The next morning, the sun gradually rose above the eastern horizon, casting a warm golden glow on the fluffy white clouds drifting lazily across the sky.
As sunlight spilled over the streets of Greyvale City, which had been quiet during the previous night, life began to stir. People emerged from their deep slumber, whether they had experienced sweet dreams or nightmares.
They all woke up ready to tackle their daily routines, while for those who were less fortunate and never awoke again, may their souls find peace.
The streets soon filled with a cacophony of sounds as residents bustled about. Carriages pulled by powerful horses and magical beasts rolled by, while shopkeepers opened their stalls one after another, calling out to attract customers.
This was just another day in the life of ordinary people: wake up, hustle for money, and return home at night to sleep once more.
---
At the Adventurer Guild, the doors remained closed. On the second floor in a bedroom, a figure lay sprawled across the bed, snoring loudly with drool pooling at the corner of his mouth.
Golden rays of sunlight streamed through large windows and bathed Sage in warmth as he slept deeply.
RING!!!!!
Suddenly, an alarm went off in Sage's mind that jolted him awake. He sat up abruptly and rolled out of bed with a thud onto the wooden floor. The remnants of sleep vanished as he instinctively assumed a defensive posture, scanning his surroundings with wide eyes.
"Hah…ha…ugh…huh…what's going on? Is someone attacking the Guild?" he asked nervously as he surveyed his room for any threats.
[No Host, it was I who woke you up], a cold mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
Sage's eyes widened; his mouth fell open in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? When did you turn into an alarm clock? That's not part of your primary functions!"
[Host, as the first Guildmaster in history, it is your duty to wake up on time to manage the Guild. Otherwise, you won't progress with that lazy attitude of yours], replied the system matter-of-factly.
Sage shook his head incredulously. "What do you mean 'lazy'? It's still early! Can't you let me catch some beauty sleep?"
This time there was no response from the system; it remained silent.
Once again speechless at its arrogance, Sage sighed and turned back to face the window. He fully drew open the curtains until sunlight enveloped him completely.
Taking a deep breath with his eyes closed for a moment allowed him to savor the morning breeze mixed with enticing aromas wafting through his window.
"Ahhhh! What a beautiful morning, filled with the enticing aroma of food." Sage's lips curled into a wide grin as he slowly opened his eyes.
"Now this is the life I've been dreaming of, waking up without a rush to get to work and face that pig-headed manager of mine. I'm my own boss now."
His smile almost reached his eyes at the thought of freedom, well, sort of. He was still working, but this time not as an employee; instead, he sat behind a desk waiting for customers to come to him rather than chasing after them himself.
Although it wasn't quite what he envisioned when he dreamed of not working at all,he had always seen going to work as a form of modern slavery with just enough spice to make it bearable,this was still different.
He was technically still an employee since he worked for the System, but it felt better than enduring a 9-to-5 job with a meager salary and having to deal with his manager's sour expression every day.
"Well, it's just a slight upgrade from being a corporate slave to being half a boss," Sage mused. The System was still the ultimate CEO but at least he didn't have a plump middle-aged manager breathing down his neck.
"Still far from my ultimate dream of complete freedom from work. I need to focus on slacking off more effectively." He rubbed his chin while gazing out at the people bustling below in the streets.
"And now I've got an eternal rent-free alarm clock living in my head. How am I supposed to sleep now?" His lips twitched at the thought of this mechanical presence residing in his consciousness,a terrifying concept for someone as lazy as him.
"Ugh! What an annoyance!" He let out a disappointed sigh and turned away from the window, making his way to the washroom.
A few minutes later, he emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist and water droplets cascading down his scrawny frame,his body resembling that of a refugee with its visible bones and ribs.
After drying off, he pulled on fresh clothes he'd won in the last lottery draw. Standing before the mirror, he admired his new appearance for a moment: long dark gray pants paired with leather boots and a cream-colored shirt left unbuttoned at the collar, exposing sunken collarbones which look deep enough to store small change.
He stared at the young man looking back at him, momentarily lost in thought. This new look was strikingly handsome compared to his previous self,a blend of short dark hair, deep blue eyes, sharp jawline, sword-like eyebrows, thin lips,all features that could easily make him stand out back on Earth.
The only thing holding him back from becoming truly hunky was his thin frame; even Gollum from "The Lord of the Rings" looked bulkier than him.
"What a waste of good looks," Sage muttered under his breath while admiring himself. "I really need to start eating better if I'm going to put on some weight,I look like a stick right now."
He took one last look at himself in the mirror before stepping out of the bedroom. Descending the stairs, he made his way to the Guild Hall, quickly approaching the massive gate and swinging open the doors.
Golden sunlight poured into the hall, enveloping everything in a warm glow. The morning breeze danced around him as it swept through the Guild Hall.
Sage glanced around at the street outside; it was quiet and mostly deserted this early in the morning.
After all, this district catered to Warriors rather than commoners, so foot traffic was light. Occasionally, two or three people would pass by.