As the sun rose up on the horizon, Cloud opens his eyes to the new day. He is ready for the recruitment day; the so-called recruitment day is the day when a Vanguard trainee will graduate and become an official member of the Vanguard. For the resident of this world, it’s nothing special but for otherworld people like Cloud and co. It is a special day when their future will be decided.

Aside from the formal recruitment, many powerhouses from this world will come to recruit a few workers for them. Usually, people who were recruited by these powerhouses will have an easier life because of their steady payment. The one who doesn’t want to be working under someone else and the one with no talent will be left to find money on their own.

They will either be an adventurer and complete quest and odd jobs listed by the resident of the city or find another job they suited in. But for Cloud’s group, since they are planning on banding together, it is almost impossible for all of them to be recruited by the same person or faction. So, they will be forfeiting their chance and decide to struggle with the others who aren’t catching the powerhouses’ eyes.

As he arrived at Vanguard, it has been crowded with many people. He directly went to the second floor and guided to the secret room again. There, his team mates had already waiting for him. The leader of Jokai’s Vanguard branch, Selene was also there with Jharra and Steven by her side. Since everyone seems to be here, Selene started the conversation.

“So, today will be your graduation days, first I congratulate you guys. Although you guys graduated early, since you guys seem capable, I think you guys will have no problem living in your new world. Now before we continue, is there anything you guys want to request from the Vanguard?” (Selene)

“Miss Selene, we were aware that many power house will try to recruit us but we have decided to band together and form a group. So, we would like to decline all the offer from the outside. Regardless, we will try our best to fulfill our duty in case Vanguard need us to”

“Oh, interesting. Well, is what he said true? Okay, since no one object then I will allow it. I will reject the offers coming for you guys. But, I want to see a result, as a member of Vanguard, depending on your rank you will be obliged to do at least a mission of certain rank each month. Since you guys are newbies, you will have to finish at least 3 F ranked missions or a D ranked mission for each person this month, do you understand?”

“Yes, MAM!”

“Okay, dismissed”

As soon as they were dismissed, Cloud excuse himself to the other since he planned to research the market today. Cloud exited the Vanguard and went to the market, as he arrived he was served with bustling liveliness of the market. He saw a stall selling barbecued meat and went there. The first thing he has to do is to collect information about the best place from the stall owner, then try the recommendation himself.

“How much for a skewer?”

“1 copper coin”

“Give me one, please”

“Here you go”

“Boss, I am new in this city, and plan to do living by hunting so can you recommend me the best shop to buy necessities and sell my game?”

“Ah if you are looking for daily necessities, go to the Jack’s Store, he sold almost anything you need from rations to potions with a rational price. For weapons and armor, go to the south side of the market, there are many blacksmiths there”

“Ah, thank you, Boss. I will try your recommendation. Here is the money”

“Yup, I received the money. Thanks for your patronage”

Aside from gaining recommendation, Clouds move this time is like hitting two birds with one stone. He proved that the coins he gained from the system can be used as normal currency. But then he thought, if he were to slush too much money, will the country economy collapse then? But he decided to scrap that thought since it is too complicated, for now, he chooses to visit the shops the stall owner recommended.

Jack is the owner of Jack’s Store which is located on the western side of the market. The store is not that big but since it sells daily necessities, it doesn’t lack costumers. Basically, everything from spice, potions, medicine and etc. are sold here. As soon as Cloud entered the store and went straight to the counter.

“Welcome to Jack’s Store, how can I help you?”

“Do you have some health potions?”

“Which quality do you need?”

“Uhm the low-grade one”

“Here you go, It’s 10 copper coins each”

Low-Grade Health Potion

Made from 2 Healing Grass and Purified Water.

Effects: Heals 25 HP over 3 sec.

Market price: 11 copper coins

The appraisal showed once Cloud appraised the potion. But he is surprised by an additional information recorded in it. The market price, even the composition could be seen on the screen. Normally, identify would only show the item name and effect, but it seems appraisal is more potent than identify. Plus, he never heard anyone have appraisal skills aside from him so he didn’t know the result would be this accurate.

“Hmm…”

“Is there something wrong?”

“No, I will buy 3 low-grade potions for now”

“Okay, thank you for your patronage”

Since he didn’t have that much money, he could only buy 4 of them. But since the store sells it lower than the market price, he got a good bargain anyway. He took note of Jack’s Store and then went to the south side of the market. As the stall owner said, here Cloud found many blacksmith shops ranging from normal looking one until what seems to be luxurious weapon shop.

As he walked pass a store, he saw a small person hitting something on an anvil from the window of the store. The window was opened since the smith is hot inside, but what stopped Cloud was the person who was working inside. Their average height was about the height of a junior high school student from Earth. These people were called dwarfs and blacksmithing was their natural talent from born.

Because he is curious, he entered the store and was greeted by a dwarf by the counter. The dwarf was different from the other, while the other is top-naked showing their muscles and abs, he wore a shirt and smoke from a pipe.

“Welcome kid, do you need something?”

“Ah, I was curious since it is the first time I saw a dwarf in my life”

“This is not a zoo kid, so if you don’t have anything else then the door is over there”

“No, I was here to look for a place that sells weapon and armor for a hunter”

“Oh, now we are talking kid. What do you need?”

“A bow please”

“Che kid, if you just want a bow don’t look for a blacksmith, even a carpenter can make one. But since you have come anyway, we indeed make something like that since the market requires it. Here it is, a wooden bow of a superb quality, I guarantee the accuracy and sturdiness of the bow”

Cloud held the bow and measure everything since he used to use a bow, he knows what must be noted when one choose a bow. From his assessment, this bow is indeed a high-quality one. The wood seems sturdy and the bowstring is durable too. But to make sure that everything is alright, he used appraisal on the bow.

Wooden Bow + 3

A wooden bow made with high-quality mirkwood and saldalstring

DMG+3

Requirement: None

Market Price: 1 Silver Coin

“How much is this?”

“30 copper coin will do”

“Gasp… Sorry?”

“What, if you don’t have money then leave kid”

“No no, I will take it”

“Good, anything else?”

“No, thank you”

“Un, you are welcome kid”

Although the man seems to be rude but the quality of his goods is superb. Plus, the price of the goods is half of the market price. Cloud wonder if the system has some problem or it is because of the store. Moreover, the goods have +2 in it, in the game things with a plus on its name mean upgraded version so even if it is not the right market price, it is worth to get.

Since all his purpose has been met, Cloud rushed back to the inn where his group stays. He eats his meal and waits until the others back from hunting. In the evening, when the groups finally gathered again on the dining table, Cloud told them what he experienced today. The others then hand some money to Cloud in order to buy additional potion because they didn’t have any potion currently. As the day became late, Cloud went back to his room, after he talked to Elizabeth like usual, he went to sleep.