiseled marble columns, large paintings of battles, and monster sculptures in one corner. The reception area gave off fancy hotel vibes. And at the left side of the lobby is a huge board filled with papers.
"This is the young man that I told you about, please take care of him." He said that and immediately left the building as if he despises it.
"Welcome to Bag-iw Guild, please write your information details on this papyrus," she handed me a fountain pen and two pieces of papyrus.
"What a weird combination," I said while slightly shaking my head.
I filled up the form and handed it to the receptionist. I looked at her name tag and it's written in Baybayin.
"Baybayin?" I whispered to myself. But the text on the paper was English and so is the spoken language.
"Ah, it must be weird for you if this is your first time. When the merge happened, no one really understood anyone except of course the people of the same origin, then one of the Grand Wizards that was at that time cast a spell that automatically translate everything to English, except of course the nameplates such as this one," she pointed the plate that is pinned to her chest.
"But the official language we use in this town is Baybayin, the spell is just in effect so everything you hear is English." She explained while she is typing out my information and transferring it into a badge.
"Please drop a blood in the badge to finish registration," she said while handing me the badge blushing as she looks me in the eye.
I poked my finger and dropped blood on the badge.
*Ding*
{You obtained: Identification Badge}
- Auto-translate any language to English
- Analyzes and displays information
Is this what the old man meant I'll understand it once I got it. I looked around the lobby and I can see everyone's name. It's quite annoying so I thought of hiding the names and only opening them when I need to.
"By the way, I've killed a bunch of goblins in the nearby forest, is there a way to sell their drops?" I pulled out a bag containing goblin nails and goblin rags that were picked up by the system.
"Ummm, sir Ras, are you perhaps a wealthy man in disguise?" She leaned towards me and whispered to my face.
"What? What do you mean by that?" I was perplexed and shocked that she just went near me like that. She had a sweet orange scent and blood-red eyes.
Random receptionist looks better than the models. I hold back on my smile but my face was heating up. I could feel the piercing murderous glare of people at my back.
"Well, you have a subspace inventory," She whispered softly into my ears.
"Everyone doesn't have that?" I asked as I gently push her away from me.
"Of course not!" she exclaimed then put on a sweet smile.
"Can you please tell me now how I can sell these?" I shove the bag closer to her so we could change the topic.
"Of course! The guild buys them from the adventurers. Let me handle the process for you."
"Thank you, Elaina," She smiled at me when I called her name.
I walked around the lobby to find the board where I get quests. It's filled with a lot of requests and most of them are about goblins.
"There's a lot of goblin stuff here," I uttered as I speak to myself.
"Well the Goblin Forest just refreshed a while ago and so do the monsters, so the numbers are booming right now." said a soft voice of a man, someone who sounds like he hasn't gone through puberty. I simply glared at him, not because I was being mean but because the fatigue earlier hasn't gone away.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to bother you," he bowed and apologized multiple times.
"It's fine, I'm Ras and you are?"
"Suzuki, I'm a plant researcher in the guild." he does not dare look me in the eyes. Sorry, I'm just tired so I appear to be mean.
"I saw that you are new here, if it's fine with you would you like to take a request of mine? Ah! Of course, I'll reward you handsomely," he offers proposal, well I'm just new here so might as well hear him out first.
"Let's hear out the details first."
"I need the orb in the staff of a Shaman Goblin..." he spoke quietly as if he is requesting something impossible. I mean how hard it could possibly be?
"Aren't you a plant researcher? Besides how hard is this Shaman Goblin?" I asked.
"Well I need a strong mana source to use my equipment and the orb in the staff of the Shaman Goblin will last me for a long time. And uhh... it's a ... field boss... You don't have to accept if it's too hard!" he explains while he flails around his hands.
"Alright, I need to get stronger anyway."
"Really?! Thank you! Just tell Elaina if you're done so she would contact me. See you around!" He left jumping for joy because I accepted his request.
"Sir Ras!" Elaina yelled from the reception as she waves her hand signaling I should go there.
I walked to the reception and she quickly reached for my hands while holding the bag of coins.
"Here is 68 silver and 42 copper Eth!" She holds my hand tight and looks at me with sparkles in her eyes.
Eth is the currency huh?
"Say, how much is 1 silver?"
"1000 copper Eth is 1 silver and it could already buy you a whole day's worth of meal! And 1 gold Eth is 1000 silver, you could buy a house with that money!" She explains while she shakes my hands. And for some reason, I can't escape her grip. So I need 30 silver for a whole month's worth of food. I should ask for the lodging.
"Can you recommend me an inn?"
"Sure! If you head out the door and go right, there is a big inn there. You can stay there for 25 silver a month. Or maybe ... you. can. stay. with. me..." She said enticingly trying to lure me into her lair. She's dangerous! My hormones tell me so.
"Umm, I'll take the inn..." I look away as I responded.
"But why? Am I not attractive enough?"
My senses are tingling and I'm in a sticky situation. I still can't pull out my hands.
"Are you doing this because you think I'm rich?" I nervously asked.
"Yes! And if you are not you still have great potential to be rich!" She smiles at me and her eyes glitter like its looking at a pile of gold.
SHE'S BLUNT! SHE'S DANGEROUS! I need to get out of this situation.
"Ouch!" A refined-looking lady hit Elaina on the head with a book and she let go of my hands.
"Stop bothering the young adventurer, Elaina." She said with a cold piercing voice that even I froze.
"I'm sorry manager," she said in a shaky voice.
"Then I'll be going now! Thank you for your help." I bolted out of the building in a hurry and then head to the inn. I wonder, why people keep calling me young when I literally looked like a stressed-out, dehydrated mango.