It had taken a total of nine hours to complete his first dungeon dive, and Lucas was currently taking a walk outside his home. After escaping the dungeon and taking a shower, Lucas had changed his clothes and decided he wanted to explore the town.
Maybe I should head to The Lodge? He thought, fishing out his phone and searching for its address. Upon finding it, he placed some earphones in his ears and began his journey.
In total, from a single beginner run I made about $8,000 USD. All of this is stored in my inventory, so I don't need to worry about it being stolen. Lucas smiled happily.
He had reluctantly decided that after his reincarnation into this new life, he would find some relaxing job and enjoy his life more. With the discovery of the dungeon providing him more money in nine hours than his previous job granted in one month, Lucas tossed his old plans out the window.
Humming along with a random song that began playing, Lucas watched cars pass by. His home was located a brisk ten minutes away from the town center, and with his now enhanced body, that time was cut even shorter.
Pulling up the system inventory, Lucas stared at the Vampire enhancement card that was in one of the slots.
Focusing on it, a sub-panel appeared with information.
[Twilight Vampire (Enhancement): After consumption, you can obtain the passive body enhancement (Vampiric Body).]
I guess I don't really need to focus on my body much; this really does allow me to focus more on the magical side of things.
It was stated that Vampires could run over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). In comparison, Usain Bolt, known as the fastest human in the world, would be six times slower than their peak speed.
The true limits of Twilight vampires were never discussed in the original novels or movies. Edward's feats included crossing a parking lot, stopping a van with his arm, running after a baseball, and tearing a branch from a tree.
It was theorized they could easily throw a car across a football field, but this was never truly acknowledged anywhere.
Sighing, Lucas closed the inventory and crossed the road.
———
Forks had a simple structure surrounding the town. The shopping and dining district was mostly along a single road. A single supermarket served the townsfolk's shopping needs. There was a sporting goods store, a general store, and a bookshop, all located on the same block.
The Lodge was a quaint little diner located on the edge of town. It was the go-to spot for diners who lacked the skill to cook their own meals.
Lucas walked through the front door, as a bell chimed above his head. At this hour, well past the dinner rush, the cafe was sparsely populated.
"Good evening, table for one?" The waitress asked Lucas. She had a medium-sized afro and a gentle smile as she looked at him.
Lucas nodded, quickly greeting her. "Yes please."
Following her, she quickly found him a seat in the corner of the cafe, placing a menu in front of him. "Passing through Forks tonight?" she enquired.
Lucas shook his head as he chuckled. "Nope, just moved to town, actually. I'll be going to Forks High after the break's over."
"Oh, how exciting. Well, welcome to Forks!" A welcoming smile spread across her face. "It's not much, but if you enjoy the rain and quiet, this is the place to be."
Lucas couldn't help but snort at her selling points for the town. "I'm guessing not much happens here?"
"Oh, I wouldn't say that! Every couple of months there's a bear sighting. Sometimes we even get a storm that closes the main road out of town."
Lucas pinched his nose, groaning at her description of the town.
Laughing, she turned away. "I'll grab you some water while you check out the menu."
Shaking his head, Lucas picked up the menu and read through the list of food.
Options were limited, but Lucas was never one to complain about food choices.
Steak, chicken, pies, and burgers. Yep, everything you need.
A glass of water landing on the table pulled his attention back to the waitress. Peering at her name tag, he read, Cora.
"Thank you, Cora," Lucas said, taking a gulp of his drink.
"I'll grab a chicken schnitzel burger, fries on the side. Oh, can I also have a coffee as well?" Cora fished out her notepad, jotting down the order, nodding along.
"Sure, should be out in 10 minutes." Turning, she left Lucas alone.
———
Lucas rubbed his stomach as he exhaled in happiness. The meal had satisfied the craving he'd felt since the dungeon run earlier in the day. He no longer felt hunger, but after 25 years of eating in his previous life, it was a habit he couldn't mentally shake.
Flagging down Cora, Lucas placed his money on the table.
"Cora, could you give me some more information on the town? I moved here on my own and could use anything to give me an edge when I start at school."
Cora hummed, glancing around the now-empty diner. Seeing they were the only two left, she nodded and sat across from him.
"No family coming with you?"
"Oh, no." Lucas waved a hand in front of his face, continuing. "Emancipated minor, I needed somewhere new to restart my life, and I thought this place seemed far enough away."
Technically this isn't a lie. Lucas thought.
"I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to pry," Cora said, instantly regretting her question. Lucas merely shook his head, denying the need for an apology.
"Hmm… let's see. Only a couple thousand people live in town, most of them on the outskirts. If you're planning on hiking in the forest, maybe you should wait till you make some friends, as we have wild animals everywhere."
Cora cleared her throat, taking a drink of water.
"If you come here often, you'll probably run into most of the Forks High crowd. They can be a troublesome group sometimes, but they're incredibly kind."
Lucas nodded as he listened to Cora talk about Mike Newton and his friends. It seemed they were quite a popular bunch in Forks.
They both sat there for another thirty minutes, talking about things Lucas might need to know as a new resident.
"Oh, and if you need anything medical related, you can go to the hospital. Dr. Cullen and his family moved here almost a year ago from the city. I don't know what we did to deserve him, but it's a blessing."
It makes sense, Lucas thought. The Cullens are seen as some high-class family with money flowing out of their ears. Why would they move to such a small town?
"Oh, do they have any kids that go to school as well?" He asked.
"Absolutely, and though they don't eat out much, everyone knows the family." Cora sighed as she lost herself for a moment. "Dr. and Mrs. Cullen adopted each of the kids, but from what I know, they have medical issues that limit how much they go outside."
Lucas tapped his finger on the table, a hint of pity in his eyes as he watched Cora praise the Cullens.
———
As their conversation came to an end, Lucas was happy to have met Cora. She was a kind woman who wanted to help him, even if she seemed a little awkward recounting some of Forks' gossip.
Waving as he exited the diner, Lucas began his journey back home.
The streetlights dimly illuminated the now barren roads, and the sounds of animals filtered out from the surrounding forest.
After five minutes of walking, Lucas turned down the dirt path that led to his home. The makeshift driveway was the only indication someone lived further in.
Softly humming to himself, tapping his fingers to the beat of a song, Lucas paused as he heard the faint sound of a branch snapping to his left.
Standing at attention, he snapped his head in the direction of the sound, his body tensing as he held his breath. The distinct thrum of magic under his skin began flowing like a live wire, ready to attack.
Lucas waited for what felt like minutes before releasing his held breath and turning back onto the dirt road. Keeping a trained eye on the darkness ahead, his ears strained for the slightest sound, he continued walking.
Tension eased from Lucas' body at the sight of his home. He picked up the pace, quickly arriving at the front door before locking it.
Turning to the open blinds, he quickly scanned the surroundings one last time, then swiftly shut them, along with the others in the house.
System, learn the Warding book I was awarded.
Throwing himself onto the couch, Lucas closed his eyes as a torrent of information flowed into his mind.
A pair of amber eyes, perched on a treetop, peered down towards Lucas' home before fading into the night.
———
Author's Note: Hello! This is your second chapter for today, another bonus one will drop in a couple of hours. I hope I made the interaction sound normal, I'm still learning how to make this stuff flow easier. Let me know your thoughts and leave a review if possible!