It’s Sunday already. I could’ve been at home relaxing and preparing for the start of the workweek. Yet here I am, looking to buy myself an engagement ring. Who’s the lucky lady, you ask? None other than my status screen, of course. Ever since I saw her, I just fell in love with her. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. That, and I need her to survive.

The store clerk is eyeing me suspiciously. I must look entirely out of place here. Nevertheless, I look through the selection available, not letting it bother me too much. Most of these rings only have a small gem on them. I’m looking for a big stone on a thin ring, preferably on the cheaper side. Looking back to the clerk, I give him an awkward smile and beckon him over for help.

“How can I help you, sir?” he addresses me politely, but over the years, I’ve learned to distinguish the difference between voluntary and mandatory respect. This was of the latter kind. “Uh, yes, I’m looking for an engagement ring, preferably with a decent diamond on it and a thin band. Somewhere around 2000 dollars if possible. Do you have anything available?

At the sound of money, his demeanor changed rapidly. “Why yes, sir, let me get out a few for you to look through.” He eventually decides on a few that could potentially fit the description. “Here’s eight rings that could fit your needs, sir. Some of them are a bit more expensive, but I’m sure your girlfriend would appreciate them. Maybe you can even bring her to look them over if it’s not a surprise engagement, of course?” The salesperson in him seems to have awakened, hoping to lure in my nonexistent partner to woo her with the most expensive rings and guilt me into a costly purchase.

Luckily for me, he made the mistake of letting the decision be in my hands. “She’s not yet aware,” I answer deftly. Aware of his error, my opponent gives me some room to look over the merchandise and also introspection to figure out his next move against me. Eyeballing the diamonds’ sizes, it feels like the most expensive one is the cheapest diamond per dollar. It does cost a whopping 3400 dollars, almost double my initial price.

Thinking it over, though, I realize this is probably the only time I can come in here to buy an engagement ring. If I come in every week to buy a new ring, people would start talking. Sure, it wouldn’t matter too much what the average person would think, but that information could end up in the wrong hands. Perhaps someone else who is dealing with the same problems I am. Maybe, they want a quick and easy level-up in the form of a weak player. Though chances are small, Eva is right that we should keep a low profile for as long as we can. We don’t know how fierce the competition is just yet.

I’m pretty sure there’s no other choice but to get the most expensive one. Though my bank account will despise me for it, I must make this disgustingly costly purchase. “ I’d like this one, please.” pointing down on the most impressive of the bunch. The fiend in front of me smiles, no doubt thinking he has tricked me into buying the biggest one. Don’t get cocky, kid. I only bought it cause I needed it. You haven’t won this battle. If I ever face you again on the storefront, I’ll make sure you’ll feel my full wrath.

“Would you like to pay in cash or credit card, sir?” the man smiles annoyingly brightly. “Credit card, please.” I smile back, despising my loss. The clerk packs my item neatly and hands it to me. “I’m confident your soon-to-be fiance will love this!” grinning as he gives me the bag. After thanking him, I quickly make my way out, not wanting to spend a second more in the store than I have to.

“Is that a big rock in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” I hear Eva say behind me. I can’t get used to the fact that only I can interact with her. It adds more legitimacy to the theory that I’ve finally lost all my marbles than I’m comfortable with.

I think of a snide remark, knowing she’ll get my message. I can’t just talk in public to her. People will think I’m insane. We’ll talk properly after going to the pawnshop and seeing if I can sell some of these precious coins and materials. I’ll probably lose money like that, but I need the comfort of cold hard cash to get me through this nightmare right now.

The shop we’ve arrived at is exceptionally seedy. Going inside is essentially consenting to get ripped off. Nevertheless, I must make a profit. The man at the counter has a heavyset physique. That might be an understatement as he weighs more than me by a factor larger than two. Looking closer, he reminds me of that one pawnshop show that used to air on television back in the day. Chumlee, I name him in my mind.

“Whadya want?” his voice is rough and unwelcome, putting me off and making my voice meek. “Uh, how much for this?” I show him a few gold coins. He inspects them and asks me to test them. I’ve already tried them myself at home, I used to find gold trinkets all the time on the flea market, but I decided to humor him. Going through the motions, he checked the coin.

“Sorry, pal looks fake to me.” he lies horribly. “But it’s a cool-looking coin. I can give you five bucks for each?” There’s the scam. I was hoping I could at least sell a few things, but if even my gold isn’t safe, this isn’t the place for me. There were a few more shops on the list as I got back onto the beaten path, walking door to door to see if I can earn a quick buck.

Eventually, I manage to sell a chunk off. At a loss, of course, but the money is necessary. Exhausted by the ordeal, I head back home, trudging along to the sounds of Eva alternating between rubbing it in and comforting me.

“While it didn’t quite go as planned, we did make some progress,” she encouraged me. More importantly, now we can level you up properly. She instructs me to absorb the ring, whatever that may mean. I try for a few minutes and eventually succeed after concentrating hard enough.

[Congratulations, you’ve gained 40 points to allocate]

We both look in confusion at the pop-up. I thought that was supposed to be Eva. How come I got a pop-up like this if she’s right next to me. “I don’t get it either,” I hear her say,” But what matters is that only using one potential, you already got 40 points. With this, we can finally bump you up and send you off to defeat the first boss!”

“Boss?” I can feel blood draining my face. Should’ve known there were boss creatures too. “Jep, you thought it was hell now, just wait till you see what I’ll be putting you through next!”

I wonder if it’s too late to become a monk and learn to live a peaceful life.