It was an ordinary rainy afternoon in Tokyo. Kazuya Asano, your average high school senior, was huddled by the window of his cramped apartment, his eyes glued to the screen of his phone. He had been waiting for his online shopping order—a new gaming mouse—and he couldn't wait to unbox it. His usual afternoon routine: online shopping, procrastination, and ignoring his homework.
"I swear, this delivery is taking forever…" Kazuya muttered, staring at the screen. His delivery tracking app showed that the package was only a few blocks away.
The rain intensified, and the wind howled through the narrow streets. Sighing, Kazuya put his phone down and stared out at the gloomy sky. His thoughts wandered to what he could buy next—maybe a new headset? Or an electric toothbrush?
Suddenly, the sky lit up with a blinding flash, and an ear-splitting crash of thunder shook the whole building. Kazuya yelped, his heart racing in his chest. Before he could process what had happened, his body was jolted by an intense shock, like a bolt of electricity coursing through his veins.
The last thing he saw before everything went black was the image of his package sitting on the doorstep, perfectly fine despite the storm.
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The Awakening
Kazuya blinked, groggily coming to his senses. He was no longer in his apartment. Instead, he lay on the soft grass of a vast field, the sky overhead a deep, unnatural blue. Tall, strange trees surrounded him, and in the distance, a stone castle loomed.
"What… What the hell just happened?" Kazuya groaned, pushing himself up. He looked around, panicking for a moment, before realizing that he wasn't on Earth anymore.
"Okay, this is new."
His head was spinning, but he noticed something odd: a glowing, floating screen in front of him.
[Welcome to the world of Lioris. Congratulations, Kazuya Asano, for being selected as a System User!]
"What the heck is this? A system?" Kazuya muttered, tapping the screen. It displayed a series of options like a shopping interface, complete with categories for Weapons, Tools, Food, Furniture, and, amusingly, Luxury Items. He blinked at the items in the Luxury section—things like expensive suits, modern electronics, and even designer bags.
"Uh… What is this? Am I in some kind of game?"
As he browsed, a small shopping cart appeared at the top of the screen, followed by an unnerving message:
[In order to purchase any item, you must first acquire the necessary currency: Money.]
"Great. I'm in some weird fantasy world, and I can't even buy a pack of gum without money. Wait…" Kazuya thought, eyeing the Food section. There, a pack of instant ramen appeared. "I know this is just a system, but..." His stomach growled. "If I can get ramen… maybe I can survive."
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The First Problem: Earning Money
As Kazuya tried to wrap his head around what was happening, he realized the glaring issue: The system wasn't giving him money for free.
"Okay, okay… I can do this. I'll figure it out!" he exclaimed, raising his fist in determination, despite his confusion. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that in this medieval fantasy world, there was no Amazon Prime delivery service.
His first plan? Sell his phone!
But then Kazuya paused, staring at the system's Inventory section. He noticed that it had more than just basic items from his old world. Among the common goods like food and clothing, there were some strange items that seemed to radiate an odd energy. One item caught his eye: Portable Stove. It seemed familiar, like something he could use right now to cook his ramen.
But that wasn't the issue.
The issue was, he needed money to purchase it.
"I can't even buy my damn ramen!" Kazuya fumed, scratching his head. "What do I do now? How do I get money in this place? Are there even jobs here?"
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The Tease: The System's Emotional Moment
As Kazuya stood there pondering, a pop-up message appeared on the screen:
[System: "I recommend you seek out employment, User. But if you are feeling lazy, I suppose I could give you a small allowance. But... you seem the type to waste money on frivolous things, so it would be a waste."]
Kazuya blinked. "Did… did the system just insult me?"
Before he could respond, another message popped up, this time with a pouty emoticon:
[System: "I'm just trying to help you, but fine… You're on your own. Don't waste your precious currency. And by the way, ramen is a waste of money. But if you insist on buying it, I'm not stopping you."]
Kazuya stared at the screen. "You're—what?! You're telling me what I can and can't buy now?!" He laughed despite the situation. "So, this system can be bratty too. This is gonna be fun."
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The Comedic Solution: The First Job
Kazuya wandered through the town, passing people who eyed him curiously. After some searching, he found a job posting board in the town square. Most of the jobs were typical: gather herbs, hunt wild animals, or help with construction.
"Guess I'll start with something easy."
He picked up a request to gather medicinal herbs in a nearby forest. He barely knew what he was doing, but it would be a start.
Just as he was about to head off, he heard a familiar voice.
"Hey! You look like you've never done anything physical in your life. You're sure you're up for this?"
Kazuya turned to see a woman in warrior-like attire, her arms crossed.
"I can totally handle it," Kazuya said, puffing out his chest. "I'm just, uh, making sure I'm ready for a great adventure!"
The woman gave him a skeptical look. "Huh. If you say so. But don't come crying to me when you fail."
As Kazuya trudged into the forest, he found himself tripping over roots and getting stuck in mud—far from the heroic image he had in mind.
"Well, this is embarrassing," Kazuya mumbled, but as he reached the herbs and picked them, he realized that despite all his failures, he was doing something. He was earning the money that would let him buy his ramen... and maybe something useful later.
---
Ending the Chapter:
As Kazuya made his way back to town, his inventory screen flashed with an update:
[Purchase Successful: Instant Ramen x1]
He couldn't help but grin, holding the pack of ramen in his hands like it was some rare treasure.
"You've earned this, Kazuya Asano," he said, laughing. "And don't you dare judge me, System. This is going to be delicious!"
The system, of course, gave one final emotional response:
[System: "Fine, enjoy it. But if you end up addicted to ramen, I'm holding you accountable."]
Kazuya's chuckle echoed in the streets as he made his way to a nearby tavern to cook his first meal in his new world.
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End of Chapter 1.