After receiving the list, Klaus got undressed, showered, and brushed his teeth, all while keeping the information in his peripheral vision. His eyes barely left the screen, and whenever they did, it was only for a split second to micromanage his tasks.
"This is broken—at least according to Earth's standards." He exited the bathroom and walked back into his room.
When browsing through skills in the shop, a good number of them stood out to him.
<(Lvl 1) Guitar Mastery: Grants the user 1 year of guitar experience.>
<(Lvl 1) Boxing: Grants the user 1 year of boxing experience.>
<(Lvl 1) Acting: Grants the user 1 year of acting experience.>
<(Lvl 1) The Art of Touch: Heightened sensitivity to emotional and physical cues. Enables the user to calm, connect, and communicate deeply through physical presence. Can inspire trust, ease tension, or stir emotion depending on intent.>
<...>
<(Lvl 5) Hacking: Grants the user 25 years of hacking experience.>
<(Lvl 5) Programming: Grants the user 25 years of programming experience.>
"Desire wasn't lying about these prices. They're absolutely insane." He shuddered thinking about how many quests he would need to complete to get 'Magic Hands', let alone 'Hacking' or 'Programming'.
He tossed the thought in the back of his mind, not wanting to mull over it.
He opened up both suitcases, discarding the contents onto the cool, empty floor. "Other than unpacking, I should probably get around to taking a look around the city."
The clothes on the floor included the essentials: sweaters, sweatpants, shirts, and three pairs of jeans—light blue, dark blue, and black. Other than those, he also packed some undershirts, underwear, and socks—enough to last him until the rest of his wardrobe arrives.
Klaus shed his towel onto the bed and began applying a smooth, fragrant cocoa butter lotion. By the time he was done, his coffee brown complexion glistened under the soft glow of the sunlight peering through the window.
He grabbed a pair of black underwear—this time boxer briefs, just to be safe—and slipped them on before pulling on a pair of black baggy jeans, topped with a white button-up and a dark grey quarter-zip long sleeve fleece. He slipped on a pair of white socks and started unpacking everything into its respective places.
Black and white shirts were put into a drawer, along with his socks, underwear, and undershirt. They each had their respective drawers, as he was expecting more.
For the sweaters, sweatpants, and jeans, Klaus chose to hang them up in the closet along with his brown bomber jacket.
After finishing all his clothing, Klaus stored his books on the bookshelf in alphabetical order by author's last name. The majority of them were horror, mystery, and thriller novels, but the collection also included some sci-fi and fantasy novels.
Placing the last book in its designated spot, Klaus took a step back and admired his work.
"I'm definitely gonna need another bookshelf," he mumbled. His hand found its way to his chin, the stubble like Velcro under his fingertips. "Alright, time to fuel the tank."
Klaus pushed the suitcases and bag into the closet and took a step back to make sure everything was tidy.
The bed still lacked a bed sheet, pillows, and a skirt, while his other decorations were in the boxes that were being shipped out.
'Maybe I'll pass by Target on the way back home and grab some bedding.' He slipped out of the bedroom and into the kitchen with a pair of black leather loafers in hand.
His hand gripped the fridge handle and pulled it open. Unsurprisingly, the fridge was completely barren. 'I could do some groceries as well.' Then it hit him. 'I don't have my car…'
When leaving Colorado, Klaus had to leave his car behind since a body of water surrounded the Narnia continent. "It's fine," he sighed. "She was starting to give in anyway."
"I'll worry about getting a car later. After transferring all my money to Lunari, I only have a little over five thousand." Klaus opened his phone, navigating to his banking app to confirm. "Five thousand four hundred thirty-two Lunari to be exact."
Putting away his phone, Klaus slipped on his loafers and ordered an Uber. He walked to the front door, his steps sounding diligent and businesslike.
He paused for a moment, catching a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror by the door, where a pair of green eyes looked back at him. His locs were pulled back into a messy ponytail, with a few strands falling over his face. The loafers matched his outfit perfectly, giving him a polished, businesslike appearance.
Klaus smiled at himself with brand new confidence, "Looking good."
He continued to open the door, the cold from the metal handle sending a slight jolt through his arm. The door opened quietly and smoothly, and so did the apartment door across from his.
The apartment door swung open, revealing a cascade of ginger hair that spilled over a loose green sundress. The dress hugged her slim waist tight, hinting at her hips and curves, while her toned thighs stretched the fabric to its limit.
As she turned, her hair whipped around her, spreading the fragrance of her shampoo, sensing the presence behind her.
They locked eyes for a moment, maybe two. Klaus took the initiative, reaching his hand out to the stunning redhead in front of him.
"Klaus." He said, hand still open.
She glanced at his hand, then looked back up at him. Her hand gently shook his.
"Ginger." She replied, her lips managing a faint smile before they fell. "You must be the new tenant Patrick told us about. Welcome."
Klaus smiled, releasing her hand. "Thank you," he replied.
An awkward silence hung between them after the pleasantries. They locked eyes for a moment before Ginger dragged her gaze towards his body. "Nice outfit."
Klaus glanced back down as well, her sundress outlining her freckled physique with grace. It revealed her perfect hourglass figure, with flawless, sandy-beige skin that spoke to years of hard work, from her lean abdomen and arms to her thick, toned legs.
Her gold bracelets clashed against one another, producing a soft echo in the empty corridor, as she locked the door.
"How often do you go to the gym?" Klaus asked, his gaze moving back up to meet hers.
Ginger's interest was slightly piqued with eyes widened as if a spark had gone off behind them. "What made you ask that?" She raised a brow, keeping her composure.
Klaus went quiet. There was a clear elephant in the hall. He looked down at her toned and lean abs, then at her. Down to her legs, then up at her once again.
Confusion slipped over his face, momentary losing his ability to speak. 'Does she not see herself in the mirror?'
"You gotta be messing with me." His eyes narrowed. "Right?"
"What do you mean?" she replied, her hand resting on her hip. "It's a genuine question."
Klaus went silent once again, his mind struggling for an answer to his women's problems since arriving in Lunaria.
'Hey, Desire.' He called out to the sentient being in his head, hoping she'd have the answers to his problems. Her voice whispered through his ear, not even a moment later.
'Have you done anything to me besides giving me the system?' he asked. 'This feels a little unnatural.'
Sighing, he tried again. 'Let me rephrase that. Are you in some way, shape, or form altering things for me or anything around me?'
Klaus waited for her to elaborate, but was only met with silence.
Ginger's voice cut through the air, interrupting Klaus before he could ask Desire a follow-up. She leaned forward, hands waving in front of his face. Klaus stared at her, then at the valley below. The dress already did little to contain everything, so the moment she leaned forward, it became even more prominent.
"You okay? You zoned out pretty badly," Ginger's voice snapped Klaus's gaze back to her. With the distance between them now closed, he could fully take in her features and the floral scent of her perfume. Like the rest of her body, freckles adorned her face, and her emerald green eyes rivaled his, taking one of the two things he was most proud of. She had a cute button nose and full, pink lips that pursed together.
Klaus cleared his throat, leaning back slightly from her intoxicating scent. "Yeah, just thinking to myself," he replied.
Ginger didn't press any further and instead took a step back. "Understandable, I do that from time to time," she nodded. Then a refocused look flickered across her face. "But you still haven't answered my question."
Sigh
'I was kind of hoping you'd forget,' he grimaced.