Chapter 1: Occupation? Refugee!
Chapter 1: Occupation? Refugee!
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2017-03-31
Lu HaiKong stared blankly at the rabbit before him, its body covered in coarse gray fur as it chewed on some wild grass, its cute appearance belying the fearless stare it gave Lu HaiKong.
"Where did this rabbit come from? It looks so plump and delicious!" Lu HaiKong's mouth watered.
As a certified foodie who had been starving all day, Lu HaiKong's first instinct wasn't to cuddle the adorable rabbit but to catch, butcher, and cook it. In his mind, the rabbit had already transformed into a golden, fragrant roasted treat. This fool had even momentarily forgotten his surroundings.
Driven by hunger, Lu HaiKong pounced, but before he could get close, the seemingly dumb rabbit gave him a disdainful look and darted into the bushes, disappearing in an instant.
Lu HaiKong was left bewildered: "Damn, did that rabbit just turn into a spirit? What's with that annoying expression? Hey, wait! Where am I?"
Indeed, it was no wonder he was such a seasoned foodie. Only after the cute rabbit had scampered away did Lu HaiKong realize that he had woken up in the wilderness, far from his den filled with various ingredients.
The term 'wilderness' wasn't entirely accurate. Lu HaiKong found himself on a mountain path, with a dirt road over a meter wide, stretching ahead. The well-maintained road suggested frequent travelers, and the surrounding grass also showed signs of regular trimming.
However, the mountain path seemed quite distant from any human settlements, which explained why Lu HaiKong had spotted the adorable rabbit.
Even a carefree foodie like Lu HaiKong couldn't just stand there dumbfounded in such a bizarre situation. This was definitely a moment to take a selfie and share it on social media, right? If he didn't share such a unique experience, what's the difference between his phone and a salted fish? Of course, after posting on social media, he should also call the police for help.
Lu HaiKong reached into his pocket, only to be dumbfounded again.
"Damn, where's my phone? Wait, this isn't my pocket! And this isn't my jacket! Who dressed me in this? What terrible taste!" Lu HaiKong was furious, clutching the worn-out jacket with no pockets, a foul odor emanating from it. "How can I bear this refugee-like clothing when I'm the most handsome man in China? Who played this prank on me? Apologize before I lose my temper, or you'll regret it if I catch you!"
No one paid any attention to Lu HaiKong's shouting. Exhausted and hungry, he could only curse and find a stone to sit on, waiting and hoping someone would pass by to ask for directions. At this point, Lu HaiKong still believed this was a prank by one of his friends. He hadn't yet considered the possibility of time travel, as one of his friends had recently played a similar trick on someone else, forcing them to walk miles before finding a kind driver to give them a ride back.
When confronted, Lu HaiKong had feigned concern, claiming he had only wanted to help his friend by reminding him that overweight people like him wouldn't be blessed with such a time-traveling opportunity. Despite his words, Lu HaiKong couldn't avoid a beating.
This wasn't the first time Lu HaiKong had played such a prank, so it wasn't surprising that he had been on the receiving end a few times as well. Initially, Lu HaiKong expressed his nonchalance, but soon enough, his composure faded.
"What the heck is this?!" Lu HaiKong suddenly noticed a transparent panel floating in front of him, with words written on it. It was a bit too far to read clearly.
"If only it were closer," Lu HaiKong muttered, about to move closer to the panel, but before he could, it zipped into his mind.
Name: Lu HaiKong
Occupation: Refugee lv: 01
Attributes:
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 1
Constitution: 1
Talents: Not Unlocked
Skills: None
Status: Hungry
Stunned by the sudden appearance of this high-tech display in his mind, Lu HaiKong was certain his friends couldn't have pulled off such a sophisticated prank. Could he have accidentally time-traveled?
Lu HaiKong noticed a message box on the attribute panel, with a red-font notification.
"Congratulations 'Lu HaiKong' for unlocking the 'Refugee' profession. Reward: Randomly draw a 'Refugee' profession skill. Do you wish to draw?"
"What the heck? A lottery? I've got to take this chance, can't miss out on a bargain!" Seeing the word 'lottery', Lu HaiKong's eyes lit up, completely forgetting about his previous concerns. He was determined to seize this opportunity, no matter the consequences.
Lu HaiKong clicked confirm and was immediately presented with the lottery interface.
"Damn, are these the skills of a refugee? They're kidding me."
The lottery wheel displayed several skills, each one shattering Lu HaiKong's worldview.
'Eat Soil' 'Bow and Grovel' 'Read the Room' 'Foraging' 'Beg' 'Steal' 'Rob'
Lu HaiKong was dumbfounded by the seven skills on the lottery wheel. These skills were far from what he had imagined. Aside from 'Steal' and 'Rob', which he could rationalize as refugee skills, 'Bow and Grovel' and 'Eat Soil' seemed utterly absurd.
Disheartened by the skill names, Lu HaiKong lost most of his enthusiasm for the lottery. He clicked start, and within seconds, his first skill was revealed.
"Congratulations 'Lu HaiKong' for drawing the refugee skill 'Foraging'."
The system message appeared in red, and Lu HaiKong's head spun for a moment before he quickly recovered. The 'Foraging' skill was now listed in his attribute panel.
"Useless skill, I'd rather have something like 'Steal'," Lu HaiKong complained.
Despite his words, he opened the skill panel for 'Foraging' to read its description.
Foraging (Survival Skill)
Level: -
Skill Description: Master the art of foraging for wild vegetables, an essential skill for refugee survival and growth.
After reading the skill description, Lu HaiKong silently closed the attribute panel.
Lu HaiKong stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky. "Who am I? I'm a 21st-century handsome man and a food connoisseur. How can wild vegetables be of any use to me? I'd rather starve than use this broken skill! It's a matter of my culinary dignity, and I won't compromise easily."
Ten minutes later, the same man was squatting by the grass, diligently searching for wild vegetables while grumbling, "Phew, good thing no one saw me just now; otherwise, I'd have to go hungry."
Indeed, for this foolish individual, satisfying his hunger was far more important than any notion of dignity.
'Foraging' wasn't really a skill but a knowledge base. The system had implanted information on thousands of wild vegetables into Lu HaiKong's mind, allowing him to instantly identify them.
Whether it was the power of the 'Foraging' skill or Lu HaiKong's luck, he soon discovered a small patch of wild vegetables. The system notified him of his find.
"Wild vegetable 'Water Spinach' discovered. Do you wish to harvest it?"
Lu HaiKong, driven by hunger, ignored his doubts about water spinach being classified as a wild vegetable and dug up the entire patch.
As he foraged, the system kept sending messages, but Lu HaiKong, with his mind fixated on food, chose to temporarily ignore them.
After quickly harvesting the water spinach, Lu HaiKong was stumped again. He had no cooking tools or fire, and he didn't know how to prepare the vegetables. Driven by hunger, the foodie and fool decided to eat the raw water spinach.
"If only I had some wasabi and soy sauce. Eating raw water spinach isn't that great," he muttered. Nonetheless, he devoured nearly two pounds of water spinach, and his attribute panel finally changed from 'Hungry' to 'Normal'. Lu HaiKong now had the energy to check the system messages he had previously ignored.
(End of Chapter)
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