Yamamoto woke up even before the first light of dawn, his body stiff from sleeping in an awkward position. His muscles complained as he carefully dropped is legs from the bed, his joints protesting the night spent in an awkward position… but it quickly disappeared and he felt normal again. It was strange, but he attributed it to the system again.
Now that the place was bright, he could actually see now, could pick out the game trails and navigate without stumbling blindly.
The journey back to Salt Fish Town took most of the day.
The forest teemed with creatures that would have been labeled as "monsters" in the game. He skirted around a pair of wolves, their eyes constantly tracking his movement as he walked through. Further along, a massive boar with tusks as thick as his forearm forced him to detour through a thicket of thorns to escape pursuit. He was sure he could take it on, but the animal was just freighting when it charged ferociously, besides there was no need to face it.
Only the giant rats proved impossible to avoid—their sudden eruptions from the undergrowth left him no choice but to draw his sword and defend himself in quick, desperate encounters.
Each time he had to fight, Yamamoto was careful and precise. After one or two encounters, he triggered them himself, using the beasts to test his coordination.
It was strange, since his body moved exactly as he wished it to, it was like he had always been able to perform the stunts and attacks, simply fascinating.
With that realization, he didn't fear any further encounter. Perhaps even more so was because he knew their attack patterns, so dealing with them wasn't difficult at all. He used the minimum force necessary, focused on disabling rather than killing when possible, and all round had a good time.
Nevertheless, exp was the enemy right now, every kill bringing him closer to level 10, and he needed to stay low for as long as possible. There were still a few hidden quests to do, opportunities that would vanish if he leveled too quickly.
By the time the forest finally thinned and Salt Fish Town's shabby buildings came into view, the sun was setting. Yamamoto's stomach was growling—he'd rationed the bread and water from his inventory throughout the day, but it hadn't been enough to truly satisfy him, not to mention, the bread was tough to stomach.
He made his way through the familiar streets, drawing a few curious glances from townsfolk. His clothes were muddy and torn in places from the forest, and he was carrying a sword openly on his hip, though, no one challenged him. Weapons seemed to be common enough here, or so he thought. Perhaps just not too common in a fishing town such as Salt Fish.
he quickly made his way to The Rusty Anchor which looked exactly as he'd left it. Yamamoto pushed through the door, immediately hit by the warm smell of cooking food and ale.
Grom looked up from behind the bar, and his eyebrows rose in genuine surprise.
"Well, well. The tall lad returns." The innkeeper's eyes traveled over Yamamoto's appearance— "And looking a bit more prosperous than when you left, I'd say." He noticed a few gears on him.
Yamamoto approached the bar. "I need a room. Same rate as before?"
"Of course! What? Do you think I'm a pirate? Breakfast's included. Drop another five if you want dinner tonight." Grom leaned forward, studying him with an appraising eye. "You're an adventurer, aren't you? Got that look about you now, haha."
Yamamoto hesitated. Was it that obvious? Not that it was bad in anyway though. "What makes you say that?" He said, laughing a bit.
"Been running this inn for twenty years, lad. You learn to spot the type. Plus—" He gestured at Yamamoto's sword. "—most folks carrying weapons around here are either guards or troublemakers. You don't move like a guard, and troublemakers don't usually pay their bills on time, so of course you'd have to be the later, even though they rarely show up in this town."
That was interesting. Yamamoto had assumed carrying weapons would be unusual, but apparently it was normal enough—at least in certain contexts.
"I suppose I am," Yamamoto admitted with a dry laugh, handing over his coins for payment. "But, is that a problem?"
"Problem? Ah, no, no. Adventurers are good business. Not as frequent, but reliable for the most part. Not like I'm complaining or anything, since its peace that keeps you lot away." Grom counted the coins and slid a key across the bar. "Same room as before—number three. Dinner'll be ready in about an hour. Roast chicken tonight."
"Thanks," Yamamoto said, taking the key.
Room three was exactly as he remembered it. He dropped onto the bed with a sigh of relief, finally able to properly rest after the long day. Even though he didn't feel to much physical exhaustion, he still felt a bit drained mentally.
Almost immediately, he was caught in thoughts. The hidden quests were his priority, but he also needed to think about money. His funds wouldn't last forever, and he'd need equipment, supplies, potions…
'Ahhh… I'll think of that later.' he told himself.
The reason he had come back to this cheap Inn instead of spending a little more for something more comfortable was simple, fear of spending too much and turning out broke. Like some would say, poverty is a mindset… or was it? Certainly, he was just being cautious and calculative, right?
An hour later, he made his way back downstairs. The common room had a few people now, all of them looking like locals. Yamamoto found an empty table in the corner and settled in to wait for his meal.
Just a few seconds later, someone came up to him. "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"
Yamamoto looked up to find a young man standing beside his table. He was probably around twenty, maybe late teens? It was hard to tell. He had a clean shaven face with an earnest expression and the kind of polite bearing that suggested good upbringing. He wore simple but well-maintained armor—leather reinforced with a few metal studs—and had a sword and shield strapped to his back.
"Please, go ahead," Yamamoto said with a faint smile.
The young man sat down with a grateful smile. "Thank you. The inn is busier than usual tonight." He extended his hand. "Kenneth Lamb. I'm a Warrior."
Yamamoto shook his hand, noting the firm grip. "Odinson. Swordsman."