“CLICKETY-CLACK”
The rhythmic sound of train wheels hitting the rails resonated within Archie's ears. He blinked open his eyes to find himself queued up, with passengers disembarking from the sliding train doors.
‘HUH! Is everything that's happened so far a dream?’
Archie mused. The weight of his insulated backpack tugging him backward seemed to corroborate his theory. His earphones were plugged into his phone, yet no music was playing, and his pristine chef's dress, emblazoned with the shop's name on his chest, appeared to validate his reality.
All signs pointed to the fact that he had never been rifted from this place.
The line before him started to board the train. Archie followed suit, his steps hesitant, half-expecting to rift again. He believed it was a possibility.
Archie placed his right foot on the train’s entrance step. Nothing occurred. Archie stepped into the train, noting the seats arranged parallel to each other, occupied by seated passengers.
Archie scanned his surroundings to check if anything was amiss. The events he experienced once he rifted felt like a transient dream that had a touch of reality.
The train initiated its movement, giving a slight jerk that caused Archie to stumble. He steadied himself by clutching the overhead handle with his left hand.
“HISS!” Archie grimaced in tingling pain when he gripped the handle. Suddenly, memories of the Rift Watch flooded his mind.
Archie rolled up his chef dress sleeve and spotted the golden Rift Watch gleaming inside the train.
Archie swiftly covered his hands, fearful that someone might spot his Rift Watch. Archie remained on high alert, accepting the fact that everything he had witnessed and experienced was indeed real.
Archie started to recollect everything that transpired from the moment he got rifted to his escape from the Rift’s heart.
The realization dawned on Archie that he might be in peril because, at present, he is the Rift Runner’s prime adversary.
Archie kept a constant watch on his surroundings, ready to flee or fight if anyone launched an attack.
However, everyone was engrossed in their own activities. Archie didn't catch anyone's second glance.
‘No one seems like Rift Runners. Am I safe for now?’ Archie felt a temporary sense of relief.
The train pulled into his destination, 'Loring Street.' Archie decided to deliver the order to avoid arousing any suspicion. Archie was deeply apprehensive that he was under the watchful eyes of Rift Runners or someone else.
Archie emerged from the subway station to be greeted by a clear blue sky and bustling city streets. Tall buildings flanked the streets, their glass façades reflecting the sunlight adding to their charm.
Archie looked up to see animated advertisements on numerous vibrant billboards, illuminated in neon lights, glowing even in broad daylight. People in varied attire moved at an irregular pace in the crowd.
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The street was lined with parked vehicles, including tour buses adorned with advertisements, indicating this area was a tourist hotspot. Loring Street was renowned as a commercial and theatrical street.
Despite residing in the Crimos district, where other districts viewed them as slums or impoverished districts, because they didn’t house any high-ranking High Clans or famed Rift Riders.
The Crimos district was primarily home to employees who worked for Rift companies or ran stores, so they didn’t evolve into a prominent district that excelled in Rifts or advanced technologies.
After a few minutes of walking, Archie felt a sense of unease and thought,
'After that battle where they tried to kill me, casually delivering food without any care feels ominous.'
Archie arrived at the address where he had to deliver food. He stood before a five-story building. He didn’t see any security to hand over the order to, so he rang the front door calling bell. A man opened the door within a few seconds, as if he had been anticipating Archie.
The first thing Archie noticed were the man’s baggy eyes. He was a tall figure, with a lean body, wearing a night robe with an unshaved beard. He groaned at the sight of Archie and grumbled,
“Why are you late? The noodles must have gone cold.”
Archie had encountered customers like these before, and after encountering various species, this ordinary human being seemed mundane. Archie calmly opened his backpack and retrieved the sealed packed noodles bowl and soup box and handed it to the man.
The man touched the bowl and inspected the noodles and whined,
“The noodles have become soggy. I can’t pay.”
[DING]
A notification sound echoed inside his mind, as a golden prompt materialized before him:
[Side Mission: Get Paid]
[Make this man pay for the food he ordered]
[Reward:
100 credits]
“HUH!” Archie snorted in shock as he saw a mission materialize before him.
“Hey kid, what are you staring at? I can’t pay for the noodles. Next time, come faster.”
The man criticized as he entered the building without looking back. He tried to close the door by kicking it with his legs, his hands full.
Before the man could close the door, Archie exclaimed,
“Wait! Wait! I forgot to give you your sides and toppings. Wait a minute.”
This grabbed the man’s attention, making him turn around to see, but before he could turn…
“AHHH… Don’t hurt me,” The man screamed, as Archie swiftly closed the distance between them and pressed a chopstick against the man’s back.
The chopsticks weren't sharp enough to cause harm, but with the man facing the other direction, he believed Archie was holding a knife or some sharp object. Archie used this misunderstanding to his advantage.
“Pay me the money, or I will make sure you can never eat anything.”
“Kid, you messed with the wrong people. I will get you killed.”
The man threatened Archie.
Archie was calm because the moment he saw that man, he knew right away that the man was hiding from something. Archie saw that the man was constantly looking around for something when he spoke to him, just like Archie had been doing before. So, Archie confirmed that he could terrorize and pressure the man into paying, as the man looked like he didn’t want any trouble.
Archie didn’t like it when someone mocked his hard work, even more when someone tried to rob their store's money.
“Give me the money,” Archie pressed the chopstick further, making the man panic.
The man clicked his tongue in frustration and desperation. He reached into his robe’s pocket and grabbed five echoes, extending them towards Archie.
Archie grabbed the money and rapidly kicked the man from behind, throwing the chopstick inside. The man fell on the floor, and before he could stand up, Archie closed the door and ran from the place with his backpack.
“Holy Shit! It seriously worked. Thinking about what Mechanic would have done in that situation really helped me.”
Archie ran, his heart racing with joy for standing up for himself and successfully getting paid.
Archie had a wide grin, gasping from running. After some distance, Archie stopped and took a breath.
[DING!]
[Congratulations on completing Side Mission: Get Paid]
[Successfully made George pay for the food he ordered]
[Reward:
100 credits]
---
[Rewards Credited]
[Credits Balance: 1200]
---
[Congratulations on completing the first Side Mission:]
[Reward:
Chef’s Chopsticks]