I had money now. That was nice and all, but I basically had no idea how much exactly I had.
Given the rarity of the stuff I sold, I knew that it had to be a good amount. However, until I made some actual purchases, I wouldn't know.
Conveniently enough, I was right in the middle of a market.
"Hm… I should probably buy some food," I said as I examined a simple grocery store.
"Why? You don't have any stored?" Yang questioned almost immediately.
"I consumed whatever there was already."
"Either you had a pretty long journey before you got here, you're a glutton, or your storage is much more limited than I thought."
"Thanks for the analysis, Ms. Holmes."
"Who?"
I ignored her question as I entered the grocery store.
Well, this is a bit surprising.
Most of the products appeared to originate from a few different companies. Then again, it wasn't that much of a surprise, considering the state the world was in.
I heaved a sigh as I made my way over to an aisle dedicated to quick snacks. Luckily, there were price labels all over the items.
A small cake was priced at 6 Ker. All the others around it were basically priced similarly.
Now, can I judge the monetary value of Ker based on this stuff? Probably not, considering the state of this world. For all I know, the prices for anything edible have inflated.
I grabbed a few snacks, totaling 28 Ker, before making my way over to the cashier… or so I intended to, but there wasn't anyone there.
"Self-checkout, huh?" I said as I looked for the device I was somewhat familiar with from back on my Earth.
"What are you talking about? Just walk out."
Ah… so it was one of those, huh? A certain billionaire opened such a grocery store on my Earth as well, claiming that it was some high-tech stuff and the future of grocery stores. It turned out to be one huge lie though. For them to have the actual thing here…
I did as Yang told me to. The moment I stepped out of the store, my Moker dinged. Upon checking the screen, I saw that my balance had dropped by the appropriate amount.
Well, that's convenient.
Now, while I intended to get a basic grasp on how much Ker was worth through that simple shopping experience, I had some other motives as well.
One of them was becoming familiar with what was the norm in this world. After all, if I took out items produced by companies that weren't known by anyone, it would be more than a little suspicious in all sorts of ways.
My other motive was to see some new things that were non-existent on my Earth. Why? Well, to see if I could manifest them normally, or if there was some odd limitation to my powers preventing me from creating anything that wasn't related to my Earth one way or another.
"So," Yang suddenly spoke, dragging the word out, "do you have a place to stay in?"
"Not yet," I responded as I considered the notion of staying in a hotel.
"Then, how about you stay with us!?" Yang was quick to suggest, with great expectation apparent in her voice.
"Are you sure said place would fit me?" I joked.
"Yes! We're living with a friend. The house is hers."
"Uh… Then wouldn't she have the final say on whether I can stay over or not?"
"Don't worry about it, she'll be more than fine with it!"
On my other shoulder, I heard Yin utter, "Big Sis is right…"
Should I go for it? I don't exactly want to impose, but then again, the two are pretty fun companions.
Those were my initial thoughts. Simple and innocent. But then my true ones began to overwhelm me.
Can I trust them? Sleep so close to those I have only met so recently? They're practically strangers. Why are they even going this far for me? No one does anything without a purpose.
I contemplated for a relatively long while before eventually deciding to go along with it. Honestly, I was curious about this friend of theirs. Would she be a fairy as well or was she one of the other races?
"All right, sure," I said, earning a cheer from the duo. It was adorable, but it made the questions in my mind intensify even further.
"Where is this place of yours?"
"It's actually pretty close by, so we can walk there… if you're not feeling tired."
"I'll be fine. Tell me where to go."
And so, I spent the next fifteen or so minutes walking wherever I was directed to. Ultimately, I found myself standing in front of a goddamn villa.
"Say… is your friend someone rather prominent by any chance?"
"No? She does have a lot of Ker thanks to her business though."
"I see…"
Whatever business it was that she was running, it was apparently a lucrative one.
I proceeded to step through a gate that led to an exterior garden. Then, I made my way over to the door before ringing the bell.
After a short while, I heard a click before the door was opened. The sight that met my eyes was simply stunning.
An older woman, seemingly in her mid-thirties, stood before me, her golden eyes sweeping over me from head to toe. Naturally, I returned the gesture.
She was nearly as tall as I was, her figure strikingly curvy in a way that was hard to ignore. Her long, blonde hair cascaded down to her hips, each strand catching the light just enough to accentuate the stars that shimmered faintly in her pupils.
Her outfit was simple but elegant—a black skirt paired with snug leggings, complemented by a beige blouse that added a touch of softness to her.
"Welcome," she suddenly spoke as she smiled brightly.
I found myself unable to respond to her. For some reason, I was entranced with everything about her. Her face, her eyes, her body, her voice, her—
Something is wrong with me.
The moment I realized it, I shut my eyes and focused on recollecting myself.
Once I was sure I was back to normal, I reopened them, only to see a stunned look on the woman's face. Seems like she did something to me and I resisted it.
Now, on guard, I peered into her eyes as I directly questioned her, "What did you just do to me?"
Internally, I contemplated the notion of immediately blowing a hole through her head should she attempt something again. But then I felt something. Something I had never felt before. An emotion I was not sure of. It felt new, yet reminded me of what I felt not too long ago when I encountered the Demoness.
Is she a Nightmare?
That was the only question in my mind as the woman spoke again, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you or offend you. Please, come inside."
"Wow…" I could hear a small mutter on my right shoulder, "this is a first."
"Amazing," Yin spoke on my other shoulder.
Just what did I do for these two to be so amazed?