"ID… ID… ID… where can I get it?" Jack mumbled, tapping the table.
Living a life of debauchery and a life of crime were entirely different things. While Jack had the mastery on one, he was clueless about the other. It was one of the reason he got caught so easily by the green hats in his past life. He didn't know how to hide from them.
Just like then, despite having a goal in mind and a cup of coffee in hand, he couldn't come up with a plan. The shady organizations might have a link to such facilities, but he couldn't just go up to a thug and ask him for an ID.
The first thing they'll do is put a bullet in his head before asking him if he was a cop. Not like he could answer their questions at that point.
Jack sighed, watching the night sky. He had $1340 and could pay for a shady motel room to stay in. They won't bother following procedures and give him a room without checking his ID. It would be safer than remaining on the streets with two handbags full of luxury clothes.
Maybe I should sell them? Who am I kidding? These are useful goods.
Not every woman was attracted to the rich, but it sure was one hell of a weapon. After all, first impressions were always important for a playboy.
"Why can't I have a magic inventory to store these?" Jack sighed.
While he technically had an inventory, it could only store Fortuna's card. He tried putting the card inside the bags and then shove it in the inventory, only for everything, other than the card, to spill out.
Outsmarting the system wasn't easy, if at all possible. Just as he was thinking about the system, the third tutorial quest appeared before him.
===
[Tutorial quest 03: The Ultimate Sin.]
[Task: Commit the ultimate sin of handholding with a woman for ten minutes.]
[Time: 2 hours]
[Reward: $5,000]
[Punishment: Testicular cancer.]
===
"…testicular cancer? What the hell is wrong with you!?"
"Keep it down! We have no interest in your medical diagnosis!" the man sitting at the next table yelled.
"My bad!" Jack replied before whispering. "I hope you're not in a relationship, bitch."
Promptly ignoring the man, Jack focused on the quest tab. He wanted to curse the one who designed these quests like, how was holding hand worse than having sex or groping someone?
Still, the quest was difficult. While holding someone's hand wasn't an issue, holding it for ten minutes most certainly was. Moreover, he couldn't afford to fail, not with that punishment.
Abandoning his coffee, Jack looked around for a potential target. Unfortunately, it seemed he was in an unsafe neighborhood because the only women he saw looked dangerous to him.
He wondered about hiring a hooker, but for real this time. However, the experience he had before left a strange taste in his mouth. He preferred not to test his luck and get another science-crazed bitch to do some experiments on him.
"Wait… it's just about holding hands. Why am I overthinking it?"
"Shut up—"
The man yelled back.
"Oh, please accept my sincere apology. Here, let me get you a free coffee for the trouble!"
"That'd be great—What the hell!?"
Before the man could yell, Jack threw the cold coffee on him and ran out of the cafe.
—x—
Somewhere else…
"Ugh… my legs are not like they used to be. I start saving to get a checked…"
An old woman mumbled her woes for the universe to hear, whether it did or not was a compltely different matter.
She couldn't dwell on it either as she pushed the shopping cart, full of vegetables and other grocery items. She didn't live in this neighborhood, but things were cheaper there, so she came here to shop for essentials.
The only issue was, she had to walk all the way alone. Her son used to do it for her, but after he passed away, along with her daughter-in-law, the burden fell on her. She didn't use to have any trouble before, but as she got older, her body slowly gave up on her.
She could only rant about her long-lost youth to fuel the little fire she had left and keep walking.
But just then, the universe answered her prayers and send someone to help. Unfortunately, she didn't see a helper, but a protential thief and raised her stick to defend herself and the cart.
"Stay back! I'm not letting you take my food!"
"You're quite fierce, auntie," Jack smiled. "But I'm here to help you, not to steal from you."
"Every thief says that! I don't need your help, I can manage myself."
Jack sighed. The woman was a stubborn one, pulling a shopping cart that weighed almost as her old bones, by herself. '
He had approached her for his gain, but now he sincerely wanted to help her. All because she looked a bit like his grandmother, the only relative who genuinely loved him after his mother passed away. Unfortunately, he didn't get to experience that love for long either.
Let's not think about that…
He shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. His focus was on helping the granny first.
"Okay, then. How about we do it together? Here, to put your mind at ease, I'll place my bags in your cart. Is that okay?"
"…hm."
After thinking about it for a second, the woman took his hand, and the countdown appeared before him.
Time passed quickly. Ten minutes had been long since over, but Jack paid no attention to that. Instead, he was enjoying talking with granny and learned a lot about her family.
Her son and daughter-in-law left the world a decade ago, leaving a young son behind. He was one when they died, and now he was eleven.
Granny believed youngsters should focus on studies, that's why she went to get the groceries other than sending her grandson. Well, her words, he didn't offer to help either, so there was that.
"That's my house, the one on the left," she told him.
"Alright, grandma," Jack replied. "I'll push the cart in and leave—"
No sooner did he say that the door to the house was kicked open. A kid charged out, pointing a baseball bat at Jack.
"What are you doing with my grandmother!? Granny, I'll protect you—argh!"
"You dare!" Granny yelled, whacking the boy with her stick. "This young man helped me carry groceries, you brat. You act like an adult, but won't lift a finger to help me. Hmph! Go back inside!"
"…alright."
The kid went back inside, dragging his bat with him. Since the quest was complete and there was nothing more to do there, Jack decided to take his leave.
However, Granny Mika stopped him.
"Please come inside, young man. Have some water before you leave."
"It's okay, granny. I'm fine—"
"You call me granny and yet refuse my request. That's not every grandson like, won't you agree?"
Jack smiled, scratching his cheek, wanting to refuse, but under Granny's intense motherly aura, even the famous green hatter folded his cards.