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Ash, Misty, and Brock watched the scene, the thought of breaking one of the rules was... frightening.
"Now, back to your request," Kazuhiro's deep, steady voice drew their attention. "Would you prefer to start as novice or seasoned adventurers?"
Brock, slightly uneased from the recent scene, began, "I—I mean, we could pay for seasoned." He then glanced at his friends, "But I think we shouldn't rush it. This whole world-traveling thing and missions are all new to us."
"Yeah, let's take our time," Ash added, "We're not in a hurry, right?" He glanced back at both Brock and Misty.
Misty nodded. "Although heading to the next town sounds great, I'm curious to see how all this works."
Brock's uneasiness totally thrown out of the window, blushed a bit at the prospect. "Plus, you never know, I might meet my soulmate out there." That triggered an exasperated sigh from both Misty and Ash, knowing fully the purpose of his travels.
Kazuhiro observed them silently for a moment before speaking. "Novice rank it is." He reached out to retrieve the contracts but realized only one was left. "Wait here until I print more of these documents." He turned to them and gestured towards the bulletin board. "In the meantime, I suggest you look at the far left side of the board, where you'll find novice missions. It's best to decide now before you become official members." With that, Kazuhiro left for his office, leaving Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu near the counter.
The group walked over to the large bulletin board, where a small section was covered in light brown and grey notes.
"These must be the ones," Ash said, pointing to the light brown notes.
Brock hummed thoughtfully. "Looks like most of these are basic tasks. Gathering, helping out, that kind of thing."
Misty nodded. "The grey ones seem more challenging." She eyed the other notes.
"Judging by the difficulty levels, the highest is two stars. There must be harder ones that have yet to be displayed." Brock speculated.
"There might be, especially since the machine mentioned more dangerous worlds," Misty added
Ash scratched his head, a worried look crossing his face. "Are we sure about this? It could be risky."
Brock gave a reassuring smile and placed a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Some worlds are safe. The machine showcased a few. Besides, it's about the adventure, right?"
Ash noticed Brock's blushing face when he said it. "Yeah, right," he muttered while Pikachu deadpanned at Brock. "Chu..."
Misty raised a brow at Brock's words. "You weren't there with us. How do you know that?"
"Oh, I just guessed," he admitted with a grin.
Misty's patience wore thin. "Why you..."
Before things could escalate, Kazuhiro returned with five more documents at hand. His tall figure casted a shadow over them the more he approached. "Here are your contracts. I suggest you read it before filling it out." He handed each one a document,
"That was quick," Misty remarked as she took her document.
"It's because I had a few pre-printed and were left on my desk," Kazuhiro explained. He then paused, facing Pikachu. "Is this your pet?" he asked.
"Uh, not really a pet, more of a companion. Will Pikachu not be able to join us?" Ash asked, glancing at Pikachu and then back at Kazuhiro.
"He can join you," Kazuhiro clarified. "If you have read the rule regarding pets and summons, you would have known. However, once you sign the contract, you will be held accountable if they break any of the rules."
"I see," Ash said, diverting his gaze back to the contract. The others mimicked him, reading through carefully.
Amidst their reading, Brock spoke up, a question lingering in his mind. "When you said to envision the place, and we'll get back here, I didn't expect it to actually work." He looked up at Kazuhiro, who stood there silently observing them. "That sparks the question, what exactly is this place?"
Intrigued, the others looked up from their contracts, curious about the answer.
Kazuhiro paused, considering his response. "I don't know about the market's existence. Why does it connect to multiple dimensions? What is its purpose? Who's responsible for its existence? For how long has the market existed?" He took a few steps back towards the counter, settling behind it. "One thing I know," he turned his head to face them, "is that I was brought here to work."
The three shared glances along with Pikachu. The market seemed to be an unsolved mystery.
At that moment, a chime sounded from the entrance, signaling another potential customer. Kazuhiro looked over; he didn't expect to see the familiar face walk through. The sound of footsteps brought heads in its direction.
"So, you have returned," Kazuhiro's deep voice echoed. The figure that walked through the door was his first-ever customer, Crazy Dave.
"It's lively in here," Dave babbled as he looked around at those present. He approached the counter where Kazuhiro stood. "Howdy again! I'm looking for a supply of food this time. My last meal ended in a heartbeat!"
Kazuhiro complied as the device initiated a path that materialized on the floor. Before instructing Dave to follow him, he turned to the three, placing a pen on the counter. "Once you are done reading and are satisfied, sign the contract. I'll be away for a moment." With that, he gestured for Dave to follow him and started walking down one of the aisles.
Murmurs began among the refugees, speculating about the newcomer. Ash, Misty, and Brock overheard snippets of their conversation, noting that no new information had been added to the machine.
"Hm, so he could be one of those that came before," Misty said, intrigued.
"I wonder which world he's from," Ash added.
"Is wearing a pan as an accessory a fashion sense over there?" Brock questioned, his eyes narrowing at the disappearing figure.
After contemplating the thought for a moment, the buzz around subsided, and the three went back to their reading.
Heading to the next page, Misty's brows furrowed as she began to voice out a line regarding the rules. "This document has a lot of things about what you can and can't do."
That prompted the others to look and re-read the rules section. "You're right, like the one about not advertising or sharing information about this place unless asked. It makes sense to avoid attracting shady individuals," Brock said.
"I guess the same goes for our world. We kinda have met a few shady people," Ash added,
"It's best to keep this between us. We can't risk attracting too much attention," Misty agreed.
Brock turned over a page. "Although some of the rules may be strict, the benefits outweigh them way more," Brock said as the others turned the page." Like the 'Linguistic ability', which will definitely come in handy," he pointed a certain line on the page.
Misty nodded. "And that's not all! If we rank in the top 10 each month, we'll get a discount on any item here!" She shrieked in excitement due to being a shopping nut.
"That sounds great. I'm more interested in exploring worlds. I want to earn enough to buy that limitless Pokeball we saw. Imagine catching a creature from another world and having it battle in ours! We'd definitely win the league," Ash said enthusiastically.
"Forget it, that would definitely attract unwanted attention," Misty countered.
"Stop being such a downer! With that Pokeball, I could catch something strong enough to fend them off!" Ash retorted.
"Have you even been listening?" She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Even if you catch something strong, people will know about this place sooner or later and find their way here."
"Uh... good point," Ash conceded, scratching his head. "Maybe not the best idea."
Misty exhaled and placed her hands on her hips. "If you want to win the league, find a way to empower Pikachu. Something subtle." She briefly glanced towards Pikachu, who tilted his head.
Brock headed to the counter, quickly scanning the contract one last time before signing it. He then turned to Ash and Misty, holding his pen towards them. "Your turn."
"Wait, what? Aren't you being a bit too quick?" Misty asked, furrowing her brow. "I haven't finished reading this. Did you even read it properly?"
Ash rare of him to agree with Misty, Nodded. "We still don't know much about what we're signing up for."
As he said that, the contract in Brock's hand shimmered and began to dissolve. The spectacle drew awe from the three, including Pikachu. It was soon followed by a card, which materialized above Brock.
"Woah," Ash watched as his eyes widened and was slightly taken aback by the phenomenon. "Does this mean you're officially an adventurer?"
Brock inspected the bronze card in his hand, which had his name and the scale symbol imprinted on it. The title 'Novice Adventurer' was embossed on the front side. Turning it over, he saw something engraved on the back.
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Xxxx
Progress to rank up.
Complete 50 novice missions: 0/50
Wallet: 0 SC
Xxxx
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"So that's how you rank up," Brock muttered, reading the engraved progress. "Anyway, now that I'm sorted, what about you guys? We can always resign. It states that by becoming a member for a month, you can then hand over your membership to a worker." He turned to Ash and Misty.
Misty sighed, "Alright, I guess it's time to jump in." She quickly re-scanned the rest of her contract and signed it with a flick of her wrist. A similar thing happened to her contract, and later, a card appeared. She examined the card closely before holding it to Ash. "Looks like I'm all set too."
Ash grinned, "I'm in!" He signed his contract, and his card materialized right above him.
Brock watched as Ash and Misty became official members. "Now that's done, how about we visit a world before heading back?"
A sudden beep drew their attention to the entrance. The figure that appeared sparked fear among those who saw it. Some of the refugees screamed and ran a distance, while others stayed put, shivering under the market's protection. The three were taken aback by the lanky appearance of the visitor.
Ryuk walked forward a couple of steps, scanning his surroundings. His eyes scanned the individuals around, surprised that he could be seen. His gaze settled on those nearby as he later addressed those who were present within the domain. "Which one of you is in charge of this place?"
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[W7 (Tom&Jerry)]
[USA, the suburbs. 1:00 PM]
The afternoon sun hung above the four penguins as neat houses with freshly cut green lawns lay around them.
"Can you stand, Rico?" Skipper looked beside him to see Kowalski supporting Rico, who had his fin draped over Kowalski's shoulder.
Rico grunted, managing to stand, although his feathers were slightly singed from the recent electrical incident.
"We might as well take a break before we start," Skipper decided. "Kowalski! What are our coordinates?"
The penguin in question analyzed their surroundings with a critical eye. "According to my calculations, we have arrived in the most notorious land of... Sao Paulo, Brazil."
"Brazil? Well, that explains the gang we need to take care of. Keep your eyes sharp, boys." Skipper furrowed his brows at the information, readying himself for potential trouble.
Suddenly, a cheerful musical melody caught their attention. They turned to see a white ice cream van parked near the sidewalk.
Private's eyes lit up. "Oh, ice cream! Do you think we can get some, Skippa?"
"Focus, Private," Skipper commanded, although he glanced at the van with mild interest. "But... Fighting on an empty stomach is a no go." He turned to Rico. "What do you say, Rico? A treat for your troubles." Rico sprang up at the mention of food and nodded, ready to assist if needed. That prompted a smirk from Skipper as they all turned to face the ice cream van.
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(AN: important update. 1: Progress document and world mission documents are done. [webnovel users, check the link in my bio. scribble hub there might be a link here, if not check my profile on either sites.]
2: To clarify how language barriers work...
2.1: guests/customers/travelers. - They receive the ability of Universal Speech and hearing, which allows communication only with those who have entered the market, and the communication can be held anywhere with those who have entered.
2.2: staff/ market employees. - They are granted the Universal Speech, Hearing and the Linguistic Eye as permanent features during employment, with the option to retain these abilities even after resignation or exemption.
2.3: adventurers. - Adventurers are granted Universal Speech, Hearing and the Linguistic Eye during missions and travels. These abilities fade until they return to their world.
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For those who are confused, the Universal Speech adjusts the speaker's voice to fit the translated language seamlessly, ensuring that lip movements match the sounds produced. Linguistic Eye refers to the ability to understand written language.