...

Elara continued sharing about herself. "You know, you should visit Thryllia sometime. It's one of the largest city in the country. The city has everything, events, places, you name it."

"Well, Thryllia sounds amazing," Zastan said. "I'll surely keep it in mind. Anyways, do you live there?"

"Yes, I'm a senior student at the Medical University of Thryllia," Elara replied with a hint of pride. "It's one of the best Universities in the country."

"That's impressive," Zastan said, genuinely admiring her. "I'll have to check it out when I get the chance in the future."

"I'll be your tour guide by then" she replied as she patted her chest.

...

As they get near their destination, the scenery outside the train began to change dramatically.

The rolling countryside nature gradually changed. As the outskirts of Luminae, towering skyscrapers began to dominate the horizon. The buildings glimmered in the sunlight, their modern designs reflected the sky and creating a mesmerizing skyline. As they went further, the city looked vibrant and full of life, with busy streets, bustling markets, and green parks distributed among the urban landscape.

"Take a look at that," Elara said, pointing out at a certain area on the window. "Over there is the Luminae Central Park. It's a great place to relax and take in some fresh air."

"Amazing," Zastan replied, marveling at the view. "I'll take a visit there soon."

"And that building over there," she continued, pointing to a tall, uniquely shaped tower, "it's called the Luminae Skydeck. That building allows you to have a 360 view of the city."

"Seems like it's a must visit place in the city." Zastan said, mentally taking notes of all the places Elara mentioned.

When the train finally came to a stop, they both gathered their belongings. As they stepped onto the platform, Zastan turned to Elara. "Can I have your social media? It'd be nice to keep in touch."

Elara smiled and handed him her phone. "Sure, add yourself."

Zastan quickly entered his information and handed it back to her. "Great, thank you."

As they said their goodbyes, Zastan watched as Elara walked towards a fancy car parked nearby. Just then, a lively voice called out, and a young woman popped out of the car, waving at her enthusiastically.

"Elara! Over here!"

Elara's best friend, who was as equally striking as Elara looked at her and then at Zastan with a curious, almost mischievous expression. "Who's that?" she asked loudly, making no effort to hide her curiosity.

Elara rolled her eyes. "Just a friend I met on the train, Amara."

Amara grinned and teased, "Oh really? So, the campus beauty has a boyfriend now. I can already imagine what your suitors will do if they have ever found out about it."

Elara blushed slightly, laughed and shook her head. "Stop it, Amara. He's just a friend."

Amara gave Zastan a meaningful look, then turned back to Elara with a playful smirk. "Well, you should introduce me next time. He looks quite interesting."

Elara gave a simple smile, not giving in to her best friend's teasing. She waved goodbye to Zastan as she pushed Amara into the car. "Go on, get in." she said, a bit embarrassed.

Amara giggled, waving at Zastan. "Goodbye handsome guy!" she shouted before running to the front of the car and hopping into the car.

Zastan waved back, feeling amused by the scene unfolding before his eyes. He watched as the car slowly pulled away, Elara leaned and gave him a final wave from the co-pilot seat, her blush still faintly visible.

Inside the car, Amara couldn't help but tease Elara more. "Yo... are you reluctant to leave him?"

"Now I'm curious, tell me more about your new 'friend'. He seems quite charming and interesting."

Elara sighed, trying to hide her smile. "Amara, seriously, he's just a friend. We talked on the train, that's all."

"Uh-huh, sure," Amara said, clearly enjoying herself. "Well, if he's not your boyfriend yet, I'm sure your suitors at the university would be thrilled to know about him."

Elara groaned playfully, "Stop it, Amara."

Zastan, still standing at the station, chuckled as he watched the car disappear into the traffic. He felt a mix of amusement and curiosity about the two girls.

After a brief moment, he decided it was time to take care of his next task.

"I should find a place to redeem this."

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

"A restroom would be a good place." He then made his way to the nearest restroom and found an empty stall. He stepped inside, locked the door securely, and looked around to ensure there were no cameras or other surveillance device around.

After taking a deep breath. "System, convert and withdraw all available gold from the Mine" Zastan whispered.

[Converting gold...]

...

[Conversion complete.]

[Withdrawing gold.]

The system responded promptly, and two rectangular pieces of gold bar appeared in front of him, materializing out of thin air. He grabbed them swiftly then he grabbed a box out of his bag which he found at home and made sure it was secure before putting it back into his bag.

"Amazing..." Zastan muttered to himself, feeling the weight of the gold. "This will surely do nicely."

After ensuring everything was safely packed. Before he left, he texted his parents and his sister about his arrival in Luminae. He then made his way at the pick-up area of the station.

...

Five minutes later, his transportation finally arrived. He climbed into the car and gave the driver clear instructions.

"Take me to the nearest jewelry store," Zastan said.

The driver nodded and set off. As they drove through the bustling streets of Luminae, Zastan couldn't help but take in the sights.

The city was vibrant and alive, a stark contrast to his hometown. The towering buildings and the sheer scale of the city filled him with a sense of excitement and anticipation for the future.

When they arrived at the jewelry store, a place called "Golden Luxuries," Zastan paid and thanked the driver then said, "I'll be right back." then he stepped out of the car, carrying his bag with the gold securely inside.

...

Before going inside he looked at the store's exterior, he took a peek, there's a large glass windows showcasing a dazzling array of jewelry.

He took a deep breath and walked inside, ready to begin the next phase of his plan. The interior of the store was just as impressive, with polished wooden floors, sparkling display cases, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

A well-dressed salesperson approached him with a professional smile.

"Good afternoon, sir. How can we assist you today?" the salesperson asked.

Zastan returned the smile, trying his best to maintain his confidence. "I'd like to sell some gold," he said.

"Of course, please follow me," the salesperson replied, leading him to a private room.

Zastan followed, feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement. This was a crucial step in his plan, and he needed it to go smoothly. The consultation area was quiet and comfortable, with a small table and chairs.

"Please, have a seat," the salesperson said. "May I see the gold you wish to sell?"

Zastan nodded and carefully opened his bag, taking out the box with the gold inside. He placed it on the table and opened it to reveal the gleaming gold bars. The salesperson's eyes widened slightly at the sight, but they managed to maintain their professionalism.

'Presumably she didn't expect such a thing from me based off of my looks.' he thought.

"This is quite an impressive amount of gold," the salesperson said, as he examined the bars closely. "If you'll allow me for a minute, I'll have our appraiser take a look at this."

Zastan nodded again, and the salesperson left the room briefly, returning with an older gentleman who introduced himself as the appraiser. The appraiser took his time examining each bar, weighing and testing them to ensure their purity and authenticity.

"This is high-quality gold, and it's worth quite a bit," the appraiser said.

"However, we'll need to drill into one of the bars to fully verify its purity. Do we have your permission to proceed?"

Zastan's heart raced. He knew it was technically impossible to achieve 100% purity, and he worried about the outcome. "Purity?" he echoed, his voice betraying a hint of panic.

[Do not worry, host.]

[The gold provided is of the highest purity possible, well within the acceptable limits.]

Relieved by the system's assurance, Zastan took a deep breath. "Yes, you have my permission," he said, trying to sound confident.

The appraiser nodded and brought out a small drill. With precise movements, he drilled a tiny hole into one of the bars and extracted a sample. Then he conducted a series of tests, his expression serious and focused.

Finally, the appraiser looked up and smiled when he saw the 99.9% purity in the machine. "The purity is excellent. This gold is of the highest quality."

Zastan sighed in relief but maintained his composed demeanor. "That's good to hear," he said.

"However," the appraiser continued, "we'll need some proof of ownership, like an invoice, to proceed with the transaction."

Zastan felt a slight bit of worry. He hadn't considered needing documentation. "I don't have an invoice," he admitted, trying to remain calm.

"The source is... unconventional."

The appraiser and the salesperson exchanged glances. "Without an invoice or proof of ownership, we can't offer you the full market price," the appraiser said. "Given the circumstances, we can still buy the gold, but we'll have to reduce the price by 10%."

Zastan's heart sank, but he knew he had no choice. "I understand. Let's proceed with the sale," he said.

After some further negotiation, they agreed on the final price, and the transaction was completed. Despite the deduction, the price for his gold was a total of $125,215!

The appraiser nodded and turned to the salesperson. "Please inform the manager about this transaction."

Hearing this, the salesperson left the room and returned a moment later with the store manager, a middle-aged man with a sharp suit and an air of authority. The manager exchanged a few words with the appraiser, nodded, and then proceeded to a door at the back of the room. He tapped his keycard on a detector beside the door, which opened with a soft beep, revealing a secure room filled with cash.

A few minutes later, the manager returned, carrying several stacks of bills. He placed them on the table in front of Zastan. "Here is the total payment for your gold, $125,215," he said, sliding the stacks of money toward Zastan.

Zastan took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you," he said sincerely, then he carefully packed the cash into his bag. He felt the weight of the money, both physically and metaphorically. This was surely a significant step toward his future plans.

After ensuring everything was secure, Zastan stood up and shook hands with both the appraiser and the manager. "Thank you for your assistance,"

The manager smiled warmly. "It was our pleasure. Please don't hesitate to return if you have more business in the future."

With a final nod, Zastan left the store and made his way back to his transportation. As he settled into the car, he gave the driver new instructions. "Take me to the nearest luxury hotel," he said.

...

The driver nodded and started the engine, navigating through the bustling streets of Luminae. Zastan leaned back in his seat, feeling a mix of relief and excitement. He had successfully converted his gold into cash, and now he was ready to begin the next phase of his plan.

As they drove, Zastan couldn't help but think about his future. He now has the resources(not pun intended here) to start building his life in this new world.

After a short drive, the car pulled up in front of a grand luxury hotel. The building was impressive, with an elegant facade and doormen standing in their crisp uniforms.

Zastan stepped out of the car and took a moment to take in the sight.

"Even in my previous life, I could only look at something like this," he thought. "But this... This is where I'll start my new life."

...