If there was one positive thing I had to say, it was that this world is pretty darn similar to my old one.
The Sword's Oath of Sacrifice was loosely based on the real modern world, just with the twist of Li-Liang and how Li-Liang reestablished noble families along with societies.
There were still smartphones, celebrities, and cafes, just with a fantasy twist to them.
Cooling myself down, I opened my briefcase and took out my "phone" of this world.
It was almost a one-to-one from the phones in my world, but in this world, these phones are even more of a necessity.
In The Sword's Oath of Sacrifice, the world's currency is called "Jia's." They don't take on a physical form, but instead, are all digital, making it very easy to transfer money from one place to another. This also meant that without a digital device, it would be impossible to do anything.
I quickly opened the phone using Face ID and checked my balance.
Whew.....at least I have something going for me.
Thankfully, Hanzhi still has some Jia in his bank account, and looking at the account, it didn't seem like it was directly linked to his parents', so I can keep using Hanzhi's account without any issues.
Around 5000 Jia....That's probably only enough money to last a week....
Meng Yinuo then deviously smirked.
This is why I packed as many things as possible. Looking at how flashy everything is, selling them could give me at least enough Jia to last five months!
"Pshhss, I guess being a broke college dropout has given me the skills to make a couple of dollars last for weeks! I bet my so-called 'Parents' would have never thought that 'Hanzhi' could manage such a thing! Living in the "slums"! Yeah, right, I'll survive!"
I was probably rambling like a mad person, but it felt like it was the only thing keeping me sane. And although I was rambling, some things that I said really were true. I really am going to survive, and I'll come out even better than before!
Whooosssshhh
The summer breeze had felt like a warm embrace.
And it filled me with determination.
***
"Hahhhh....huuuu, hahhhh"
Oh my god, I'm going to die here!
Sweat poured down my back, and breathing became increasingly difficult.
My arms were trembling, trying to hold up my heavy suitcase, with only myself to blame for this predicament.
The now sharp and colder air hit my lungs, with my legs feeling like they were about to buckle.
After starting my journey to try to get to the nearest pawn shop, I was immediately hit with the reality that, although I wasn't particularly frail anymore, Hanzhi's body was still in bad shape.
He was pretty skinny, and it was very obvious that he didn't exercise or go out much unless at night, his pale skin being an obvious nod to that.
In contrast, Wen Shouyi had a more slim and athletic build and was more toned. Considering that even in the game, she had a sense of responsibility to constantly be toe to toe to the player, it's no wonder that her punches still dealt so much damage even without the use of Li-Liang.
Ughhhh, this sucks....Why couldn't I have been reincarnated into any other character?
I checked the distance from my location to the pawn shop.
I still have three and a half more miles to go....and the sun's already starting to set.
I then checked Hanzhi's physical capabilities on the smartphone.
The smartphone's health app showed all of Hanzhi's medical information and tracked his stats, which was a useful way for me to gauge my strength levels and weak points.
[Health App]
Sex: Male
Surname: Wen
First Name: Hanzhi
Age: 18
Height: 5'8
Weight: 124 lb
Physical Ability: F-Rank
Li-Liang Output: F-Rank
Li-Liang Potential: S-Rank
Warning: User is currently suffering from malnutrition, thirst, and an untreated physical wound.
There were more stats, but I focused on the important ones.
My physical ability is F-Rank? I guess it makes a lot of sense. Huh, it also tells me my current conditions.....
I never really found it weird before, as I was just a player, but the fact that this app has all the information, and even how I feel currently, is a bit jarring.
I tried clicking on the [Skill Charts], but it seemed that Hanzhi hadn't unlocked his skill sets yet.
After taking a break and looking more closely at my stats, I decided to take a break for the night and go get some food and sleep at the closest Inn for the time being. I would just sell all my stuff tomorrow.
I got up from the curb and picked up my bag once again.
While scrolling through the phone, I saw a small restaurant that had delicious-looking meat skewers. My mouth was unconsciously drooling over the images before I snapped back into reality.
It's only five minutes away, and I should treat myself! I haven't had anything to eat for the whole day, and I might actually collapse if this keeps going on.
Excitedly, I paced myself and speed-walked the entire five minutes.
Finally reaching the store, there was a cute, small sign outside that read,
"Get 20 Skewers, Get 30 percent off!"
And like a cat being shown a laser pointer, I ran into the shop, looking for that thirty percent off discount.
Ding
A bell rang as I walked into the small store. The place was pretty damaged and very empty, with seemingly only a group of loud guys in the back. I went up to the young lady at the front.
"Uh, hey, is the discount out front still viable?"
She jumped a little, as if she hadn't known I was there, and looked up at me.
"Oh, sorry, I-"
She stopped talking, and her eyes widened a little, even getting almost a watery look, before she suddenly snapped back into a customer service mode.
"Ah, I apologize, sir! Table for one?"
"Um, yeah."
That was a little weird. I know Wen Hanzhi's horrible reputation was well known throughout the game's world, constantly following Shouyi like an unwanted shadow, but "normal" people shouldn't know his physical appearance.
"Um, sir, what would you like to order?"
"Huh? Oh! Yeah, um, can I get ten beef skewers, with five chicken thighs and five marinated pork belly?"
"Of course! Please wait a moment, your meal will be out soon!"
Her messy brown hair was tied back, and it was obvious that she had been working the whole day with those dark circles under her eyes. Considering how quiet the restaurant was, she was probably the only staff member here, too.
Ah! I almost forgot!
I instinctively got up from my seat, knocking over my briefcase, where all my stuff suddenly tumbled out.
"Ah, crap, uh, w-wait! Is the discount still valid? You never answered my question before."
She turned around and then stared blankly at me, then the briefcase, then at me again for a good second before she giggled.
I could feel my face flushing, and my ears reddening.
Wow, Meng Yinuo, great job there, you clumsy rat!
"Yes, the discount's still valid."
She must have noticed my flushed face, as she then added,
"You don't have to be embarrassed, I'm also a big fan of discounted things, y'know?"
Which I couldn't tell if that had made me feel better or worse.
She smiled at me again, then turned around and left for the back, to where I'm guessing was the kitchen.
Cheeks still hot, I bent down and quickly picked up all the items that fell out of the suitcase.
"HEY! WHERE'S OUR MEAL AT?"
The group of men in the back had started to get rowdy, but I paid no attention and just sat back in my seat.
"Ah, it'll be there in a minute! We're a bit tight on staff right now, so-"
BAM
One of the men got up and started walking towards the waiter.
W-what the hell is this guy trying to pull right now?
I felt my throat tightening, and my eyes locked onto him.
"Sir, please be patient. I assure you that your meal will come out."
Her tone was now more stern, with her face darkening.
Does she have a death wish or something?!
The waitress started to slowly back up, while the guy kept advancing. All his goons in the back then started snickering.
I...I don't have a good feeling about this.
As the waitress was trying to say something again, I frantically got out of my seat and ran in between them.
Ugh, I'm going to seriously regret this.
"Hey, is something wrong, S-sir?"
I asked, trying to make eye contact, but ultimately failing as my eyes involuntarily darted away.
Good lord, this guy is huge.
He was only a few inches taller than me, but it felt like I was going against a skyscraper.
I gulped nervously as I felt a surge of anxiety take over my body.
Why did I do this? Why couldn't I have just waited in my seat? This isn't going to do me any good.
I know how my physical stats are right now; I shouldn't be protecting others like this...yet my body stood as firmly as it could in front of the waitress, trying to cover her as much as possible.
The guy looked down at me, then...
"Pssshhhhh, Ha...HAH, HAHAHA! ARE YOU GUYS SEEING THIS DUDE RIGHT HERE? TOUGH GUY, HUH?"
His breath reeked of alcohol, and it was now very obvious that he and his group had way too much to drink for the night.
With the last remaining courage I had, I somehow mustered up a somewhat coherent sentence.
"Hey, S-Sir, I think y-you might've had t-too much to drink for tonight? You might end up doing something you'll regret, so...um......."
He glared at me, which reminded me of a certain someone......
.......Fuck.......
Before I had the chance to react,
WHAM
Pain exploded on my face as the world tipped sideways, my body was violently smashed into the ground, with my vision going black.
I was then punched in the face for the second time today.