Chapter 24: Tea, Talks, and the Rhythm of Routine
Morning sunlight filtered through the faded curtains of Abid's flat, casting a soft glow over the cluttered desk and half-folded futon. The city outside had returned to its usual rhythm—crows cawing on tangled electric wires, honking rickshaws, and the early-morning call of the vegetable vendor echoing through the alley.
Inside, Abid stirred sugar into a clay mug filled with hot milk tea. The aroma of ginger and cardamom filled the room.
Tanveer sat at the edge of the desk, cross-legged, flipping through a spiral notebook. "So let me get this straight—you're selling Japanese manga to a fantasy world where dragons exist and swords have names?"
Abid nodded, handing him a steaming mug. "Not just manga. I've expanded into art supplies, stationery, and even limited-edition figurines. The realm has nobles and collectors. They go nuts over anything 'otherworldly.'"
[System Message:
"New Day Detected – Daily Login Bonus Activated"
Reward: +1 Random Merchant Buff
Result: Creativity Surge (+15% to item description quality for next 24 hours)]
Tanveer took a sip of the tea. "And your customers, they don't suspect you're from... well, here?"
"Nope," Abid replied. "The system handles logistics. They just think I'm a mysterious vendor with rare goods. The 'Wandering Ink Peddler,' they call me."
Tanveer chuckled. "Of course they do. Sounds like a rare NPC quest-giver."
Abid grinned. "Pretty close."
He tapped his tablet. The screen glowed briefly with a faint golden hue, revealing his current order queue. Several ongoing orders were highlighted in green, with one large red box blinking at the top.
[System Alert:
"Urgent Special Commission – Artist Guild of Florenvale"
Request: Custom Drawing Kits (Water-resistant inks, charmed brushes, sketch scrolls)
Deadline: 30 hours
Reward: High-tier Artist Token + 500 Silver Crowns
Note: Customer is a perfectionist. Do not disappoint.]
Tanveer leaned in. "Artist guild? Sounds fancy."
"They're picky," Abid muttered. "But they pay well. I need to source some high-end tools and maybe enchant one or two scrolls. That means coordination."
Tanveer raised an eyebrow. "How do you enchant scrolls?"
"Through the system. I use in-system 'vendors' that provide enchantments as add-ons. Think of it like clicking 'gift wrap' but with magical flame resistance."
[System Reminder:
"You have unused Artisan Points – Allocate Now?"
Choices:
A) Speed Crafting
B) Artistic Flourish
C) Mystic Durability
— Selection pending…]
Abid selected "Mystic Durability" without hesitation. The system gave a soft chime of approval.
[Choice Confirmed – Mystic Durability Activated
All art supplies crafted today gain +10% resistance to wear and elemental exposure.]
Tanveer let out a low whistle. "Man, I feel like I'm watching a livestream of someone playing the most elaborate sim game ever."
Abid smirked. "It's more business than game. There's real pressure. One messed-up delivery, and your entire shop rating tanks."
As the two friends talked, Abid's fingers moved across his tablet. He ordered rare parchment from a supplier in the Elderwin capital, requested special ink ingredients from a traveling elf merchant, and tagged one enchanted pen for direct delivery.
It was surreal how normal it had become.
By mid-morning, the room had transformed into a quiet workspace. Abid focused on his orders, drafting product descriptions in both Bengali and the system's native magical language. Tanveer organized packaging materials, trimming excess tape, lining small wooden boxes with soft cloth, and labeling everything with neat handwriting.
They worked in sync, speaking only when needed.
[System Notification:
"Dual Effort Recognized – Human Synergy Bonus"
Effect: +2 Productivity
Tanveer has unlocked 'Assistant Mode – Tier 0' (Limited Task Permissions Granted)]
"Whoa," Abid said, pausing as the message flashed. "You're in the system."
Tanveer looked up. "Wait, really?"
Abid nodded, tapping on the notification. A new tab appeared under 'Workforce'—Tanveer's name listed with a grayed-out avatar and a title: Assistant (Unlinked Soul).
"You can't access the shop directly," Abid explained, "but you can help organize inventory, prep products, and brainstorm listings. The system considers it non-magical support."
Tanveer beamed. "Hey, I'm officially fantasy-adjacent."
[System Note:
Assistant Relationship Level: Familiar (Progressing)
Potential Upgrade Path: Bonded Collaborator (Unlockable via Shared Milestones)]
Later that afternoon, as the work slowed, the two friends sat on the rooftop. Abid had brought a second mug of tea, while Tanveer held a battered copy of one of their old comics, idly sketching new panel layouts with a borrowed pencil.
"You ever think," Tanveer asked, "that this all started with us drawing robots in class instead of doing math?"
Abid chuckled. "And getting scolded by Sir Mahbub for turning in homework filled with monster designs."
"Now you're sending those same designs to a wizard's guild."
The sky was painted in soft orange, and the distant city buzzed like background music.
Abid leaned back against the low brick wall, sipping his tea.
"Life's weird," he said.
"Yeah," Tanveer replied. "But good weird."
[System Update:
"Routine Formed – Stability Boost Achieved"
Effect: +3 Daily Sanity, +1 Relationship Growth (Tanveer)]
That night, Abid sat alone for a while, reflecting.
He opened the system panel and clicked on the "Memories" tab—a newer feature that had recently unlocked.
[Memories Logged:
* First Sale
* Arrival of First Manga Shipment
* Night Before the Festival of Lanterns (Elderwin)
* Return of Tanveer
(Click to Replay Visual Snapshot?)]
He smiled and clicked "No."
The real thing—Tanveer's voice downstairs, the warmth of ginger tea, the comfort of shared silence—was better than any replay.
[System Message:
End of Day 192
Progress Saved]