Adam sat in the corner of a narrow alley, hidden from sight, and opened the pouch of coins he had stolen from the boy—without the slightest sense of guilt. A quick count revealed five copper coins and three silver ones.
He flipped a coin between his fingers and muttered:
"Copper is the lowest... used to buy bread or enter public baths. Ten of these equal one silver coin."
He picked up a silver coin and examined it:
"Silver is more valuable, used to buy tools or rent a simple room. A hundred of these make a gold coin... and gold? That's a dream people like me can't afford."
He smirked and returned the coins to the pouch.
"And platinum? That's for nobles… a story from another world."
He paused, frowning as he whispered:
"Strange… I know all this. Looks like the original memories of this body are slowly surfacing."
He stood up, patting the pouch in his pocket, then sighed:
"It's not a fortune, but enough to get something simple for the kids… a decent start."
He returned to the market, passing by small stalls selling stale bread and pots of bland-looking soup. He bought two loaves and two cups of water for two copper coins. But he didn't leave right away. He stood and watched the market. Merchants shouting, children running, soldiers walking by with stern looks. From a far corner, he heard a merchant complaining about "the new prince's taxes."
"A prince? Looks like the power recently shifted," Adam muttered.
On his way back, he met hungry eyes silently following him. A little girl extended her hand toward him, but he turned his face away.
"I can't save everyone… not yet."
He returned to the alley and found Anna lying on the ground, with Pedro sitting beside her, whispering comforting words. Adam approached and knelt beside them, offering the food.
Pedro looked at him suspiciously:
"Who are you? And why are you giving us this?"
Adam replied calmly:
"I'm no one important… I just saw you and remembered someone I lost."
He spoke the words with a broken tone—half truth, half lie.
"If you don't trust me, give it to someone else."
Pedro hesitated, then took the bread and handed it to Anna. The girl started eating slowly, as if she couldn't believe what was in her hands.
Adam sat beside them and pulled out a copper coin, flipping it between his fingers:
"In this world, the weak die quietly… I've seen it with my own eyes."
He looked at Pedro:
"But you're not the type to give up easily. That much is clear."
The boy said nothing, but his gaze didn't waver.
"My name is Adam. I don't have much, but if you trust me, I might help you survive… maybe even grow stronger."
Anna whispered faintly:
"…Thank you."
Just one word, but it stirred something inside him.
"I'm not asking for anything now. Just think about it. I have a way… but it needs trust."
Adam stood up, gave them one last look, then turned to leave. But before he took a step, a system window appeared:
[Reputation Point Gained: Noble action toward the weak with no reward]
[Total Reputation Points: 2]
He smiled in mild surprise:
"So the system rewards intention, not just the act? Interesting."
He walked away with calmer steps, whispering:
"Now I need to find a library… Ignorance will kill me if I don't understand this world."
Relying on the memory of the body, which had begun to awaken, he scanned the signs above the shops: "Potions," "Fierce Beasts," "Monster Materials"… all strange names, yet he could read them easily.
"I swear I've never seen this script before… but I understand it. Thanks to my borrowed memory, I guess."
The shops varied—from simple eateries to clothing and herbal stores—but he had one goal in mind. After a few minutes, he stood before a two-story building. The sign above read: "Greenwood Library."
He entered with excitement and approached an old man reading a book titled "Fundamentals of Swordsmanship."
"Hello, sir," Adam said.
The old man looked up and frowned:
"What do you want?"
"I'd like to read some books."
The man asked bluntly:
"Can you read?"
Adam nodded patiently:
"Yes, I can."
The man sighed and said:
"You're allowed to stay for four hours on the first floor only. Borrowing books costs money. Understood?"
"Understood."
The old man returned to his book, uninterested in him.
Adam whispered:
"Inspect."
Name: Blue
Age: 75 / 50
Talent: None
Level: None
Strength: 7
Speed: 6
Endurance: 8
"Damn… Even without a level or talent, he's much stronger than those beggars."
"You still here?" the man asked coldly, and Adam quickly moved away and entered the library.
"Where do I start?"
He stood before modest rows of shelves.
"Let's begin by understanding this world."
He searched for a bit and found two books:
"The Founding of the Kingdom of Greenwood"
"Geography of the World"
He sat in a quiet corner and began reading.
After an hour, he closed the first book and sighed deeply:
"Now I understand where I am."
Summary of what he read:
The Kingdom of Greenwood was founded 300 years ago by a fourth-level knight named Philip Greenwood, who still rules today. Despite its small size—only ten thousand people—it grew thanks to eliminating bandits and establishing a safe trade route. Philip alone killed 500 bandits.
"One man… against 500? This world is deeper than I thought."
The kingdom is under the Empire of Ezona and does not have full independence. Philip has limited authority to recruit soldiers and must pay taxes every ten years.
"Just as I thought… there's nobility. Titles start from Baron to Marshal. Philip can only grant up to Earl; higher titles require the emperor's approval."
After finishing the book, Adam opened the geography one.
Half an hour was enough to change his perspective entirely.
"What? Humans aren't alone? There are elves and dwarves too?!"
He was shocked, then smiled with childlike excitement:
"I have to see the elves… they must be just as amazing as in the stories."
He sat back, breathing deeply, trying to calm his pounding heart.
"This world… it's ten times bigger than Earth."
The world consists of two continents: Masr Continent and The Forbidden Continent. Adam lives in Masr, which contains fifty different empires, including Ezona—a relatively small one.
Adam sat for ten minutes, absorbing everything.
"Now, I need to find a book that explains power levels, talents, and skills… the terms I see whenever I use [Inspect]."
He stood up, a new spark in his eyes—
The spark of a seeker of knowledge, striving to understand his path in a world he wasn't born in…
but had started to belong to.