Why so Expensive?!

<Naïve. Host is truly naïve.>

". . ." Did you just insult me?

<Host must realize by now that there is no such thing as grinding your way to the top. There's so much more to just grinding in this world.

<Host lacked combat ability, talent, and brain to even last in this world for a day.>

Now you're definitely insulting me.

<Other players who excelled in martial arts would still beat you. Those who have enough brains will outwit you, and those who were gifted with talent will climb higher than you.>

<And Host will become like that poor, lousy human you once were.>

". . ."

<But fear not! For the system had chosen you. Brain, talent, martial skills? Those are nothing in the face of the ultimate cheat like the system! Let us cheat our way to the top and become unbeatable!>

. . . For a moment there, I thought you'd really give an awesome speech until the cheating part, that is.

I resumed walking towards the village chief and stopped just meters from him.

"If you want the letter to get inside towns, then exterminate the goblins in the goblin cave found deeper in Euclid Forest."

The players swiped their hands in the air, must be to check their newly received mission. When their faces brightened and their smiles satisfied, they set off from the village and went directly into the forest.

On the other hand, I was sweating buckets as I approached the village chief. His amiable look immediately turned to a scowl upon seeing me.

"What do you want?" he barked, voice annoyed.

System, isn't he supposed to be afraid of me? What happened to Evil's Halo?

<Host's ATP isn't strong enough against him.>

As I suspected. So the one way to know if my ATP was stronger than the inhabitants was to see if they were afraid of me or not.

<Somewhat.>

"Hello," I greeted and smiled, but his pensive face just turned defensive.

I pressed on. "How can I get a letter to enter the town?"

"Heeh . . ." The village chief's lower lip puckered out into a sneer. "Like what I kept telling the others. If you want the letter, then get rid of those pesky goblins in their lair located deeper in Euclid Forest."

[A New Quest appeared!]

Finally, the sound of a normal mission. I thought I would never have one.

<Host will still access quests outside of the system, though the rewards aren't great, unlike with the system.>

I ignored it and looked at my Quest Menu.

‖ Q U E S T ‖

❶ Exterminate Goblins x10 in their lair located deep in Euclid Forest.

Reward:

Letter

‖ E N D ‖

Egh . . . that's it? I understand about the lack of EXP, but why is the reward only a letter? Shouldn't it at least contain gil? Or items?

<It's because Host relationship level is Ruffian.>

Oh . . . right . . . I grumbled under my breath.

So for the rest of my journey here, besides fighting monsters, looking for my family, and surviving each day, I also had to be wary of the inhabitants of this world?

I felt like the system wasn't a cheat but a curse.

Welp. No use in lamenting about it. I should be glad that the village chief even gave me a quest for the letter and didn't kick me to my death.

I wonder if my relationship level with him would increase if I finish the quest?

I thanked the village chief which he replied with a humph and a snob.

Now that it was out of the way, I planned to go to the inn and fill my stomach first before heading out to the forest.

I was getting hungry, and I needed fuel for the fight.

Inside the shaky inn with only thin timbers as a support, I noticed that not many Halflings were dining. There were a lot of players like myself who had sour and pensive faces.

Was the food that horrible?

"What do you want?" said a big woman whose half body was that of a cow while her chubby face had a large mole near her thin lips. She was holding a big spoon like she was going to hit someone with it.

I backed away a little. She was huge and intimidating, and I had to cough to get the lamp out of my throat.

"Uhm . . . I'd like to see your menu please."

She squinted her eyes, and it took everything I had not to stare at the large hairy mole on her face.

"Food's there." She banged her spoon against a wooden board that displayed the list of food and their corresponding prices.

My mouth dropped at the price. Why was everything expensive? I only have 100 gil with me, and a simple bread with bacon and egg already cost 500 gil?

Is it a scam?

"Well? What do you want?" the woman growled in impatience.

I was too intimidated and stuttered. "W-water?"

She rose an eyebrow. "That will cost you a 100 gil."

". . ." Yep. It was definitely a scam.

Before I could say never mind, she poured water on a 2oz glass and twirled it with her finger before she gave it to me.

"100 gil."

. . . At least she didn't spit on it.

"Uhm . . ."

"What?! I'm busy!"

You're literally just standing there and glaring at me.

"How much for a night in your cheapest room?"

"1000 gil."

My shoulders slumped as I went to a table with my glass of water. My head was a mess. Just like that, my 100 gil was gone after buying water that should have been free!

What's wrong with this world? I didn't know about the value of money, but why was everything expensive? I was expecting 5 gil a night or 10 gil a meal.

No wonder the other's faces looked constipated.

Or was it just this village?

<Host should just destroy this village and rebuild it a new.>

I ignored it and contemplated my next move. I guess having food and a place to rest in this village was impossible now. Not to mention the food, but the cost of staying here was also astronomical.

Then my only option was to either grind for drops of gil to save for that 1000 gil or sleep in the forest.

". . ."

I better start grinding now.