A Simple Night

Finding her way out of the dungeon was easy enough. She really was right by the entrance like Welf had said. This dungeon really was a death trap for the unprepared. She key that now. Her next delve into the dungeon would be just as hard as this one. She passed by a few people as she climbed the stairs by really she didn't pay them any attention. Her haphazard appearance must have drawn some attention. Her half-burnt outfit is still thankfully covered enough to keep her decent. The sun was such a lovely thing. The sight of that burning orb in the sky made Jamie love the surface a bit more that day. Never again would she take anything as simple as the sun for granted again. Jamie's path quickly took her to the guild. Even as she walked through the street she drew more gazes from passing adventurers.

 "Seems like another rookie adventurer fucked up in the dungeon." A few of them would say.

"Damn what the hell did she run into." Others would comment.

"Ahh, I remember those days." A passing old man commented only to get smacked by another old lady.

"You never got out of those days until you retired." She told him.

Jamie tried her best to ignore all the comments. She didn't want to give them any attention. Her life-and-death struggle in the dungeon was such a common thing here in this world. So common that it seemed embarrassing. Her gaze came to a rest on the guild hall doors. She hadn't been in the dungeon more than a few hours at most. It had felt like a few minutes. Time was really hard to tell down there. Another thing she would have to be careful with. That list was growing longer by the moment. 

 Again Jamie found herself standing in a line waiting her turn to exchange crystal for valis. The lines were just as long as the line she had stood in this morning. Eventually, when she found herself standing in front of the exchange desk she placed her 12 crystals out on the table. Only after she did would the teller glance up at our protagonist and see her shabby appearance. She gave a sympathetic look as she counted out 100 valis for each crystal. 

"100 Valis for each has you at 1200 Valis for the day." The blue-haired tell told her. Quickly She was passing that bundle of coins over.

"Thank you!" Jamie said to the teller. Offering a light smile as she tried to keep her mind off the horrible experience she had in the dungeon.

"Take care miss!" the teller told her. "Next!" she called out ushering her off.

With that, she quickly rushed herself out of the guild. Not catching the brick wall of a man who was watching her from a distance in the guild just like he had been told. He really didn't get what his goddess saw in this shabby adventurer, but he would follow her orders as always.

Our protagonist continued to wander around the dungeon city. Yet no matter how lost she seemed to be she could always tell which way she had come. Easily retracing her steps back to the guild if she wanted to. With this newfound sense of direction, she explored street after street chatting with a few of the locals to ask about cheap accommodations for the night. After getting directed to what she could only describe as the seediest and run-down-looking bar and inn outside of the slums of Daedalus Street. A place she refused to go. She found herself not really having much of a choice. A single night here would cost 900 of her 1200 valis. Leaving her with just 300 left for food. It was going to be a stretch. She was likely going to miss a meal tomorrow.

With the sun starting to set she made her way into the bar. The moment she pressed in passed the half-broken door she regretted coming here. This place was rough alright. Rougher than some of the people she spoke to had described. She was quickly pulled from her thoughts as the loud place had come silent. Then.

"Holy shit who ordered the hottie." Came some skinny-looking lanky man sitting at the bar. Only to dodge out of the way as a bottle was thrown at him.

"Fucker don't scare away my customers. I'll kill you." Came the voice from behind the bar. The person in charge, the bartender, was a tall, strong-looking man. Black hair, an eyepatch. "And you over there. Don't just stand in the doorway. Get over here." Tonight was going to be a headache if she stayed down here for long. Quickly she made her way through the rows of sweaty drunkards and came to the counter.

"I need a room and a meal. Preferable one I can take up with me." She said to him.

"Ahh yeah, you can just take a plate of the night's special up with you. Just leave it outside your door when you are done with it." The noise in the bar picked back up as everyone seemed to go back to their conversation. Not worried about the new woman in the bar. They had drinks to attend to after all. He reached under the counter and pulled out a key. "1000 Valis for the room and the meal." Not really wanting to haggle she just placed a sack of coins on the counter for him. "Damn and here I thought you were going to try and haggle with me. I'm almost disappointed." He swiped the bag from the counter and moved to head back into the kitchen. "Just a heads-up little lady I'm not sure where you're from but you should get used to haggling for everything."

She was speechless. "I uh.." she tried to speak up. "900 total?" there was a chuckle from him and everyone in the room.

"Too late now you've already paid." He said as he disappeared into the back.

"Fuck." Was her only response. This world really was different from her own. In the year 2024 where she's from. In the United States haggling for things can be a bit of a lost art If you just shop at large corporations. Her thoughts were brushed short as she felt a hand settle around her shoulder and yank her close.

"Hey! What the fuck!" was her first response to that tall lanky man that had commented on her appearance when she first walked in.

"Let me buy you a few drinks. We can have a fun time you and me you know." He said and shot her a grin.

"Dude if you don't let me go I will literally incinerate you." That got his hand moving away from her quickly.

"Fucking bitch." He grumbled as he got up and moved away. Leaving her sitting there with a sigh. That was something she didn't know if she would ever get used to. Or want to get used to. She was much happier to sit there and not be bothered while she waited for her food.

A few minutes later the Bartender came back with what could only be described as a bowl of some meaty stew, A hunk of bread, and a cup of water. Nothing too appetizing. But it was cheap food so what could she expect.

"Your rooms upstairs second door to the right. Marked 4." He said looking over to where the man had just left from. His eyes narrowed. "That fucker left without paying." He said as he cast his gaze around the room.

Regardless of the problems plaguing this place she quickly took her food and left to head upstairs. The room she found herself in was small. A cramped space with a bed that had a straw mattress. A few pillows and blankets lay on the bed itself. A desk sat next to the bed with a single chair.