CHAPTER 2:

As soon as Ragel left he couldn't help but giggle remembering his little brother's angry face. "This is only fair Alpheus, you were disrespecting father. "

Ragel closed the teleportation scroll, he's very confused about why his little brother decided to open a store inside a ruined country. "That kid, what was he thinking? at this rate, he would get bankrupt"

Unlike the near-ruined country of Truaria, their empire of Asparia has been reigning as one of the strongest kingdoms in the world.

Ragel then glanced at the small box he held, even though it was small, he was quite attracted to the design. "He calls it fruit candy? I wonder how does this taste? does it taste just like the candy I once tasted?"

Ragel opened the small lid filled with curiosity, "Rubies? " he couldn't help but be amazed as there are what looked to be small rocks of different colors.

"Is this supposed to be jewelry? but he called it candy, just when did that brat have the money to buy candy or rubies? "

Ragel pondered a bit, he tasted a small amount of candy a few years ago. It was sweet yet scarce, but seeing the amount inside the small box he couldn't help but wonder if it was fake or real, he then remembered what Alpheus was chewing.

"It can't be, candy is scarce and only royals could buy them and even have a chance at having a taste, not only that they need to place an order to the empire of Francis just to take a bite. I was only given a small crumb of candy when I became an SSS-rank hunter due to my contribution to killing a dragon"

Even Ragel remembered when he had his first expedition on the sees, he was still an A-rank hunter at that time, and the cargo they were protecting was a small piece of candy. Yet numerous monsters and pirates came to crush their ship and take the candy for themselves.

At first, he also thought of how unreasonable the people were just for a small amount of candy, they even lost 10 adventurers just for a small piece. That was when he understood a few years later when he was already an SSS-rank hunter who created a massive guild and killed the famous ice dragon of the winter forest, the king of Asparia has given him a small piece of candy.

When he tasted the candy it feels like his tastebuds exploded, the candy had the scent and taste of fruits that's when he knew why people would try all means just to steal and have a taste of the candy.

But the question is now, whether the fruit candy that Alpheus called is authentic or not, there will always be bound to some people who plagiarized the candy even though the taste is far off from the real one.

Ragel took the small pill-shaped candy, the color of the candy was pink. Ragel leaned the candy near his nose to smell the scent, the fragrance instantly filled his nostril.

"It can't be? this is authentic? No, but how did that little brat get gods gift? "

God's gift or many people would call fruits. It is said in the books that god created trees and plants the size of mountains to feed the people, eating each fruit would give inseparable power. Some would be granted eyesight beyond level, some could heal wounds and many other diseases.

Each fruit would take hundreds of years just to come to fruition, but many of the trees have been cut down, and a huge all-out war was created to take a piece of the one remaining tree. It was 500 years ago that the war took place, in the end, each race agreed, and each took a branch of the remaining tree.

The Elves, beastmen, dwarves, fairies, demons, mermaids, and humans never came into contact and were busy raising the branch of the tree.

But because of its power the humans each took a side once again and proceeded to kill each other, the demons and beastmen also did the same while the other races did pay to heed to the war.

Because of its scarcity, not many could taste the god's gift, but due to the fast decay of the fruit, which would take hundreds of years just to fruition, the empire of Francis created a method to preserve its taste but couldn't preserve its powers that's when the term called candy was created, and only people who have contributed or done something worthy can have a taste of its mouthwatering sweetness.

But now, seeing the abundance of candy inside the small box, Ragel couldn't help but wince. He smelled the scent and it was authentic a gods gift.

"Let's taste it" Ragel opened his mouth and put the candy inside carefully, he started to coat the candy with saliva and suck on it.

The taste was unlike the candy Ragel tasted years ago, this candy was much fresher and tasted even sweeter as if it was specifically born from the tree of god's gift.

"It can't be? "

Swallowing the candy, Ragel took another one but this one had orange as its color. Ragel then put it in his mouth "The taste is different? don't tell me that each of the colors has a different taste!?" Ragel got even more excited, he started to taste the other colors of the candy.

"I was right, each color has different tastes!" Ragel was delighted, then he felt his tense stomach loosening. Becoming an SSS-rank hunter wasn't a fun journey or a smooth ride, he had to lose comrades and some of his body parts just to survive each mission, the road was extremely bumpy and filled with deadly obstacles.

Ragel felt a strange fleeting feeling in his stomach, he unbuttoned his shirt showcasing his well-toned chest, and he then proceeded to take off the bandage covering his stomach.

"It can't be? " the original wounded and bloodied stomach of his from being attacked by an SSS-class Draken was gone. Ragel touched his stomach and felt as if though there was never a wound in the first place...

"My stomach has been healed?, but the candy I tasted before didn't have an effect like this, don't tell me the candy from Alpheus's store has an effect just like the real god's gift!? even the candy from the empire of Francis didn't have an effect as the powers couldn't be preserved, but Alpheus candy has that effect?!"

But Ragel was confused, he tasted different types of colors of candy. The first was pink and the second was orange, the third was violet, and the fourth was green, he thought about it but when he tasted the first candy it didn't have an effect, but the second one allowed his wound to heal.

"I wonder what the first candy and the other color's abilities were? " Ragel shakes his head and thought that the orange Candy might help in solving their father's illness.

"I'll come back to Alpheus's store next time to ask him about this, I'm not sure how he got to create candy and how it had abilities but for now I must save father. "

...

"Achoo"

"It feels like someone is talking about me? It must be that damned bastard smiling at my misfortune! "

Alpheus couldn't help but curse inside his head, if his items and products can be stolen doesn't that mean there's a likely chance that he would get robbed?

"System you said that the store has a security system but why did the item get robbed by that stupid brother of mine? "

[It's because he's much stronger than me, you, and the store]

"What? But aren't you a system? Aren't you supposed to be omnipotent? "

[Im still weak to fight off S-ranks and above, it's because of your incompetence and that there ain't a single customer inside the store to rob money on]

"Wow so it's my fault, nice"

Alpheus can only sigh, he noticed that the sky was beginning to darken.

"I guess it's time to close the store"

Alpheus stood up, he started to lock the windows till the muffled chime of a bell sounded. 'Is it that damned bastard?' Alpheus thought that Ragel came once again to start to cause trouble or try to steal more of his items.

Alpheus glanced at the person with an angry look, "Eh? a priest?"

Alpheus was quite shocked to see a priest, but he quickly fixed his expression and showed a smile.

"Excuse me, do you have any stock of fresh bread?"

Alpheus was delighted, he finally would have a customer!

"Yes, we have stock of bread! how many would you like to buy?"

Alpheus walked to the first shelf, he took a loaf of bread in each hand.

"Umm, actually I have only 5 Clivni in my pockets.."

Clivni is this world's currency, 1 clivni is equal to 1 dollar. Currently, Clivni is the annual salary of commoners, while the merchants and nobles use the universal coin which is equal to 100 thousand dollars.

"Hmm it's alright sir Priest, the bread of mine is 2 for 1 clivni only"

Alpheus store products are cheap compared to other stores, as his task didn't need to become a business mogul or a rich man in this world, the task is to save the world, and food is the first priority but that doesn't mean its completely free as the system also need the currency to re-stock its items.