Light streamed through a window, illuminating the face of a young boy named Sogen, who suddenly woke up.
"Oh no! I'm late for the workshop. Those techniques put too much strain on my muscles. First, I need to wash up and then head to the workshop."
After a short time, Sogen got ready and made his way to the workshop. Upon entering, he saw Mr. Rudriger standing at the counter.
"Sir, I'm sorry for being late," Sogen said.
"Boy, I deliberately didn't wake you because you were very tired last night. I didn't want to disturb your rest," Mr. Rudriger replied.
Sogen started to head toward the furnace to make a weapon but was halted by Mr. Rudriger's voice.
"Boy, today there isn't much work. Why don't you go into town to explore?"
"But, sir, I can help with other chores," Sogen insisted.
Mr. Rudriger stared at him intently, and Sogen quickly realized that Mr. Rudriger wanted him to go outside the workshop. Reluctantly, he agreed.
As Sogen stepped outside, Mr. Rudriger smiled to himself and thought, "This boy understands the situation and is hardworking. If I had met him earlier, I would have taken him as my disciple and provided him with many resources. But now I am just an old man."
Whereas in Town
Sogen was walking down the street when he spoke to the system, "I absorbed the Innate Talents of all the people who died in Kiang Forest, but they all seem useless. Talents like cooking, washing, a plant encyclopedia, and even tea serving—are these really talents? With these abilities, should I just become a servant? But honestly, there isn't much scope for me in that."
"Host! Don't be disheartened. These talents might be useful in the future," the system replied.
"You're right, System. Perhaps these talents will come in handy later, and at that time, I'll be working as a servant. Should I buy a servant's outfit and start practicing?" Sogen replied with a hint of boredom.
"Well, I can try out a talent now. Activating Innate Talent: Plant Encyclopedia."
Once he activated the talent, Sogen was able to see detailed information about all the plants and trees around him, as well as their seeds and fruits.
"Hmm, this talent is somewhat useful," he mused.
As Sogen began inspecting the nearby plants, he was surprised to spot something interesting.
"Someone is selling cocoa fruits!" he exclaimed, astonished.
What amazed him even more was that the seeds were carelessly thrown away like garbage.
"System, I think I've stumbled upon a pretty good business opportunity."
"Congratulations, Host! Are you considering making chocolates?"
"Wait, System. How do you know about chocolates?" Sogen asked.
"Host, I have access to all information about you and your world. So there's no need to be surprised."
"Even if I ask more about your existence, I doubt you would answer me, right?"
"Yes, Host."
"You are indeed very straightforward. Now, let's examine these cocoa fruits."
"Hey! How much are you selling these fruits for?" Sogen asked the vendor.
The vendor was a little girl, about the same age as Sogen.
"Brother, each fruit costs 6 silver coins."
"Don't you think that's a bit high?" Sogen replied.
"Brother, these fruits are not easy to produce. A single tree only produces 30 to 40 fruits per year, and they are hard to maintain. Plus, they taste really good," she explained.
Sogen thought for a moment and then said, "You have 19 fruits. I'll buy them all for 100 silver coins. Do you agree to this deal?"
The girl was surprised that Sogen wanted to buy all her fruits, but a smile quickly spread across her face. It was a good deal for her. She knew not all her fruits would sell, and many would eventually rot. So even if she gave this much of a discount, it would still be a profit for her.
"Brother, I agree for this deal.",she replies with joy.
Sogen smiled and tossed a gold coin, which landed in the girl's palm. She quickly packed all the fruits and handed them to Sogen.
"By the way, what's your name?" Sogen asked the girl.
"Airo, Brother," she replied, hesitating slightly.
Before Sogen could ask anything else, a group of men approached Airo. They looked like bandits.
"Hey, girl, when are you going to pay your debt to us?" one of the men asked.
Before Airo could respond, the same man snatched the gold coin from her hand.
"This should cover part of it, but don't forget about your remaining debt," he said, turning to leave.
Airo grabbed the man's arm and pleaded, "Sir, I will pay your debt, but please give me some money to feed my brother and father."
The man stared at Airo and replied, "That's not my problem. If you want to survive, there is a way you can earn money for your family."
The man's eyes fills with the lust and he starts to move his hands towards Airo. She starts to tremble in fear and closed her eyes. But suddenly another hand grabs the man's hand. It was Sogen.
He glared at the man before forcing a smile. Suddenly, Sogen's deadly expression transformed into that of a submissive dog. "Sir, I think you are a great person, so why are you wasting your time on this little girl? How much debt does she owe you?"
The other men began to laugh, with one man from the group saying, "We thought a wolf was here, but it turns out to be a little puppy."
The man whose hand Sogen had grabbed was the leader of the group. He said, "Boy, do you think you can pay her debt? She owes 5 gold coins. Will you give us the money?"
Sogen reached into his bag and pulled out 5 gold coins, handing them to the man. The leader stared at the coins, then at Sogen, before accepting them. He turned to his men, but suddenly, he grabbed Sogen's bag to take a look inside. To his surprise, he found 5 more gold coins. Sogen had thousands of gold coins, but he kept them all in a secure system inventory, only taking out a few for this encounter.
"Boy, you grabbed my hand. I'm taking compensation for that. Do you have any objections?" the leader demanded.
"No, sir, you can take them all," Sogen replied.
The man left with his group, satisfied.
Tears in her eyes, the girl said, "Brother, you don't need to worry. I will pay back all your money slowly."
The girl realized that the amount she owed Sogen was now greater than her original debt. However, when she saw the eyes of those people, she felt that something far worse could have happened to her today.
Sogen gently patted her head and smiled. "You don't need to worry about repaying the debt. I'm planning to start a business, and I need your fruits for that. So, in a way, you are my business partner. I can help you with this much. But who are those people?"
Airo's eyes filled with tears as she spoke.
Sogen understood the extent of her suffering over the past years.
She wiped her tears and replied, "Brother, they were Dima Loan Sharks."