NEW MORNING, NEW BEGINNING
"Yawn... it's morning already"
Furan yawned, stretching his arms upward but feeling something weighing him down.
"Why does my body feel a bit heavy...? Eh... it's Anori... Yesterday felt like a dream... huh? My body... it doesn't hurt anymore... Anori, wake up, wake up... I can move now... finally."
Furan tried to wake up Anori, who was still fast asleep.
"Ahh... help... aaa... earthquake... earthquake..."
Anori shouted in her sleep as Furan shook her.
"Haha, turns out she's dreaming about an earthquake while I shake her... let her sleep a bit more while I look around"
Furan laughed at Anori's cute, frightened expression as she slept.
As he stood up to leave the spot where he was lying, Anori's hand suddenly grabbed his arm. Startled, Furan looked down and saw Anori holding his arm with her eyes closed, whether out of instinct or a feeling that she didn't want him to leave her alone.
"Don't... don't go... please don't leave me alone"
Anori murmured while still sleeping.
Furan decided to stay put until Anori woke up. Not long after, Anori stirred and opened her eyes to see Furan beside her, smiling while gently stroking her head.
"Good morning, Furan... yawn..." Anori greeted.
"Good morning, Anori... Did you sleep well?" Furan responded.
"Yes, I slept well. I felt safe and could sleep soundly being next to you"
Anori replied, rubbing her eyes.
"That's good. Now, where's the nearest town or village from here?" Furan asked.
"It's this way... to the town of NUFOG..." Anori said, pointing in the direction.
"Anori, do you want to come with me? Don't be afraid... now that you're with me... I need to find a way for us to earn some money so we can get a comfortable place to sleep and have good meals"
Furan coaxed, recalling that Anori said she didn't like towns.
"I... I... I do... I'll come with you" Anori said, though hesitantly, mustering the courage to go with Furan.
"Alright, let's go... but before that, let's gather some food for the journey"
Furan suggested. Since they had no money, he thought that even if they reached the town, they wouldn't be able to buy anything, so he took the initiative to prepare enough supplies for their journey.
UNEXPECTED LUCK
The two of them searched for food, gathering fruits, mushrooms, and plants that looked edible. Furan frequently asked Anori which ones were safe to eat, as he wasn't familiar with the forest and didn't want to pick anything poisonous. After some time, Furan's attention was caught by a peculiar-looking mushroom. It was red with golden rings on top, and its unique appearance drew him closer.
"That's strange... that mushroom looks weird. Hey, Anori... look at this... it's so unusual with its red color and golden patterns... hey, why are you standing behind me? Are you scared of this mushroom?"
Furan asked as he noticed Anori suddenly standing directly behind him.
"Anori touched it once and was sick for a day... Anori doesn't want to eat that... leave it... I don't want that mushroom"
Anori said, pulling on Furan's shirt.
Despite Anori's warning, Furan's curiosity got the better of him, and he reached out to touch the mushroom. Oddly, he didn't feel anything unusual but instead felt a sudden urge to eat it right away. Without thinking too much, Furan ate the mushroom. Suddenly, a screen appeared with an image of the red and gold-patterned mushroom he had just eaten.
"Ding!!!"
RED GOLDEN MUSHROOM
+Skill: God's Eye (S) (Explanation: An eye that can see everything, statuses, and even hidden skills, cannot be used on opponents significantly stronger)
+Permanent Luck +10 Single-use item that can only be used by the human race, using it with other races will have negative effects. The golden mushroom grows only once every ten thousand years.
"Yes! Fortune smiles on me... when else would I get a prize like this? Ha... ha... ha... ha!"
Furan exclaimed joyfully, laughing with excitement.
"Furan, why do you look so happy... are you alright... isn't your stomach hurting after eating that mushroom?"
Anori asked, puzzled.
"I'm perfectly fine, in fact, that mushroom gave me incredible benefits... haha... it makes sense that Anori got sick just from touching it... the mushroom can only be used by humans and would poison others" Furan explained.
After collecting enough food and medicinal plants, they set off toward the town.
"Anori, are you tired? Come, let me carry you"
Furan offered, noticing that they had been walking for an hour and Anori was barefoot.
"Anori isn't tired... Anori can walk by herself..." Anori replied.
"It's okay..... hop on my back... if I get tired, I'll let you know"
Furan insisted, determined to carry Anori, as her small legs meant she took three times as many steps as him.
After carrying Anori for nearly an hour, they finally emerged from the forest onto a public road frequently used by merchants and travelers. Coincidentally, they came across a carriage heading toward NUFOG. The carriage looked luxurious, and the driver seemed intimidating. Suddenly, the driver called out to Furan and Anori, seeing that they were headed in the same direction.
"Hey, you two, are you going to the town? Come on, hop in... I'm headed there too"
the merchant invited with a deep voice.
"Sorry... we don't have any money..." Furan politely declined.
"It's fine, just get on... maybe fate brought us together... haha... don't worry about the fare... hurry, get on, there's plenty of space"
he merchant said with a hearty laugh.
"Alright, if you insist... Anori, come on, let's go" Furan said, urging Anori to join him.
"Okay..." Anori agreed, following Furan.
"Hey, what's that you're carrying? Are those medicinal herbs?"
the merchant asked, eyeing the leaf-wrapped bundle Furan and Anori were holding.
"Yes, they're provisions for our journey, but it seems we won't need them as much now that you've offered us a ride... oh, by the way, would you like to take some of them for your stock? It's the least we could do for giving us a lift" Furan offered.
"You... you... oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself, call me Berto... and what are your names?" the merchant asked.
"My name is Furan, and this is Anori... feel free to take some of these herbs, Berto" Furan replied, offering the herbs again.
"You mentioned not having any money earlier, right? How about I buy all your herbs at the market rate... consider it helping out new friends. You'll need some money in the town" Berto said.
After sorting out what could be sold, Berto handed them 4 gold coins and 21 silver coins for the herbs and fruits that were not for sale. The remaining fruits and plants were kept by Furan and Anori for emergencies.
*Note: In general, 1 gold coin is equivalent to 100 silver coins, and 1 silver coin is equivalent to 100 copper coins. This world doesn't use regular paper money yet, transactions are done using coins or bartering goods of equal value.