บท 2: It's Nuts

" Identify..".

{ Tough Nut }

[Description: a nut that possess a hard shell akin to an iron ball. Delicious (if you can break them, which probably not). Consuming one will grant 0.1 permanent points to Physical attributes. ]

"One tree only got 15 nuts…well….that's...nuts…hehehe..".

It's been 5 days since I arrive at this world called Fantasma, the forest where I'm currently trekking right now was known as Drachma Forest, the forest itself wasn't dense, it's just that it's never been touched by anyone. So in other words it's a virgin forest. Naturally there's plenty of rare resource lying around. I've been collecting all things that can help me increase my Status Attributes, the nuts I found was just adding to my already plenty of resources. Still walking in this calm and beautiful forest was quite enjoyable; beside I never get tired collecting all the items that grants me frees status point.

"So, now I got..20kilos Tough Nuts and 100 Muscledeer Meat for Physical.. 100kilos Swift Goose Berries for Reflex, 250kilos Crystal Pearl Lychees and 120kg Peacock Bull Heart for Charm….And 300kilos of Calming Gold Tea leaves for Intellect…it's quite a haul isn't it?..".

There's a mountain of materials all around my fridge, this is basically the fruit of my 5 days of labor, I never realized it actually, I've been using my Mini Map feature to look for all of this, since I can input a search command it makes things easier for me to search for anything I need and also help me avoid unnecessary fighting.

(Congratulations on clearing 10 kilometers of precious materials on your first visit to Fantasma sir. )

"..Ahem!…it's not that anyone would care about it anyway!…".

T.A.S rarely spoke, but when it does all it said was fact and often it's just raining on my parade.

"KKKAAAAKKKKK!! ".

A loud sound came from above, as I busy tidying all the materials. As I looked up, I saw a large black figures hovering around above me.

"Cheh!!...Peacock Bull…BAANNGGG!!....always screeching…".

Casually I pulled out P226 sig Sauer Handgun and shoot its head, after the head was blown off; it came crashing down 10 meters away from me. The handgun I got on me was actually one of the many weapon I had in my house, the P226 was actually place inside my fridge, I guess my careful and self-protection initiative was finally paid off, Like I said being an Mafia once do get you a lot of trouble. After tidying thing's up, I finally ready to travel back to Earth.

"T.A.S.. let's go….Initiate World Travel..".

(World Travel initiate in 3..2..1..)

"Ughhhh.…huh?...I thought there will be distortion like those in the movies. I guess not huh…..<sigh>…I guess I have to buy a new fridge…".

The teleportation process was instant, there are no side effects what so ever, just like that I'm back at my house, and my kitchen were filled with the materials I've been collected in the past 5 days, all of if just rolling on the floor, making a mess in my kitchen.

"20 missed calls…30 messages…I guess now I'm jobless...mehh…so what!..".

The first thing I do was checking my phone, I got some missed calls from the office and massages saying I was fired, which doesn't shocked me much, after all I've been gone for 5 days straight. Other calls were just from my friends that worried about me, after I replied their messages it's all good now.

Now that I have a lot of time to waste now, I decided to sort out all of the materials. The simplest material to process is the 120kg Peacock Bull Heart and 100 kg Muscledeer Meat, all I had to do is cook it although it was a lot, I still can do it myself. I decided to barbeque 50kg worth of both Muscledeer meat and Peacock Bull Heart and store the leftover in the freezer. As for the Swift Goose Berries I made a fruit juice out of them by blending all 100kg in one go, simple right. Crystal clear Lychees doesn't really need processing I just eat them like a normal Lychees, it taste pretty good though, sweet and quite juicy. The Calming gold leaves was quite tiresome since I need to steam them first then dry them using my washing machine dryer then dried them out in the sun, it was quite tiring. The whole materials processing took about 1 week to do that and I don't even had time to go out, all I do was eat, drink, exercise, sleep and processing the materials.

On the second week, after I've finished processing all my materials. It's time deal with the Tough Nut, and doing some groceries shopping. I grab my phone and call my friend Ken.

"<Tuuut>….<kachak!>...hello..".

"Aiyyyy….looks how call!. Sup Sai?...how ya doing??..". (Ken)

Like always Ken is one of my close friends, like me he was one of my men back in my mafia time. He's a good man but a little loud most of the time.

"I'm good….hey do you still got that hydraulic press at your place?...".

Ken was actually working as a handyman after leaving the mafia; he even got an Engineering degree. He was a hardcore cosplayer and he even said the reasons he got the degree was just to make his cosplay making perfect.

"Oh that?....yeah!…why?..".(Ken)

"Just got some nuts to crack….".

"Nuts?...…suit yourself....come over at 2, I'll be free at that time..".(Ken)

"Okay see you at 2..".

I hang up the phone and headed to my garage, I already put all the nuts in a box. Since it was heavy I need to install the sidecar on my bike, beside I still need to do some groceries later on.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2:00 pm.

[Vrrrooommmm..]

As I park my bike in Ken garage, he's already there waving his hand at me, still I can see his face kinda look strange when I took off my helmet.

"What?…something on my face?..".

"Sai?....is that you?…. damned you've changed!....did you have a plastic surgery lately?.....you look good man...Man!....your arm!....what kind of protein shake you drink?….".(Ken)

He grab both my arms and started to shake me up, I literally don't know what his talking about though. All I lately was coop up in my house doing practically nothing.

"Stop joking around…did you already start up the machine?…".

"Owh….yeah it's on….wait….I thought you were joking when you said you're gonna crack nuts...but….is this really nuts?... it's more like a ball bearing to me..".(Ken)

Ken took one of the nuts and play with it before throwing them in to the Hydraulic pressure machine. Ignoring his banter I start pouring sacks of the nuts and watch on the side as the Hydraulic pressures do its job.

"It's nuts…...Ken, Clara number you still have it?..".

Clara was one of our close friends, she still in the mafia business, if I not mistaken.

"Hn?...Clara?...yes...but why?...you need guns?....is someone looking for you?…or…..are you?..".(Ken)

He knows I already out from the business, and me looking for her was definitely odd, that's why he made a face when I ask him her number.

"Nah.. I'm not coming back in…it's just I need some guns…I going on a hunting trip…".

"Hunting eh~…sure….....Hnn??...what?....now?..".(Ken)

"Hmm....tell her to bring everything on this list…".

I hand him the list of weapon and groceries I've written before coming here.

"…are you hunting a pack of bears??....hah~….I know.. Don't ask..…wait a minute….let me call her….".(Ken)

Ken rolled his eyes at the list I got him after alternating between my straight face and the list he gave up and pick his phone before walking back outside.

It wasn't a normal request, though but all my friends doesn't really want to pry into my business, they both respected me and fear me at the same time. I rarely ask them any favors but they do owe a lot of favor, as Ken busy shouting at his phone outside, the hydraulic machine already done crushing all 20kg of Tough Nuts.

"…Hmm.…pretty good…if salted, it probably taste even better…".

The nuts was actually pretty good, the inside was crunchy and creamy. The color was white quite similar to groundnut. Since the difference between the shell and the nuts was obvious, it easy to sort it out. I throw away the shell and pick the nuts and store them back into a plastic bag.

"Sai!!...Clara will be here in an hour.. I'm gonna make some coffee….want some?....".(Ken)

Ken holler from outside the garage.

"Sure!!!....".

After stuffing my sidecar with plastic bag full of Tough Nuts, I follow Ken inside his house for a cup of coffee. It's been 7 years since I last saw Ken and the others; of course we got a lot to catch up. As we were deep in our conversation, a Black Humvee and a black van park outside the garage. Both of us get out the kitchen and a beautiful black woman with alluring body line came out from the Humvee, oozing with seductive aura, she walks straight to me and gave me a hug.

"..Clara Nelson…it's been awhile…".

"It's sure is Boss…oppss!...now it's just Sai, right baby~..haha.. Ken, ugh!!..you got fatter….again!.. geez!!..".(Clara Nelson)

After short hug and peck to my cheeks, Clara starts her usual banter with Ken as she lays eyes on him.

"Hey!...this isn't Fat…this right here….is love….you know!!...this is the fruit of my wife undivided love for me..".(Ken)

Ken said as he pat his stomach with pride.

"Yeah right…Sai, I've got all that you want right here..<Bam!>…here take a look....".(Clara Nelson)

Clara opens the van back door and shows me what inside it. It's full of firearms that I told her to bring, and all the groceries, not a single thing in that list was missing.

"..Hmm…good it's all there…how much?..".

I fiddle with a SCAR-H that was in the van, it's been a long time since I last hold one.

"8 grand, including the van…just for…MY handsome ex-boss..".(Clara Nelson)

I took out a rolled of cash, and gave it to her.

"..Thanks...here…thanks again Clara..".

"Hehehe…you're welcome boss.. Here's my number…call me again next time okay!..(Chup!)..bye sweetie….Later Ken!!..".(Clara Nelson)

She really does have a sweet spot for me, the amount of thing she brought me usual cost about 10 to 15 thousand dollars, if I'm not careful, I may spark the old passion again, we used to be friends with benefits back in the days.

Clara immediately left as she says that she have more important things to do, although I wasn't planned on buying a van, now that I got one this probably makes thing much easier. I say goodbye to Ken and told the Van driver to follow behind me as I head back home.

"Let's see what we have here..2 SCAR-H, 1 M16….".

While munching on the Tough Nut, I start to count the things that I've just bought. It's took me about 30 minutes for me to check all the things.

"2 FN-SCAR HEAVY, 1 M16, 4 HK P30L, 70 boxes of Ammo, 10 box Grenade, 2 full set of Body armor, 100kg Salt, 100kg Sugar, 10 boxes of medical supplies, 100kg of Flour, 100kg of various spices, 5 boxes of Paper, 2 Drums of Gasoline, 1 set of portable heavy duty solar stations, 10 boxes of military rations….and panties?…'Call me XOXO'…'Clara'…..".

I guess the last part was a tease. I already planned what to do in Fantasma while I was busy a week ago, naturally when people get to go to another world the first thing they think was adventure, romance and become stronger, you know typical plot. But for me, trip to Fantasma was a chance for me to become rich. I gonna use this chance to make more money by trading Earth merchandise with gold from the other side, when I heard that Fantasma was only at the early Medieval age, it means that, Fantasma would only use basic currency in their economy which is gold and silver. So, all I had to do is sell them my wares, get the gold, smelt them and sell them back on Earth. How can I sell the gold?, Easy, I'm Ex-Mafia I know where and how to sell them, in conclusion it's all honest businesses no harm done in the process, and on the side maybe I also can get some of those adventures.

"T.A.S….Are you there?…".

This was actually the first time I ever call T.A.S ever since I came back to Earth.

(Yes Sir, How can I be of help?.).

"..Show my status....I suppose there should be an increased than before..".

{{

Name: Sai Mies

Gender: Male

Age: 27

Race: High Human

Status:

Physical: 5.5 ∆

Intellect: 8.9 ∆

Reflex: 5.6 ∆

Charm: 5.5 ∆

Special Abilities:

World Travel (Lvl. 3)

Mini Map (N/A)

Skills:

Passive:-

Intimidation (Mid)

Martial Arts (High)

Weapon Mastery (High)

Versatile Works (High)

Active:-

Identify (N/A)

Special Traits:

Calm Minded

Limitless physical growth

Modern Man

Perfect Specimen

(Due to high Status Attributes (Charm + Intellect), one has been considered highly attractive and able to influence other to view one positively.)

}}

"…Ahh!!..1kg equal to 0.1 points…well...I don't really plan it this way…is there really any drastic change on my appearance?..".

I don't really feel different than before though, maybe that's why Clara and Ken react that way.

(Yes sir, your body and appearance were significantly increase than before, I suggest checking yourself out at the mirror. )

Intrigued by T.A.S suggestion, I head to the bathroom and check myself out

"HOLYSHIT!!...IS THAT ME?!!..DAAAMMMMNNN!!...what about?!….OHHH YEAHHH!!!…MUSCLE!!!….".

(Yes Sir. That IS you….You're the only one in this house…)

I don't care a single word T.A.S said, I was busy admiring my own reflection. My skin tone, texture changed completely, previously there's a bit wrinkles and blemish but now it's clear, white and porcelain like skin, it's also smooth and tight, my blue eyes became clearer and more striking than before, my nose become tall and sharp the crooked bridge already gone, like it was never there. My lips turned from dark red to glossy red, which very disturbing for me. My black hair even got a strike of silver, adding more color to my cold look. I do admit that I look cold and mysterious, but now that charm became more intensified. Simply said before i only look like a slight good looking with a cold expression, now I look more like a Sep^*#$#h from FF7, to put it simply now I look like a handsome villain.

As for my body, apparently I got taller, the beer belly was gone completely and replaced by rock hard abs, my shoulder and chest became much wider, there's no useless fat anymore the muscles became more define and I can feel every cells in my body become stronger, the ' little me' seems to be upgraded looks like I have to use Magnum XXL from now on. Overall, the changes is very satisfying, looks like I need to do more test on myself later on.

"..I guess I need to do some more shopping today....".

My whole wardrobe needs to change, should I get a new suits?.