1 Hot Spring Addict
Hiss!
The steam rose lazily from the soothing waters of the hot spring, enveloping a handsome man in a cocoon of warmth.
"Ahh... I've finally found it, after all these years…" He whispered out as he reclined against the smooth rocks, closing his eyes to savor the moment.
Years of searching for this legendary oasis had finally paid off, and he intended to enjoy every second of it.
As he soaked in the heavenly bath, he recalled all the difficulties he had to overcome to get here.
From fighting off polar bears to accidentally starting a cult, everything he had to endure was just to find this pit of warm water.
"I do not regret a damn thing..."
The warmth seeped into his body, bringing a sense of relaxation which he had never experienced before.
"I'm already getting sleepy…" The man murmured, his voice barely audible over the gentle bubbling of the hot spring.
But just as he was about to surrender himself completely to this newfound paradise, a faint sound reached his ears.
Ding!
The man reluctantly opened his eyes, as his surroundings seemed to blur momentarily.
Ding!
The sound echoed again, causing curiosity to get the best of him.
He stood up, the water cascading down his muscular body as he tried to find the source of this disturbance in his sacred space.
Ding!
The sound was now even more pronounced, leading the man's attention into the spring itself.
"Wait? Is it coming from below me?"
Suddenly, the ground beneath him seemed to give way as he suddenly felt himself being pulled downward.
The world around him blurred into a whirlpool, and the last thing he heard before everything went dark was the echoing sound of rushing water.
*********
...
"What the hell...?"
When the man regained consciousness, he found himself standing inside an old wooden building.
His gaze wandered around his surroundings, revealing broken furniture covered in cobwebs and a faded "Welcome" sign hanging crookedly on the wall.
He noticed a door in the corner of the room, which he assumed led to the outside world.
He approached it and tried to open it, only to find out that it was locked.
Ding!
As the man was about to try and kick the door open, his attention was once again diverted by the familiar bell sound.
After snapping his head to the sound's origin, he noticed a strange translucent screen hovering in the center of the room.
[Congratulations Mr. Moon! You have been chosen to become the owner of this Multiversal Spa Resort!]
Moon stared at the floating purple screen, confusion etched across his face.
"What…?"
[Your main objective is to provide unique and relaxing experiences to guests from different dimensions.]
[Satisfy your customers, unlock new facilities, and max out your Spa!]
"...?" Moon was puzzled.
[If you ever feel lost, you can ask me, The System, for anything you need to get explained!]
Moon had a relatively calm attitude about most things in life, often brushing off major problems as if they were nothing but a mere inconvenience.
Getting fired from a job that he worked for over 5 years?
"Well, I always wanted to try out other fields of work!"
Getting stuck in the rain without an umbrella in his new suit?
"I would never say no to a free shower!"
Getting struck by lightning, not one, but two times in a row?
"I don't have to spend any money on energy drinks anymore, that's for sure!"
He sought the positive side of situations where most would just give up.
However, like everyone else, there was also a limit to Moon's patience.
You see, the only reason he had this much optimism in the first place was due to his regular visits to natural hot springs.
After many years of constant trips he found himself getting attached to these holes of warm water.
And as more time went by, his attachment grew into obsession, which then developed into addiction, which came bundled together with a bunch of different issues.
For example, when confronted with obstacles preventing access to a hot spring, Moon's usually calm demeanor would transform into an uncharacteristic burst of rage.
In that state, he would do anything just to get inside a hot spring, absolutely anything.
This was obviously extremely unhealthy and after almost killing a man, Moon realized that as well.
Ever since then, he would put a lot of effort into keeping his addiction and emotions under control.
But now, with this strange display in front of him really testing his patience, Moon was really close to absolutely losing it again.
"Thanks, but I have to decline. Please, send me back to where you took me from."
He first tried to reason with the screen, barely managing to hold his friendly act together.
[Returning you to your original world is impossible.]
"What?!"
This was already enough to make Moon snap, as the calm and polite look on his face was quickly replaced with furrowed brows and murderous eyes.
"What do you mean impossible?!"
Out of anger, Moon tried to grab the floating screen, but failed miserably, as the only thing he caught was a handful of air.
[Reminder: Your guests are not going to wait forever. The Multiversal Spa Resort is counting on you!]
With his rage growing, Moon tried grabbing it again, then punching it, then kicking it, but nothing seemed to work.
A few minutes later, Moon was laying on the floor huffing for air, as he had still not found a way to harm the display.
"You!" He called out to the screen.
[Yes?]
"You kidnap me from the best hot spring I've ever been in and then expect me to work in this crappy spa like a slave?! Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?"
[You shall be rewarded for your work!]
[With enough time you could even unlock Hot Springs far more pleasurable than anything in your previous world.]
"Oh…?"
Moon's bloodthirsty face was quickly replaced by an innocent look.
"You expect me to believe that?
"Is that actually true?"
"You are not bullshitting me?"
"When can I start?!"
Moon shouted out like he was a child on Christmas eve waiting to open his presents.
Although still upset about being kidnapped, the promises combined with his hot spring obsession managed to overpower his hatred.
[Initiating the Spa Quest System…]
Ding!
==========================
[Quest: Name your Spa Resort!]
[Rewards:]
[Spa Credits x100]
[Basic Fingering Technique x1]
==========================
Moon excitedly looked over the quest tab, but his eyes came to a sudden halt when he reached the rewards section.
"System, what the hell is a basic fingering technique…?"
