[Consumed Human Meat: +100 Health, +5 Strength]
I stared blankly at the notification floating in front of me.
"…What the fuck?"
Did… did my Health and Strength really increase just by eating a human? That's never happened before—not when I ate other monsters.
"Hey, System, what does this mean?"
[Host, consuming human meat will increase your stats. The type of increase depends on the attributes of the person consumed. For example, eating a fast human will raise your Agility. A strong one will boost Strength. Intelligence, Defense, everything can be affected.]
"Oh… so it's like that?" I smirked. "This is great, then."
I now had all the information I needed. The only thing left was to reach the city and get inside. Once I was in, I'd find an inn or tavern to stay the night, explore the layout, and start understanding how this new world works.
Currently, I had 28 copper coins in my possession. All the items and clothes I had looted were safely stored in my storage ring. At least I didn't have to worry about carrying them.
After standing still for a few moments to gather myself, I turned in the direction of the road and started walking. As I walked, memories of my siblings—my brother and sister—flooded my mind. I remembered how they cared for me… and even that dumb wolf who used to chase his own tail for no reason. Thinking about them made me unexpectedly emotional.
But I shook it off. Now wasn't the time to get lost in feelings. I had a goal. Focus.
According to the old man, the city was about a three-day walk from here for a normal human. But I wasn't human. i am a wolf a Fu*king Wearwolf.
With a grin, I transformed into my wolf form and sprinted forward—keeping to the forest beside the road so I could remain unseen. My speed was insane. I moved like a blur through the trees, like a bullet train slicing through air.
Along the way, I did see a few humans traveling on foot and carts. But they all looked weak, scared even. I ignored them. I had no reason to cause unnecessary attention.
After around 27 hours of nonstop running—with just brief breaks to hunt small animals—I finally reached the outskirts of the city.
I knew I was close because the road was much more populated. I saw carts carrying goods, people traveling in groups, and even a few soldiers patrolling. Sensing I'd need to blend in soon, I dashed back into the woods and found a quiet spot. There, I returned to my human form and dressed.
The clothes I had were still pretty awkward. Nothing really fit me right—some shirts were too tight around the shoulders, some pants too loose—but hey, anything was better than running into a city butt-naked.
I made my way back to the road and slowly approached the city gate.
The first thing I saw was a long line of people waiting to enter the city. I was just about to step into the line when suddenly—
Clack clack clack!
A horse-drawn carriage came charging down the road at high speed. The driver shouted angrily at the crowd.
"Hey, you filthy commoners! Get out of the way!"
The carriage was painted green and gold. It bore an emblem of green trees outlined in gold—marking it as the crest of the Greenwold noble family. Clearly a noble was inside.
The crowd immediately scattered, terrified of offending the rich. I stood back too, more out of caution than fear. I didn't want any trouble—this was my first interaction with civilization in this world, and I planned to keep it smooth.
As the carriage neared the stone city gate, the guards there stepped forward. There was a narrow gate in the wall just wide enough for carriages, and a smaller door off to the side for pedestrians.
When the carriage reached the checkpoint, a slender hand emerged from within. The noblewoman inside held up a badge engraved with the Greenwold family crest.
"You dare stop me?" she said coldly.
One of the guards stuttered in response, bowing low. "W-We're sorry, Lady Greenwold. It's just standard procedure for nobles to present identification at the gate."
"Hmph." She snapped her fingers, and a lowly servant jumped out from the carriage to handle the rest of the process
The gate creaked open, and the noble's carriage rolled into the city, disappearing from view.
Once the spectacle was over, the crowd began reforming the line. I joined quietly. But my appearance—clean, tall, and well-built—didn't go unnoticed.
"Whoa, who is that guy? He looks like a noble."
"Yeah, but his clothes look cheap... weird shirt. Probably a runaway noble's servant or something."
I felt a few stares, but nobody caused any trouble. Soon, it was my turn.
The guard at the entrance wore simple metal armor, with the Greenwold family emblem engraved on his chestplate. He barely looked at me as he asked, "State your name, purpose of visit, and pay one copper coin for the entry fee."
"I'm Gary Soliski," I replied confidently. "I've come here looking for work opportunities. Here's my coin."
I handed him a copper coin, and he nodded, giving a slight gesture with his hand.
"Go ahead."
Just like that… I was in.
As I stepped through the gate, an overwhelming wave of excitement hit me. This was the first time I'd entered a proper city in this world.
The street stretched wide in front of me, filled with people bustling around. Merchants shouted to advertise goods, children ran and played in the alleys, and women laughed as they haggled with shopkeepers.
I couldn't help but whisper, "Amazing…"
There were buildings everywhere—some stone, some wood. Flags waved gently above doorways. Magic lights illuminated shop signs. I even saw someone casually using magic to clean dust off their shop window.
My heart was pounding. There was so much to see, so much to explore.
But I needed rest.
According to my internal clock, it was nearing evening. The sky was starting to dim. I stopped a passing young man wearing simple clothes and asked, "Excuse me, do you know where I can find an inn?"
He pointed down the road. "Six houses down, you'll find the Rosebroke Inn."
"Thanks," I said, but he had already run off.
I followed his direction and soon reached a small building with a worn red wooden sign that read: Rosebroke Inn in faded white paint. The place looked… humble. Maybe even a bit sad. My old cave looked more luxurious, to be honest.
Still, it was a roof over my head.
I walked inside. A man behind the counter looked up and put down whatever he was doing.
"Welcome to the Rosebroke Inn. How can I help you, sir?"
"I need a room for three nights," I replied.
He nodded. "That'll be four copper coins."
I paid without hesitation.
After counting the coins, he handed me a key. "Room number 3. First floor. Just up the stairs."
"Thanks."
I made my way up the creaky wooden stairs, found my room, and opened the door. The room… was pathetic.
There was only a bed. No table, no chair, not even a window. The air smelled musty, and the sheets looked like they hadn't been washed in weeks.
"Well… home sweet home, I guess," I muttered, sighing.
I dropped onto the bed, too tired to complain. After running nonstop for nearly 27 hours, my body finally gave in. My eyes closed slowly, and before I knew it, I was drifting into sleep.
Tomorrow… a new chapter would begin.