Immortal Freeloader 5 (Patreon)

As I walked toward the town, I decided on a simple role. A young man who decided to travel to escape an arranged marriage. I was handsome enough for it to be believable, and an overprotective family was the best excuse I had for any big mistake. 

Hopefully, it would be still enough to make people pity me while throwing a few scraps in my way, and let the System upgrade it. 

I had no idea what that divine voice was thinking when she granted the Freeloader System as punishment, but there were many ways I could use it. My little trick with the caravan guards showed that I could easily lie about my status and situation, and the System would still trigger. 

Talk about playing for my strengths.

Before I arrived at the town, I pulled the silver that was granted at me from the System. It was much smaller than the copper coin, the text on it denoting it as one silver coin. I didn’t go into the town immediately, remembering the villager mentioning that it required two silver coins to enter. 

Instead, I walk around the town, checking the buildings outside the walls. There were a few large buildings that functioned as inns, some with large enough courtyards for the caravans to wait. Additionally, there were several stalls around. 

I walked around to find a stall with a tempting smell, while also listening the shouts and calls of the stall owners, giving me an idea about the general exchange rate. It was simpler than I expected. Ten copper coin was called copper piece, and ten copper pieces made one silver coin. 

Most stalls were selling their wares for around a copper piece, which, to my best guess, meant that a copper piece was worth around a dollar. Though, even as I thought that, I could imagine the reaction my old Econ professor would have if I wrote that in an exam, responding with relative purchasing power and other pointless nonsense. 

 As I walked, I finally saw a stall that was being operated by an older woman. Likely in her late thirties, but she looked good for that age. Short black hair, a beautiful face that was free of makeup, a strong stature, certain parts that clearly defied gravity. The rich ladies I had been hanging out with would have killed to look that good.  

It was a good target to get some information. 

Though, as I approached, I saw her eyes tighten slightly. I recognized that, from the women that was used to being hit on constantly. I didn’t change my target. Information was more important than seducing a beautiful older woman — no matter how much it hurt me to say that. 

“How much is for a skewer?” I said as I approached. 

“Fourteen coins,” she said. 

“Three … no two,” I said as I pushed the silver toward her, but I noticed her examining my palms carefully before shifting her attention to my face, a thoughtful expression on her face. I understood what she was looking at. My hands weren’t exactly hands of a worker. They weren’t perfect and smooth after all the time I spent in the gym, but I kept them smooth and attractive for the happiness of my lady friends. 

Still, it was interesting that a stall owner was attentive enough to catch that immediately. 

She said nothing as she passed me two meat skewer and a lot of copper. I didn’t count them before taking them, playing on the lost rich kid with no idea how the world worked. Initially, I was planning to ask her a lot of questions, but she was more attentive than I expected. I didn’t trust myself to question her subtly enough for her not to catch up. 

That didn’t mean I planned to do nothing. I played a role I had developed to perfection after my injury. Prideful yet vulnerable young man. I didn’t say anything as I ate my food, slowly savoring its taste like I hadn’t eaten for a couple days — which wasn’t hard to fake, because with the speed my body was burning food, I was already hungry, and just needed to exaggerate further — while I kept my expression stiff, but with occasional trembling. 

A young, handsome man who had fallen into dire straits.

I noticed her adding another skewer to the fire, but she pulled it from a different drawer. It smelled much better than the other ones, reminding me of the boar leg I had received from the System. She added it closer to the fire, and inevitably, it charred too much. She turned her back, acting like she didn’t notice it. 

“Heavens,” she grumbled exaggeratedly as she pulled the burned skewer of the fire. “It’s ruined.” Then she looked at me. “Why don’t you be a good young man and finish it. It’s a sin to waste food.” 

“Y-you’re right, it’s wrong to waste food,” I said as I took it.  

[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 30; Pity Bonus - 20]

[50x Return - Savage Meat Skewer, Mortal-Peak]

Success. 

A scary success, as the cultivation difference suggested she was quite a bit stronger than me. 

Still, it was good to see my patented method of awakening the pity in an older woman of authority worked in a new world as well. A handsome face and a pitiful expression was an excellent combination.  

I might have baited the reaction, but I still appreciated the intent behind it. She not only gave me food that probably cost at least a silver for free, but also she went the trouble disguising it to not to hurt my pride. Not necessary, but still appreciated. 

Also, her cultivation was high enough to give a thirty-times multiplier, which was another surprise. I might not know how it was measured, but I believed it was significant. She was hiding from something … or I misunderstood just how strong the people of this new world. 

I shrugged as I finished the charred skewer, delicious despite its burned state. Unlike the other two skewer, it managed to break my hunger. 

“It was delicious,” I said as I bowed slightly, then walked away. I was tempted to stay longer, maybe try to get some more, but frankly, I was intimidated by the cultivation difference between us. I knew too little about this new world to make a judgment. 

However, as I walked away, I felt my skin crawl. Somehow, I knew that I was being watched. I didn’t give a reaction, but I didn’t dare to move too far away from the town, either. Instead, I found a tree with nothing around, and sat down.  

I was still close enough to the town that I would be heard if I shouted … as for whether someone would come to my support, I had no idea. If things really went badly, I would pull the cloak from the System space. Maybe it was strong enough to make a difference. 

I squinted my eyes, doing my best to look like I was asleep, forcing my heart to slow down — something I was able to do since that weird breakthrough. Still, I had to wait for thirty minutes before my follower had shown herself. 

The woman from the stall. 

I didn’t react to her presence, but I still calmed down. She was stronger than me, and she helped me before. Combined, I didn’t expect her to do anything, so I didn’t react even when she was just a few steps away, sneaking without making a sound. 

I didn’t expect her to pull a small book from her chest, put it next to me, and walk back. I didn’t react to that for almost twenty more minutes, before I faked a restless shuffle, and touched the booklet. I acted because I could feel that she was still watching me.  

[Cultivation Difference Bonus - 30; Pity Bonus - 40 (Capped)]

[70x Return - Tiger Fist Martial Art, Complete, Profound Middle-Grade]

Once I touched it, I made a show of jumping in fear. “Who’s there?” I gasped in fear as I pulled my blade, but there was no one. 

Only after looking around carefully, I paid attention to the book. It was an old, damaged book, and even without opening, I could see the marks of battle over it, including some blood that was relatively new. Not as short as days, but not as long as years, either. 

“This lowly one thanks the mysterious senior for the opportunity,” I said as I bowed to a random direction away from the town, my command of the knowledge giving me exactly how to thank for it. 

While having no real idea what any of those actually meant. 

I immediately started a fire and started reading the book, glad that the language jade I received from the System taught me how to read as well. 

Once I started reading, the sensation of being watched finally disappeared, but I didn’t stop reading the book. It was the first real chance for me to understand how this world worked.