Chapter 11

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Should you accept?
Should you accept? Should you accept??
You stare blankly at the long black hair protruding from Gol D. Roger’s nostril, standing rooted to the spot in a prolonged internal struggle, while his stiff face remains plastered with an expectant look.
Throughout this, Rayleigh beside you has maintained his original pose, watching you both with a smile… What exactly is he smiling about? Does he know his comrade is openly pulling out nose hair on the street to hand to a little girl!
That is nose hair! Even if you were the one who asked for it.
Clearly, this damned game does not possess high artificial intelligence; no one answered that thought-provoking question.
Because Roger is holding the autograph high in the air, the writing on the wooden plaque is clearly visible. His artistic skills are abysmal; the so-called "Great Blade" looks like a child’s drawing, with a tiny note scribbled to the side: "My precious beloved blade, Ace."
— Gol D. Roger.
At a glance, it looks convincing enough; it will surely sell for a good price later.
Ultimately, you succumb to the sinful temptation, silently taking the wooden plaque… and the black hair resting upon it, stuffing them into your backpack with trembling hands.
At the very least, Roger’s name was written with great flair.
You silently return the signature pen. The system provides no prompt, so your reputation points have been preserved.
You no longer wish to stay here. You hurriedly pull out a few mushrooms to give to the two uncles, grinding their favorability until you can grind no more, and leave the spot without looking back.
Gol D. Roger, Favorability: 21.
Silvers Rayleigh, Favorability: 19.
On the way, you pull out a small mirror to check the favorability statistics. As you walk and flip through the pages, your feet inexplicably return to the place where you parted ways with Marco.
The familiar blonde youth is standing there, motionless, with a dialogue box containing "..." popping up above him.
Option 1: Big brother, I’m back after buying the apples! (Submit quest)
Option 2: I want to look around some more. (Leave)
Just turn in the quest; there’s no need to drag it out.
Your heart is very tired right now.
You lower your head and take out the 10 apples from your backpack. Because of the quantity, you can barely hold them in your arms, and you walk forward to speak with Marco.
"Big brother, I’m back after buying the apples!"
The moment the words fall, the previously azure sky enters a twilight state at a speed visible to the naked eye. Clouds begin to twist and flow, and the harsh white light of noon softens into an orange-red hue within seconds.
As expected…
Time only moves when you follow these serious plot points; otherwise, it remains frozen.
"Oh! Thanks for your hard work, little sister."
Marco doesn't notice the abnormality in the shifting sky at all. He takes the apples and stuffs them into his pockets (you are in disbelief at how he fits 10 apples into his pockets, despite him not having a player's backpack), then produces a pile of items out of thin air and places them in your arms.
[System: Player has completed the side quest "Help Marco buy apples"! Received 820 EXP, 1500 Berries, Strawberry Milk x2 (each carton restores 250 Stamina), Marco Favorability +3.]
"Perfect, I’ve already inquired about the doctor."
"Let’s go now."
What? We’re going now?
You didn't expect a dialogue sequence that seems to trigger the main plot to appear on him. You accept the rewards and glance hesitantly at the sunset on the horizon.
Well, aside from the gold chain you haven't traded in yet, it seems there is nothing else to do.
The gold chain can be traded for money at any time; it doesn't take up much space in your backpack like other junk.
"I understand, I’ll listen to big brother."
[System: Marco Favorability +1.]
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You obediently follow Marco away from the spot, taking the initiative to trot a few steps and take his left hand in your small palm. The blonde youth does not refuse. He leads you leisurely through the streets, and after walking for who knows how long, he finally stops in front of a house.
Marco knocks on the door, and a low voice immediately asks from inside: "What are you here for?"
"To eat steak."
"How is it prepared?"
"Slow-roasted over low heat."
"Come in."
Receiving the response from inside, Marco leads you directly into the house.
You: "..."
Isn't this the plot from the Hunter exam next door!!? How did it cross over here! Does this damned game have copyright!!?
And why does a doctor's house use a steak set meal as a password? This isn't a barbecue joint… Your silence is deafening; you follow Marco across the threshold in a state of near-stupor.
By the way, you still don't know how your cheapskate "Old Man" is doing right now.
Since parting at the docks, there hasn't been a peep from him. Marco doesn't seem worried at all, and you are truly afraid that Edward Newgate will be successfully arrested by that Marine uncle with "D" in his name, leading to some "traveling a thousand miles to save Dad" plotline later.
Just as this thought crosses your mind, you realize that inside the house, standing next to a strange old man, is your very own cheapskate "Old Man."
...
Fine, no need to break into a prison.
"Old Man, did you get here this quickly?"
Marco raises his arm to wave at Edward Newgate, his words expressing surprise but his face showing none: "My sister and I took quite a while to get here."
"Ah, Rodney is an old acquaintance of mine. Finding him wasn't any trouble."
"What is this, hey? So you knew the guy, Old Man. If you had said so sooner, I wouldn't have gone through all that trouble before coming."
Marco pulls a numbered tag out of his pocket and tosses it to the silver-haired old man standing not far away: "I went to a lot of effort to get information and secure this consultation tag."
Entering the main plot really is fast. As soon as you enter, the cutscenes begin. You stand to the side, bored, watching them talk back and forth. If you were playing this on a computer screen, you would have skipped all of this by now.
The old man with "Rodney" written above his head has a green name; he looks quite serious, with a bitter, deep-seated expression.
He raises his hand to catch the tag and turns his gaze directly toward you.
"Newgate, is this the little girl you were talking about?"
"You should know that there is currently no illness in this world that I cannot cure. Countless people pay a fortune to get me to act, and some even go to the black market to spend hundreds of millions just for a tiny tag like this, not knowing the secret code to enter my house, only to be turned away."
...Your house's secret code is just from Hunter x ○ter next door, don't look down on people!
You complain silently in your heart.
Of course, Rodney, currently deep in the plot, cannot know what the player is thinking. He slowly confirms in a low voice: "Newgate, for this little one, are you really going to use up the favor you owe me for saving my life?"
"Enough nonsense!"
Edward Newgate isn't bothered to say another line of dialogue, simply dropping one sentence:
"She is my daughter."
"Hmm..." Rodney stops speaking. With a heavy expression, he pulls out a thick, long syringe: "I see. Let me take a look."
"You all should be thankful you came early, just in time before I head to the royal palace tomorrow morning."
Wait, wait a minute.
You look at the item in his hand, and cold sweat breaks out instinctively.
That syringe, could it be…
Without hesitation, you move a step, slowly backing away, backing away, and backing away further.
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You can't retreat any further. Marco has somehow ended up behind you, arms crossed, leaning against the door of the room. His sturdy lower body is as immovable as a mountain, and you accidentally step on his toes.
Thankfully, Marco doesn't tilt his head back and scream, because he doesn't have ingrown toenails. You feel grateful that he has clean toes… as if that matters!!!
Help, when did he stand there? Why is he blocking your path? Why is that grim-faced doctor old man raising a giant syringe and walking toward you again!?
You don't want to get an injection, nooooo!!!!
***
One hour later, you are sprawled on Edward Newgate's broad, majestic shoulder like a tear-stained lump, waiting for the blood test results in the posture of a salted fish.
That’s right, being extremely afraid of pain, you dawdled for a full hour before accepting the hateful plot point of having to get an injection.
Of course, this hour is not "that" hour. Because you are in a damned game world, time has actually remained frozen; no matter how much you dawdled, the clock on the wall remained stuck at 6:15 PM.
Tired of lying on your cheapskate "Old Man," you jump down with a pair of red, swollen eyes and decide to explore the house.
Rodney seems to have specifically designed the main hall as a consultation room; the equipment is complete (but cannot be picked up), and the air is filled with the smell of medicine and disinfectant.
The second floor is his private living quarters, but the door is locked and you cannot enter. You don't see any chests or barrels, only a single coin on the shoe cabinet at the front door on the first floor.
[System: Received 500 Berries.]
So poor… and he calls himself a world-renowned doctor.
You complain while naturally stuffing the 500-berry coin into your backpack.
You continue to smash the decorative vase placed nearby, and a new prompt pops up.
[System: Received a "Butt Plug - Little Milk Rabbit Tail Style" stained with intestinal fluid x1.]
[Note: After equipping, Charm +9, Intelligence +10, Medical Talent +50%.]
You stare at the prompt with a blank expression. After N seconds of silence, you crook your pinky finger and quickly stuff it into your backpack, watching as it automatically sorts itself into the second-to-last slot, keeping company with the black nose hair sealed away in the final slot.
There is nothing left to scavenge… or investigate in the house. You regretfully return to where the others are standing.
You approach Doctor Rodney again. Perhaps because you left and returned, the plot has advanced. He suddenly holds up the reagent bottle in his hand high:
"It seems the test results are out."
"Doctor, how is my little sister?" Marco, leaning against the door frame, immediately steps forward and asks on your behalf: "Is there a way to treat her?"
"It's embarrassing to say, but I have some research into medical arts myself, yet I was completely at a loss."
"Who do you think I am? Of course I can cure her."
Rodney sets down the glass bottle and speaks in a deep tone: "It’s just that she needs to stay here with me for three years of treatment before she can fully recover."
As the doctor's words fall, the whole room falls into silence.
Huh???
You almost think you misheard. How long? Three years????
Are you kidding me! Your prologue/demo version only lasts for one month; staying in this rigid game for three years would surely drive you crazy?
Even if three years is just a plot setting and the real-time flow isn't that long, you can't possibly spend three years—or three hundred years—on the prologue's novice island killing slimes… You know, when Marco carried you flying through the air earlier, you didn't even see a dense forest.
No forest means no mobs or mushrooms; there is simply no way to level up in this godforsaken place.
Just then, the person finishes pondering, and three choices pop up for you to select.
Option 1: Okay, a mere three-year period, I can afford to wait!
Option 2: I don't want to stay here! I want to go to the ship with you guys, I'm not getting treated!!
Option 3: Stab him to death. (Enter battle mode)
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