Finally, some alone time. I could take a breath and actually check out my shop, but first things first—I needed some clothes. I looked like a half-naked beggar, and that just wouldn't do. Oh, and a shower. Definitely needed a shower.
I headed to the bathroom, which was about as grimy as you'd expect in a place like this. But hey, at least there was running water. I scrubbed off the layers of dirt and grime, feeling almost human again.
As I toweled off, I caught a glimpse of myself in the cracked mirror. Blond hair, icy blue eyes—yeah, I looked way too much like my father for comfort. But there were traces of my mother in there too, thank goodness. It kept me from looking like a complete carbon copy of the old man.
Feeling a bit cleaner and a lot more presentable, I sat back down on the bed and opened up my shop. Time to do some shopping.
I navigated to the clothing section. I wasn't in the market for armor right now; I just needed something casual and comfortable. The shop had everything you could imagine, including a mind-boggling array of clothes. I could spend days just browsing, but I didn't have that kind of time. That receptionist's beady eyes were still fresh in my mind, and I wanted to get out of this dump as soon as possible.
So, what to wear? I didn't want anything too flashy. Something practical and understated would do the trick. I scrolled through the options and settled on a few pieces that caught my eye:
Reinforced Shirt: 300 Gold Coins
- Effect: +20 Resistance
Reinforced Breeches: 200 Gold Coins
- Effect: +10 Stamina
Reinforced Boots: 100 Gold Coins
- Effect: +20 Speed
Reinforced Gloves: 50 Gold Coins
- Effect: +10 Strength
All in all, it set me back 650 gold coins. Not cheap, by any means, but worth it for the quality and the stat boosts. Most commoners would faint at the price, but for a noble like me, it was a fair deal.
I slipped on the new clothes, feeling the difference immediately. The shirt was made of some kind of reinforced material that felt both light and incredibly durable. I ran my fingers over the fabric, marveling at the resistance. If I took another slash like the one Creston had given me, I'd be in much better shape this time around.
I could have decked myself out in full armor, sure. But armor is heavy, and right now, I needed speed more than anything. I wasn't about to weigh myself down with top-tier gear that I couldn't even use properly. My Midas Shop was still level 1, so the best stuff wasn't available yet anyway.
Besides, I felt good in these clothes. They were simple, classy, and just right for me. I smiled to myself, thinking about how my father would never have bought me anything this nice. He'd rather spoil my other brothers, the jerks.
It made me miss my parents from Earth even more. They were strict, but at least they were kind. My Earth dad was a million times better than the useless father I had in this world—the one who threw me out like yesterday's trash.
I'll never forget that day, three months ago. It was my brother's sixteenth birthday. He was a year younger than me but already more talented. His best gift that day? Me getting kicked out of the house. I still don't know why my trashy brother hated me so much, and frankly, I don't care anymore.
That house was in the past, and I wasn't going to waste another thought on it. There were only a few people there I cared about, and I'd probably never see them again anyway.
I had more important things to focus on. I navigated to the Divine Crystals section of my shop. I had 800 of them burning a hole in my pocket, and I knew exactly what I wanted to spend them on.
I needed someone I could trust to watch my back. Fighting that experiment, Creston, had shown me just how weak I was. I needed protection, and I knew just the thing.
[Do you want to buy the Valkyrie for 500 Divine Crystals?]
Hell yes, I do want.
Oh, I was practically buzzing with a mix of nerves and excitement as I gave the signal. I mean, who wouldn't be? The anticipation was killing me.
And then, out of nowhere, this insane burst of light exploded in front of me. It was so bright, like someone had just thrown a golden spotlight right in my face. I swear, I thought I was going to go blind or something. I quickly threw my hands up to shield my eyes, trying to blink away the stars that were dancing in my vision.
As the light finally started to fade, I realized there was someone standing there. No, not just someone—a woman. And she was kneeling right in front of me. I was so shocked, I probably looked like one of those cartoon characters with their eyes bugging out.
Her hair was insane—long, golden, and flowing down her back like a freaking waterfall. I'm telling you, I've never seen anything like it. It was like something out of a shampoo commercial times a thousand. And when she looked up at me, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Her eyes were this crazy yellow-gold color, and they were just staring right into my soul. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. I couldn't even believe she was real.
She had this neutral expression on her face, like she was totally calm and collected, while I was over here trying not to pass out from shock. And then she spoke. Her voice was like music or something. "My Lord," she said.
"Who are you…" I managed to stutter.
"Brunhilda," she replied, still kneeling there.
Brunhilda. Okay, cool name. But why the hell was she naked? I quickly averted my gaze, feeling my face turn bright red. I mean, she was gorgeous and all, but this was way too much. I fumbled and opened the MIDAS SHOP and desperately searching for something—anything—for her to wear. I found a simple gown and hit "buy" quickly.
"Here, wear this," I mumbled, shoving the gown at her while still trying to keep my eyes averted.
When she was finally dressed, I looked back at her and—yep, still gorgeous. She was wearing this plain white gown, but she made it look like something straight off a Paris runway. Her hair was draped over her shoulders, and her eyelashes were so long, they practically touched her cheeks. And her lips—don't even get me started on her lips. They were this perfect shade of pink and shaped perfectly. Everything about her was just... perfect.
"Do you know who I am?" I asked her after recovering.
"Yes," she said, kneeling again and placing her hand over her chest. "You are my destined King, Lord Soren."
Destined King? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Was this some kind of joke from that stupid god?
But before I could even process that, I realized she was still kneeling. "Get up," I said awkwardly, reaching out my hand to help her. "You don't have to keep kneeling like that."
She looked up at me, a hint of surprise in those gorgeous eyes. And let me tell you, that look was dangerous. I could feel myself starting to fall for her, and I barely even knew her.
She took my hand, and it was like an electric shock went through me. I felt like a teenager again, touching a girl for the first time even though I was indeed a teenager. It was crazy. And the even crazier part? I think she felt it too. She tried to hide it, but I saw the little smile that tugged at the corners of her lips.
Despite that initial jolt, it wasn't like I was some inexperienced kid or anything. No, this shock was different. It was like a spark, a connection that I couldn't quite explain. I could feel it deep down—this weird sense of trust. I just knew, without a doubt, that I could trust her with my life. It was like she'd never leave my side, no matter what.
And the crazy thing? I actually felt safe around her. I mean, I hadn't felt this safe with anyone since I was a kid, snuggled up with my mom. But this? This was something else entirely. It was bizarre, almost unsettling, but in a good way.
Just as I was trying to wrap my head around all this, a new window popped up in my SHOP. "Allies," it said. I raised an eyebrow and clicked on it, and there she was—Brunhilda, right at the top of the list. I tapped on her name, and a whole new page loaded up.
"Brunhilda, Queen of the Valkyries." Yeah, that sounded about right. Under her name was a list of items that made my eyes bug out.
Brunhilda, Queen of Valkyries.
[Armor of Brunhilda]
Price: 1,000,000 Platinum Coins
Requirements: Midas Shop Level 5
[Sword of Brunhilda]
Price: 500,000 Platinum Coins
Requirements: Midas Shop Level 5
[Shield of Brunhilda]
Price: 200,000 Platinum Coins
Requirements: Midas Shop Level 5
[Brunhilda Special Skill]
Requirements: Midas Shop Level 3
Her armor alone was a million platinum coins. A freaking million! I mean, I had the cash—about 100 million platinum coins just sitting there—but still, that was insane.
And it wasn't just her armor. There was a sword for 500,000 coins and a shield for 200,000. Plus, something called "Brunhilda Special Skill," which I couldn't even access yet because my Midas Shop Level was too low. There were more items listed in grey that I couldn't see, which was annoying as hell.
But you know what? I didn't care about the cost. clearly, Brunhilda wasn't your average woman. She was something else, something special. And if her gear was as overpowered as she was, then it was worth every damn coin. I wasn't going to hesitate, not with that weird connection I felt.