Chapter 4: Shopping

Even as a shut-in, I can't help going out from time to time.

And today is the day.

As much as I'd like to just order food forever, I must admit it isn't too wise to count on this to live.

I might be able to give myself a high salary right now, but my livelihood depends on too many random factors. The game's popularity, the economic company of the game company, the economic stability of the game, my own position in the leaderboards, my own ability to collect things worth selling... All of these are only some of these factors.

I never had the mind necessary to manage money. This is why I'm in this situation in the first place. So I pretty much gave up on investing my money. Instead, I'll just focus on keeping as much lying around as I reasonably can.

Of course, I do succumb to temptations from time to time, but so far, I did manage to save a reasonable amount of money.

All of this leads to me having to go out to buy food today.

On this note, I'm currently walking toward the closest supermarket.

Originally, I only fed myself with convenience store food, but after a while, I came to notice my diet had a direct impact on my performances, especially when sleep-diving. Sleep is already a state in which the brain is slower than usual, so any difference is much better felt.

Among my observations over the past year, I also came to understand that I consumed more glucose than most. Probably because my brain saves less energy during sleep than it should.

Sleep is originally a moment where your brain rests. When sleep diving, various areas of the brain are not solicited for part of their functions in order, allowing them to rest a bit. But every area of the brain still needs to be able to function at a certain percentage of its full capacity, so this rest is still less effective than true sleep and consumes much more energy as well.

So in the end, I custom-built a diet with more glucose than average, but with an acceptable balance to keep my body relatively healthy.

Of course, I still don't go as far as to "eat healthy", but I do take care to not just eat instant noodles and frozen food.

My new diet has a reasonable amount of protein, as well as fruits, (and sadly) a reasonable number of vegetables.

I also take vitamin D supplements to solve my total lack of sun.

Getting back to the matter at hand, the sun is fricking blinding! Not in a good way.

The fact that the game's sun never has you sweat to death is a good thing. You wouldn't understand how great this is until you actually, like, *go outside*.

[...]

I got everything I wanted to, now I'm on my way back, with two heavy bags.

As a heritage of my previous lifestyle, I live in a pretty poor area of ill repute.

I am a trouble magnet in-game, but I did not expect to be one too in real life.

As I'm on my way back, I am met with a group that seems intent on talking to me.

The first to talk seemed to be the leader of the group:

-Hey man! That's some nice stuff you got here. That's good, it turns out I'm hungry. Let me help you carry it.

His mates were laughing, aside from him.

-No, thanks.

If I can, I want to avoid trouble. I might be good at fighting, but that's in a game. Without the stats and the equipment, I'm probably only stronger than my weight class. This means that against someone way stronger physically than me, I can get the shit beaten out of me in the same way as anyone else.

I try to move forward, as he puts his hand around my shoulders, as if I was his friend.

This kind of stance is friendly, but in the urban world, it can also be menacing. It basically means "I am stronger than you, see how imposing I am, submit to me". It's supposed to show one how easy it is for them to touch your body. By creating an uncomfortable feeling, it aims to sow the seeds of fear.

Those who had a strict father are often especially affected by this, as they associate this dominant position with slaps, belts, and similar kinds of treatments.

A good thing was that I wasn't. So I didn't relent and removed his arm. I continued walking forward, letting them behind.

-Uuuh? You touched me?

You touched me first, idiot.

I thought it, but didn't say anything. It would only fan the flames, increasing the chances of a fight breaking out. Also, I understand that this was only an excuse to act. By having me do the first aggressive move (that is, pushing his hand away), he created himself a reason to fight it out. He is either in a bad mood, either trying to affirm his position within the group.

-You fucker, don't ignore me!

Whether I replied or answered, he would act. But by ignoring him, I was able to delay it by the most. Also, if he had a chance of giving up, this was the highest.

Now, it seems that this is unavoidable. I notice a small alleyway not far from here.

I quickly get in it, and put down my bags further away.

It will give me an environmental advantage for two things:

The first is to protect my food, the second is to protect myself.

I can maybe deal with a frontal assault by one person. I doubt I can against a whole group.

There at least is a sense of honor among most delinquents, so maybe they'll let him fight and stay on the side.

Anyway, seeing my opponent quickly catching up, I get mentally ready.

If I'm going to have a chance of beating them, it would be by using the same fighting techniques I use in-game.

Knowing that very well, I do so.

I'm not used to moving in this way with this body, so with the big height and build difference it might be a bit awkward, but it's better than nothing.

I quickly get into guard as I get ready to intercept the first fist.

It's a good thing that my opponent thought it a good idea to declare his intentions BEFORE doing his run-up, it gives me time.

As I'm taking my stance, I move my hand by habit. It's the same movement I use in-game to trigger the skill Slow. With time, it became a habit to use it in every fight and every dungeon, so I long mastered voiceless casting.

What the fuck?

His fist actually was slowed. Once his fist was slowed, my opponent felt it as some kind of hit, and without thinking started retracting his arm, which he can't do fast.

If I had to describe what Slow does, it would be like making an area around something similar to jelly. You need to struggle a lot to move anything fast, while moving slowly is as easy as normal, just slower.

It seems I might actually not get the shit beaten out of me.

I smile.

It's unusual for me to smile outside of the game, but I do.

Taking advantage of my opponent being focused on the unusual state of his fist, I slow his other hand too, and punch full force at his face.

His nose seems broken, but I know it's not enough. If I don't beat enough shit out of him, he'll try to take his revenge.

So I need to utterly erase any hope he could have.

His other hand is about to leave the field of my first Slow, so I quickly slow it too, and continue punching at his face.

Once he is unconscious, I estimate to have done enough. By this point, his whole body is held by his hands that move slower than the rest of his body. I don't continue to chain Slow, and let him fall to the ground.

As his mates are picking him up silently, I remember a grudge I still have left.

[...]

I wipe the blood on my hands on the jeans of my prime offender, and leave with my food. They didn't move against me or tried to defend their mate, so usually, I wouldn't have also hurt his mates too. But this is an exception.

Who asked them to be giggling like bitches earlier.

Now, maybe I should wonder why I can use Slow?

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║ Slow

╟━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━╢

║ The mysteries of space and time can

║ sometimes be unraveled by a few select

║ individuals. Slows the effects of time

║ in a certain area.

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║ Evolutions:

║ None

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║ Cost: nothing

║ Active

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