Piles of shiny new currency, invented by the new mayor — Stadth coins — filled the room like a glimmering treasure hoard. Each token was made of silver, embedded with a non-adaptable battery core that glowed faintly blue.
Yoku's eyes lit up.
"That's a lot of fricking money," he smirked, clearly proud.
Adam stood among the sea of shimmering coins. The memories of his past — broke, alone, no connections — crept in quietly.
Sigh "I helped a bit... but most of the work wasn't mine. Still..." he paused, eyes scanning the currency, "this is kind of addicting."
Simon scooped a handful gleefully.
"Hehe, one-tenth of this is mine, right?"
Yuri promptly whacked him with a stick.
"No, it isn't. We haven't even counted it."
"Oh c'mon! I helped rebuild and hired people!"
Kineki and Mino were still staring at the mountain of wealth in awe. Adam looked at them, then back at the money. Even if they shared it, it felt... hollow without people to enjoy it with. This civilization was dying, after all.
"Hey, Adam! C'mon!"
"Huh? What now?"
Yuri and Yoku were lounging on the pile, the size of a small room. Yuri waved him over.
"The point of currency is to enjoy the rewards of hard work."
"…What do we even do with all this money?"
Yuri smiled and pushed Kineki's palm away as he tried to grab more coins.
"What else? Let's buy something!"
Adam sighed. "Alright, alright."
They took only a scoop, stored the rest in a safe, and headed for the marketplace.
The market was alive — a bald soldier was selling chickens, sheep, even cows. Mino and Kineki stared wide-eyed at the animals.
"Huh... this feels familiar." Adam squinted. Wait a second… the animal factory? haha... that placed sigh "Hey, where did you find these?"
The soldier recognized him immediately.
"Mr. Adam! You wouldn't believe it — we were exploring the west stratum and nearly got wiped out by an automaton!"
He sighed.
"Worse, there was this awful stench from dead animals in the city. So I brought some of the living ones back here."
Adam nodded grimly. "Exploring the stratum is gonna be tougher…"
Yoku patted a black-and-white cow. It snorted at him.
"Hey you… I can't believe you still hate me!"
They continued wandering the stalls. Equipment, strange gadgets, even loot from soldiers' expeditions. Adam stopped when he saw a broken mirror — just enough to catch a glimpse of himself.
Nice.
Then — a flash of movement. A thin tall man locked eyes with Adam...Rikkard, then he bolted.
"Damn it!"
[Initiating mild boost] — Adam's muscles surged with focus as he dashed forward, catching and pinning the man down.
"Gotcha."
Yuri ran up, catching her breath.
"Adam! Who is that?"
Adam stared down.
"Someone I used to know."
The man was filthy, breathing heavily.
"You've gotten stronger… I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I was selfish."
Adam patted his shoulder, eyes closed like some calm isekai protagonist. like the slime
"Don't worry. I forgive you." Been wanting to say that for years…
He added with a grin,
"If you really want to repay me — go work at the Adam Electric Company."
The man's eyes lit up... this is weird why would he forgive me is this a trap
"Thank you… I will."
Yoku and Yuri kept watching him as he disappeared into the street.
"that guy" yoku mumured
They arrived at a large store made of concrete and steel — "Gray Scale" was engraved above the doors.
A yellow-haired girl and a boy greeted them politely.
"Hello, Mr. Yoku and friends."
She tried to be warm, clearly trying to avoid any tension. But Yoku suddenly clutched his stomach.
"Cough—Adam, I'll just lay down in the back with Ki-ne… ugh…"
Adam blinked at her. Something felt… off.
"Hello, I'd like to buy a few things."
The girl smiled with slitted eyes, glancing between Adam and Yoku.
"Oh don't worry. We'll just wait here."
Weird.
They headed to the garment section. Yuri threw clothes at them like a whirlwind. Now Adam looked like a fashion-forward hobbiest — leather and polished military garments. Kineki wore a fur helmet and surplus gear. Mino chose a hoodie. Yoku stood at the back, visibly confused by the wardrobe spree. He focused instead on components — Kineki trailed after him, curious.
Yoku's Perspective:
He scanned the parts needed for his Kettenkrad.
"Okay, calm down…"
Kineki leaned in. "Yoku, what are you doing?"
Heh. this kid, dont worry! with me the greatest out there, youll be the best, as he thought to himself
"Oh right! So, I'm looking for specific engine parts — you need to cycle components like the battery and ignition regularly. Otherwise, they fail. For example, ignition should be cycled every 10km or so, or it could stop working altogether."
He kept rambling in a mechanical tongue no one could understand. Kineki's mind was melting.
"I don't get any of that."
Yoku chuckled and patted him.
"Don't worry. Learning isn't about memorizing — it's about understanding. That comes from examples and practice. Or at least, that's how I see it."
The yellow-haired girl approached again.
"So you're the one who made the blueprint for the windmill generator?"
Yoku was already irritated.
"No. That was Adam. And please don't come close, stranger."
She blinked. "He did? Oh... I'll just walk away then."
Sigh... this woman. The town mayor's way more beautiful anyway! Not that I care about beautiful women… I mean, she's fine... ugh!
His face turned red.
Kineki looked at him, confused. "Are you okay, Yoku?"
Adam walked up, now buried under layers of clothing like a collector.
"Hey Adam, I had an idea. How about we go adventuring again? It's been weeks."
"Sure," Yoku said. "But… you shouldnt you take off that bunch off clothing...?