Ahlem chuckled, leaning back against the wall. "But I do sotis go hunting with these guys. We hunt big monster boars, sell the materials, and divide the at among ourselves. Well... if the chief doesn't call us in for work that day."
I tilted my head, curious. "Wait, what? We're not working every day?"
Robert burst out laughing. "What do you an, crazy guy? Of course not! What if it rains all day or there's a snowstorm? You think we'd be out fixing walls in that weather?"
"Ehhhh!?" I exclaid, my jaw dropping. "We get snow here!?"
Everyone around erupted in laughter.
Zaben clapped on the shoulder, tears of laughter in his eyes. "What, you thought this world was all sunshine and rainbows? Of course we get snow, crazy guy!"
Ahlem smirked. "Man, you really are from another world, huh?"
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling embarrassed. "Well, it's not like anyone handed a 'welco to this world' manual, okay?"
Robert chuckled, raising his mug. "Don't worry, Shitman. You'll get used to it... eventually."
"Ugh. Great. Looking forward to freezing my ass off in the snow while still being called Shitman," I muttered, rolling my eyes, which only made them laugh harder.
Zaben leaned back, smirking as he waved his hand, and with a soft glow, an adventurer card materialized in his palm. "Here, crazy guy, let show you sothing cool."
My eyes widened. "Whoa, that thing just popped up! What is it?"
"This, my clueless friend, is an adventurer's card," Zaben said, holding it up. "Up here, you have your basic details—na, age, class, and level." He pointed to the top, where his na and stats glowed faintly.
"And down here?" He tapped the bottom. "This is your skill slot. It's where you learn and keep track of your skills, but only if soone teaches you."
I leaned closer, fascinated. "Wait, how do you learn skills?"
Zaben grinned. "Simple. Once soone shows you a skill, and you've got skill points to spend—see here?" He pointed to a glowing number on his card. "You use those points to learn the skill. But there's a catch. If you pick the wrong skill or waste your points, tough luck. No way to undo it."
I frowned. "No resets? No refunds? That sounds risky."
Zaben chuckled, crossing his arms. "Welco to life, my friend. And here's another fun bit: for every level you go up, you only get one skill point. So, think hard about what you're learning."
I scratched my head, imagining the stress of making the wrong decision. "So... what happens if you run out of skill points and find sothing better later?"
Robert snickered. "Then you cry yourself to sleep, Shitman. Or beg a healer to buff your sorry ass forever."
Zaben laughed. "Basically, yeah. Leveling up isn't easy either. You'll need to fight, grind, or go on quests—none of which are a walk in the park. That's why I left it behind. Too much effort for too little gain. Being a repairman might not be glamorous, but at least it's stable."
I looked at the card again, tempted by the thought of having my own. "Huh... I kind of want one of those."
Zaben smirked, making the card vanish with a flick of his hand. "Well, you've got to register at the guild for that, crazy guy. And judging by your current state, you're still a few horse-shit incidents away from getting there."
The group roared with laughter again, leaving groaning. "I'm never living this nickna down, am I?"
The loud bellow of the chief's voice echoed across the worksite. "Oi, lads! Break's over! Get back to work!"
"Eeeeppp!!" The entire group scrambled to their feet like startled cats, abandoning their half-eaten bread and mugs of ale.
I sat there, blinking in confusion. "Huh? Why is everyone so scared of him?" I whispered to Zaben, who paused to lean closer.
He smirked and whispered, "You idiot. The chief isn't just so grumpy boss. He's a level 89 ex-adventurer, you shithead!"
My jaw dropped. "Level 89!?" I exclaid, nearly choking on my last sip of stew.
Zaben grinned wider. "Yeah. He was a Berserker. Do you want to see him lose his temper? Because I sure don't."
A cold chill ran down my spine. The chief's broad fra and booming voice suddenly felt much more intimidating. "You an that guy... with the pot belly and crooked teeth?"
Zaben snorted. "Pot belly or not, he could cleave you in two before you even blink. Now quit gawking and get moving before he shows you what level 89 feels like."
Before I could respond, the chief's voice bood again. "Shitman! That includes you! Stop lazing around or I'll dock your pay!"
"Eeeekkk!! Coming, sir!" I shot up, nearly tripping over my own feet as I grabbed my wheelbarrow. From now on, I decided, no more slacking in front of the chief—level 89 or not.
Do you think I was scared of the chief? Hell... yes. I an, who wouldn't be when your salary's on the line? I'm new in this world, okay? Of course, I need money! It's not like I'm scared of him because he's a Berserker level 89 or anything!
"Shitman! Faster!" the chief bellowed, his voice like thunder.
"Eeeep!!" I jumped and scrambled to grab the wheelbarrow. Okay, fine, I admit it. He's seriously scary.
As I pushed the overloaded wheelbarrow toward the wall, I muttered, "Who even retires as a level 89 Berserker just to yell at people and carry stones? What kind of side quest is this?"
Zaben, walking next to , smirked. "Keep mumbling, crazy guy. He's got good ears, and I'd love to see him throw you across the site."
I shot him a glare. "Not helping, Zaben."
Still, I wasn't about to test the chief's patience—or his berserker instincts. I shoved the wheelbarrow forward faster, trying not to look like I was about to keel over from the effort. Call scared all you want; I prefer 'smart.'
That evening, it was finally ti to get our daily salary!
"Thank you, Chief," Zaben said, bowing politely.
The next guy did the sa. "Thanks, Chief."
When it was my turn, I thought, Hell no! There's no way I'm bowing to this scary, yelling guy. But the mont I looked up at his towering figure and sharp eyes, I instinctively bent forward.
"T-Thank you, Chief!" I blurted, bowing so low it looked like I'd dropped sothing.
As I walked away clutching my hard-earned coins, Zaben leaned over, grinning ear to ear. "Not scared of the chief, huh? What was that, 'Shitman?' A new dance move?"
"Shut up, Zaben," I muttered, my face burning. Okay, maybe I am scared of him. Just a little.
Ehehehe... this is my first full pay! I held up the small pouch of coins like it was the rarest treasure in the world. 50 copper! Oh yeah!!
I squatted down on the spot, cradling the pouch in my hands and staring at it with a wild grin plastered across my face. Ehehehe... my money...
It probably looked like one of those crazy villains from a movie clutching their prize, whispering to themselves, but hey, can you bla ? This was my precious reward for back-breaking labor.
Zaben walked by and gave a shove on the shoulder. "Oi, Shitman, don't make it weird. You're scaring the others!"
"Weird?! This is 50 copper, Zaben! 50! Do you know how much stew I can buy with this?"
He rolled his eyes, muttering to the others, "Look at him. Acting like he won the lottery. First-tir vibes, I swear."
But I didn't care. This was my hard-earned money, and no one was ruining the mont for !
( End of Chapter )
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