Chapter 90: Ch 90: A New Guest
It was often said that once an overworked office worker got a taste of coffee, there was no going back. Hence, it was not something Rin ever wanted to rely on.
However, the brown liquid before Rin was tempting him to drink it.
[(*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟ]
[Rookie, it’s time for you to see the light. Come, join your seniors and become one of Rum-coffee’s followers]
It was a dangerous substance, and Rin was underage. He should not even be thinking about touching this thing the system had given him.
But would the system give him something that could harm him?
’Should I trust the system?’
[✧｡٩(ˊᗜˋ )و✧*｡]
[Take it, Rookie. I know you want to enjoy the flavor as well.]
[Come, take it]
The longer Rin looked at the glass, the shinier it looked. There were even sparkles around the glass, urging Rin to take a sip of the Rum-coffee.
He was also tired enough to make stupid mistakes so it did not take him long to agree to give the coffee a try.
Rin brought the cup slowly to his lips and took a sip of the liquid. Energy immediately surged through his body and he felt awake.
[Special item consumed.]
[Stamina reduction decreased by 90%.]
[Energy levels increased by 20%]
[Your work speed will increase by 30%]
Rin immediately felt like a new person. Not only did the coffee taste delicious, but it also made him feel better. Rin needed more, but the small cup was empty before he realized it.
He immediately got to work and he finished making 30 potions before he knew it.
But Rin did not feel tired even after that. In fact, he felt like he could keep going and easily do ten times the work he had just done.
’This Rum-coffee...it’s dangerous and addictive. I should make sure not to get addicted. But maybe I should keep some of it in my supply...’
[(*｀∧´)]
[See, the system was right. Now do you believe the system? Ahhh, it’s running out of expressive usage for the month...]
[Anyway Rookie, did you like the Rum-coffee? Are you ready to join the club for like-minded Rum-coffee lovers?]
"Can I get more of it to store for later?"
Rin did not reply to the system and instead, asked his own question.
[Hey, slow down. Be careful not to get addicted to it, Rookie. Nothing good comes out of obsession and addiction...but perhaps it is too late to tell this to someone like you.]
"That feels offensive. But I will forgive you this time because you introduced me to something good. Now, to purchase more of this blend-"
[Sigh. You just never listen to this helpful system. But fine! This system will be the bigger person and tell you where you can find the Rum-coffee. It’s in the system’s employee tab.]
Rin immediately opened the tab and saw Rum-coffee. And there were a lot of it marked at a fairly cheap price.
It did not surprise Rin to see a lot of it had already been sold since the effect was so potent.
[Make sure to not take more than the recommended dose. And learn to pace yourself. It won’t be good for you to collapse before you are able to finish the system’s tasks.]
Rin nodded, feeling his mood lighten. He had never felt this good in his life.
In fact, he was so full of energy that he felt like he could do anything.
That day, Rin made over 120 potions and kept them all in his inventory. They would all come in handy in the future.
However, what Rin did not expect was just how quickly they could come in handy.
...
Dinner was a relatively calm time for the settlement Most people chose this time to relax and socialize. Rin also liked to observe his settlement during this time to see how he was progressing.
He was busy eating dinner when he heard a loud commotion outside. Collin stood up before Rin could and went to see what was happening.
"Young Master, please wait. I will go and check what is happening out there."
Collin walked outside and Rin waited five minutes for him to come back. When Collin came back, he was not alone. There was someone behind him, huffing and puffing, her head held high.
The stranger looked around until her eyes landed on Reina sitting beside Rin and she immediately walked toward her.
"Miss, I heard that you were the leader of this settlement. As such, I have a proposal for you. Would you like to hear me out? Preferably without these filthy men around us."
The unnamed woman immediately insulted over half the people in the camp, including Rin.
Rin immediately noticed unrest rising around him but he did not do anything for the time being and left the situation to Reina.
Reina did not disappoint him and defended the settlement and its people.
"I would be careful while choosing your words in front of me. These ’filthy men’ you speak of are companions of mine who helped me survive so far. Any further insult you make toward them will be considered as an insult to me as well."
Reina made this clear and the outsider flinched slightly before catching herself.
"I see. I apologize for my misconduct. I did not mean to offend you by saying all this."
The outsider apologized but it was clear to see that her heart was not in this apology. She only gave it because she believed that this was what Reina wanted to hear from her.
This outsider was annoying. But most importantly, she was someone who did not respect the people of this settlement. Her only goal was to make Reina talk to her regarding the thing that brought her here.
Rin could not allow Reina to be alone with someone like this. Who knew what kind of bullshit the outsider would sprout in front of her. Moreover, it was even harder to tell what she could do to Reina if they were left alone.
So, before Reina could be in danger, Rin decided to interfere.
"You want to be alone with Reina? I am afraid that won’t be possible. I will only allow you to talk to her if you agree to have me in the room as well."
The outsider’s mood instantly soured at Rin’s words and she let out a curse.
"You bastard! You can’t even allow her this much freedom? Do you think her life is a game you can control?"