'Why…did I think choosing a madman was a good idea? I cannot take it anymore. Someone, save me…'
Lilianna complained as she continued to run. But her legs were shaking, and her body felt exhausted. Someone quickly passed her, and before she could collapse, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her along.
"Tsk, your stamina is abysmal. You will need to work on it a lot before the next round. You cannot allow your stats to do everything for you."
Andrew reminded her as he took the lead and tugged her after him.
He had suggested for Lilianna to train her body a little so that she would have an easier time in the future. But she did not understand why she needed to do that if she could just invest stats into her body and improve it.
When she had asked Andrew this, he had simply told her that she would feel better and fitter if her body was in shape, and her magic would also flow faster.
And that was how this training had started…or torture, to be more accurate.
"I-I cannot run anymore. I have been running for-"
"20 minutes. It has not been that long."
"-but… Fine, I will run."
Lilianna complied as she forced herself beyond her capabilities to keep up with Andrew. She kept going until she could not physically keep it up any longer, and she collapsed.
"I-I am done. I am gone…"
She complained as she fell face-first on the ground. Her body did not have enough energy to move, and her muscles hurt.
"C-Can I get a potion to help-?"
She asked, but Andrew only gave her a look that told her she was being an idiot.
"Lilianna, you are a medic. It would be easier for you to use your skill to heal. Practicing it is the best way to get a sense of how to use it."
Andrew reminded her, only to cause Lilianna to frown and clench her fists in anger.
"Ugh, I get it. Can you at least let me rest for 5 minutes before we continue?"
Lilianna asked, and Andrew gave her those 5 minutes, and he decided to check up on the house and the state of lunch that the fairy worker was currently working on.
It greeted Andrew when he came in and pushed the glass of water toward him.
Andrew had to admit that having a fairy worker around was a big help. He could see how these things were so sought after in this world as well.
Once he had checked up on the food and grabbed a bottle of water for Lilianna, he headed back to give it to her, and the training started once more.
It might not seem important at first glance, but one's body fitness affected a lot of things, and Andrew wanted him and his party to always be prepared.
After about an hour more of running around and manual labour, it was finally time for them to return for lunch.
The fairy worker quickly plated their food before it tugged Andrew to follow it. Andrew did so and was led to the inventory…which was running low once more.
He had bought vegetables and fruits, but things like oil, etc., were still something he needed to stock up on.
"Lilianna, we are going shopping. Let's get as much as we can today. There is no telling when food shortages will hit us."
The female in question nodded, and they left for the wholesale storage units. The roads were still deserted, but people were slowly beginning to return.
"How much time do you think it will take for game 4 to end?"
Lilianna asked, and Andrew tried to recall how long the game had lasted in his world.
"Maybe around a week or so. Most people at this point in the game have adapted to it and are willing to follow the rules, and the difficulty of this level is not that high."
People were already starting to come back by now. And the system was also not gracious enough to allow people to remain on a single game level for too long.
"I see. I guess those who do not make it back in time won't ever make it back."
Lilianna asked, and Andrew did not need to answer her. They both kept walking until they saw the storage house. But there was already a small line outside. It was not a peaceful gathering, but rather, a violent protest.
"-so, we have decided to mark up the prices of our products. If you cannot keep up, then please leave."
The man in front of the large storage yelled back, and people started to get angry.
"Tsk, you already marked up the prices a few days ago, and now you are doubling it again? Do you think we will take it lying down? Don't you dare do things-"
A sudden red light pushed the man away, and the garage owner looked at the people in front of him with annoyed eyes.
"I will use my skills to keep you away if I need to. And if you have a problem with it, then find another supplier to buy things from. Until then, keep quiet and stop yapping too much. Or I will ban you for life. Now, does anyone else have anything to say?"
There was a dispute over the prices of goods once more. And this time, people with professions were getting involved.
"I don't like the atmosphere here. Should we go and come back later?"
Lilianna asked in a timid voice, but Andrew shook his head.
"This conflict will only get bigger over time. It will be better if we empty out our pockets while money still has value. I am sure that from the next round, people will stop using real-life money and start using system currency."
Andrew's words sounded horrible but plausible. Lilianna had a feeling that things would happen just as he was saying.
"Let's buy as much as we can right now."
With that said, Andrew took a step forward, and everyone looked at him. Lilianna followed his lead with a nervous look.
"What do you want, kid?"
Someone asked, and Andrew ignored him and looked at the garage owner instead.
"I want to buy your entire stock. Money is not an issue for me."
He told the garage owner, and the man's temper lowered.
"Hmm, finally someone with a brain on his head who knows what my goods are worth. Come in, kid. We can talk inside."
Andrew stepped inside the barrier once he was given permission to do so. Lilianna followed, but she had a sudden feeling that she and Andrew had just become public enemy no. 1.
But since Andrew did not care, she pretended not to care as well.
They both walked behind the older owner until he stopped and asked them to take a seat.
"So, what supplies do you want to buy, and how much are you offering me for it?"
The older man asked, and Andrew did not even hesitate to take out a blank cheque.
"I want everything you have. Name your price, and I will give it to you. If you doubt whether I would be able to do that or not, then here. This will prove my identity."
Andrew handed his ID over, and the garage owner looked at it before his eyes widened and things started to make sense.
'So, this is not a scam after all, but a business opportunity. I knew it. Investing in luck was worth it. Not only did I get the 'merchant' class, but I also got an incredible customer.'
The garage owner smiled, pleased with his sudden stroke of luck.