Chapter 2
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[Starting Synchronization]
[Progress: 1%]
A familiar young man was lying on a dark blue bed, which matches with the theme of the standard room. The room was well organized. A moderate-sized laptop was neatly placed at a dark blue desk. A small cabinet, filled with books of different size, was placed beside the desk.
The young man's body trembled, soaked in his own sweat. His face showed a pained expression.
At the next second, the young man opened his eyes abruptly. A sensation of a headache took over his head as he clenched it in pain. Fortunately, it only lasted for a short while.
The young man showed an expression of disbelief after the pain subsided. For him, the very sensation of pain was something unbelievable. He should have not been able to feel anything anymore.
'I'm… alive…?'
The man stared upon his own hands as he fell deep in his thoughts. His next action was to touch every part of his body, checking for something.
A large mirror, attached to a cupboard took his attention. There are some photos at the top corner of the mirror. It was a photo of a group of three.
The man in the middle was smiling inside the photo, holding the other two by their shoulders. He recognized the person inside the photo. It was a photo of himself, Sylvester Atkins.
For the information, he was one of the two at the side of the picture. The image of himself in the photo was trying hard to smile while posing with a 'V' sign.
The man in the middle was one of his best friend, Jess Lee. Lee seemed too happy in the picture. He gave a large smile as he closed his eyes.
A slender hand was resting on top of his black hair, forming a 'V' sign. This hand belonged to the only woman on the photo. She is Ishida Kana. She, too, is a best friend of Sylvester.
Kana had a natural smile on her face. The beautiful complexion of her face was complemented by her long black hair and a pair of brown, oval eyes. Her other hand, too, was forming a 'V' sign.
Sylvester retrieved the photo and stared at it for a period of time. His heart started to ache as a hint of tears appeared on his face. It has been a long time since he last met his two best friends.
Soon, he noticed the reflection of himself in the mirror. Sylvester saw himself. However, it was obvious that he was a lot younger than he remembered. There is a black, circular drawing on an area below his neck.
On a closer look, it was a tattoo of 12 orbs, forming another circle through its arrangements.
'What is this? Am I really back…?'
His appearance right now matched with his memory while he was still on Earth. A young man in his early twenties. A 21 years-old man, to be exact.
Even now, he could still remember his last day on Earth. It was at an intersection on his way home with his best friends.
The traffic light turned green, allowing the pedestrians to cross the street. However, Sylvester didn't manage to do so.
A bright light appeared beneath his feet in a circular form. Sylvester covered his eyes in surprise. He could hear Lee and Kana's scream, calling out to him. The next moment, everything fell silent and he found himself in the middle of a huge room, stared by a great number of people.
Sylvester even remembered the date of the incident. It was the 24th December on the year of 2021. A day before Christmas, the Christmas Eve.
His abrupt return made him doubt the realism of the matter altogether. A sound came from outside the closed door. It was a metallic sound, most likely caused by the clash of utensils.
The sound caused Sylvester's heart to skip a beat. As far as he knew, there is only one individual living inside the same house as him. Judging by the familiar room, it was indeed the house he grew up in.
Sylvester approached the origin of the sound, opening the door slightly. Expectation grew inside his heart.
His room was located near the dining room and kitchen.
A slim figure with her back faced against Sylvester stood at the kitchen, moving her hands occasionally to flip something on the pan in her hands. The figure was wearing a white shirt, like the one used by a typical office worker, black long jeans and an apron.
The sound of a door opening caused her to turned backward, revealing her light blue eyes, complemented by her beautiful complexion. The blonde hair was mixed into the equation, further increasing the woman's beauty.
"You're up? Come, eat some breakfast."
Sylvester didn't respond. He was stunned to see his Sister, Ethel Atkins, acting completely normal as if everything he experienced in Aestes was a dream. Soon, he smiled and took a seat at the dining table.
"Here, I will be going first."
A plate of bacon and egg was served in front of Sylvester. The unique smell of the food managed to excite Sylvester's palate.
"Sis, where are you going?"
"Work, of course."
Ethel shook her head in confusion as she took off the apron she was wearing.
"Jake. I understand that you are young and likes to drink. But, next time don't go overboard, okay? I'm going."
Sylvester doesn't understand what Ethel meant by that. He could only watch her disappearing figure from afar.
Jake was Sylvester's real name from Earth. 'Sylvester' was a name he came up with when he was granted the title of a noble in Aestes.
During the meal, Jake tried to regain his common sense from Earth, reorganizing his thoughts. He remembered that he was a college student at Tokyo University and is currently in the holiday season. There is nothing for him to do except sleeping and eating.
A moment of silence was all he needed to go deep into his thoughts.
His death scene was replayed inside his head. The last sentence and promise he made with Natalia were recalled into his head. He blushed, slightly.
An hour was spent by Jake to reorganize his thoughts. Fortunately, there was no one else beside him inside the house.
Jake and Ethel have been living together for the past 5 years by relying on each other. Well… it would be correct to say that Ethel took care of him.
Their parents were divorced. Jake's father was intoxicated by another woman and left the family of three. It happened when Jake was just born.
Jake's mother was forced to take care of the two kids all by herself. Fortunately, she didn't abandon the siblings and gave her all in raising them. However, she gradually weakened and fell sick before dying.
The responsibility was given to Ethel, who was the eldest one in the family.
Since the day has just begun, Jake decided to sit down at the living room and watch TV.
'It has been a long time….'
Jake pressed the only red button on the remote. A small 'click' sound was produced and the TV turned bright.
Coincidentally, the channel was set into a news program. The content of the news caused Jake to stood up in surprise.
A female reporter was walking in a forested area. Her destination was an area nearby. There are five persons waiting at the entrance of a cave. Their appearance was especially eye-catching for Jake.
The party was wearing a familiar clothing. It was similar to what the people in Aestes wore. The man at the front was wearing a full plate armor, its surface was covered with a weird glitter. The others, too, wore clothing with a similar theme with the man.
The female reporter walked up to the man.
"Good morning, Mr. Kramer. It seems that you have done a great preparation for today's dungeon challenge."
"Haha, of course. Today, my party and I will definitely succeed in conquering this dungeon. The casualties this dungeon took was too much for humanity to bear. We shall bring this disaster to an end."
Jake had his mouth opened the entire time.
Dungeon…
Fantasy-like clothing…
"This…"
[Syncronization completed…]
[Progress: 100%]
[Rebooting system…]
A series of mechanical voice rang inside Jake's head.
Jake's consciousness began to fade as his body turned limp, lying on the couch. The conversation between the female reporter and the man, who was referred to as 'Kramer', continued.
*
Jake woke up in a completely white world. The emptiness of the world seems to have no boundaries, stretching as far as one could see.
The foreign surrounding cause Jake to be on guard. Out of reflex, Jake started to circulate his mana throughout his body, forming a thin layer of protection.
A thin, blue light flickered before dimming down, assimilating with Jake's skin. This was the moment Jake realized the existence of mana on Earth. He was flabbergasted but didn't let his guard down.
[Welcome to the Time Chamber, Sylvester Atkins. Due to certain reasons, you have been selected to inherit a certain system.]
[Initiating Tutorial…]
The familiar mechanical voice rang out throughout the room, but in reality, it was only inside Jake's head. He recognized this voice as the one he heard before losing his consciousness.
A hologram-like screen appeared in front of Jake.
==
~Status~
Sylvester Atkins
Age: 20
Job: Shopmaster
Mana: 100/100
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 6
Constitution: 4
Perception: 8
Magic: 4
Free Attributes Point: 0
==
This hologram was not something foreign to him but came as a surprise. In Aestes, it was his daily routine to view it at least once. The only difference was the name of his 'job'.
"Shopmaster?"
[Shopmaster is a unique job granted to you by the system. The system has analyzed your memory and chosen the buried wish inside your heart. Thus, manifesting this unique job.]
[There is only one goal for your job. It was to become the greatest Shopowner the world will ever see. The system will support you on your conquest.]
An image was transferred into Jake's mind. He was inside a man's body. The man was standing in front of an enormous building, smiling in satisfaction.
The wall of the building was made out of glass, enabling him to see the interior of the building. A great variety of items was arranged with great considerations. The building was packed with customers, checking out the items on display.
The image was cut short and Jake's view was back to the empty world.
[That will be your future.]
[The system will provide the basic skills for your development]
==
Skills:
Alchemy [1]
Cooking [1]
Forging [1]
Tailoring [1]
Free Skill Points: 0
==
Another hologram-like list appeared, followed by a series of information, cramped into Jake's head. It contained an index of skills, arranged alphabetically. Out of curiosity, Jake tapped on the uppermost skill.
=Alchemy [1]=
Grants the user a basic knowledge of alchemy materials and the concoction process.
[You should have known the method to operate the 'Status Window']
Jake nodded his head in affirmation. He was finally able to relax after sensing the lack of threat.
[Next. There will be missions issued by the system to guide you in your journey. Click on the mission bar to check your ongoing mission.]
Jake did as suggested.
==
Mission:
Starting Out
==
A mission was listed under the tab. A specification of the mission was given after a small tap by Jake's finger.
=Starting Out=
Own an open lot
Duration: 1 Month
Reward: (Skill) Sword Mastery
Jake's eyes turned circular when his eyes fell on the reward section. It was actually this skill. This skill grants the user a boost in learning any sword related skills. In other words, it increased one's talent in the sword.
"It must be some kind of destiny."
A smirk appeared on Jake's face. This skill was his bread and butter back in Aestes. The extraordinary learning speed he showed was all thanks to this specific skill. However, a question soon emerged. Why would the system reward him a combat-specific skill for a shopkeeper?
[The system won't allow a Shopmaster to be weak. Strength is required to protect your business]
The system seemed to be able to read Jake's mind as it cleared Jake's doubt with the explanation.
[Next. Free Attributes Points and Skill Points are the additional methods provided by the system to increase your stats and skill level. The conventional method, too, will accomplish a similar result.]
Jake couldn't help but feel surprised at the great boon. Normally, the attributes and skill mentioned could only be increased through constant training. An increase by allocating a point was only available in games. However, he managed to obtain the privilege for it.
"How do I get those points?"
[Missions and Conversion. The system is able to convert monster cores into attributes point.]
[Let's begin the production tutorial.]
The entire world lost its light. It was too abrupt for Jake as he got into a defensive position. Fortunately, the lights came back on after a few seconds.
The previous empty world was now filled with a variety of equipment. Thanks to his production skills, Jake could recognize each equipment to be the one required by the skills.
The equipment was placed in a circular manner. A rectangular pillar stood at the center. Mirrors of similar size and shape were installed on each side of the pillar.
Jake stood directly in front of one of the mirror.
[This will be your training place. But first, try to tap on the mirror behind you.]
A hologram-like object appeared as Jake did as instructed.
==
Store:
[Recipe]
[Material]
==
[Try to operate it]
Jake nodded his head. He, too, was curious about the list. The curiosity soon turned into a pleasant shock. Inside the category, there are a huge variety of recipes, from a weapon blueprint to food recipes. It was the core aspect to produce a product.
The only downside to the recipes is the fact that they're not free. The cheapest recipes were priced at $50. It was the recipe for cooking an egg-based food, the Fluffy Omelets.
The price for weapon, armor, and other blueprints were priced even higher. A standard novice sword was priced at $100.
Jake has no way to afford any of the items listed inside the catalog. However, he still skimmed through the list and found something unbelievable. It was the blueprint for a familiar item, 'Requiem'.
Requiem was the legendary-grade sword Jake wielded in Aestes. Its blade was sharp enough to cut through a 200-m mountain in half. Naturally, the price, too, was astronomical. Jake has no way to afford it for now. However, he held great desire to purchase the recipe in the future.
[The Time Chamber's law of time differs from the outside world. It has the power to freeze time. An eternity here will be equivalent to 8 hours in real life. Once entering, you will be able to exit whenever you want.]
[That concludes the tutorial]
[Exiting Time Chamber…]
The system didn't wait for Jake's agreement and cut its connection. A familiar sensation ran throughout Jake's body. His eyes felt heavy as he lost his consciousness.
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[Starting Synchronization]
[Progress: 1%]
A familiar young man was lying on a dark blue bed, which matches with the theme of the standard room. The room was well organized. A moderate-sized laptop was neatly placed at a dark blue desk. A small cabinet, filled with books of different size, was placed beside the desk.
The young man's body trembled, soaked in his own sweat. His face showed a pained expression.
At the next second, the young man opened his eyes abruptly. A sensation of a headache took over his head as he clenched it in pain. Fortunately, it only lasted for a short while.
The young man showed an expression of disbelief after the pain subsided. For him, the very sensation of pain was something unbelievable. He should have not been able to feel anything anymore.
'I'm… alive…?'
The man stared upon his own hands as he fell deep in his thoughts. His next action was to touch every part of his body, checking for something.
A large mirror, attached to a cupboard took his attention. There are some photos at the top corner of the mirror. It was a photo of a group of three.
The man in the middle was smiling inside the photo, holding the other two by their shoulders. He recognized the person inside the photo. It was a photo of himself, Sylvester Atkins.
For the information, he was one of the two at the side of the picture. The image of himself in the photo was trying hard to smile while posing with a 'V' sign.
The man in the middle was one of his best friend, Jess Lee. Lee seemed too happy in the picture. He gave a large smile as he closed his eyes.
A slender hand was resting on top of his black hair, forming a 'V' sign. This hand belonged to the only woman on the photo. She is Ishida Kana. She, too, is a best friend of Sylvester.
Kana had a natural smile on her face. The beautiful complexion of her face was complemented by her long black hair and a pair of brown, oval eyes. Her other hand, too, was forming a 'V' sign.
Sylvester retrieved the photo and stared at it for a period of time. His heart started to ache as a hint of tears appeared on his face. It has been a long time since he last met his two best friends.
Soon, he noticed the reflection of himself in the mirror. Sylvester saw himself. However, it was obvious that he was a lot younger than he remembered. There is a black, circular drawing on an area below his neck.
On a closer look, it was a tattoo of 12 orbs, forming another circle through its arrangements.
'What is this? Am I really back…?'
His appearance right now matched with his memory while he was still on Earth. A young man in his early twenties. A 21 years-old man, to be exact.
Even now, he could still remember his last day on Earth. It was at an intersection on his way home with his best friends.
The traffic light turned green, allowing the pedestrians to cross the street. However, Sylvester didn't manage to do so.
A bright light appeared beneath his feet in a circular form. Sylvester covered his eyes in surprise. He could hear Lee and Kana's scream, calling out to him. The next moment, everything fell silent and he found himself in the middle of a huge room, stared by a great number of people.
Sylvester even remembered the date of the incident. It was the 24th December on the year of 2021. A day before Christmas, the Christmas Eve.
His abrupt return made him doubt the realism of the matter altogether. A sound came from outside the closed door. It was a metallic sound, most likely caused by the clash of utensils.
The sound caused Sylvester's heart to skip a beat. As far as he knew, there is only one individual living inside the same house as him. Judging by the familiar room, it was indeed the house he grew up in.
Sylvester approached the origin of the sound, opening the door slightly. Expectation grew inside his heart.
His room was located near the dining room and kitchen.
A slim figure with her back faced against Sylvester stood at the kitchen, moving her hands occasionally to flip something on the pan in her hands. The figure was wearing a white shirt, like the one used by a typical office worker, black long jeans and an apron.
The sound of a door opening caused her to turned backward, revealing her light blue eyes, complemented by her beautiful complexion. The blonde hair was mixed into the equation, further increasing the woman's beauty.
"You're up? Come, eat some breakfast."
Sylvester didn't respond. He was stunned to see his Sister, Ethel Atkins, acting completely normal as if everything he experienced in Aestes was a dream. Soon, he smiled and took a seat at the dining table.
"Here, I will be going first."
A plate of bacon and egg was served in front of Sylvester. The unique smell of the food managed to excite Sylvester's palate.
"Sis, where are you going?"
"Work, of course."
Ethel shook her head in confusion as she took off the apron she was wearing.
"Jake. I understand that you are young and likes to drink. But, next time don't go overboard, okay? I'm going."
Sylvester doesn't understand what Ethel meant by that. He could only watch her disappearing figure from afar.
Jake was Sylvester's real name from Earth. 'Sylvester' was a name he came up with when he was granted the title of a noble in Aestes.
During the meal, Jake tried to regain his common sense from Earth, reorganizing his thoughts. He remembered that he was a college student at Tokyo University and is currently in the holiday season. There is nothing for him to do except sleeping and eating.
A moment of silence was all he needed to go deep into his thoughts.
His death scene was replayed inside his head. The last sentence and promise he made with Natalia were recalled into his head. He blushed, slightly.
An hour was spent by Jake to reorganize his thoughts. Fortunately, there was no one else beside him inside the house.
Jake and Ethel have been living together for the past 5 years by relying on each other. Well… it would be correct to say that Ethel took care of him.
Their parents were divorced. Jake's father was intoxicated by another woman and left the family of three. It happened when Jake was just born.
Jake's mother was forced to take care of the two kids all by herself. Fortunately, she didn't abandon the siblings and gave her all in raising them. However, she gradually weakened and fell sick before dying.
The responsibility was given to Ethel, who was the eldest one in the family.
Since the day has just begun, Jake decided to sit down at the living room and watch TV.
'It has been a long time….'
Jake pressed the only red button on the remote. A small 'click' sound was produced and the TV turned bright.
Coincidentally, the channel was set into a news program. The content of the news caused Jake to stood up in surprise.
A female reporter was walking in a forested area. Her destination was an area nearby. There are five persons waiting at the entrance of a cave. Their appearance was especially eye-catching for Jake.
The party was wearing a familiar clothing. It was similar to what the people in Aestes wore. The man at the front was wearing a full plate armor, its surface was covered with a weird glitter. The others, too, wore clothing with a similar theme with the man.
The female reporter walked up to the man.
"Good morning, Mr. Kramer. It seems that you have done a great preparation for today's dungeon challenge."
"Haha, of course. Today, my party and I will definitely succeed in conquering this dungeon. The casualties this dungeon took was too much for humanity to bear. We shall bring this disaster to an end."
Jake had his mouth opened the entire time.
Dungeon…
Fantasy-like clothing…
"This…"
[Syncronization completed…]
[Progress: 100%]
[Rebooting system…]
A series of mechanical voice rang inside Jake's head.
Jake's consciousness began to fade as his body turned limp, lying on the couch. The conversation between the female reporter and the man, who was referred to as 'Kramer', continued.
*
Jake woke up in a completely white world. The emptiness of the world seems to have no boundaries, stretching as far as one could see.
The foreign surrounding cause Jake to be on guard. Out of reflex, Jake started to circulate his mana throughout his body, forming a thin layer of protection.
A thin, blue light flickered before dimming down, assimilating with Jake's skin. This was the moment Jake realized the existence of mana on Earth. He was flabbergasted but didn't let his guard down.
[Welcome to the Time Chamber, Sylvester Atkins. Due to certain reasons, you have been selected to inherit a certain system.]
[Initiating Tutorial…]
The familiar mechanical voice rang out throughout the room, but in reality, it was only inside Jake's head. He recognized this voice as the one he heard before losing his consciousness.
A hologram-like screen appeared in front of Jake.
==
~Status~
Sylvester Atkins
Age: 20
Job: Shopmaster
Mana: 100/100
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 6
Constitution: 4
Perception: 8
Magic: 4
Free Attributes Point: 0
==
This hologram was not something foreign to him but came as a surprise. In Aestes, it was his daily routine to view it at least once. The only difference was the name of his 'job'.
"Shopmaster?"
[Shopmaster is a unique job granted to you by the system. The system has analyzed your memory and chosen the buried wish inside your heart. Thus, manifesting this unique job.]
[There is only one goal for your job. It was to become the greatest Shopowner the world will ever see. The system will support you on your conquest.]
An image was transferred into Jake's mind. He was inside a man's body. The man was standing in front of an enormous building, smiling in satisfaction.
The wall of the building was made out of glass, enabling him to see the interior of the building. A great variety of items was arranged with great considerations. The building was packed with customers, checking out the items on display.
The image was cut short and Jake's view was back to the empty world.
[That will be your future.]
[The system will provide the basic skills for your development]
==
Skills:
Alchemy [1]
Cooking [1]
Forging [1]
Tailoring [1]
Free Skill Points: 0
==
Another hologram-like list appeared, followed by a series of information, cramped into Jake's head. It contained an index of skills, arranged alphabetically. Out of curiosity, Jake tapped on the uppermost skill.
=Alchemy [1]=
Grants the user a basic knowledge of alchemy materials and the concoction process.
[You should have known the method to operate the 'Status Window']
Jake nodded his head in affirmation. He was finally able to relax after sensing the lack of threat.
[Next. There will be missions issued by the system to guide you in your journey. Click on the mission bar to check your ongoing mission.]
Jake did as suggested.
==
Mission:
Starting Out
==
A mission was listed under the tab. A specification of the mission was given after a small tap by Jake's finger.
=Starting Out=
Own an open lot
Duration: 1 Month
Reward: (Skill) Sword Mastery
Jake's eyes turned circular when his eyes fell on the reward section. It was actually this skill. This skill grants the user a boost in learning any sword related skills. In other words, it increased one's talent in the sword.
"It must be some kind of destiny."
A smirk appeared on Jake's face. This skill was his bread and butter back in Aestes. The extraordinary learning speed he showed was all thanks to this specific skill. However, a question soon emerged. Why would the system reward him a combat-specific skill for a shopkeeper?
[The system won't allow a Shopmaster to be weak. Strength is required to protect your business]
The system seemed to be able to read Jake's mind as it cleared Jake's doubt with the explanation.
[Next. Free Attributes Points and Skill Points are the additional methods provided by the system to increase your stats and skill level. The conventional method, too, will accomplish a similar result.]
Jake couldn't help but feel surprised at the great boon. Normally, the attributes and skill mentioned could only be increased through constant training. An increase by allocating a point was only available in games. However, he managed to obtain the privilege for it.
"How do I get those points?"
[Missions and Conversion. The system is able to convert monster cores into attributes point.]
[Let's begin the production tutorial.]
The entire world lost its light. It was too abrupt for Jake as he got into a defensive position. Fortunately, the lights came back on after a few seconds.
The previous empty world was now filled with a variety of equipment. Thanks to his production skills, Jake could recognize each equipment to be the one required by the skills.
The equipment was placed in a circular manner. A rectangular pillar stood at the center. Mirrors of similar size and shape were installed on each side of the pillar.
Jake stood directly in front of one of the mirror.
[This will be your training place. But first, try to tap on the mirror behind you.]
A hologram-like object appeared as Jake did as instructed.
==
Store:
[Recipe]
[Material]
==
[Try to operate it]
Jake nodded his head. He, too, was curious about the list. The curiosity soon turned into a pleasant shock. Inside the category, there are a huge variety of recipes, from a weapon blueprint to food recipes. It was the core aspect to produce a product.
The only downside to the recipes is the fact that they're not free. The cheapest recipes were priced at $50. It was the recipe for cooking an egg-based food, the Fluffy Omelets.
The price for weapon, armor, and other blueprints were priced even higher. A standard novice sword was priced at $100.
Jake has no way to afford any of the items listed inside the catalog. However, he still skimmed through the list and found something unbelievable. It was the blueprint for a familiar item, 'Requiem'.
Requiem was the legendary-grade sword Jake wielded in Aestes. Its blade was sharp enough to cut through a 200-m mountain in half. Naturally, the price, too, was astronomical. Jake has no way to afford it for now. However, he held great desire to purchase the recipe in the future.
[The Time Chamber's law of time differs from the outside world. It has the power to freeze time. An eternity here will be equivalent to 8 hours in real life. Once entering, you will be able to exit whenever you want.]
[That concludes the tutorial]
[Exiting Time Chamber…]
The system didn't wait for Jake's agreement and cut its connection. A familiar sensation ran throughout Jake's body. His eyes felt heavy as he lost his consciousness.
Starting SynchronizationProgress: 1%A familiar young man was lying on a dark blue bed, which matches with the theme of the standard room. The room was well organized. A moderate-sized laptop was neatly placed at a dark blue desk. A small cabinet, filled with books of different size, was placed beside the desk.The young man's body trembled, soaked in his own sweat. His face showed a pained expression.At the next second, the young man opened his eyes abruptly. A sensation of a headache took over his head as he clenched it in pain. Fortunately, it only lasted for a short while.The young man showed an expression of disbelief after the pain subsided. For him, the very sensation of pain was something unbelievable. He should have not been able to feel anything anymore.'I'm alive?'The man stared upon his own hands as he fell deep in his thoughts. His next action was to touch every part of his body, checking for something.A large mirror, attached to a cupboard took his attention. There are some photos at the top corner of the mirror. It was a photo of a group of three.The man in the middle was smiling inside the photo, holding the other two by their shoulders. He recognized the person inside the photo. It was a photo of himself, Sylvester Atkins.For the information, he was one of the two at the side of the picture. The image of himself in the photo was trying hard to smile while posing with a 'V' sign.The man in the middle was one of his best friend, Jess Lee. Lee seemed too happy in the picture. He gave a large smile as he closed his eyes.A slender hand was resting on top of his black hair, forming a 'V' sign. This hand belonged to the only woman on the photo. She is Ishida Kana. She, too, is a best friend of Sylvester.Kana had a natural smile on her face. The beautiful complexion of her face was complemented by her long black hair and a pair of brown, oval eyes. Her other hand, too, was forming a 'V' sign.Sylvester retrieved the photo and stared at it for a period of time. His heart started to ache as a hint of tears appeared on his face. It has been a long time since he last met his two best friends.Soon, he noticed the reflection of himself in the mirror. Sylvester saw himself. However, it was obvious that he was a lot younger than he remembered. There is a black, circular drawing on an area below his neck.On a closer look, it was a tattoo of 12 orbs, forming another circle through its arrangements.'What is this? Am I really back?'His appearance right now matched with his memory while he was still on Earth. A young man in his early twenties. A 21 years-old man, to be exact.Even now, he could still remember his last day on Earth. It was at an intersection on his way home with his best friends.The traffic light turned green, allowing the pedestrians to cross the street. However, Sylvester didn't manage to do so.A bright light appeared beneath his feet in a circular form. Sylvester covered his eyes in surprise. He could hear Lee and Kana's scream, calling out to him. The next moment, everything fell silent and he found himself in the middle of a huge room, stared by a great number of people.Sylvester even remembered the date of the incident. It was the 24th December on the year of 2021. A day before Christmas, the Christmas Eve.His abrupt return made him doubt the realism of the matter altogether. A sound came from outside the closed door. It was a metallic sound, most likely caused by the clash of utensils.The sound caused Sylvester's heart to skip a beat. As far as he knew, there is only one individual living inside the same house as him. Judging by the familiar room, it was indeed the house he grew up in.Sylvester approached the origin of the sound, opening the door slightly. Expectation grew inside his heart.His room was located near the dining room and kitchen.A slim figure with her back faced against Sylvester stood at the kitchen, moving her hands occasionally to flip something on the pan in her hands. The figure was wearing a white shirt, like the one used by a typical office worker, black long jeans and an apron.The sound of a door opening caused her to turned backward, revealing her light blue eyes, complemented by her beautiful complexion. The blonde hair was mixed into the equation, further increasing the woman's beauty."You're up? Come, eat some breakfast."Sylvester didn't respond. He was stunned to see his Sister, Ethel Atkins, acting completely normal as if everything he experienced in Aestes was a dream. Soon, he smiled and took a seat at the dining table."Here, I will be going first."A plate of bacon and egg was served in front of Sylvester. The unique smell of the food managed to excite Sylvester's palate."Sis, where are you going?""Work, of course."Ethel shook her head in confusion as she took off the apron she was wearing."Jake. I understand that you are young and likes to drink. But, next time don't go overboard, okay? I'm going."Sylvester doesn't understand what Ethel meant by that. He could only watch her disappearing figure from afar.Jake was Sylvester's real name from Earth. 'Sylvester' was a name he came up with when he was granted the title of a noble in Aestes.During the meal, Jake tried to regain his common sense from Earth, reorganizing his thoughts. He remembered that he was a college student at Tokyo University and is currently in the holiday season. There is nothing for him to do except sleeping and eating.A moment of silence was all he needed to go deep into his thoughts.His death scene was replayed inside his head. The last sentence and promise he made with Natalia were recalled into his head. He blushed, slightly.An hour was spent by Jake to reorganize his thoughts. Fortunately, there was no one else beside him inside the house.Jake and Ethel have been living together for the past 5 years by relying on each other. Well it would be correct to say that Ethel took care of him.Their parents were divorced. Jake's father was intoxicated by another woman and left the family of three. It happened when Jake was just born.Jake's mother was forced to take care of the two kids all by herself. Fortunately, she didn't abandon the siblings and gave her all in raising them. However, she gradually weakened and fell sick before dying.The responsibility was given to Ethel, who was the eldest one in the family.Since the day has just begun, Jake decided to sit down at the living room and watch TV.'It has been a long time.'Jake pressed the only red button on the remote. A small 'click' sound was produced and the TV turned bright.Coincidentally, the channel was set into a news program. The content of the news caused Jake to stood up in surprise.A female reporter was walking in a forested area. Her destination was an area nearby. There are five persons waiting at the entrance of a cave. Their appearance was especially eye-catching for Jake.The party was wearing a familiar clothing. It was similar to what the people in Aestes wore. The man at the front was wearing a full plate armor, its surface was covered with a weird glitter. The others, too, wore clothing with a similar theme with the man.The female reporter walked up to the man."Good morning, Mr. Kramer. It seems that you have done a great preparation for today's dungeon challenge.""Haha, of course. Today, my party and I will definitely succeed in conquering this dungeon. The casualties this dungeon took was too much for humanity to bear. We shall bring this disaster to an end."Jake had his mouth opened the entire time.DungeonFantasy-like clothing"This"Syncronization completedProgress: 100%Rebooting systemA series of mechanical voice rang inside Jake's head.Jake's consciousness began to fade as his body turned limp, lying on the couch. The conversation between the female reporter and the man, who was referred to as 'Kramer', continued.*Jake woke up in a completely white world. The emptiness of the world seems to have no boundaries, stretching as far as one could see.The foreign surrounding cause Jake to be on guard. Out of reflex, Jake started to circulate his mana throughout his body, forming a thin layer of protection.A thin, blue light flickered before dimming down, assimilating with Jake's skin. This was the moment Jake realized the existence of mana on Earth. He was flabbergasted but didn't let his guard down.Welcome to the Time Chamber, Sylvester Atkins. Due to certain reasons, you have been selected to inherit a certain system.Initiating TutorialThe familiar mechanical voice rang out throughout the room, but in reality, it was only inside Jake's head. He recognized this voice as the one he heard before losing his consciousness.A hologram-like screen appeared in front of Jake.==~Status~Sylvester AtkinsAge: 20Job: ShopmasterMana: 100/100Strength: 4Dexterity: 6Constitution: 4Perception: 8Magic: 4Free Attributes Point: 0==This hologram was not something foreign to him but came as a surprise. In Aestes, it was his daily routine to view it at least once. The only difference was the name of his 'job'."Shopmaster?"Shopmaster is a unique job granted to you by the system. The system has analyzed your memory and chosen the buried wish inside your heart. Thus, manifesting this unique job.There is only one goal for your job. It was to become the greatest Shopowner the world will ever see. The system will support you on your conquest.An image was transferred into Jake's mind. He was inside a man's body. The man was standing in front of an enormous building, smiling in satisfaction.The wall of the building was made out of glass, enabling him to see the interior of the building. A great variety of items was arranged with great considerations. The building was packed with customers, checking out the items on display.The image was cut short and Jake's view was back to the empty world.That will be your future.The system will provide the basic skills for your development==Skills:Alchemy 1Cooking 1Forging 1Tailoring 1Free Skill Points: 0==Another hologram-like list appeared, followed by a series of information, cramped into Jake's head. It contained an index of skills, arranged alphabetically. Out of curiosity, Jake tapped on the uppermost skill.=Alchemy 1=Grants the user a basic knowledge of alchemy materials and the concoction process.You should have known the method to operate the 'Status Window'Jake nodded his head in affirmation. He was finally able to relax after sensing the lack of threat.Next. There will be missions issued by the system to guide you in your journey. Click on the mission bar to check your ongoing mission.Jake did as suggested.==Mission:Starting Out==A mission was listed under the tab. A specification of the mission was given after a small tap by Jake's finger.=Starting Out=Own an open lotDuration: 1 MonthReward: Skill Sword MasteryJake's eyes turned circular when his eyes fell on the reward section. It was actually this skill. This skill grants the user a boost in learning any sword related skills. In other words, it increased one's talent in the sword."It must be some kind of destiny."A smirk appeared on Jake's face. This skill was his bread and butter back in Aestes. The extraordinary learning speed he showed was all thanks to this specific skill. However, a question soon emerged. Why would the system reward him a combat-specific skill for a shopkeeper?The system won't allow a Shopmaster to be weak. Strength is required to protect your businessThe system seemed to be able to read Jake's mind as it cleared Jake's doubt with the explanation.Next. Free Attributes Points and Skill Points are the additional methods provided by the system to increase your stats and skill level. The conventional method, too, will accomplish a similar result.Jake couldn't help but feel surprised at the great boon. Normally, the attributes and skill mentioned could only be increased through constant training. An increase by allocating a point was only available in games. However, he managed to obtain the privilege for it."How do I get those points?"Missions and Conversion. The system is able to convert monster cores into attributes point.Let's begin the production tutorial.The entire world lost its light. It was too abrupt for Jake as he got into a defensive position. Fortunately, the lights came back on after a few seconds.The previous empty world was now filled with a variety of equipment. Thanks to his production skills, Jake could recognize each equipment to be the one required by the skills.The equipment was placed in a circular manner. A rectangular pillar stood at the center. Mirrors of similar size and shape were installed on each side of the pillar.Jake stood directly in front of one of the mirror.This will be your training place. But first, try to tap on the mirror behind you.A hologram-like object appeared as Jake did as instructed.==Store:RecipeMaterial==Try to operate itJake nodded his head. He, too, was curious about the list. The curiosity soon turned into a pleasant shock. Inside the category, there are a huge variety of recipes, from a weapon blueprint to food recipes. It was the core aspect to produce a product.The only downside to the recipes is the fact that they're not free. The cheapest recipes were priced at $50. It was the recipe for cooking an egg-based food, the Fluffy Omelets.The price for weapon, armor, and other blueprints were priced even higher. A standard novice sword was priced at $100.Jake has no way to afford any of the items listed inside the catalog. However, he still skimmed through the list and found something unbelievable. It was the blueprint for a familiar item, 'Requiem'.Requiem was the legendary-grade sword Jake wielded in Aestes. Its blade was sharp enough to cut through a 200-m mountain in half. Naturally, the price, too, was astronomical. Jake has no way to afford it for now. However, he held great desire to purchase the recipe in the future.The Time Chamber's law of time differs from the outside world. It has the power to freeze time. An eternity here will be equivalent to 8 hours in real life. Once entering, you will be able to exit whenever you want.That concludes the tutorialExiting Time ChamberThe system didn't wait for Jake's agreement and cut its connection. A familiar sensation ran throughout Jake's body. His eyes felt heavy as he lost his consciousness.
