Chapter 1577: Chapter 1577

Despite this whole ordeal with that Bacterium being rather nonsensical, we learned much more about the tower and its inhabitants thanks to him and his thugs, so I'm quite grateful.

"D-Do I have to work a part-time job to earn more?" Alma asked, growing nervous.

"Haha! No, no, relax," I said. "I can give you some if you want... How much do the others have?"

I asked my family and learned that most had between 50 to 100 million each, which was more than I had imagined. I suppose they've been accumulating it passively this whole time? It was reassuring to know they already had substantial capital.

Alma was pretty much the only newbie to the system. Emeraldine offered her some, but I told her it was fine.

"Don't worry, Emeraldine. I'll give her some," I said.

"Aw, well, if you insist," Emeraldine nodded. "With the crystals you got, we've earned at least a few hundred million more. The problem is finding where to exchange them. Maybe we should try the next floor."

"I agree," Jonathan said. "Trying to sell things here will only draw unwanted attention."

"They'd quickly realize it was stolen. These spirits are sharper than they look," Lucifer said. "I say we eat, sleep, and get out of here."

"I agree, though those Onsen the spirit mentioned... I wonder if they're as nice as they said? Something about rejuvenating the skin and healing scars sounds really great!" Nia said. "Maria, can't we check them out? I'd love to take a bath there with Celes too. I'm sure it could strengthen his connection with the Water Element."

"Sure," I nodded. "For now, let's look around, buy food, and then head to the Onsen. I saw some large buildings nearby. I think they're hotels or something."

"Sounds really nice! And kind of romantic, hehe," Alma giggled. "Despite how scary another world may seem, by your side, I feel safe, so I can enjoy it despite the dangers..."

"Aw, you think so?" I giggled, kissing her lips. "Well, I'm happy you're enjoying the moment. You'll get used to traveling soon, I'm sure."

For now, I need to keep her close while she adjusts to these unusual experiences. Thankfully, my family understood and didn't seem bothered by it.

"Mama! Mama! I want to try the fish!"

"Wow, what's that sticky gum-like thing? Mochi?"

"Auntie, can we eat that shrimp over there? It looks yummy."

"They sell noodles with soup, Mom! Let's go there!"

"Auntie, can we eat the candy over there?"

"I want some meat. Can we buy meat skewers?"

Nyx, Celes, and Arachne constantly asked me to buy anything that caught their interest... I tried my best to keep the kids happy, but they were honestly a bit exhausting!

"Come on now, Nyx. I'll buy it for you. You don't have to ask your mother all the time," Lucifer sighed. "Two bowls of noodles with that soup, please."

"It's called Ramen, sir!" the spirit said. "Two bowls coming right up!"

The little spirits darted everywhere, quickly preparing two bowls. Lucifer gave one to Nyx, who opened her mouth and devoured the entire bowl.

"Nom, nom, nom... Hmm! The soup is tasty, and the noodles are fine! Gulp! Phew!" she said, patting her belly. "Please take the bowl back!"

"Wow, you eat fast, girl!" the spirit laughed.

"Yes, she does," Lucifer said, eating his noodles, his eyes widening. "Hm, what a rich broth! Was this made with lots of meat and bones?"

"That's right, a special recipe! Broth that's been simmering for over a hundred years now!" the spirit said proudly.

"Hmm, shall we buy some for ourselves too?" I wondered.

"Now I'm curious," Partner nodded. "I want some with extra meat topping!"

"Me too!" Celes said. "Mom, can we eat?"

"Celes, you just ate a lot already. Is your tummy really okay?" Nia asked.

"It's fineeeee!" Celes said. "Please, please!"

"Haha, it's alright," I said. "Let the boy eat his Ramen. We won't be here tomorrow anyway, Nia."

"Well, honey, if you say so..." Nia nodded. "I suppose I'll buy for both of us then, Celes."

"Okay!" Celes nodded happily.

"Mama, I want some too," Arachne said, touching my arm.

"You can buy your own, Arachne," I said.

"But..." Arachne gave me puppy eyes.

"Okay..." I sighed. "Jonathan, Emeraldine, do you want some too?"

"Sure, but I'll buy my own. Please don't spend money on me, Maria. It's fine," Jonathan said.

"Me too!" Emeraldine nodded.

"Wow, everyone's so independent!" Alma said. "I-I'm the only one who's already spent all my money..."

She wore a stunning pink yukata that fit her perfectly, adorned with delicate flower decorations in her pink hair. She had also bought a good luck talisman and, lastly, lots of sweets. She was eating a candy-covered apple right now.

"Don't worry, dear. I haven't given you the money yet," I said. "Here you go, Alma."

I waved my hand, depositing a million into her System Point reserves.

"W-Wow! Isn't this too much?!" she asked.

"Nah, it's nothing. Don't worry," I said. "Let's go eat Ramen! Let me save this apple for you."

"Okay, thank you, Maria!" Alma said happily, kissing my lips as she handed me her apple.

I took a small bite, and it was delightfully sweet. The caramel had a slight cherry flavor, which was quite unique. I wanted to eat more, but this was Alma's food, so I stored it as promised.

Once we all bought Ramen, we sat on the wooden chairs and enjoyed the meal while I chatted with the owner, who seemed delighted we'd purchased so much.

"Excuse me, sir," I said. Thıs content belongs to novel-fire.net

"Yes?" he asked, looking at me with his cute, smiley face.

"I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but what's the name of your kind?" I asked. "We're new to this world, after all..."

"Ah, no problem for customers," the spirit said. "We are Onsenfolk, Spirits born from the Spiritual Hot Springs across these mountains. Our King, the Divine Spirit of Hot Springs, governs this Realm and lives in that volcano. It's best not to disturb him, as he's quite temperamental!"

"I see. Does he run this entire place? It really feels like a tourist spot," I said.

"He does, but we help, of course. We figured the best way to survive the tower was to maximize what our realm could offer. Instead of focusing on challenges or hostility, we created a place where Players can find respite," the spirit explained. "Fufu, and by offering plenty of interesting things to buy, not a single soul leaves without spending in our world!"

"I see. You guys must be filthy rich," I laughed.

"Well, we're certainly not poor," the spirit said, clearly proud of their business. "Thank you for your patronage so far!"

"No problem," I said. "Do you recommend any hotels? We want to try the hot springs but also need a place to stay for the night, preferably with tasty food and friendly staff."

"All the hotels are top-notch and meet safety standards set by our King," the spirit said. "We cater to both those with limited funds and the wealthy. Naturally, the most expensive hotel is the best. That's the Golden Sakura Hotel. A room costs a million per night."

For all of us, that's at least five rooms, five million... Eh, it's nothing. We'll be swimming in System Points soon!

"I see. And the cheapest?" I asked.

"That would be the Tanuki Grove. A room costs thirty thousand a night," the spirit explained. "However, because it's so affordable, it's always full."

"Alright, thank you," I said. "We'll get going then. The Ramen was delicious."