Jade Forest, Grayrock Town
Morning wind drifted in from the forest, gently waking up the sleepy grey town on the border.
Ding-ling-ling...
A small wind chime hanging from the window frame swayed in the breeze, letting out a crisp jingle.
Gauss sat on his makeshift bed—a wooden crate with rough linen stretched over a thick layer of straw. He pressed down into it, feeling the uneven texture beneath, and stayed quiet for a while.
His mind was a jumble of memories: a young hunter trying to make it on his own, tangled up with flashes of a freshly graduated college student starting his first job. The two lives overlapped, blurring his sense of self.
Who am I? Where even am I? Is this some kind of dream?
As if needing to prove something to himself, he got up and walked to the window.
The morning fog still lingered in the air. Wagons from merchant caravans rolled down the sandstone roads with squeaky wheels. A woman tucked a clay pot under her arm while arranging goods on a display rack. Across the street, an apprentice stepped out of the blacksmith's shop and hung up the Open sign.
The view outside felt completely foreign—unmistakably not Earth. This was a different world. A real one.
He had transmigrated.
Gauss stared, half-dazed.
If his memories were right, this world wasn't just medieval—it was straight out of a fantasy novel. Goblins, kobolds, slimes—creatures that even ordinary people might run into. And on the other end of the spectrum: dragons and demons powerful enough to wipe out entire kingdoms. Not myths. Not legends. Real.
And the people here? Some could wield magic or fight like fantasy RPG classes: mages, warlocks, warriors, druids, rangers… you name it.
Just thinking about all that made Gauss's heart—once weighed down—start to race.
Sure, becoming one of those adventurers wasn't exactly easy, especially for a regular guy—but he wasn't empty-handed.
He'd brought something with him. His "cheat code."
A special ability only he could access—a mysterious book that existed entirely in his mind:
…
[Status Panel] [Monster Index] [Map]
Just seeing that digital-style interface in his head gave him a much-needed sense of control.
…
Name: Gauss
Strength: 5 (raw strength, carrying capacity, burst power)
Agility: 5 (flexibility, coordination)
Constitution: 5 (stamina, endurance, healing, cardio)
Intelligence: 6 (memory, reasoning, mental energy)
Perception: 5 (senses, instinct, judgment)
Charisma: 5 (charm, likability, appearance)
Skills: None (yet)
…
Aside from Intelligence being a 6, the rest of his stats were all 5. Basically average across the board.
Maybe the extra point in Intelligence was a transmigration bonus?
He shook his head and flipped over to the Monster Index.
Creatures were sorted by threat level: Common, Elite, Rare, Boss, Legendary, and ???
Right now, all he could access was the Common tier. Everything else was locked tight—pages metaphorically glued together.
Even the common section was greyed out. Clicking any icon just gave a popup:
[Target not yet defeated. Entry locked until first kill.]
Another prompt explained:
[Monster Index tracks both individual species and overall kill count. Reaching milestone thresholds unlocks tiered rewards.]
So, basically, he had to start grinding monsters to light up entries and claim those bonuses.
Made sense.
Then he focused on the last tab: Map.
Immediately, a digital map unfolded in his head. He was at the center, marked by a small stone house icon.
"This building can be renamed."
"Sophia's Inn," he thought. And just like that, the label updated.
Only the area around the inn was visible—everything else was covered in fog. Instinct told him that unexplored areas would unlock as he moved around.
Since he hadn't even stepped outside yet, it was only natural that the map was mostly blank.
With that settled, and a decent understanding of his "cheat system," Gauss packed up his things and headed downstairs.
…
"Hey, Sophia. One breakfast, please."
The first floor doubled as a dining area and front desk. A few round wooden tables sat empty.
This "inn" he had just named? It looked more like a converted house-turned-hostel—exactly the kind of place that catered to freelancers like him with no fixed address.
Rent was available short-term or monthly. A single room went for 2 copper coins a night, or 30 copper coins per month—pretty cheap compared to the local tavern.
Sophia, the owner, could also provide meals for a bit extra:
Breakfast: 1 copper
Lunch/Dinner: 2 copper
Meals were basic. Don't expect meat. Usually just black bread, pickled veggies, wild greens soup, bean stew, or oatmeal.
"Sure thing." A curvy blonde woman popped up from behind the counter. She looked to be pushing thirty, but her features were still youthful, with that kind of mature charm.
"Gauss, overslept today?"
"Yeah. Couldn't sleep. Harder to catch anything these days," he replied as he sat at an empty table.
"Well, don't forget to rest too."
Not long after, she brought out a reheated breakfast: black bread with veggie stew.
The bread had already been sliced, but it looked as hard as a rock.
Once Sophia was back in the kitchen, Gauss tapped it against the plate—Clack! It echoed like wood hitting stone.
This is supposed to be edible?
He examined the bread. It even looked like it had splinters in it.
Screw it.
He dunked a slice into the steaming soup. After a long soak, it finally softened, soaking up the broth and looking a little more like food.
He scooped a chunk into his mouth with a wooden spoon, chewed, and swallowed.
The texture was gross—slimy, slightly gritty, and it kind of scratched his throat going down.
Ugh… yeah, this is awful.
Even though he'd braced himself, the taste and texture still caught him off guard.
In his past life, even a broke office worker could eat way better than this.
Still, he finished the meal like a robot.
With Sophia's warm "Take care!" behind him, he waved and stepped out to begin his first day in this new world.
…
The sun had just crested the far-off mountains.
Morning light spread across the grey rooftops of Grayrock Town. Nestled against the edge of the Jade Forest, the town was coming to life.
The streets filled with people. Merchants traded goods, adventurers moved in groups, and the majority were freelancers like Gauss's predecessor.
That guy had been a half-trained hunter, working the outer edges of the forest setting traps.
Catch a rabbit or a pheasant, and you could sell it for 20 copper—meat was a luxury item here.
Of course, success depended on luck. Lots of other hunters roamed the outskirts too, so competition was tough.
On a good day, Gauss once caught 3 rabbits—earning 50 or 60 copper coins.
On bad days? He could go nearly a week without catching a thing.
Thankfully, he could forage for herbs, wild fruit, or greens on the way back. Plus, he'd occasionally take up side jobs—like buying farm goods from nearby villages to sell in town.
Piece by piece, he scraped by.
After more than a year of saving—thanks to inherited trap-making skills and a frugal lifestyle—he'd managed to save:
3 silver coins, 65 copper coins
His goal was to one day buy a home in Grayrock. The cheapest place cost at least 90 silver coins, not counting ongoing property taxes.
At this rate? Unless something miraculous happened, he'd need another 30 years to afford it.
Grayrock wasn't some backwoods village. Being right next to the Jade Forest brought in a steady flow of adventurers and traders. Business was good, services were plentiful, and property here wasn't cheap.
Still, that's exactly why his former self had wanted to settle here—to prove to his family that he could make it on his own.
"Too bad. All the money you worked so hard to save… I'm spending it today," Gauss said to himself.
He wasn't heading out to hunt rabbits today. He had a different plan:
Slay a monster.
Unlock his first Monster Index entry. Find out what kind of reward his golden finger had to offer.
If he wanted to stop living like a struggling freelancer, then all his hopes rested on one thing: