"You did it, adventurer, you saved my home!" Oh boy and the NPC doesn't know what else I have done.

"Yeah, um, it might still be contagious."

He gets a warning then let's get the hell out of dodge before he sees the basement.

Of course, the vomit didn't turn into pixels like the rats.

And let's hope the character will be far enough before he notices the aftermath of that rampage.

It was nasty.

"You should air the place out, and visit the Pharmacy to be safe."

This is a genuine concern even if he doesn't react. Well, that's where I'm headed either way.

Whether he despawns after this or goes on with his everyday life is up to him. The avatar did what they hired him for.

These clones aren't like Selena or Tank, they only exist to hand out the tasks and confirm when they're done.

And this mission was sure brutal. The critters were still weak and easy to kill, but that toxic cloud was horrifying.

After healing Mr. Straw Hat and myself, that's two potions gone.

Well, it paid almost two thousand Exp at least, and Selena will add some extra with the five silver.

It's still money positive. Healing potion or not the sickness still weighs down on the character though.

In the huge mess after drinking it, the status effect disappeared fast.

Could this be the difference between antidote and healing?

While one works for everything, the other's effects are more specialized and longer-lasting.

The pharmacist girl will know, and with some luck, she'll double up on the Guild's delivery contract.

[Welcome to the Origin Pharmacy!]

Okay, learning from previous encounters, she won't notice anything before saying it outright.

"Good evening." Or was it night? As usual, I was so deep in thought on the way here, that it's impossible to tell.

The rapid day-night cycle of CineMraft is taxing to get used to. And the fast server would be even worse. Twenty-four-minute long days? Yikes.

Baldie said it blew up in popularity, but why? Do they have the same map only with faster game speed?

What about the NPCs? How many Mustache Man and his rat-infested homes do they have?

Are they going through the same events even quicker?

Oh, right, the spreadsheet mentioned something about faster training times.

The cop showed that off on his ancient laptop which triggered an OCD.

Do skills matter that much? Once the sponsored task succeeds and the avatar reaches the tenth level it will be relevant.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

And does that server also have a Selena and Tank, or do they have different actors cosplaying as AI?

There's still no irrefutable proof that those two aren't actual people.

Did the other players notice? In fantasy shows the Guild is always so bustling, and here it seems like an afterthought.

People never seem to talk with the Assistant, even if she's more helpful than a true angel.

And the only sign that the Training Ground was ever used is the sweaty stench around it.

The poor Trainer is always alone there, standing in the middle. He's crazy observant too.

Without ever mentioning it, he figured out that I'm a lefty.

The other NPCs are blind until you talk to them, it's more obvious they are AI-driven.

They're either each other's clones, glitch out, ignore you, or act strange.

The pharmacist duo doesn't even have a name.

Ah, fuck, it's happening again. Focus, Arnim, focus. Yes, you are in the Pharmacy for a contract and a checkout.

The head does feel a little light, apart from being in the clouds. How long has it been, and why didn't the shopkeeper make a noise?

"Could you check if I'm not sick?"

It's her fault for ignoring the greeting and not stopping from wandering again. Now her face lights with curiosity.

"The last errand had a bunch of Plague Rats and I didn't feel well even after taking a healing potion."

She leans over the counter and touches the character's forehead.

Her hand feels cold against it, and she ponders for a second, then drags a towel out from the counter and wets it.

Wiping the sweat off and... No, that's it, that was her entire healing process. It's ridiculous, but it must have worked since that head no longer spins.

"There, Noob, you should feel better." She nods, repeating her earlier offer.

"Since you always help us, don't hesitate to visit me if you're injured or sick. It looks like you contracted the plague from the rats. The healing potion helped until you got sick again."

"That's what I thought. So how best to avoid it in the future?"

The tutorial didn't teach such things, but she must be more than qualified to explain.

She doesn't hesitate either. Once she's back behind her desk, she opens the trade window to highlight a few items.

"I'd recommend you to use an antidote. It purges the weaker poisons and sickness from your body. While it won't restore your health, you'll gain immunity for three minutes."

That confirms the suspicion, and since it's only ninety copper on a discount, let's buy two.

And a healing potion, as the inventory is down to one. Before Selena pays the tasks off that's all the avatar can afford.

It should be more than enough since there's some food left too. The character should be well-prepared for most situations, except one thing.

"And, um, what do you recommend to stop the bleeding?"

Please say that you sell some first aid kits or the in-game equal.

"There were a bunch of skeleton archers nearby, and their arrows caused all sorts of trouble."

"I hear you. Every adventurer should carry some bandages around, but we are all out. If you could go to the Textile Works to pick some up, I'd pay you for your trouble."

Wait, is that another job offer? No, she didn't double up the one Selena asked for. Did I mess it up? Or is it all right to ask?

"And did the Adventurer's Guild order more healing potions lately?"

Here goes nothing. In the worst-case scenario, let's show her the invoice Selena gave.

That's a few Exp less, although these fetching missions pay like shit even on these higher levels.

"Oh, of course they did. Adventurers tend to get injured, so the Guild keeps a large stock of potions."

She claims and offers another job. The third one is the most surprising.

"If you are already going to the Textile Works, deliver some bandages to the Guild too."

"With pleasure." That's three extra contracts, and they're all D-rank, paying a silver and three hundred Exp.

Damn, it was worth asking, it almost feels like cheating, not that it's an issue.

The quests appear in the journal once she hands over the invoices. And a rack of potions.

A huge rack. How many is this? The inventory says a hundred and fifty.

Holy shit, that's like fifteen gold's worth. And it has a hefty weight too, almost twenty kilos including the rack.

Won't the gankers have a field day, if they see this?

No, they ignored the potions when that other player dropped them. This should be fine.

With this much weight, the character can still run, or jog, only sprint is out of the question.

Let's head to the Guild before the bandages weigh down even more. Or the head flies away again.