It had been almost three years since my grandfather passed away—three years of relentless nightmare. I was just 15 years old when the bus accident happened. Losing my only family changed me. A part of me disappeared—my light, my smile, and my will to move forward.I loved the old man so much. It had always been the two of us in our small apartment. Now, looking at his picture beside my bed, three years felt like forever. The frame was slightly worn from the time I had picked it up, tracing his familiar smile with my finger, as if that could bring him back."I miss you, Grandpa," I whispered, glancing at the calendar. A red circle marked today's date. I had planned this trip for months—a week of solitude in the wilderness, the same place my grandfather and I used to camp. The thought of returning to those familiar woods both comforted me and unsettled me. Would they feel the same without him? Would I?Finally, I managed to clear my schedule at the Filipino convenience store, trading sh

After a couple of hours later, a cool breeze drifted through the desert night, rustling the cloth of the small camp near the oasis. I groaned and shifted slightly on the makeshift bed—a blanket laid over the warm earth. I looked around and saw two elven women sitting nearby, watching the fire with wary eyes. One was a tall, brown-skinned elf with silver hair, her piercing violet eyes narrowed in suspicion. The other was slightly shorter, with her hair tied in a loose braid, her emerald eyes filled with curiosity as they looked at me, so I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep but couldn't help to be amazed. I'm in fact in another world. Elves. Wow! But I was a little disappointed; they weren't wearing revealing sexy clothing like in those isekai anime."Who the hell is that boy?" the dark-skinned elf muttered, poking at the fire with a stick."I don't know, Ella," her companion replied, crossing her arms. "We found him alone in that godforsaken zone. Very suspicious with his weird

The next morning, we ventured into the wasteland to collect scorpion blood. I was the one entrusted with the task of extracting the blood while Elvie and Ella hunted the scorpions using their magic. But, trust me, my job was not as easy as picking up trash. It was overwhelming, like picking up dog poop. However, it was my first time witnessing magic in action, and I was both amazed and bewildered. Elvie wielded fire magic with sharp precision, though I was expecting her to enchant some silly magical incantation like what I was used to seeing in those isekai anime; to my disappointment, she wasn't as cool as those harem beauties. Yes, her fire magic was fantastic, but it was rather chaotic, and Jesus, it was very hot.On the other hand, Ella controlled the earth, using moderate stones and dirt to trap and pin down those scorpions. Their teamwork was seamless, as if they had been doing this for years, but apologize to those male authors because, as Elvie and Ella fought those ugly creat

I closed the screen mentally and focused my attention on the elves.As we finalized the purchase, I noticed Ella whispering something to Igor. He furrowed his brow and looked at me suspiciously."What kind of items does he have?" he asked, his voice low. "I don't condone illegal products in my shop, and the Merchant's Guild—""Relax, Uncle. His items aren't illegal," Ella said with a smirk. "But they are... interesting. Here, Dirk, show him the water bottle."I hesitated for a moment before reaching into my bag and pulling out a clear plastic water bottle. Twisting the cap open, I handed it over to Igor. "Here. Try this and tell me if I can sell it in the marketplace."Igor's sharp eyes studied the strange, foreign container before he took a cautious sip. The moment the cool liquid touched his lips, his eyes widened. He stared at the bottle in disbelief, then drank again—this time in large gulps."My goddess..." he whispered, lowering the bottle. "What kind of sorcery is this? This is

At night, as we counted the day's earnings in the back room of our shop, I sighed, looking at the heavy pouch of small and big gold coins on the wooden table."This is getting ridiculous," I muttered, shaking my head. "I can't just keep stacking these pouches under my bed."Elvie, who was wiping her hands after handling the sales ledger, leaned back in her chair. "Exactly. You need to store your money somewhere safe."Ella nodded. "And not just for security. If word spreads that you're hoarding mountains of gold, it might attract unwanted attention."I groaned. "Great. As if I don't already have enough problems."Elvie smirked. "That's why you should deposit your earnings with the town's Merchant Guild."I blinked. "Wait, do they do that?""Yes," she confirmed, "It's not exactly a bank, but it works the same way. Merchants and traders deposit their wealth at the guild for safekeeping. The Guild keeps records and ensures that your money is available whenever you need it."Ella added, "