My Evil System

On the second floor of the dorms, the hallway was lined with large opened windows while the floor was finished in wood.

The door in our dorms was made of wood with a brass knocker and knob. It was made of thick wood, at least, and looked sturdy. Though, I didn\'t know if it could withstand an attack coming from a sword or axe, or even from a magical spell.

Inside the dorm, it was like a prison cell without the bars. Creaking, warped, wooden planks. There was one small window with wooden shutters at the center of two single bed, and the only furniture inside was the two beds and hanging gas lanterns. No table. No chairs.

The walls were made of stones like the exterior. But at least there was a ceiling to make sure that the adjacent room wouldn\'t be able to peek in here.

Maybe if I showed them the Merchant\'s Card that I have, then I would had an upgraded room. Like having my own room.

But I\'d only attract unwanted attention by doing that, so the answer was no.

I wasn\'t complaining about the room, though. As long as there\'s a roof over my head, I would be fine.

This place wasn\'t so bad, considering that it was free.

I changed my equipment to the much more comfortable beginner\'s garb since I felt like the mantle and boots would attract a lot of unwanted attention.

I was avoiding another Jayson from happening. I didn\'t want to be targeted because of my equipment again.

"It\'s quite comfortable here." Thomas jumped into the bed and felt its comfiness while blowing air over the ceiling in bliss. "Too bad that we can only stay here for a week. I wish we could stay here for a month!"

Since he already took the right bed, I went for the left and sat on the mattress, and checked the points and rules once more.

"Do you also have 1000 points?" I asked Thomas just in case my Evil class did something again and altered my credit point.

When Thomas nodded, I released a silent sigh.

Thank the heavens that it was fair this time.

<Nothing is fair in this world>

"I wonder if it could last us a month?" Thomas muttered, worry on his face. "We\'re responsible for our food here using these points. And maybe if I only eat once a day . . ."

I heard Thomas mumbling to himself, and my heart broke for him. He was only a kid. A sixteen years old. Alone in here with no one else to rely on.

It must have been so hard.

If me as an adult was having a hard time here then what was more a kid like him?

<Host wouldn\'t have a hard time if he followed the System>

I was no talking to you.

"Uhm . . . Food might be less expensive here. And it said here that we can use points even in towns instead of gil. We can also earn points if we do well at school."

I encouraged him, and Thomas at least smiled a little bit.

"Should we head for the town?" he suggested after a while. "I haven\'t got the chance to explore since I immediately went here."

Thomas laughed a bit and scratched his head. "Ahahaha. I\'m a little embarrassed to say, but I don\'t have any gil left and immediately went here so I can at least have a roof over my head."

"I-is that so?" I didn\'t get the chance to explore this town too. Just went sightseeing and ate some food because my other self wasn\'t interested in something he would destroy later.

So maybe it was time to explore this town in deeper level.

"Sure," I said.

----

In town, horizontally laid stone logs, wooden boards, and steep roofs with scale-like shingles dominated most of the structures in here. Edifices were built into each other in front of narrow cobbled streets.

White walls and intricate, almost maze-like town layout, striking color contrasts, and roof tiles alongside large basilicas and other stone buildings dominated our view.

The very center of the town came alive with the sound of wheels and creatures going to and fro to work and doing their own errands.

The sewers ran along the road that was only covered by metal grills. The grating was slightly ajar, and I felt like eyes peered out of the dark.

"There are many quests available here," said Thomas. "I even have some quests acquired just speaking on some NPCs on the way to the Academy. Do you want me to guide you to those NPCs? And we can do all those quests together!"

Augh . . . Normal quests and I didn\'t get along well.

"M-maybe some other time? It\'s getting dark after all, and I just wanted to explore the town," I told him as an excuse.

Thomas looked over at the sky blazing red, and in another hour, it would be replaced by a darker shade of blue.

"You\'re right. Let\'s hurry and go to the shops before they would close."

"Good idea."

We were following the map on our screen when Thomas suddenly said, pointing at one of the restaurants.

"Look! That NPC over there."

I stared at where he was pointing and saw a very tall, very skinny, and very unsettling man wearing an apron and chief\'s hat, who introduced himself to the players as The Gourmand.

"That Gourmand guy would make us the meal of a lifetime if we bring him back the leg of a Scarebear in the Woodlands just north from here. He said that he found one in a cave at the edge of the forest!"

". . ." And he just happened to know a cave where one could be found? I thought.

"The rewards are great, and the gil money reaches ten thousand gil!"

I was surprised. "That\'s . . . that\'s a lot!"

"I know, right?" Thomas agreed with an excited voice, but then his shoulders slumped. "But this Scarebear . . . I don\'t think I can defeat it alone."

You should think about the reason why the reward was high in the first place. I was sure that this Scarebear wasn\'t just your everyday average beast.

"I think that quest is dangerous if the rewards are high."

Thomas took a deep breath, and his smile dropped a little. "I thought so too. But . . . maybe we could defeat it if we enter a group."

We?

Augh . . . I didn\'t want to break it to him that I didn\'t want anything to do with quests and groups at the moment.

<Host will only do the Evil Quests>

I didn\'t want to do that too.

I want to just live in peace.

There were a lot of players around, and somehow, I felt that I was back on earth, just doing a stroll.

Eventually, we reached the marketplace, where the shops and bazaars lined the large plaza.

We went to the Adventurer\'s one-stop Shop. A chain of shops in all major towns. They sold cheap adventuring gear –– cheap in price and quality. Their inventory didn\'t cost much, but it broke easily and all potions were only half potent.

I knew because I used Evil Eyes on the items.

"Let\'s buy this Adventurer\'s Bag!" Thomas said. "It contained, tent, lamp, rope, a common dagger, and even Health and Mana Potions! And it only cost 100 points! These things are much cheaper in points than gil."

Augh . . .

I didn\'t know how to break it to him that what he thought was cheap was actually a scam. I was afraid that the tent wouldn\'t stand and that lamp wouldn\'t light while that rope would break at the slightest thug. And that dagger wouldn\'t even slice anything from how blunt it was.

"Let\'s not," I said and stopped Thomas just in time he would seal the deal. I ignored the Tiefling\'s glare behind the shop and said to Thomas.

"We don\'t need those things yet. Let\'s reserve our points when we really needed them the most."

Thomas thought for a moment before he nodded. "You\'re right. Sorry. My impulses sometimes got the best of me."

"It\'s fine. I\'m like that too."

I then quickly pulled him to the next shop, away from the shady shops like the one presenting itself as a toy store but actually specializing in counterfeit magic items and forgeries. The store even had a large sign. \'For entertainment purposes only. No refunds.\'

How shady could you be?

But amongst the shop, a shop run by a very friendly Goblin, who sold all sorts of rare magic weapons and items, caught my attention.

( . . . continuation on NOTES)