Chapter 301: Wild Meat and Fire Wine
Old 5 raised his hand and called over one of the hall’s waitresses, ordering a generous portion of roasted meat and two jugs of wine. Alexander glanced toward the large windows, noticing that the morning light was touching the rooftops.
"Isn’t it a bit too early to be drinking?" Alexander asked, raising an eyebrow.
"In this world, drinking water is as scarce as you can’t even imagine," Old 5 answered, leaning his forearms on the wooden table. "Everyone drinks wine out of necessity, but it’s not regular Earth wine; this stuff is made from energy-infused wild grapes. You’ll understand what I mean in a second."
A few minutes later, the waitress returned carrying two huge wooden platters with juicy, steaming cuts of meat, along with the two jugs. The woman, a brown-haired fox girl with floppy ears, set the food down and leaned over the table, propping herself on her arms to show off her cleavage.
"If you boys need anything else... I could help you pay," the waitress said, winking at Alexander.
"You know the rate, bitch," Old 5 said coldly. "Pay the full amount or get lost."
The waitress huffed and straightened up. She tried the same thing every time, so Old 5’s blunt rejection didn’t seem to discourage her at all. Before walking away, she turned toward Alexander and flashed him a suggestive smile.
"If you ever feel like getting a blowjob, you can come find me anytime, handsome," the waitress said in a lazy voice. "I’ve got a real deep throat."
Alexander couldn’t help but let out a short laugh as he watched her walk away. It was a surreal experience to feel so harassed by a woman in broad daylight.
Both men picked up their utensils and began to eat. Taking the first bite of the juicy meat, Alexander felt an intense heat spread through his chest and flow down into his limbs. He took a gulp of the wine to wash down the food; the drink, icy and sweet, produced a vivid cooling sensation that balanced his body temperature. The combination was strange, but it felt amazingly good.
"This meal alone is the equivalent of taking a high-concentration TMC training serum," Old 5 commented while chewing. "In fact, the corporation’s serums are made from these exact fruits and creatures. I don’t know which ones they use because I’m no scientist and I couldn’t care less, but trust me: one month eating like this here, and when you go back to Earth you’ll be able to kick any regional manager’s ass without breaking a sweat."
Alexander nodded, taking in the nutritional and energetic value of the place.
"I see," Alexander said, wiping his lips with a cloth napkin. "By the way, is it difficult to activate the return portal?"
"Not at all," Old 5 answered, taking a long swig from his jug. "It just takes about a hundred gems to open the jump channel. And well, with that idol-looking face of yours, it’ll be ridiculously easy for you to get gems in this city. Why do you ask?"
"I have more friends coming over later," Alexander said. "I just came first to scout the place out and see what it’s like."
"No problem," Old 5 said, shrugging. "You can use the device whenever you want; after all, you have the gems and the rank."
Alexander thanked him for the information. A few minutes later, they finished eating, and he signaled the waitress to settle the bill. The total came to five energy crystals.
As he handed the stones over to the girl, Alexander paused to think about it for a second. Converted to traditional Earth currency, he had just paid the equivalent of a five-million-dollar breakfast. The sheer thought of the number felt surreal.
Both men stood up and began walking toward the hall’s exit. Alexander couldn’t help but look around with curiosity, drifting over to the central section where massive wooden bulletin boards covered in parchments stood tall. They were the quest boards. Everything felt strange yet fascinating; it was almost like living inside a video game. As a kid, he used to play tons of MMORPGs and loved them, but after losing his parents, he hadn’t touched one. Now, standing in front of this board, he felt like he was inside a fantasy story.
Alexander examined the notices closely: almost every request involved hunting monsters and bringing back specific body parts to prove the kill. Dozens of women moved in and out of the area, handing in reports or picking up new contracts. They wore reinforced leather armor or gleaming metal plates with a distinctly MMO aesthetic.
Noticing his clear interest, one of the guild’s supervisors stepped up to him with steady steps and a professional smile.
"Would you like to register as an adventurer, young man?" the woman greeted him, looking him up and down. "I can see the spirit of one in your eyes. I think you could accomplish great feats here; fame and fortune are waiting for you."
It sounded like a canned, rehearsed pitch, but it had Alexander was looking for. He could feel his hands itching with excitement. Fucking and getting crystals was a good way to gather resources, but depending on women for everything was not at all how he wanted to live in this new world. Heading out, fighting, and exploring the frozen lands sounded a thousand times better.
However, before Alexander could answer, Old 5 crossed his arms and let out a mocking laugh.
"You talking about money?" Old 5 said, looking at the supervisor arrogantly. "I make in a single night what you girls take an entire month to gather risking your necks out there."
The receptionist opened her mouth to reply, tempted to drop a scathing comment about making money selling one’s body, but she managed to check herself in time. Maintaining her composure, her face smoothed into an impeccably professional smile as she shifted her full attention back to Alexander.
"If you boys are interested in tasting a bit of real action out there, you can always give it a shot," the supervisor said in a slow, persuasive tone. "In fact, if you register today, the guild will grant you an awakening stone completely free of charge."
Even Old 5, who had been maintaining his arrogant stance, froze upon hearing the offer. His eyes widened in shock at the woman’s words, fully aware of the astronomical value and extreme rarity of such an item.