My inventory was full of cash shop items, and yesterday I had found out that items like the [Sunset Radiance Resort] could be built on this world.
“You don’t have to wear the swimsuits if you don’t want to, but I will,” I said to Mo.
She jumped back in surprise when a magic circle appeared in front of us when I selected the [Sunset Radiance Resort] in the Cash Shop again and mentally clicked on the [Build] button. This time, I chose the “extravagant” option for the resort.
In the game, the simple, elegant, and extravagant options gave the player different costumes, and the animation that played each time showed a different building. The simple one was a small, cute seaside cottage. The elegant one was the one that I had built yesterday. The extravagant resort was a rather vulgar and showy five-story hotel that looked like it was made for the nouveau riche. However, it suited my purpose for today because it had a large infinity pool.
I burst out laughing when the System finished building the resort. “My gosh! It looks so…”
The hotel was enormous, easily ten times the size of the elegant resort we were staying in. The exterior was bright pink, with gold paint that was practically blinding in the bright sunlight. I gawked at the entrance, which was flanked with tall marble columns, gold-plated statues, and a grand fountain in the middle.
It’s a good thing Shuye wasn’t here to see it.
The outdoor areas featured an enormous pool with multiple water slides, a Jacuzzi, and multiple cascading mini waterfalls. There were also cabanas and day beds, as well as a beach volleyball court. The outdoor pool area was filled with palm trees, tiki huts, and an abundance of colorful umbrellas.
“Are we staying there?” Mo’s mouth had fallen open, and she was staring at the building with an awed look on her face. “It’s so fancy.”
I chuckled as I led her inside the lobby. Its walls were adorned with expensive artwork and gaudy golden silk upholstery, and the floors were made of inlaid marble. The furniture was ornate, with plush velvet and gilded legs, and dozens of crystal chandeliers crowded the ceiling.
We had barely started exploring when Deming and Fengying turned up at the door. They asked me if I wanted us to move to this new place, but I explained I was just testing out what I could build. To my surprise, Mo, Deming, and Fengying seemed to approve of the decor.
“No way! I prefer the other resort,” I said when they asked me for the fifth time if I wanted to use this place instead, but I had to admit defeat when Deming caught sight of the kitchen’s huge walk-in freezers that were full of food and cooking ingredients.
Of course, just like my house in the farm, the items inside couldn’t be taken out of the building, but when Deming promised me that he would be able to cook the best meal ever if he got access to the kitchen, my stomach overruled my brain, and I agreed to stay in this garish place.
I took Fengying aside and told her I would be using the rooftop pool with Mo, so they should keep out of that area.
“Of course. I’m not even sure I’ll be able to get my husband out of the kitchen. He might stay there and not sleep for the entire time we’re here,” said Fengying.
“If he’s happy, then my stomach’s happy!” I said as I made my way upstairs with Mo.
There were no elevators. I noticed that the building was remarkably low tech, which was more in keeping with the technology level of this world.
“Yes! It’s wonderful!” I said when we opened the doors to the rooftop. “This is where we can swim.”
The tranquil waters of the infinity pool glistened in the afternoon sun. It was a sight to behold - the pool stretched out before us, seemingly endless as it blended into the horizon. One side of the pool curved inwards, giving the illusion of an infinite expanse of water. The pool itself was deep blue, with water so clear that you could see the bottom. The tiled edge also contained several bubblers, which gave the illusion of bubbles rising from the depths of the pool.
Loungers were scattered around the pool, and there were a few round tables with umbrellas surrounded by chairs on the far side of the roof area.
I took off my sunhat and sack-like garment. Underneath, I was wearing a blue one-piece swimsuit.
“Whee!” I waded into the pool, shivering when my feet touched the cool water.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“We’re going to swim here?” Mo looked doubtful.
“What’s the problem?”
“It’s too shallow.”
“The pool is deeper on the other end,” I said. “But I didn’t literally mean that we should swim. I’m just going to relax. Think of this as just a really big bathtub.”
“Oh.”
I guess the concept of swimming pools wasn’t something she was familiar with. “Nevermind. Just sit on the edge if you want to and relax.”
I’d had the foresight to ask the Demon Chef to prepare a pitcher of drinks for us, so I took it out of my inventory and asked Mo to place it on one of the tables for later.
Then I let her be and swam to the side of the pool facing the beach. I folded my arms on the edge of the pool and rested my head there while I let my whole body go limp. The cool water buoyed me up and the feel of the sea breeze on my face was a pleasure I couldn’t get enough of. I read somewhere that the negative ions found in the air near the beach increase a person’s level of serotonin, which boosts one’s mood. I personally think it was a combination of the vitamin D from the sunshine, the fresh food from the sea, and the feeling of freedom because of being away from home and work, as well as the negative ions that made people happier when they were on vacation.
Once I’d had enough of gazing blankly at the horizon, I floated on my back, letting the water calm me and take away any stress. Should I swim a few laps? No, I decided, that was way too much effort. I spent the rest of the morning just playing around in the pool, occasionally emerging to grab a drink, until it was time for lunch.
Deming had promised me the best meal ever if he was allowed to use the hotel kitchen, and it did not disappoint.
The meal started with a creamy, smooth onion soup that had a hint of sweetness. I was very impressed with the next dish, baked mussels. My palate was then cleansed with a refreshing sorbet. Then came a plate of duck confit, which was cooked to perfection and served with delicious mashed potatoes and glazed carrots. For the main course, I was served a succulent, juicy steak with a medley of fresh, seasonal vegetables. The next dish was a light salad with a lemon dressing. Of course, after that was a wonderful cheese platter. Dessert was a delicious crème brûlée.
French cuisine?! The Demon Chef even knew how to cook these “exotic” dishes? There was, of course, no such place as France in this world, but Central cuisine was similar to French cuisine. Here, the Central continent was far more technologically advanced. Therefore, their cuisine was quite fashionable these days.
“That was truly the best meal I had in the Westerlands,” I said to Fengying.
“He said the dinner will be even better,” she replied.
“Then I look forward to it!” I turned to my apprentice and said, “Wake me up when it’s three hours to sunset. We’ll go fishing then.”
I had eaten so much that I practically fell into a food coma, so I retired to the hotel’s smallest, least gaudy room for a nap. I woke up hours later, ready for action. The sun was still burning hot, but we couldn’t wait any longer for it to become cooler because I didn’t want to go fishing in the dark. Dressed in the sack and wearing a sun hat with Mr. Bear attached to it, I led my apprentice to the edge of the water. An area of the water was sparkling in the sun, which showed that it was a fishing spot. However, the strange thing was that I couldn’t see any fish there.
Well, it was still worth a try.
“Go to the System toolbelt and click on the little icon that looks like a fish. Then take out the big net. Got it?” I took out the item and carefully waded into the shallow water. “For now, just watch what I do.”
I flung the net out into the sea, keeping hold of one corner. Then I waited five heartbeats until a glowing golden exclamation mark appeared over the net. As I pulled the net back towards me, I felt a resistance, as though it was full of something or the other. When I had reeled it in close enough, the items I had caught appeared in my inventory and a System notification box popped up in front of me.
[Mackerel (2), Cod (1), Bass (2), Casket (1), Old Leather Boots (1), Oyster (10), Lobster (5), Rusty Key (2)]
“What a catch!” I said.
How on earth had that happened? There definitely weren’t any fish or other items in the water that I could see. Was the net some sort of portal device? The System was as mysterious as ever.
“What did you get, teacher?” asked Mo. She couldn’t see what I had gotten because it all went directly to my inventory.
“A bit of fish, some shellfish, and miscellaneous interesting items. Why don’t you try it?” I suggested.
She stepped forward and flung her net out. A few moments later, it was already full, and she reeled it in.
“Eh? I got a lot of stuff!” she exclaimed in surprise.
The poor girl was so bad at fishing that she was shocked she got a good haul… except she didn’t seem to realize that it was all junk.
[Old Leather Boots (2), Rusty Key (1), Seaweed (2), Shell (3), Seaweed (8), Sea Glass (2)]
“Good work! Stay here and I’ll find my own fishing spot. I won’t be far,” I said.
I walked a little away from her until I saw another patch of sparkling water. We spent around an hour fishing until we ran out of energy. Big net fishing allowed players to catch more fish, so it was faster and more efficient than using a fishing rod that could only catch one fish at a time, but net fishing used up more energy per cast. The downside of it was that one often caught useless junk until their fishing level was high.
When we were done, we each got two buckets from our inventory and filled them with saltwater and some of our catch for the Demon Chef to cook later. Then we put them in our inventories so we wouldn’t need to carry them as we walked back to the top of the cliff where the hotel was located.
“I didn’t get a lot of fish, but I got a lot of these.” Mo held up a handful of sea glass up to the sun, fascinated by the way they caught the light.
“You can keep those in your room to remind you of your first beach vacation. Ask Fengying to put it on a small wooden tray for display,” I said. “Nice fishing here, huh? I wish we could do this more often, but I don’t want to be away from the farm for too long. I’m already worried about how they’re getting along without me.”
Me and my big mouth! No sooner had I said that when we spotted Shuye on his flying cart approaching at great speed.
“You’re needed at the farm,” said my Farm Guide when he landed beside us on the beach. “Some of your crops were destroyed.”