C-5
As Lucas stepped onto the main slum road, he heard a harsh call.
"Oi! Lucas! You alive?"
A thin boy around his age ran over, barefoot and carrying a basket of stale bread. His face was dirty, but his eyes were bright—almost too bright for a place like this.
"Taro…" Lucas muttered, recognizing a minor character in the original plot.
Taro, the street runner.
A slum kid who ran fast and delivered messages.
Killed in the novel long before he mattered.
But right now, he grinned widely.
"You were out cold yesterday! We thought you kicked the bucket!"
Lucas forced a small smile. "Almost. But I'm fine now."
Taro blinked. "You sure? You look like a half-drowned rat."
"Better than a dead one."
Taro laughed loudly, then shoved a piece of stale bread into Lucas' hands. "Here. Payment for not dying."
Lucas froze.
He hadn't eaten since before reincarnation. His stomach squeezed painfully at the sight of food.
"Take it," Taro insisted. "You're useless when you starve. And the gangs are sniffing around again."
Lucas nodded silently.
He took a cautious bite of the rock-hard bread. It tasted awful. But it was food.
His body trembled as it absorbed even the slightest energy.
"Taro," Lucas asked after swallowing painfully, "is the task board still near the east well?"
Taro nodded. "Yeah. But the good jobs are taken early. The nobles' guards posted a few coin jobs today though— dangerous ones."
Lucas's eyes narrowed. Dangerous meant paying well.
"Thanks," he said. "I owe you."
Taro waved him off. "Just don't die again!"
Lucas smirked faintly. "I'll try."
The east well square was filled with shouting, trading, and occasional fighting. A wooden board stood nailed to a crooked post, papers pinned to it.
Lucas scanned the tasks.
Stable cleaning (1 copper)
Trash hauling (2 copper)
Messenger run (2 copper)
Sewer pipe inspection (4 copper)
Guard training dummy repair (3 copper)
Weed clearing at east farmland (2 copper)
But then one stood out:
"Low-risk ruin entrance cleaning — 6 coppers."
Location: Old Stone Ruin, outer district
Requirements: Breathing, two working hands
Risk: Minor monster bodies & debris
Reward: 6 coppers
Lucas's eyes flashed.
Ruin.
A place on the outskirts.
Connected to future events.
Also where original Lucas was forced to scavenge corpses.
"…This could help me scout without diving deep."
He reached for the task slip.
A rough hand beat him to it.
"Mine."
Lucas looked up. A gang thug grinned, missing two teeth.
"I take all paying jobs today. Boss says so."
A crowd of starving slum residents backed away in defeat.
Lucas tightened his grip on the paper.
"No."
The thug froze.
"What'd you say?" "
I said no."
The thug's grin twisted.
"You wanna die, rat?"
Lucas didn't flinch. He'd died once already.
"I need this job," Lucas said calmly.
"And I'm not afraid of you."
The thug roared and swung a fist. But Lucas's Talent Source activated— Perception Boost—without him consciously calling for it.
The world slowed. Lucas shifted his weight, letting the punch graze past him.
To the thug, Lucas disappeared for a split second.
Lucas grabbed his wrist and twisted lightly— not enough to break anything, just enough to overwhelm him with pain.
"Agh—! You bastard!"
Lucas stepped back, eyes cold. "If you want the job, take it from me properly. Not bystealing from starving kids."
The thug hesitated.
Lucas's posture was steady. His gaze didn't waver. His aura— though weak— felt sharper than most slum rats.
The thug spat on the ground.
"Fine. Keep it. It's cursed anyway."
He stormed off.
The other slum kids murmured in surprise.
Lucas took the slip decisively. "First job… secured."
As Lucas walked away with the slip, he called softly:
"System, quest update."
A new window popped up.
[SIDE QUEST OBTAINED]
Ruin Cleaner (Beginner)
Objective: Clean the outer ruin entrance
Difficulty: F+
Reward: 6 copper coins
Bonus: +1 Vitality (Hidden)
Failure Penalty: None
Lucas blinked.
"…Hidden bonus?"
That changed everything.
Completing tasks could raise stats.
That meant:
The system wasn't just an RPG display.
It adapted to his actions.
Rewarded survival.
Encouraged growth.
He gripped the slip tightly, excitement flickering inside.
For the first time since waking in this broken world— Lucas felt like he could win.
The outer district ruins were abandoned remnants of an old kingdom— collapsed halls, broken statues, and moss-covered stairways leading to deeper, darker places.
A dangerous place for normal slum dwellers. But for Lucas? It was the start of destiny.
As he reached the ruin entrance, he looked at the large stone archway carved with faded symbols.
He whispered:
"This is where the original Lucas died."
He stepped into the shadow.
"This is where I begin."