Shop Construction

Juanito had traversed the jagged terrain leading to the plains for roughly 30 minutes. With his speed and agility, it only took a quarter of his strength and half the time to complete the task compared to that of a healthy grown man.

As he loomed closer to his destination, he steadily decreased his pace to not attract unwanted attention.

After all, a foreigner with only a T-shirt and jeans trekking the snow-laden terrain would be quite the shocking spectacle.

However, he came to an abrupt stop when a particular change happened in his UI.

More specifically, the quest condition required him to build his shop in a strategic location near a human settlement.

It was now 'Fulfilled'.

Excited with this development, Juanito could not help but leak a satisfied grin. "Humans, I've come.." his tone hoarse and deep.

"Ha! Why am I acting like a villain now? It's not like I was reborn as a demon lord of something.."

"Anyway, there should already be people living nearby.." he surmised while scanning his surroundings for hints but found nothing.

"The system can't be wrong," he added, placing full faith in the System's information.

After treading for a while, he spotted a horse-drawn carriage at a distance, at the west of his current location. With his enhanced vision, he could see that the carriage was followed by a few men on horseback.

Juanito then took a few steps forward, intending to follow the group but a realization stopped him dead in his tracks.

He examined his clothes which may positively look strange to the people of this world. His physical features might as well differ from the denizens.

All of a sudden, he was flooded with uncertainties the likes of which nibbled his determination.

'A peculiar person in the middle of nowhere popping out of the blue, that's not something I can easily explain'

With that in mind, he rejected the notion of interacting with this world's inhabitants without any solid justification of his origins.

First, he had to investigate and gauge this world's technological advancement, political landscape, and possibly, military prowess before making any drastic move.

Only then will he know where he currently stood in this world's power dynamics.

'Well fuck it..'

With all the mental gymnastics about preserving his existence, he decided to throw all caution to the wind.

'Being overly guarded this early in the game would get me nowhere. Nothing will be done. I have to make some sort of progress'

Resolving himself, he started heading towards the unpaved road where the carriage was while gaining a suitable distance, close enough to fulfill the quest's second and third conditions.

After arriving at the spot, he appraised the vicinity thoroughly. He could see shrubs and other vegetation scattered all around, there were even trees although it was far from being forested. All blanketed by an eerie whiteness.

The spot he chose for his Vendor Booth was adjacent to the narrow carriage tracks, and approximately 150 meters away.

Although he was unsure of the extent of expansion of his business in the near future, it wouldn't hurt to provide some margin for expansion.

Summoning his UI, he directly accessed his inventory. Tapping on the Wooden Vendor Booth (3x3x3m), a small window appeared, prompting him to make a choice.

[Do you want to build Wooden Vendor Booth (3x3x3m) at your current location?]

[ Yes / No ]

Juanito's body temperature suddenly rose despite the frigid weather. His heart was thumping wild like war drums.

He was agitated as he was excited.

Up until now, everything that happened to him was like a dream. Perhaps, a honey-glazed nightmare blurred by a false sense of reality.

He was afraid. If there comes a time for him to wake up, what exactly awaited him?

Was all of this a brainchild of a higher form of existence? For what purpose?

But before his fears could spiral into a tumultuous storm, a will so strong sprouted from his very being, chasing away his worries like scattering clouds.

"There is only one path for me, and that is to move forward.."

Clenching his fists, he continued, "Whether I end up in a dumpster or a paradise, I don't want any regrets"

He then tapped 'Yes' decisively.

*Ding!*

[Initiating Construction Protocols..]

[Setting-out Points Verified..]

[Subsoil Integrity failed..]

[Augmenting soil compressive strength..]

A string of jargon flashed before him at dizzying speeds.

[Estimated Completion Time: 3:59:50 hrs]

A few moments later, a 3D layout of the Booth's design was projected onto the ground. The holographic projection showcased the dimension and shape but not the intricate details.

'Four damn hours. I thought it would just magically appear instantly, but for it to take this long. What should I do until then?'

The anticlimactic turn of events dampened Juanito's mood a little. Without anything better to do, he decided to do some probing of the nearby human settlement as discreetly as possible.

"I'll just come back later. Gotta make use of my time."

Thereupon, he surreptitiously trailed the direction of the carriage he saw a while ago.

Juanito kept his distance by the side of the carriageway while frequently looking over his surroundings, maintaining the covert nature of his actions.

As he drew nearer, he could spot a hodgepodge of wooden and stone structures. There were no walls nor any kind of fortification to impede dubious outsiders from entry. Only a palisade was in place.

But as he stretched his vision to the limit, he could discern brick walls that were obscured by the thick layer of mist. At a distance, it seemed to confine an inner territory.

But to Juanito, the walls served as a massive rampart that prohibit the outcasts from unauthorized entry.

What caught his attention, though, was a towering brick structure akin to a parish church on earth. A varnished wooden cross stood on the roof, ostensibly an instrument that symbolizes a religion.

'Here goes nothing..'

Bracing himself for the worst, he ventured deeper into the unknown territory.