Chapter 2: Searching For A Way
"Hello, again. I see you're going to stay here for the night again?" The landlord asks Venture the moment he enters the building, where the landlord is sweeping the floor with a broom.
"Yes, Miss Cope." Venture response.
Cope is a short blonde-haired middle-aged woman, with brown eyes. Someone who is quiet, but at the same time strict when needed. Also, based on her name; Venture wonder what kind of [Skill] and [Title] she possesses to have a name like that.
All Venture knows is that Cope is someone who doesn't ask many questions unrelated to renting a room in the apartment.
"Would you like to pay now or after you leave?" Cope asks Venture, as she stops sweeping for a moment.
"I'll pay now." Venture hand over 15 bronze coins over to Cope, who just put it in her right pocket before giving Venture a nod before completely ignoring him afterward and resume sweeping the floor.
Venture didn't find this offensive and just walk up the stairs. While thinking about that after finding a stable job and a good salary. Venture will for sure find a better place to live in because this apartment doesn't come with locks. So anyone could just come in and out of other people's rooms. However, Venture just thinks that Cope has some sort of [Skill] and [Title] that prevent people from coming here to live for free and prevent others from sneak in other's rooms. But, this also means Cope can also allow people to come in.
Since on the first night here; Venture wasn't given a key to the room, he was staying and there was no luck on the door to the room. However, Venture noticed that some of the rooms were locked somehow, even though there was no lock or anything, that prevent others from entering the room without permission. Of course, there were some rooms that were unlocked, with no one inside. This means these rooms were for anyone to take for themselves, either by paying the rent fee before or after staying.
Venture didn't want to find out what happens if someone doesn't pay the rent fee after staying for the night. Plus, Venture learned from Cope, that there no option of staying more than a night and anyone comes in first, gets the room first while those that came late have to find some other place to stay. So yeah, Venture is convinced that Cope has a [Skill] and [Title] related to owning this apartment, to know when rooms are available and when it is not, including among other things.
And it looks like Venture arrived on time to rent a room, because, among the total of 5 rooms on the second floor, there was one room left. So lucky for Venture or else he has to go somewhere else, that may or may not cost more than 15 bronze coins per night.
Entering the last available room; Venture closes the door and sat on the small bed that just barely fit his size, which is the only thing in this room, other than that, there is a small window just the opposite of the door. Besides, these two things, there is nothing else.
Taking out all the money he has and Venture counted 1 silver coin and 7 bronze coins. With 15 bronze coins used to pay for the room and 10 bronze coins to buy a decent meal to eat today, that is enough to keep Venture full for the deal as long he doesn't perform any heavy physical activities.
Going by the amount Venture has currently. He can stay in this apartment for 7 days if he doesn't spend any on food at all, which is impossible. Therefore, it would be a few days, maybe 2-3 days if including purchasing food to not allow the physical fatigue to raise up too fast due to hunger.
Venture picks up one of the bronze coins, debating or not to gamble with it or just wait until he down to his last coins before having to take a big risk to gain more money.
Gritting his teeth; Venture decides to gamble, after all, why even have a [Unique Skill] if one not using it at all?
Therefore, Venture will do another coin flip, where heads he will find a stable job that solves his present solution of low on money to live in this city tomorrow in the morning and tails for not finding one tomorrow in the morning.
Flipping the coin, where it flips in midair multiple times before landing right back in Venture's hand, ending up with heads. Much to his relief, because he won't have to waste the other 6 bronze coins to boost his luck in finding a job while the one that was used to gamble disappear.
Venture let out a sigh of relief, that tomorrow's morning. He'll be able to find a stable job that would help me move out of this small apartment room and have enough money to feed himself.
With that out of the way; Venture lay down on the bed and close his eyes, to sleep. Eager to find out what kind of job he'll find in the morning.
-LIABG-
As the sunlight shines into the room, right over to Venture's closed eyes just enough to cause Venture to wake up. Venture slowly open his eyes before quickly closing it due to the sunlight almost blinding him.
The first thing Venture did upon waking up is to check his status after sitting up from the bed he slept on.
Name: Venture
Title: [Gambler of Fate] - You are fate's gambler and making the impossible possible.
Health: 100/100%
Physical Fatigue: 12/100%
Mental Fatigue: 0/100%
Unique Skill: [Everything Is A Gamble] - The user is able to use anything to gamble with fate. [Price]: The medium used will disappear afterward.
It looks like Venture will have to buy something to snack on later, while on a job hunt. While the mental fatigue is back to 0%, thanks to sleeping last night.
Stretching his muscle for a bit. Venture got off the bed and head out, whereupon heading downstairs. Cope was nowhere in sight, but that doesn't concern with Venture since he barely knows Cope nor did he want to test his luck to find out what her background is.
-LIABG-
Upon leaving the building, Venture found a nearby food stall just a couple meters on his left. That's selling hot dog for the price of 2 bronze coins, cheaper than a single apple. But, Venture won't question why a hot dog is cheaper just that it's enough for him to buy a few to satisfy his hunger.
It took 3 hot dogs before his physical fatigue went back to 0%. So, now Venture is down to 1 silver coin. As he used up all his bronze coins on the hot dogs to fill his hunger.
No regret on Venture's part, for he will get a job soon, as long the morning didn't end. Then, he'll have a higher chance of finding a decent job no matter what. If Venture doesn't meet the requirements of the job or doesn't like it. Venture will just look for somewhere else. As long the duration of today's morning isn't over, then Venture has lots of opportunities.
-LIABG-
So for almost the entire morning; Venture did his absolute best to find a job that could support him for this duration stay in this world. Yet, near the end of the time of the morning being over. Venture failed to obtain a job and he has been to many shops, but nothing. Either he didn't have the right type of [Skill] for the job or the place wasn't looking for hire at the time. Hell, Venture even tried to find labor jobs. Still nothing.
Though, Venture guesses it's because he more on the skinny side type of body, which made people not wanting to hire him for labor work.
Sitting down among the many wooden benches in the street of people selling many things outside. Venture let out a sigh of disappointment as he looks at the sky.
Venture thinking about the words he used for the gamble last night and instantly found the problem and that he used the word: Find. Instead of the word: Getting, which would for sure give Venture a job he needed. But, that's all he got this morning. Finding stable jobs, that Venture would happily take. Sadly, fate is cruel and very picky about what Venture could tell.
"Excuse me, Mister."
Venture blinks and lower his head, where he sees a little boy standing in front of him. Venture would guess the kid is around 5 or 6 years old. However, what caught his attention is the outfit the little boy is wearing.
The little boy has green hair and purple eyes; wearing a dirty brown shirt that's larger than his size and white silk pants, with brown stains from what Venture could tell, that the kid must have fallen more than once or played around. As the little boy's face is also covered in dirt as well. Making it look like the kid hasn't showered in weeks or even months.
But, Venture didn't catch a whiff of any bad smells from lack of daily body cleaning. Therefore, this made Venture's paranoia to peak up.
"You need something?" Venture asks with a hint of cautious, ready to bolt right away and leave the kid behind. For all he knows, this kid could be a midget, that is pretending to be a dirty looking little boy.
"Could you help me find my mommy?" The little boy asks, where he is close to crying.
"Do you have any idea, where your mommy would be?" Venture asks back, while many thoughts run through his head. Among them is this one of those plots, where the main character would find a child, that could belong to a very important family or is one of those special people with godlike lucks of having some kind of special talent in some way, which would save the main character later on or something.
This is a huge gamble for Venture, and just like that, Venture's mind stop.
Slowly, Venture closes his eyes before opening them. As he looks at the little boy, who did his best to explain where he from and why he need help.
"So, can you help me, mister?" The little boy looks at Venture with hopeful eyes.
"I'm sorry, child. But, I can't help you at all. I can't enter the government area without any permission, nor can I just randomly ask people nearby." This is true, Venture saw a small summary, that really points out that people from the public area are not allowed to enter the government area without permission. Doing so would lead to heavy punishment.
"B-But..." The little boy looks at Venture in shock, tears started to appear.
"Child, trust me. I'm not the best person to ask. Why don't you ask someone like a patrol guard? I'm sure they will help you find your mommy." Venture is not taking this risky gamble, where this little boy would likely push him into a position that would or would not put him in danger. "In fact, there is one now. You should hurry before they leave. If you miss the chance of reaching that patrol guard, then you'll have a harder time finding your mommy, but if you do, your chance of finding your mommy is a much easier time finding her." Venture point at the patrol guard on his right, who is ordering food.
The patrol guards are easy to be found outside the rest of the common folks. For one, the patrol guards always have a blue overcoat hanging off their shoulders. Along with a special emblem attach onto the back of the overcoat that represents their ranks.
Sadly, Venture didn't get much info on the ranks of the patrol guards, just know that these special emblems can't be replicated in any way, not because no one can't do it. But, that they are afraid of doing such a risky thing. As the punishment for using a fake emblem would lead to either the culprit, having one of their limbs chopped off or into slavery. Yeah, slavery is a thing in this world.
Once the little boy heard Venture's advice. He took off and quickly head for the patrol guard before they disappear just like what Venture warned, even if it is a small chance. However, what the little boy didn't know is that he just took a gamble and Venture has already placed down the winning and losing conditions, along with what would happen to the little boy if he wins or loses.
Venture hoped the little boy didn't mind losing a few years of his life, because that was what Venture used as the medium to activate his [Unique Skill]. After all, Venture placed very importantly on the word: Time. Therefore, time is the medium and the price for the little boy must pay. Honestly, Venture is being kind by guessing the little boy losing just a few years instead of all his lifespan, whereby the time the little boy meets his mother. He will mostly die right there and then.
Actually, Venture doesn't know if this worked or not instead of seeing a physical medium disappearing, but Venture has this gut feeling that the gamble work, and with how crazy this world is; well, this gut feeling may as well come from his [Unique Skill] as a way to tell him if his gamble worked or not.
Venture will just have to do a few more tests to see the result of his [Unique Skill] working with these types of gamble or not. However, if things work out, then Venture just got more options to gamble instead of using coin flips to gamble.
In fact, Venture starting to have more idea how to use his [Unique Skill] more to his advantage as long he words the gamble correctly. Otherwise, Venture may end up crippling or killing himself due to using the wrong words in some way.
For the time being; Venture will put these ideas at the back of his head as there a few more important things needed to be done. These ideas can be done later on.
Standing up. Venture begins walking randomly as there are a few more minutes left before morning end. Since he still wanted to continue to test his luck that been boosted already, as the morning still hasn't ended just yet.
Just as the morning was coming to an end. Venture noticed something at the corner of his eyes, that just draw his attention.
Turning in the direction of what caught Venture's attention, to get a better look just to be sure he isn't seeing things and he wasn't. What before his eyes is a middle-aged man selling a blank book for the price of 1 silver coin; however, no one even glances at him after trying to beg people to buy it for a silver coin after explaining how he handmade the entire book from scratch.
Now, this would be a good time for this book to be something special in some way, where the main character could gain their plot armor up discovering the mystery of the book; however, Venture doesn't have anything on him to use to gamble if the book is actually some kind of treasure that requires a special method to use it. Yet, even then, Venture has no idea if this book just a scam and the middle-aged man is a scammer, who is just pretending, that he did so much hard work in this single book to be sold for a single silver coin.
After debating it for a moment; Venture decides to buy the book, not because he thinks it's some kind of a special book, but because he hasn't seen any shops that sell blank books so far, and buying would help Venture with an idea he wanted to try before, but couldn't due to lack of a blank piece of paper and anything to write with.
Ignoring the excited, middle-aged man and the people nearby looking at Venture like he did something foolish. But, the joke on these people. The middle-aged man, even gave Venture this special pen that never runs out of ink for some reason. Too bad, the middle-aged man ran off without explaining further into detail about the pen as he is afraid Venture changed his mind and wanted his money back.
So now, Venture is broke and only have a blank book and a special pen, that may or may not be really special with a never-ending ink. But, Venture already a solution to solve this by gambling for the pen to have never-ending ink.
Sometime Venture wonder if the number of his current problems in this world would be increased or decreased if he had come into this world with a different [Skill] and [Title]. Either way, now isn't the time for him to be distracted. So, Venture starts moving to a more less populated area; well, more like heading to the library since its the best place to be alone and without having people nearby noticed something weird happening around Venture. Unless they possess a special [Skill] and [Title] to detect Venture inside the library, but it is a risk he is willing to take.
It's a good thing the local library is free for anyone to use. The only thing that needed to worry about is damaging a book, which the person who caused the book to be damaged to pay a certain fee depending on what book was damaged. Also, there is no such thing as borrowing a book to bring home to read. Well, in this local library they won't allow people to borrow books. Other than that, there is nothing Venture needed to be worried about going to the library.