Looking at the case filled to the brim with qi stones makes Ryker's heart flutter as he's gonna be getting 40% of the spoils. Quickly counting up the stones and getting their bags ready, "that's 84 stones for a total of 252 in store credit, 50 apples and 50 coconuts come to 250, leaving with an extra of two, which will be put into Tethorth's account." Ryker quickly rattles off, barely keeping calm,
"When you bring back the shipment, mention to your order about the bananas they can be used for countering poison in drinks and might be helpful for nobles' escorts or jobs like that." he continues, hoping that they would come back for the bananas or at least someone would buy them so that he can complet his quests.
"Thank you sir, and we will," Zor says, grabbing two of the bags, leaving another two for Tethorth before heading out of the store, leaving Ryker to close up the shop. Calling the cleaning robot and locking the door, flipping off the sign as always. Ryker heads to the back and up the stairs to the small bedroom, leaving the little guy in the sink before crashing on his own bed.
Reaching up and looking at his hands, he wonders what everyone at home thinks happened. Are his friends and family looking for him? Are the rangers scouting through the woods looking for his corpse? He's been here for almost a week; most rangers would have probably given up looking for him if he left no trace.
"Hyper… can you tell me what's happening in the realm I came from?" Ryker questions with little hope, staring up at the wooden boards making up the roof of his room.
[No host, the system can not, as the realm doesn't have Quarks, the energy needed for systems to live, or any of the other energy that can support cultivation that systems can interact with]
"I see… thank you, hyper." Ryker reaches to the desk in the room and grabs his almost empty penjiman, taking a hit and thinking back to his life, family, friends, and experiences. Wondering if he truly got to live out what he wanted in that life.
He never got to have a full, long-lasting relationship, always ruining them with his trust issues and problems from his childhood. But at least he spent his teens with his family traveling with his father and mom to the coast to learn how to surf or hiking across the Appalachian Mountains.
He even spent a year in Alaska meeting his grandparents for the first time. Even the small things came to his mind when his mom took him to get his wavy brown hair cut short for prom, and the black suit he had to wear instead of his usual baggy clothes, or when he and his friends got red contacts to cover his bright emerald green eyes for Comiccon.
"I think I lived but did I…" Ryker thinks of all the things he wanted to do, traveling to Sweden and Norway. getting married and getting his own house out in the country. He won't even get to legally get to drink with his cousin at the club they both wanted to go to. Or even all of his friends whom he went rock climbing with before he started his job as a fire watch.
The taste of a burnt coil wakes him from his thoughts, his eyes red from either the influence of drugs or the tears threatening to spill over.
"GOD DAMN IT!" he chucks the pen against the wall, hearing it fall against the floor before he goes down the stairs to the shop, walking across the clean gray titles to the counter opening the store searching for a vice or something to numb himself more breaking his one rule of not using drugs to numb mental problems.
"Hyper, why isn't there any drinks or smokes in the shop"? Ryker asks, continuing to scroll, looking just in case he missed something.
[The host hasn't expanded the shop to unlock other areas of progression; the host needs to unlock the adult section to buy drinks or legal drugs, or the pharmacy to get pain killers and other prescriptions. Might I recommend a Dr. Salt to calm your emotions? Since the system doesn't recommend the use of drugs even if legal]
"Shut it hyper" Ryker says, not wanting to listen to a rant or why drugs are bad for him since he already knows. He walks to the drinks, grabbing one before chucking it across the store room, hearing the sizzle as it explodes a hole in it as its brown blood shoots out of its side. Walking to he door before opening it and walking onto the street.
[The host is recommended to cult…]
'"I said shut up, hyper at least for tonight." Ryker cuts off the system, walking down the streets the crisp, cool night air feeling nice on his skin. Looking at he tall buildings reminds him of old 1600 century Paris, the wooden beams supporting the white walls sitting on stone foundations, walking until he sees a building with lights still on. Looking at the sign, he can't understand it the weird writing not making any sense, but seeing the jug of ale on it, he understands and walks in
"Kosha bor monta" a woman behind the counter says as he walks in a few tables with men surrounding them and a few people sitting at the bar alone
"Hyper translate what they say," not caring to ask why he can't understand them, he bets the store automatically translates for him
"What can I get for you?" the woman says as Hyper Translates in his ears at the same time
"Beer or something hard," he quickly says, what hyper sates in his mind before sitting at the counter and setting the gold down, seeing as it was his only coin he had
"Sir, that's way too much and I don't know if we have enough silver to break it…" The girl looks worried, still bringing him a wooden cup filled with a golden brown liquid
"Give drinks to everyone till you can make change and get me a lot more of this," he says after taking a swig and enjoying the nutty taste it has, almost downing the whole thing. Tilting it back once more to get the final drops.
The bar becomeing more busy as the woman goes to table to table with drinks before returning and giving him three more as everyone starts drinking to their heart's content. Some people thanked him or offering to pay for him sometime before leaving him to continue to drink alone
"So what's your problem sir? Also, the name is Wendy, the barkeep and owner." She smiles, bringing another glass after Ryker finishes his second in a hurry
"Well, w-what would you do if everything you did w-worked, loved and cared for your whole life disapparid in a flash without you being able to do anything, bendy" Ryker says a little out of order and slopply, sipping on his third, eyeing the one she brought over, tempting him to down the one his his drunk hands
"That's hard to say…. Probably drown my sadness or go without any hesitation to sell my memories to a demon, " she replied taking a long thoughtful pause in the middle of her sentence
"Though I would probably regret the second option as I would lose my sense of self and what makes me me," she remarks before seeing someone asking for more and leaving Ryker alone again at the counter, drinking in his sadness ,slowing down depression.
As the hours passed, Ryker got back 56 silver and 10 copper coins even though he was owed more. They didn't have enough, even after all the drinking from everyone else as well. he let her keep the change, after Wendy had given him a bottle of imported wine as a gift in return.
Walking back to his store he looks at it finally seeing it from the outside, glancing across its black painted walls with dark wood beams crossing along it, "Will it look the same in other realms Hyper?"
[no the host can change the theme and look of the store after the second realm connection]
Walking inside and upstairs with a stumble, Ryker goes to the bathroom and barfs, having way to much to drink and smoke earlier. Before heading out and crashing on the couch, not bothering with heading to his room.