First Quest

As he mentally tapped the icon, a 'ding!' sound echoed in his head as a string of text was displayed in front of him.

"Notice: One unopened Quest detected. Proceed to your journal and receive the quest."

"Journal.." he then instinctively looked over the icon beside the Notifications and there, was an unassuming icon with the image of a rolled-up scroll. Unsurprisingly, it was the journal that contained the quest.

Without further ado, he opened the Journal anxiously, unsure of what manner of ordeal was contained within.

'Ding!'

[Quest Title: No such thing as shortcuts even for a Business Proprietor

"Greetings, promising shop owner! Have you acquainted yourself with the new world yet? If not, then acclimate yourself with your newfound strength. The Great Enterprise System will aid you in your journey to the tippity top of this world's summit, and become the absolute paragon of wealth.

But first, you have to learn the ropes by starting with the basics. As they say, every journey begins with a single step.

March on! Adventurer..I mean, rising star!"]

[Quest Objectives:

1. Build your first shop using the starting currency provided by the System. [Not met]

2. The shop should be strategically located where it is built on a patch of land, and should not be less than 1 kilometer from the nearest settlement. [Not met]

3. The land should be sizeable enough for further expansion in the future and should not be occupied by any form of structure nor owned by any entities. [Fulfilled]

Quest Terms:

1. Cannot be abandoned.

2. No time limit

Quest Reward

1. Access to 'Food Produce' and 'Bakery' Tab in the Shop

2. Class-Exclusive Skill Selection Potion

What do you like to do?

[ Accept / Reject ]

Juanito gave the quest a thorough read, including what seemed to be a lengthy flavor text. His first task was naturally akin to a tutorial phase, guiding him with the basics of establishing his first business endeavor.

"The quest requirements aren't that difficult but can be a bit problematic", he placed his hand on his chin, analyzing the quest.

"Especially the second and third requirement. Am I supposed to survey the area until I fulfill the conditions?" he added with a deep sigh.

"Hold on a sec.."

As he remembered something vital, he once again scanned the requirements in his UI, "Fulfilled. The third requirement has actually been completed already. It only means the spot where I am standing now is just short of having inhabitants nearby."

"Well, that's convenient. The system saves me the effort of personally verifying the conditions by updating the quest status in real-time.."

As though a boulder has been dislodged from his shoulders, Juanito accepted the quest.

'Ding!

[Quest No such thing as shortcuts even for a Business Proprietor Accepted]

Quest transferred to the ongoing tab in the Journal.

[You have received the following items:

20 gold added to your currency tab]

[Notice: Shop Menu is now available]

Like a child with a new toy to play with, Juanito was ecstatic after accepting his first quest, doubly so when he received a stack of gold which he already had an inkling of its use, and most of all, a new feature that was the Shop Menu.

Thereafter, he readily opened the Shop Menu.

The interface was intuitive and streamlined. There were tabs for every category of items, and for a wider array of merchandise, sub-categories also existed for a more specific overview of items.

Juanito then opened the only available shop tab to him, namely 'Construction'.

Here, the only available items for purchase was a limited selection of raw materials, and a variety of Vendor Booths that cost a whopping 10g for the cheapest!

"Unbelievable!" he exclaimed in disbelief, "That's 50% of my liquid funds..."

There w even a diverse selection such as Western and Eastern-themed Booths that was even pricier. It was indeed fancy and may attract more customers but his budget wouldn't permit it.

In the end, he decided on practicality over extravagance and chose the Wooden Vendor Booth, "Simplicity is beauty, after all."

With a few taps of confirmation, he completed his first purchase from the System's Shop Menu.

"Ding!"

Purchase successful! Wooden Vendor Booth (3x3x3m) added to your inventory.

As he read the notification, he also noticed that 10g was deducted from his total fund which was now a pitiable 10g. Gone in a single click.

He currently does not have a firm grasp of this world's currency and its value but he felt that 10g isn't that much on the grand scale of things. Far from it, actually.

Distraught by his imagined poverty, he prodded himself to initiate his major task which was finding a suitable location for his shop.

Then, he felt a surging thrill in his very being as the thought of acquiring a new 'skill' stayed in his mind. He was in fact, more interested in the RPG-like features of the system than the prospect of managing a shop which Juanito believed he was unquestionably inexperienced with.

As he shelved the matters of the future in his mental drawer, he scaled the tallest tree nearest to him like an agile monkey with the intention to gauge his current location and decide on his route.

He then perched on a branch where he gained a vantage point, overseeing the vast terrain beneath him.

What lay beneath him was a small wilderness on the foot of a mountain that was a part of a range. Luckily, he was at the foothills that lead to a vast plain.

"..There, huh"

After roughly discerning the lay of the land, the only route which was less hazardous was the one leading to the vast plain, away from the depths of the wilderness.

Mentally noting the path ahead of him, he jumped down from the tree and casually ran towards his destination.

His sprint that required meager effort left a whistling sound behind him that roused the surrounding wildlife.

Seconds later, an oversized owl was now perched on a tree branch. The exact one where Juanito previously stood.

The bird has a lustrous black feather with streaks of white around its eyes. Its jet black eyes shone with intelligence as if it had gained wisdom throughout the years of its existence.

Not long after, it flapped its enormous wings and left the scene under the cover of night.