Now, I can either rent a property or sleep in the trees... Rael pondered, but not even a moment later, he let out a sigh.
The choice was obvious, he just didn't want to accept it.
All around him was greenery, trees of all different colors, but they all had one thing in common.
Their size—the trees were simply colossal, and if not for the barrier blocking out prying eyes, he would have seen them from the top of the cliff.
Nonetheless, the Ancient City, Celestara, gave off an elf-like feeling, with its people living in nature. However, he remembered the inner-most part of the city being quite modern—that was, of course, where the queen lived.
Screw it. Rael decided to approach the two red-haired girls decorating the trees and introduce himself.
"Excuse me, is there any—" His words were interrupted when, all of a sudden, a side kick struck his abdomen, sending him flying into a tree.
"What gives?!" Rael shouted through gritted teeth, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Oh, sorry. I thought you were some sort of pervert... with how you're dressed." the girl said, wiping away her foot, which had made contact with him.
What's wrong with how I'm dressed... Rael looked down and saw that the gray jeans he had when he came into this world were dyed nearly black from the blood.
And, of course, the signature Banana Peel boots—which certainly did not help him build rapport.
"I'm not a pervert. I just want a place to stay for a while."
"Linlin, show him inside. I'll finish up," the slightly older woman stated.
"Fine, Mom, don't overwork yourself too much. I'll be back in a minute," the attacker, Linlin, replied and turned toward Rael, her brows furrowed. "Come, I'll lead you to an inn."
"How mighty gracious of you." Rael rolled his eyes and stood up with a groan. Though the one over there is a mother? Hot damn.
It felt like his ribs had been broken by none other than some girl who looked his age.
Nonetheless, he put the grudges aside, as he truly could not care less—not yet, anyway.
All he wanted for now was a good night's rest.
Linlin led him through the trees as the path became wider and wider, until eventually, he saw a faint outline of light in the night sky.
And as he looked closer, Rael spotted a single blue star—the main attraction of this entire city in the first place.
This was the only place where this star could be seen, as, according to legends, the formation of this crater was due to debris from that same blue star above.
It really is beautiful, though. Rael remarked inwardly and finally entered the streets.
All around him were shops, street booths, people walking around and chatting... flirting.
But quite a few of them shot glances toward them—Linlin in particular.
Despite that, it was safe to say he liked this place, but once the new queen ascended to the throne, his peace would be short-lived.
Eventually, they arrived before a particular inn, and when he saw its name, a frown appeared on Rael's face.
"...Banana Juice Inn?"
"It's nice inside, despite the name." Linlin shrugged teasingly. "Do you have any money?"
Rael raised a brow. "Are you offering to lend me some?"
"No," she immediately refuted. "I can take you to a homeless shelter instead—it's just a block away."
"Yes, I have money, you dunce." Rael shot back and walked in front of the inn's doors.
But before he opened them, he glanced back toward Linlin.
"Before I forget, your shirt's see-through. You should probably wear a bra next time, stupid redhead."
"Huh?!" She looked down in surprise and immediately covered herself up.
Linlin had sweated a lot while putting up those decorations, and now, she could only wallow in embarrassment, tears welling up in her emerald-green eyes.
In the meantime, it was about time he enjoyed himself as he went inside the inn and arrived before the innkeeper.
I wonder how buying stuff here works? Rael thought.
But soon, he found out.
"You're new around here, no?" The innkeeper spoke with a strong accent. "Fear not—our banana juices shall provide you with nourishment. Take your pick."
Rael raised his brow at the analogy, however, an interface, much like his premium shop, soon appeared before him.
•—Banana Juice Inn Menu—•
• Pork Cutlet with Potatoes: 25 Trell
• Spicy Ramen: 15 Trell
• Mac n Cheese: 20 Trell
• Pizza with ingredients of your choice: 35 Trell
•—Balance: 627 Trell—•
Affordable food... Fuck you, premium shop, and your 100 Trell potatoes. Rael exclaimed in his mind and pressed on the Mac n Cheese option.
"Coming right up, lad," the innkeeper affirmed and walked to the kitchen.
In the meantime, Rael was slightly confused.
I thought they'd have actual currency... Do they also have status screens or something? he thought.
When he was playing the game, he did not question it.
However, he was not inside the game currently. He was in real life—which just so happened to be where the game world was.
Confusing shit... Seriously... How did I even end up in Sketa Online's world in the first place? Did it always exist... Rael leaned inward, resting his head comfortably on the inn counter.
I guess I'll find out in the future. He sighed, and after a few minutes, his food finally arrived.
The Mac n Cheese looked even more delicious than he was anticipating, therefore, within seconds, he gobbled everything up and let out one massive burp.
"Enjoyed it, did ye, lad?" The innkeeper asked with a smug look.
And Rael couldn't help but nod.
However, the question from earlier was still lingering inside his mind.
"Hey, do you have currency? I mean, where is all this money going?" Rael pointed toward the virtual menu to his side.
"Where else? Inside my status screen, lad," the innkeeper replied with a chuckle, as though it were obvious. "Need anything else? Seconds, perhaps?"
"No... That's fine." Rael shook his head. "Do you have any available rooms?"
"Hmm..." The innkeeper fell into thought before seemingly pressing something in the air.
And soon, another interface appeared before Rael.
•—Banana Juice Inn Menu—•
• Single Bed Room: 50 Trell per night
• Single Bed, Toilet Room: 75 Trell per night
• Single Bed, Toilet, Bath Room: 100 Trell per night
• Double Bed, Toilet, Bath Room: 150 Trell per night
•—Balance: 607 Trell—•
Illusion of choice... Rael sighed and selected the third option.
"Great. Here you go, lad. Find your way." The innkeeper gave him a key with the room number 6.
Rael thanked the innkeeper and walked over to the stairs, before finally arriving in front of his room and swinging the door open.
It looked simple and shabby, but for a temporary stay, it was a great deal.
Lying down on the hard bed, Rael looked up toward the ceiling, lost in thought.
But he soon began closing his eyes, the fatigue finally kicking in.
For the love of God... please don't have your coronation tomorrow.