Chapter2-A Long, Long Time After

The wind gently blew over the red roses blooming on the hillside.

A white-feathered bird with long wings perched on a branch laden with fruit, singing a beautiful, joyful tune.

The air was filled with the sweet scent of fruit and wine.

This was the Eden of countless people's dreams.

But Owen couldn't bear living here any longer.

"So boring!" he lay on the soft lounge chair, gazing at the scenery he was thoroughly tired of. "Twenty years... it's been twenty whole years. When on earth can I leave this place?"

"I really miss my previous life. Back then, even though I was just an ordinary shut-in keyboard warrior, at least the internet had everything."

Owen yawned, feeling utterly bored.

In his past life, Owen lived in modern society. He wasn't good at socializing, but he often had brilliant moments arguing with people online.

Money, fame, or legacy—Owen had none of those things.

In other words, in modern society, Owen was a 100% pure leftover—someone who just filled space.

One day, after another routine of online chivalry, Owen suddenly found himself, out of nowhere, transported to another world.

"Ah, so I'm the typical useless protagonist!" When Owen first crossed over, his confidence soared. Standing atop a beautiful mountain, he shouted out with great ambition, "This world will be mine to conquer! Everyone will bow down to me! I will be the new king of this world!"

Ten days later, the "king of the world," Owen, was on his knees.

After wandering around for ten full days, he finally confirmed that he was trapped in an area no bigger than a small hill.

Though the scenery was beautiful, like a fairyland, Owen felt like he was locked in a prison.

Then, he discovered both good news and bad news.

Good news: He awakened a system.

Bad news: The system was weird.

The system didn't teach Owen magic or combat skills, nor did it train him in witchcraft. Instead, it offered odd things like bartending, cooking, physics, chemistry, modern medicine, and modern industry.

It even included singing, visiting relatives, how to bust the most rhythmic breakdance moves, and post-natal care for sows.

The tasks the system gave Owen weren't the usual "expand your territory," "gather a harem," or "increase the birth rate" kind of traditional, boring things. Instead, it asked him to—[Please create the world's best pub!]

This mission left Owen utterly baffled.

But since he had nothing better to do, he figured, why not? With nothing to lose, he began studying bartending and built his own pub from scratch.

Owen named the pub "Red Spark."

He didn't know why, it just felt right.

[Host, don't be lazy!] The system's cold voice interrupted Owen's thoughts, [Please finish making the Wild Cherry Signature Cocktail!]

"Alright, alright." Owen stretched lazily. "Not like there's any customers anyway, I might as well take a nap."

He walked into the spacious, spotless pub.

Various ingredients for mixing drinks were laid out on the bar.

Although Owen was somewhat lazy, he was incredibly focused when it came to bartending. For the past twenty years, aside from occasionally gardening or feeding his cat, he spent most of his time perfecting his craft.

Every few days, the system would teach him a new cocktail recipe.

Whenever he created a drink that was different from the usual, it filled Owen with a sense of accomplishment. It was one of the few moments of happiness he had.

"Meow~" The Siamese cat lying on the bar stretched and woke from its nap.

Obedient and quiet, it didn't disturb Owen at work. Its clear blue eyes followed his every move.

The cat was a reward from the system.

After twenty years together, Owen considered it part of his family.

"Alright, just the last step." Owen skillfully mixed the drinks in the right proportions. Just as he placed the wild cherry garnish on the glass, a loud noise erupted from outside.

Owen's entire body trembled, his face going pale.

He didn't know why, but he absolutely hated loud noises.

"Meow~" The little cat, Avel, jumped down from the bar.

With its fluffy little legs, it ran outside.

"Wait! Be careful, it might be dangerous." Owen snapped out of his daze and immediately followed.

The next moment, as he saw what was happening outside, Owen was utterly stunned.

The scenery he had grown so tired of seemed to shatter like broken glass, crumbling piece by piece. It was the invisible barrier that had been keeping him inside.

A surge of intense joy welled up in Owen's heart.

He knew this sight could only mean one thing!

He could finally leave this beautiful prison.

At last, he could see the outside world.

Overjoyed, Owen rushed out!

Everything was real, and nothing stood in his way anymore.

"This is amazing!" Owen started running wildly, getting farther and farther from his old home. "Hahaha, a free world, here I come! I've finally served my time!"

The outside world—the grass was so green, the flowers so vibrant.

Although, objectively speaking, there wasn't much difference between the flowers and grass here and those on the small hill, Owen didn't care.

He knelt on the green grass, inhaled a deep breath of the free air, and gently plucked a small white daisy.

"Oh, thank God! I've finally escaped that hellish place." Owen's eyes filled with tears as he carefully sniffed the flower's scent.

[Warning!] The system's cold voice suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Owen instinctively stood at attention.

[Warning!] The system said mercilessly, [Due to Host's reckless trampling of the grass and destruction of flowers, such vile behavior is absolutely intolerable by this system. Therefore, the system is severing its connection with Host!]

[From now on, Host must fend for himself and rely on his own luck!]

[Please behave like a civilized, well-mannered, and cultured being!]

[Goodbye!]

The system's string of exclamation marks and its message left Owen dumbfounded.

He stood there, holding the little flower, all alone on the grassy field.

After a long while, Owen finally understood what had happened.

Once again, his eyes welled up with tears.

"System, you really left me! Damn it!"

"We were together for twenty years."

"And you just turned your back on me, no hesitation."

Owen took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, determined not to let the tears fall.

Sure enough, pubs and heartless systems always go hand in hand.

"No, I have to pull myself together." Owen clenched his fists. "I absolutely won't shed a tear for a jerk system!"

Regaining his composure, he decided to investigate the world beyond the hill.

It had to be wonderful.

And surely, he would encounter all sorts of interesting things.

But what Owen didn't know was that when the barrier shattered, not only could he see the outside world, but the outside world could now see his.

At that very moment, a group of menacing mercenaries stood furiously outside his home.

"Damn it!" The leader kicked at the dirt in frustration. "What treasure? Who said there was a waterfall of golden gems and mermaids in bikinis behind the barrier? There's absolutely nothing here."

"We've been duped! Boss, we can't just leave empty-handed. Why don't we just loot the place?" one of his men suggested.

The mercenary leader looked at the building in front of him.

It was oddly shaped, like a temple.

"Fine, ransack the temple. Who knows? Maybe we'll find something valuable!" the leader ordered. "Brothers, take everything. If it can't be taken, smash it, then burn the place down."

"Loot! Loot! Loot!"

"Burn! Burn! Burn!"

The mercenaries echoed in unison.

They were filled with rage as well.

Who hadn't heard stories of hidden treasure?

Everyone believed that a mysterious, untouchable place like this must hold great secrets.

But after all their effort to get here, they found nothing valuable. Their anger surged, and they wouldn't be satisfied until they burned down not just the building, but the entire hillside.

Standing behind the mercenaries were two delicate-looking girls.

Their smooth hair and pale skin made it clear they didn't belong with the mercenaries. Yet for some unknown reason, they were mixed up with them.

Hearing the mercenaries' shouts, fear and reluctance filled the girls' eyes.

"Such a beautiful place… Do we really have to destroy it?" one girl whispered.

"Shh, don't let them hear you." The older girl sighed helplessly. "But we can't fight them. Even if we feel sorry, there's nothing we can do."