Damien was soon back at the Nox headquarters.
According to what he was told by both Radia and Aria, he would get his substitute in a matter of two days.
Though Damien had already made it clear to them that he had no intention of staying at the Nox headquarters until then.
He viewed it as a waste of time, and rightfully so.
Using the little influence he had, he was able to convince Aria to let him move to his base toward the north the next day.
In return, she made him promise to always drop by the Nox headquarters on his days off.
A small price to pay.
Radia had already prepared a room for him where he was going to be spending the night.
It used to be a staff room, but since they had been losing workers as of late, it had become a guest room.
'Eh? I can't remember the last time I took a bath. It seems like it has been forever.'
Damien thought to himself as he opened the curtains and stepped out of the tub.
His black, wet hair fell over his face.
Wearing white joggers, he put on a white tank top, accompanied by a towel around his neck.
In one hand, he held another towel, one he used to dry his hair.
Soon, he was standing in front of the mirror, where he could get a good look at his face.
It was the first time he had seen himself since he had been sent to this world.
While it was true he did look like himself, something was certainly different.
'Am I good-looking?'
That question slipped into his mind as he began poking his cheeks.
Not only was his skin as clean as the blue sky, but his hair was so silky it was hard to imagine he had just showered.
His overall facial structure was different as well, as if he had undergone a major update in his sleep.
If he were in his former world, he would definitely pull good numbers with the ladies.
Well, at least he didn't look like the monstrosity of a human he had looked like before.
It all made sense now.
No wonder the lieutenant reacted the way she did after he slapped her.
Sure, he knew she was a masochist, but with a face like his, she might as well kill herself.
Sigh!
A nervous chuckle left his mouth.
'Whichever god brought me here, I genuinely thank you.'
Ding!
[Daily rewards.]
You have received 20 Star Crystals.
1x random crate.
2x Silverstone.
His eyes quickly darted to the screen.
'It's reset already.'
Like he had anticipated, the system would offer him daily rewards in correlation to his level as a commander.
From level 1 to 20, the following rewards were what he was going to expect:
Star Crystals, already known to be used as in-game currency to pull a banner.
Random crate, a special chest usually filled with either shards, weapons, or any other artifacts that can help boost an avatar.
Silverstones, used for unlocking skills for avatars.
And finally, echoes—special weapons for avatars or himself.
Most of the rewards he would get at the start of his journey were mostly boosts to grow faster.
'Open crate.'
Damien clicked on the option.
Immediately, a golden display of the crate opening in front of him played.
Then—
[You have received a C-grade item.]
[Unit Orb]: This artifact can be used to create and forge skill-enhanced foundations depending on the resources available.
Note: This can only be used once; it is advised to use it to build your military base.
'Just like in the game, huh? I was expecting it anyway.'
That was why he chose the barren land to the north—because he was confident he would successfully build a base without help from the headquarters.
Most people would have to wait months before their base was anywhere near ready.
With the help of the Unit Orb, Damien was pretty much set to go.
'Once I've gotten to the north, I'll pull for Ava...'
He was just about to walk out when the door to the bathroom opened.
And walking in were three guys in their towels, about to have their bath as well.
Damien didn't need to look at them twice to know they were the usual bullies in every organization.
Especially the one in the middle with the noodle-blonde hair and blue eyes.
Tsk!
Always the ones with the hidden bully system.
'I'd better leave before they start something.'
Damien began heading toward the door when, from nowhere, the blonde-haired dude stood in front of his path.
"Hey, you're the new guy, David…"
Damien frowned at the comment.
Fighting the urge to insult the man's lips that looked like the "before" image of a failed lip surgery.
Alas, he wasn't ready to make an enemy out of anyone.
When push comes to shove, these guys have undergone military training. When it comes to combat, they would surely win.
With a silent sigh, he replied,
"Damien."
"Sorry?" The blonde dude leaned closer, eyebrow raised in confusion.
"My name is Damien."
"Oh. Sorry, my bad, Damien."
As soon as he said this, the two morons standing behind him began to laugh.
Damien was certain they just wanted to flex their white teeth; otherwise, there was nothing funny to laugh about.
The blonde-haired dude stretched his hand forward for a shake after having his fill of laughter.
"Stephen. I am a Resonator. I heard you're a special class; the boys have been talking about it all afternoon."
Shaking his hand, Damien replied,
"Nah, you got the wrong guy. Anyways, pleasure bumping into you, Stuffins. I need to leave now. Attendance and all."
Damien walked away.
"I didn't say Stuffins; I said Stephens…" The blonde dude turned around, watching as Damien was exiting the bathroom, waving his hands.
"Yeah, yeah, sure thing, Stanley."
And with that, he was gone.
Leaving Stephen bewildered as to what had just happened.