Morning sunlight shined through the forest canopy, waking Souta Kael with its warm fingers. He groaned, rolled onto his side and immediately regretted it as a rock jabbed into his ribs.
"Ow. Good morning to you too," he muttered, rubbing the spot and sitting up.
His back ached. His legs felt like they had been stomped on by a herd of deer. He squinted through the trees, memories from last night still fresh:
SSS-Rank hunter.
Locked powers.
A bronze dagger.
Barely clothed.
And a sarcastic system that treated him like its awkward little brother.
Yeah. Life was off to a great start.
After a quick stretch and a shake to get the leaves out of his hair, he dusted himself off and started walking towards nowhere.
Hours passed.
His feet dragged through the forest, stomach growling every now and then like a low-tier dungeon beast.
"Maybe there should have been snacks in my inventory too," he said.
Birds chirped. Trees swayed. And finally through a break in the woods he saw it.
Towers. Stone walls. Wooden buildings.
Flags flapping in the wind.
Cobbled streets, people moving around, and the distant sound of a bell.
"A city."
His eyes widened in relief. It felt like finding an oasis after wandering in the desert for like ever, except this one had food, beds, and hopefully shirts that actually fit.
He picked up his pace, stepping out of the woods onto a dirt road that led to a large metal gate.
Two guards stood by the entrance, both in worn iron armor and holding long metal sprears. Souta braced himself. Back in his old world, guards loved asking questions. and right now he had zero answers.
But as he walked closer, one of them just nodded and waved him through.
"…No questions?" he whispered.
"Man, this world is either super chill… or incredibly irresponsible."
The city buzzed with life. Cobblestone streets stretched out in all directions, packed with vendors, carts, kids running around, and people hauling baskets or swords or both. The air smelled like bread and sweat and metal.
The buildings looked old but sturdy. Stone at the bottom, wood up top. Some even had thatched roofs. It was medieval-ish, but people dressed weirdly normal—tunics, boots, belts, even jackets. A mix of fantasy and utility.
Souta moved through the crowd, trying not to look too lost.
"Okay," he muttered. "Act cool. Not a Mysterious traveler vibe. Not some alien idiot from another planet."
A fruit vendor waved at him. Souta smiled back and walked straight into a pole.
CLANG.
A kid nearby burst out laughing.
"Nice start," he groaned, rubbing his forehead.
He kept walking, soaking in the world around him: the smell of stew, the glint of swords hanging at the blacksmith's stall, the yelling of merchants arguing over spices. It all felt alive.
Then reality hit.
He was broke.
No coins. No wallet. Not even a weird shiny rock to trade with. He might've been an SSS-rank hunter, but right now, he was just a hungry guy in cheap clothes.
"Great. I'm the chosen one who can't afford lunch."
He wandered for a while, trying not to drool in front of bakery windows. His stomach growled louder.
That's when he saw it.
A wooden board nailed near the town square. On it, some papers fluttered in the wind.
HELP WANTED – LABORERS NEEDED
Short-term work | 30 coins per day | No experience needed
Report to the south gate loading station before noon
Ugh..? a one day job
"Thirty coins?" he blinked. "That's like... thirty more than I've got."
Without thinking twice, he took off running toward the south gate, well he got lost though but still found the south gate.
One hour later…
Souta groaned, sweat dripping down his face as he heaved a sack of potatoes basically his size onto a cart.
"Whose genius idea was it to store food in boulders?"
The overseer, a thick guy with arms like tree trunks and a permanent frown, grunted. "Quit whining, new guy. You want coins or a slap?"
Souta gave a weak smile. "I'll take the coins, thanks."
His job? Load stuff for merchants produce, metal parts, some crate that smelled like rotting fish and sadness.
He nearly puked twice.
Tripped once.
Yelled at ten times.
By sunset, his whole body ached…
But his pockets jingled.
30 silver coins.
His first money in this world.
He stared at them like they were rare loot drops.
"I'm rich," he whispered dramatically.
"…Never mind."
***
As night crept in, Souta wandered the city again, this time looking for a place to sleep. After a while, he found a small inn tucked between a blacksmith and a clothing stall.
The sign read:
The blacksmith inn— Cozy Beds, Cheap Food!
Inside, it was warm, smelled like stew and maybe cinnamon, and had a calm vibe. Behind the counter stood a kind-looking woman, hair tied in a purple bun.
"How much for a room?" Souta asked.
"Ten coins," she said, "for two nights. Includes bread and soup in the morning."
He nearly cried out.
He handed over the coins, got a key, and made his way upstairs.
***
The room was small, but honestly perfect.
Wooden floor.
One bed with soft sheets.
A table, a chair, and best of all a window looking out over the city.
He dropped onto the bed with a long sigh, arms flopped out to the side.
"I fought demon wolves, got roasted by a system, worked like a mule, and almost died under a mountain of potatoes… but I made it."
Sitting up slowly, he gazed out the window.
The city lights flickered like stars below. People laughed, drank, and lived their lives just a feeling that seems out of the world.
Souta smiled to himself.
"I may not have powers yet. I may be broke. But at least I got a roof... a room…"
He paused.
"…And pants."
He sighed.
"…Finally."
End of Chapter 5