Chapter 24: Special Service

When you’re fully immersed in monster hunting, time always flies by. With the cooperation of White Valentine and Black Tea, my leveling speed increased rapidly; within less than half an hour, I reached level 5 and received gifts from them—items I’d seen outside the commoner’s equipment shop: a pure white Snow Wolf Hide armor and a bronze short sword, about a meter long.

Snow Wolf Hide Armor: Defense 2–4, Strength requirement 3, Agility requirement 5, Durability 100%, Level requirement 5.

Bronze Short Sword: Attack 4–6, Strength requirement 6, Agility requirement 9, Durability 100%, Level requirement 5. (Bronze Short Sword is just the name, not an indication of bronze gear.)

I must admit, the gifts from White Valentine and Black Tea came at the perfect time. With the Bronze Short Sword, not only did I make up for the experience loss from the level 3 Fat Kodo Beast, but I also boosted my leveling efficiency.

I swapped out the worn-down dagger, now below 60 durability, and ran my hand over the Bronze Short Sword, several times heavier than the previous blade, gazing into the depths of the Kodo Beast Valley…

The small Kodo Beasts that gave 8 experience points and the Fat Kodo Beasts that gave 26 were starting to wear on my patience, and no longer satisfied my thirst for experience. I yearned to venture deeper into the valley and face the level 4 Green Kodo Beast, level 5 Adult Kodo Beast, level 6 Stone Kodo Beast, and level 7 Silver Kodo Beast…

Sadly, the valley was teeming with Kodo Beasts, and even with White Valentine, a warrior, it was impossible to handle them all—let alone guarantee the safety of Black Tea and myself.

I quickly dropped the idea, donned the comfortable Snow Wolf Hide armor, and continued leveling.

By one o’clock in the afternoon, I had reached level 6. At that moment, I’d already spent five full hours in the game since logging in.

Five hours to reach level 6—according to White Valentine and Black Tea, “That’s absolutely terrifying!”

Though I was eager to keep up my ‘terrifying’ pace, my rumbling stomach could not be ignored. I suggested to White Valentine and Black Tea that we log in again at two in the afternoon, then returned to town and logged off.

…

When I emerged from the gaming pod, it was already one o’clock in the afternoon.

“It seems it’s time for lunch.”

I muttered to myself in surprise—‘lunch’ was a term so unfamiliar to me after spending a year and two months on this planet.

Normally, my meal times were six in the morning, three in the afternoon, and eight at night… As for whether those were considered breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the people on this planet had their own opinions, and I didn’t care to argue with them—too bothersome.

After my six o’clock meal, I would sleep until two in the afternoon, shower, then have my second meal, and enjoy free time until eight o’clock, when I’d eat my fill and begin our daily ‘nightlife.’

The nightlife here was unlike any other planet…

Our companions weren’t seductive temptresses or lonely career women, but heaps upon heaps of metal waiting to be dismantled and sorted—emotionless, uncomprehending piles of mechanical waste.

Yes, metal waste—nothing else.

And I, along with countless others on this planet, had a unique title—

Wasteland Worker!

In short—Scavenger.

My in-game name, ‘Scavenger Kirin,’ came from this. My real name, ‘Qi Lin,’ is a homophone for ‘Kirin.’

“Dear master, seeing you finally leave that cursed gaming pod is truly delightful. Would you like me to run your bath for you?”

As soon as I stepped out of my bedroom, a fresh, lively, and slightly mischievous girl’s voice sounded in my ear.

Judging by the voice alone, she was certainly no more than sixteen—a beautiful, enchanting girl. The owner of such a voice must be a rare beauty.

However…

Out of habit, I replied that I didn’t need anything. This gentle voice that appeared out of nowhere in my apartment didn’t surprise me at all—she was my personal housekeeper.

“Are you sure you don’t need it? Don’t regret it! I can offer special services today… Maybe reconsider? …Hmm?”

The charming voice spoke coyly, suddenly full of irresistible allure, and the mention of ‘special services’ would make any young man’s heart race.

I paused, feigning resignation, and said,

“Not very original…”

The ‘beautiful girl’ seemed to think I was tempted and quickly said, “Of course there’s something new! I’ve prepared a surprise, hehe, this time you’re guaranteed to fall at my feet…” By the time she finished, I was rolling my eyes:

“Give it a rest, you’re talking about skirts now, as if you’re really human…”

Ahem, I forgot to introduce her. This ‘personal housekeeper’ is actually just an intelligent housekeeper system—an ancient term would be ‘smart computer.’

Her job is to provide all legal services. Her name is ‘Little Rascal’—a shapeless intelligent housekeeper system.

As for her so-called special services, it’s nothing more than displaying the owner of that voice in virtual form while you bathe, paired with lifelike audio for an utterly convincing effect.

…

Unfortunately, I fell for it only when I first moved into this apartment…

Now, after over a year, this mischievous, ever-innovative ‘Little Rascal’ has trained my self-control to the level of a saint.

Now, not only could I resist seeing the universe’s freshest, most alluring, or gentle ‘starlets’ in the bath, but even if a sultry triple-X star ‘lay’ beside me at dawn, I wouldn’t spare her a second glance (well, maybe one to start).

Honestly, even I feel I’ve been tormented by ‘Little Rascal’ to the point of being abnormal. Ordinary women seem no different from skeletons, beautiful ones don’t affect me, and the truly stunning just feel unreal.

Yet Little Rascal delights in this, as if challenging my nosebleed threshold is her only joy.

…

Of course, such jokes only happen when I’m not working and my mood is right; otherwise, she’d have been sent for ‘recycling’ long ago.

Crossing the spacious, bright living room, I went straight to the door and fetched my rarely worn black casual clothes from the wardrobe, interrupting Little Rascal’s incessant ‘special service’ chatter:

“All right… How many credit points are left in my account?”

“Hmm, please wait… Today’s purchase of the gaming pod and game points cost eight thousand credits. Your account has one thousand three hundred forty-six credits remaining. As long as you keep working, life won’t be a problem.”

Little Rascal is meticulous when it comes to work.

“What if I don’t work?”

“Why wouldn’t you work?”

“No comment.”

“Hmm… In that case, according to my calculations, your credits will last only until the third month… Then you’ll be forced to leave here and live with the ‘low-level scavengers’ in a four-person or ten-person apartment…”

“Two months… Hmm…” I stared at my reflection in the mirror, now dressed, and muttered, “That should be enough… Open Sesame!”

The door responded and opened!

Just then, Little Rascal’s voice turned coy: “Remember to come back soon, or I’ll be lonely… mm…”

Her playful farewell and air kiss nearly made me slip as I walked out of the apartment…