After finishing the last of his meal Kai reached into his pouch and pulled out the small porcelain bottle that Physician Han had given him earlier.
He tipped one of the pills into his palm, swallowed it with a gulp of warm drink, and closed his eyes as the medicinal warmth spread through his veins.
His body felt lighter. His strength subtly restored as if a dull fire had been rekindled inside his core.
But the heaviness in his mind remained. He couldn't simply bury his thoughts under food and medicine.
With a sharp exhale, Kai rose from his chair and decided that perhaps listening to people in this world talking would serve him better than mulling over his doubts alone.
He made his way down the creaking stairs into the inn's tavern.
The room was bright and filled with the low hum of conversations and the clink of mugs against wooden tables.
The smell of ale and roasted meat hung thick in the air.
Kai chose a quiet seat in the corner, away from the lantern light, and leaned back.
He didn't order anything. He simply listened. He didn't have any money anyway.
At first, it was just the usual chatter about prices, the weather, and petty disputes.
Then at a nearby table, a gruff voice broke through the din.
"Did you hear? Another vagabond was dragged into the Lord's mansion today."
The sound of mugs clashing against wood followed, a murmur of discontent spreading among the group.
"Tch. We all know where he's headed," another man sneered. "Straight to a suicide delivery. Same as the others."
"It's absolutely certain," said a third, lowering his voice. "Lord Renhai's got his claws in this one too. Poor bastard probably thinks he's struck gold with what he gave him until now."
Kai's eyes narrowed. His chest tightened as he tilted his head slightly, straining to catch every word.
"What I don't get," one man muttered, "is why Lord Renhai keeps sending them out and what's in those packages anyway? The stuff's always guarded like important treasure."
The group fell into a tense silence before one of them leaned closer to the table, whispering.
"The truth is no one knows what it is. The ones who return alive—if any—never talk about it. They take their reward then disappear, and vanish from this town for good."
The other man snorted, bitterness lacing his tone. "Then it's gotta be something foul, like drugs. I've heard rumors that the Fiend Organizations have their hands in it. Maybe Lord Renhai's smuggling their drugs."
Two of his companions grunted in agreement, their faces grim.
"That could be true. That would explain why so many don't come back."
Kai's jaw tightened. His hand curled into a fist under the table. The more he listened, the heavier the pit in his stomach became.
He didn't know if the words were true but the way the men spoke with their certainty and their fear cut deep into him.
A bad feeling crawled through his chest like a slow-burning fire.
The task wasn't just dangerous. It was the kind of danger that swallowed people into deep trouble even if they survived.
Kai's eyes flickered down toward the map folded in his pocket. His heart pounded in his ears.
The woman's warning now felt heavier.
Kai kept his ears sharp, hoping for another slip of information but the men's voices drifted back into drunken chatter and empty boasts.
There was nothing more that could be useful.
He let out a long breath, rubbed his temple, and rose quietly from his seat and made his way back to his room.
Once inside, he shut the door and leaned his back against it for a moment, then dragged himself to the bed.
The ceiling above him was a dull shade of brown, old beams crossing it like scars.
He stared at it as thoughts tangled in his head.
"Why did my life turn this way?"
On Earth, he had been a poor man, nobody important. No friends, girlfriend, and no real future.
Then fate ripped him out and threw him into a fantasy world filled with cultivation and secrets he barely understood.
And now he was staring down at a suicide mission.
"This is bad… really bad," he muttered under his breath.
Just as the weight threatened to crush him, a sharp chime echoed inside his mind.
[Ding!]
Kai blinked. He had forgotten that the strange System existed because anxiety had drowned it out completely.
Lines of faint light scrolled across his vision.
[Notification: Starter Pack Available]
[You have yet to claim your initial rewards for completing your first quest.]
His eyes widened, light returning to them.
He sat up abruptly on the bed.
"Damn… I almost forgot about this!" he whispered.
With a thought, he commanded the system to immediately open the pack.
[Opening Starter Pack...]
One by one, items appeared before his eyes in translucent light with their descriptions hovering.
—
[Sword of Swift Cuts - Rank 3]
A finely balanced short sword that can attack in swift slashes.
+5 Speed, +3 Strength.
Special Effect: Increases attack speed slightly.
[Beginner's Qi Recovery Pills x10]
Restores a small amount of Qi instantly.
Useful in emergencies during travel or combat.
[Traveler's Leather Armor - Rank 2]
Light protective armor suitable for long journeys.
+5 Stamina, moderate defense.
Enchanted to resist tearing and corrupted weather damage.
[Small Spatial Pouch]
A spatial storage pouch with a capacity of 2 cubic meters.
Can store items and preserve them without decay.
[Map of Hidden Veins]
A special map showing faint traces of Spirit Veins around the area it was activated.
Following them may lead to hidden cultivation spots or resource nodes.
—
Kai let out a gasp. His hands trembled slightly as he scrolled through the rewards.
"This… this is good. Really good."
For the first time since the woman's warning a genuine spark of hope lit up in his chest.
The rewards dropped into the bed in front of him as if spawned from nothing.
He ran his fingers across the leather armor before equipping it, feeling its snug fit into his body.
The iron short sword gleamed faintly under the lamplight. It looked sharp and dependable.
The pouch clipped neatly to his waist and its size was only like a small wallet. This is a practical miracle in itself.
Then he unfolded the strange map. But for now, that map still looked like an empty parchment.
Kai let out a long sigh slowly, his earlier despair pushed back by the glimmer of preparation.
"At least… I won't be going tomorrow empty-handed."
—