Village

Opening his eyes, Yan Long couldn't help but blinked multiple times.

"W-where am I?" Yan Long couldn't help but ask. He looked around and found out that he's inside a very old shack, he's currently lying on stacks of hay as well.

He frowned, his head hurts like crazy, but still, he stood up. He then saw his own attire, it's a loose robe, old and filled with stitches.

Also, his body, it's only sticks and bones.

"What the heck..." Yan Long couldn't help but exclaim: 'Did the original owner of the body died from hunger?'.

But instead of laughing, Yan Long couldn't help but sigh: 'Pitiful... I guess, I would've died of hunger myself if I didn't jump...'

Yan Long sighed, he looked around and found some stinking bowls, not washed, but food had clearly been placed there, a very long time ago.

He found a sickle and made his way out: "I can at least eat some leaves if I just boil it with water..."

But as he made his way out, he found it already impossible. The place around him is too hot, a total wasteland, the land is already filled with cracks.

"Ah... can't I get revived in a better place?" Yan Long sighed once more, his stomach also started to grumble, and the pain it gives is rather extremely uncomfortable.

He entered the shack and was ready to give up, but then, he saw his lunch box: "..........."

For some reason, it tagged along with him, his attache case wasn't though, only the lunch box, that empty lunchbox.

He then grabbed it and opened it, thinking there may be a miracle of some sort, but well...

[Lunch Box

Rank: Normal

Description: Holds food.]

"......." Yan Long became speechless, but then, he looked at his 'utensils' and couldn't help but frown, these are plastic utensils, but for some reason, they are metallic now.

He grabbed them and couldn't believe what he saw.

[Chopstick -Left

Rank: Artifact

Level required: 1

Usage: ???]

[Chopstick-Right

Rank: Artifact

Level required: 1

Usage: ???]

[Spoon

Rank: Artifact

Level required: 1

Usage: ???]

[Fork

Rank: Artifact

Level required: 1

Usage: ???]

"..................?!?!?!"

Yan Long couldn't believe it, four red windows appeared in front of him like it's some sort of gaming thingy: "This... could it be my power? Like from those novels I've read?!"

He smiled brightly before it turned into depression: "Wait, then, can't I have a sword instead? I'll trade all of them for one artifact sword?! Even a legendary or a mythical one is acceptable!"

After making a commotion, causing him to become hungrier than before, he sighed and waited for a bit: "Will there be a carriage going this way?"

"Maybe a princess will save me by letting me tag along? Then I'll defeat the demon lord or something?"

He waited.

After an hour or two, he decided to just go out.

He started uttering some sort of spells like 'Status window!', or 'Item shop!' but after trying more than one thousand tries, he decided to give up.

"It would've been nice if I came here with a manual, a fairy guiding me in the adventure would be neat as well..." Yan Long said with a pout.

Still, for some reason, his pain had tremendously been reduced, his body is trembling nonstop, yet, he could only feel his stomach's uncomfortable feeling.

After walking aimlessly, he could only see the vast wasteland, but after a few more minutes, he saw it, a type of plant.

He immediately approached it and touched its rather, the more nondangerous part.

[Stinger Barrel Plant

Type: Plant

Description: Stores water within its core, the skin and its spines are dangerous, can cause dizziness and would sometimes irritate an empty stomach.

The water inside it can relieve hunger slightly, but ingesting the whole batch can cause an upset stomach.]

Yan Long didn't hesitate, he used his sickle and started to operate on the poor plant: "It's like a cactus, but somewhat different?"

"I guess... if it's not called a cactus, then, I'm surely not in the same world..."

After taking out the core, he only took a sip, but his sip actually became longer due to hunger, he used every ounce of willpower he has to stop it, making him more exhausted, but at least, his hunger got slightly satiated.

The plant's core only had 2/3 of it remaining, but Yan Long kept it for as long as he can, taking only a single sip every once in a while to slowly rejuvenate his hunger.

Even if he doesn't get full, at the very least, he can stop his hunger from acting up. He had learned it through experience. There are times where he, a poor bloke had nothing to eat for a few days.

What made him survive is, a coffee, a liter of coffee, and a cigarette, he spends the whole day with his coffee, and whenever he gets hungry, he'll drink from the coffee and lit his cigarette.

This is one of the ways he survived, applying it here isn't really that bad. Also, the cactus's fruit isn't really helpful to him if he drunk it whole in a single go.

It may have something that can cause stomach ache, hence, he had just drunk it sip by sip, to help his stomach get used to it.

After a while of walking, he managed to get a few more fruits, he ripped his clothes to store it properly.

His days went by, hours... days... He had repeatedly done the same process, although he still looks the same, his status had clearly gone for the better.

8th day of continuously walking, Yan Long finally found it.

"A...a village..." He uttered, tears slowly fell from his eyes: "Finally..."

He used every ounce of his strength to push forward, but as hope flashes in front of anyone, of course, strength started to leave his body.

slowly, his vision fades as he slumps down on the ground losing his consciousness completely.

Three days passed, he woke up: "Ughh..." He held his head from the pain, he looked around and saw an unfamiliar shack.

"I-is this... the legendary plot?" Yan Long couldn't help but look around, searching for that goddess-like lady from the stories, but to no avail.

After a while, the door opened: "G-goddess" He uttered, but what he saw is an old bearded muscle man in his mid-60s.

"HAHAHAHA!" Hearing him, the old man laughed so loud while clenching his stomach: "I've been called a bear, a monster, or muscle freak, but I've never in my life had I ever been called a goddess before."

Yan Long stared at him blankly before sighing, he smiled: "Where am I?"

The old man smiled: "You're in my house, this is the Ostaria Village."

"I found you unconscious outside the village, I'm actually quite shocked that you're still alive with that condition of yours."

Yan Long nodded his head. As the old man was about to continue talking, Yan Long's stomach grumbled.

The old man chuckled as he went straight to the kitchen: "I've made a soup, I'll reheat it so you should wait."

Yan Long could only nod his head.

After 20 minutes, more than half spent on lighting the firewood, Yan Long and the old man ate.

Yan Long couldn't help but have tears fall from his eyes, finally, eating decent food after such a long arduous time.

Although the soup is made out of ordinary grass, salt, a few old pieces of meat, and water, Yan Long ate it like it's a royal meal.

The old man sighed, the two of them ate till they were full.