2 Chapter 2 - Another World?

Luke opened his eyes and found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.

"What? I'm alive?"

A surge of joy washed over him, knowing that he could finally start his vacation—or rather, work at the internet cafe. The mere thought of it brought a grin to his face.

However, his elation was abruptly replaced by a sense of unease.

"If I'm alive, then someone must have brought me to the hospital. Sigh I haven't even started working, and now there are more expenses to worry about."

Sitting down, he finds himself in a small room with just a bed and a cabinet. It doesn't resemble a hospital at all. What's more, his wounds which were quite grave completely disappeared without leaving a scar. This led him to question himself if he was in a dream.

Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

[System integration complete.]

Startled, Luke jolted awake and exclaimed,

"W-who are you!?"

He scanned the room, searching for the source of the strange voice, wondering if he might be hallucinating.

[Welcome host. You may call me the system. Welcome to the world of Eldoria.]

Luke struggled to comprehend the strange voice's words. He stood up to gather his thoughts. His thinking posture and striking appearance, coupled with his well-toned muscles, could easily be mistaken for that of a model.

A sudden recollection crossed his mind.

One of his orphanage brothers had become engrossed in reading novels set in another world and often shared his fascination with Luke. He spoke of transfers, transmigration, summonings, and isekai—terms used to describe such stories.

'Hmmm. Perhaps something similar must have happened to me.'

Luke pondered, realizing how ludicrous it sounded. Yet, he refused to accept that he had gone insane or was merely hallucinating.

Knowing that mere conjecture wouldn't lead to any answers, he decided to communicate with the enigmatic voice.

"Please tell me the situation."

[You have transmigrated in the realm of Eldoria along with the internet cafe. —]

"What? ...Ahem. Please continue. And make it short."

Luke was surprised to learn that the internet cafe had been transported alongside him.

For the record, he reluctantly accepted the idea that he had indeed arrived in another world, considering it the most plausible explanation. He refused to believe he was going crazy or hallucinating.

Meanwhile, he became aware that the room he found himself in served as the manager's accommodation room in the internet cafe.

He wanted to explore the internet cafe so he demanded the system to shorten its explanation.

The system then proceeded with its explanation.

[This world is what you would call a fantasy realm, where mana—an intangible force or energy—guides the fabric of reality. Manipulating mana can produce various phenomena. Every living being possesses mana.

As this is a different world, the universal language, Aetherian Unified Language, was also embedded in the depths of your consciousness. Additionally, the system will assist the host to live comfortably in this world.]

Luke had no prior knowledge of a fantasy world, but he recalled his brother's descriptions of such realms, where magical occurrences were the norm rather than the exception. Trusting his brother's words, he decided to adopt that perspective.

Curiosity piqued, he inquired about the system's role.

"How will you assist me?"

[The system will grant the host benefits to live peacefully in this world. As the internet cafe is bound to your soul—]

"What? It's bound to my soul?"

[Affirmative. Upgrading the internet cafe through the system will also enhance your abilities and allow you to acquire new skills.]

Luke was once again taken aback by this revelation. From what he had learned from his brother, those who arrived in other worlds were often bestowed with cheat-like abilities or systems. The fact that the internet cafe had accompanied him made his inexplicable joy intensified.

However, one burning question remained.

"What will happen if the cafe is destroyed again? Will it finally spell my death?"

He vividly remembered how it had been reduced to rubble just before he woke up. The prospect of discovering his fate both thrilled and frightened him.

[The host need not worry. No external force can harm the cafe, as it has been fortified by the system. Not a single being living in this realm can even think of inflicting a scratch to its walls.]

"Phew"

Relieved, Luke silently applauded the system, giving it a thumbs-up in his mind.

The system's voice continued resounding in his mind.

[Status optimization in progress...3...2...1. Optimization complete. Host, you may access your privileges by saying 'Status'.]

Luke tilted his head in curiosity but decided to comply with the system's suggestion.

"Status"

•••

LUKE ASUL

22 y/o

RANK 1 Internet Cafe Owner

{SKILLS}

Power On

Power Off

Scan

{SYSTEM SHOP}

{SYSTEM STORAGE}

{CREDITS}

200

•••

"Wow, this feels just like the games I've seen before. How do these skills work, and what are they for?"

[That is for the host to discover. Note: Each skill can be applied differently depending on the user's intention.]

That means, depending on Luke, his skill can be used for either good or evil.

Luke decided to explore his skills further at a later time.

"... How about this system shop then?"

[The system shop allows you to purchase various items using credits. 200 credits have been credited in your account for your convenience. Note: 1 credit is equal to 1 gold coin.]

"Thanks I'll try it later."

Luke was astounded by the system's benevolence. It felt like his hard work had finally paid off, and he was genuinely delighted to start anew.

Although he had no idea how much a gold coin was worth, the name itself held great value.

Setting aside his thoughts, Luke resolved to witness the main attraction—the internet cafe he now owns.

As he opened the door, he could finally see the hall where his dreams lie.

Just beyond the door lay the counter area, which served as the only access point to his room. It boasted a large table where Luke's eyes fell.

Walking towards it, he felt a swirl of emotions.

"Finally, I have something to call my own."

A sense of happiness enveloped him, stemming from various reasons.

The counter table held the main PC, which looked superior compared to the other computers.

Standing behind the counter, Luke surveyed the room, taking in every detail.

He spotted the computers he had longed for, labeled as PC1, PC2, and so on, up to PC10. Although they were all outdated models, he didn't mind as long as they fulfilled their purpose. He inspected each one, searching for anything noteworthy.

Then, a thought struck him. Why not test his skills, which were surprisingly computer-related?

"Since the internet cafe is bound to my soul, does that mean I'll acquire computer-related skills in the future too? Or do my skills have other applications?" he pondered with excitement.

Contemplating his newfound abilities, he spoke the name of one particular skill that's slightly different compared to the other two:

[SCAN]

Instantly, bright text materialized, displaying information about every object within his line of sight.

He stared at the PCs at the computer station.

[ Model: PH Compaq Pro 6300 (PC1)

• Processor: Intel Core i3

• RAM: 4GB DDR

• Hard Drive: 500GB HDD

• Graphics: Integrated Intel Graphics

• Operating System: Windows 10 ]

The same information appeared from PC1 to PC10.

Amazement surged through him, and he could hardly contain his excitement. He could now perceive detailed information about objects!

When he blinked, the floating text vanished.

It took him a few seconds to know that blinking signals the deactivation of the skill: [SCAN]

Eager to explore his other skills, Luke spent the entire day experimenting and enjoying his newfound abilities.