As soon as Jake’s high wore off, and as he was checking and double-checking the Awakening Store to see that it was still there, a few questions began to emerge: questions like ‘who in the world made this’, ‘who is running this thing’, ‘are there any others shopping here’, ‘how can one qualify to use this’, and many others started popping up in his mind.
However, Jake could not answer any of those questions – there was little to no information he could work on.
Thus, nearly every question he asked himself was immediately discarded.
Also, it wasn’t like he cared about those questions more than the fact that he could shop.
“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it,” he told himself as he began to focus on the Awakening Store’s front page, nodding at its familiarity to the internet site where he regularly bought things from.
What intrigued him about the Awakening Store was that it had a site layout that looked a lot like an online shopping mall – the very site he was a card-carrying regular in.
From the banner on top advertising the ongoing event up to the single items below it, the Awakening Store was a dead ringer for his favorite online store.
However, he noticed that only the most basic items were on sale, kind of like if a huge online clothing store only sold plain t-shirts.
But that did not deter Jake’s enthusiasm one whit – after all, Jake knew how important the quality of a plain t-shirt was in a shopping mall – and he knew a lot about that from taking one experienced look.
Part of Jake’s approach to shopping is that you can understand the clothing quality of the shopping mall by looking at the quality of plain t-shirts. It’s like how you judge the quality of a house by looking at the quality of the bathroom.
“If you think about it that way, this Awakening Store’s doing pretty good this early on,” he whispered to himself as he browsed the shop’s catalog.
[Tome of Strength (Increases Strength by 1): 300 points]
[Tome of Agility (Increases Agility by 1): 300 points]
[Tome of Intelligence (Increases Intelligence by 1): 300 points]
“Excellent,” Jake muttered, rubbing his hands in anticipation of what future items may go on sale. “So far, so good.”
Internet stores that tended to ignore these basics were, in Jake’s mind, deal breakers.
There were plenty of things that drove Jake away from other online stores – not just this.
A litany of things he tended to avoid were not keeping it simple, clunking up the shop’s layout, being obnoxious with ads and scams…
If you asked him to simplify what he looked for in an online store, he’d give you a two-word answer: customer service.
[If you would like a refund because of a simple change of mind, please do not take the tag off, please contact us within a week, and we will send you return labels, to make the refund process seamless.]
[We would love to hear from you! Our voice support is available 7 days a week and 365 days a year. We can be reached from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.]
“Well now,” Jake said, pleasantly surprised after browsing through the return policy and contact information. “This Awakening Store is a chip off the old block. If this is how it’s going to shape up to be, then whoever’s running this place knows the business.”
He continued to read.
[Every 3 days, new products are added. The official Awakening Store portal and site are currently in Soft Opening.]
“How interesting… and convenient! Just like the shop I buy from back home; they add in new stuff every 3 days. Great!” Jake said, thinking about how this store was his home away from home.
“Just being able to see these things… I don’t know. By all rights I should be freaking out right now, but the Awakening Store…”
It only took him a moment to realize the situation he was in.
Jake Smithson sure as heck ain’t no mere window shopper!
He was also sure as heck won’t let that special event going on pass him by!
It was just how he carried himself through life: wholesale.
Even bundles of cookies at grocery stores were a deal that he could just not resist.
And now that he saw that there was a bargain staring him in the face, with a time limit, no less?
Although he wanted to bask in the sense of security provided by the Awakening Store, a deeper sense of urgency within got him to snap out of it. As someone whose love of shopping bordered on pathological, he needed that package bought, and he needed it in his hands an hour ago.
But in order to do so… he needed to buy it, and he needed know what to use to buy it.
How do I get points? Jake asked himself as he began to look through the Store’s ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section.
Q: How do I get points?
A: If you are classed as a Shopping Addict, you can earn points simply by hunting monsters. The stronger the monster, the more points you can earn.
So, I earn points by hunting down monsters, huh? Well, Jake thought, this changes everything.
Never thought I’d actually be here and present and actually hunting monsters.
Jake stopped playing video games after he had graduated college, which means that he isn’t that familiar with this kind of setting with monsters.
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And such unfamiliarity naturally made him a little terrified.
But… I take a look at the corner of my eye to where I have the Awakening Store as a shortcut… and the cold lump in the pit of my stomach is gradually fades away into a smoldering flame… the same kind of need I feel whenever shopping online.
The Awakening Store beckons to me, and I make my decision.
“Show me the money! Where’s the nearest monster I can hunt?” Jake yelled.
It was at that point where the universe decided to pull down its pants and take a dump on Jake – plus everyone and everything in the town of Brino.
[Citizens of Brino. Be alert. A scouting party of goblins has been spotted in the outskirts of this town and is expected to arrive here within ten to fifteen minutes. Do not let any of these goblins escape. Should a certain amount of scouts escape, the main goblin army will attack the town. At your level, you are not ready for handling the goblin army. Head out the main gate of Brino and intercept this goblin scouting party.]
As soon as the announcement finished, everyone in the village milled about in confusion and panic.
“Goblins…?”
“We’re fighting?”
“Are we really supposed to fight monsters?”
“I've never fought! I wasn’t drafted! I don’t even lift!”
And in the midst of the commotion, Jake Smithson was the calm in the storm, thoughts of gaining currency from slaying monsters and that sweet, sweet deal to be purchased as a personal reward was filling his mind.
Time to earn my keep, I guess. It’s not like this world is any different from the world I came from – if you don’t work, you don’t eat.
But his fear has long since been replaced by the need to make money.
Nothing could stop he’s pure desire for shopping.
Also, if you don’t eat, you don’t shop, Jake belatedly thought, silently thanking his obsession with shopping that helped him think straight in the middle of all this madness… and yes, it was the Awakening Store.
Though I’ll be damned if I don’t pull my weight and start turning these goblins into greenbacks, he continued. I don’t know, and I don’t care.
The things in my mind right now? Killing goblins, making money, shopping. Simple as that.
Jake Smithson’s mind was made up.
He took careful, measured strides from the town square to the main gate, all the while stretching his limbs.
His imposing manner reflected how determined he was.
A simple discovery that he can still do shopping in this new environment completely changed who he is; the man shivering in terror was nowhere to be found.
By looking at Jake, people may think that being addicted to shopping isn’t that bad of a thing, since it is what drives you to stay strong in such panicking situation.
“Where does he think he’s going?”
“You going out there? After the monsters we heard were coming?”
There were a lot of other Awakeners who were brought here at the same time this bizarre man was. While some took their time to assess the situation, others were too busy thinking about their reputation, and saw the young man as a cringe-worthy embarrassment.
If there were still a few minutes before the goblins came and experienced players knew to prepare, this man was different. He wanted to slay those monsters – and slay those monsters as soon as humanly possible.
Most of them already checked their status window, but had now gone over the initial shock of ending up in a different world and already had a sense of what this place was all about.
And at the same time, though, they also knew that from this moment on, they would be living a much different life from the world they left behind.
Not long after they were transported to a world taken straight from the standard role-playing game design page, the Awakeners of Brino began to realize that they had to get their act together and fight monsters like characters in the role-playing games they used to enjoy as kids or teenagers.
I guess I need to move and get ahead of others.
As soon as they had a clearer grasp of what was going on, they tried to make their moves.
But unlike their thoughts, their legs felt heavier than ever.
I’m afraid.
Heck, the average person doesn’t even get into a fight upon reaching adulthood.
In other words, they don’t feel comfortable with the act of fighting itself. They aren’t just used to it.
But in a few minutes, they even have to fight against monster, something that they have never encountered.
“What is that guy stretching for?”
“Is he really going outside?”
“Are we even ready for this?”
“Look at him! He looks like a total shut-in!”
Time was being wasted while people were being gripped with indecision.
It was at this moment that someone stood tall in the town square and raised his voice, gaining the attention of the group of Awakeners.
“We’re going to go out there. We’re going to find those goblins and kill them all.”
A female Awakener gasped.
“Haven’t you people understood? Don’t you remember? This town is one of the last lines of defense. And we will hold it. We will work together, we will get stronger together, and we’re going to make those goblins pay for even thinking about taking one step in this damned town!”
“Are you with me?!”
A few cheers.
“ARE YOU WITH ME?!”
More cheers.
“Then let’s move out and kick some goblin ass!”
After even more cheers, out from the gates of Brino walked the first group of Awakeners, headed by someone whose only goal is to make enough money to buy whatever’s on sale.
The inspirational speech helped the group in a way he didn’t expect – though the goblins were still a few minutes off, the rest of the Awakeners heading out with him were already doing their own preparations.
“We’re going to fight these guys together. We stick together, everyone of us gets to go home.”
“This is OUR home, now.”
Their morale raised, some of the Awakeners took it upon themselves to lead, picking out groups of Awakeners to work with and share information.
“Seems like I am a warrior class and have a skill called ‘Hardening’, what do you have?” one of the group leaders asked.
“I am a wizard, and I’ve got Fireball,” another man answered.
Elsewhere, many similar conversations were taking place.
“How about you?” another leader asked, this one in a robe and wizard hat.
“I have an ability called ‘Moonlight Slash’, “ a lanky young man – looking like he just got out of his teens – replied. “Haven’t tested it yet, though.”
“Give it a run now,” the leader answered. “Better now than later when your sword is in battle.”
The sword-wielding teen just nodded.
As all this was going on leading up to the approach of the goblin scouting party, Jake was oddly enough in the forefront, quite a distance away from the ongoing conversation.
By then, he was already close to the main gate of the village, and all that was in his mind was the package he’d get… and, to his shame, the fact that he did not want to talk about his ability to others.
Fireball. Moonlight Slash. Useful abilities, all of them. But I don’t feel like telling them what my skills are. Let them speculate.
It’s not jealousy.
Though I think my skill is the best among everyone here, it’s kind of embarrassing to talk about it right now.
Maybe later, once we drive off the goblins.
To Jake, self-satisfaction and embarrassment are two different things. He already knew how to keep himself from panicking back then, and that was by focusing on the task at hand and what he was planning.
Okay, Jake, okay, Jake told himself. Worry about everything else first. Just take out the goblins, make the money, and buy the package. It’s savings like you wouldn’t believe. You’d have to be an idiot not to go for this.
When your entire purpose of being is to find the best bargains and buy them, you tend to ignore things like necessity and focus strictly on how much you’ll save and how much value you’ll get.
It was a typical shopping addict’s pattern.
By the time he had finished psyching himself up, the gates to Brino were flung open, and he was the first one outside, facing off against his first enemies in this new adventure.
And looming before him was an unrealistic scene that none of the gathered Awakeners had ever experienced in visceral reality.
The fey mood was broken the moment the first goblin in front roared.
“Ka-ah!”
The goblin scouting party was approaching the village, carrying with them their spears and screeching their language.
To most of the Awakeners, the sound chilled them to their bones – but to the already battle-lusted Jake, the goblins’ screeching was nothing more than an annoyance that reminded him of his boss when he was still working in the office.
“Goblins that sound like my former boss?” Jake asked before smacking his fist against his open palm and cracking his knuckles.
As he heard the continuous screeching and posturing, Jake felt the last of his fear melt away, being replaced with a sense of duty as the battle was about to be joined.
The thought of his boss brought Jake back to the fundamental truth that you need to work if you want to eat.
Well, necessities aside, Jake never hid the fact that he went to work just to earn money for shopping; nobody asked.
And while time seemed to slow down as the first wave of goblin scouts stepped up, tensing their arms with their spears, what little hesitation Jake had vanished.
This isn’t adventure.
It’s work.
Time to take care of business and earn my keep.