NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Phucloc Town.
After finishing his meal, Darius Noctis washed the dishes and checked his supplies. Since he had spent money on a vehicle, he could only afford ingredients for a single pot of hủ tiếu. The remaining items were just a few odds and ends—green onions, fried shallots, rice noodles, and instant noodles. Fresh noodles, thick noodles, and macaroni? Of course, he had none.
No matter—he was a chef. As long as he had raw ingredients, he could turn them into any dish he wanted.
His biggest concern upon arriving in this world was whether the ingredients would be sufficient. He'd have to visit the nearby town to check, though he wasn't too keen on going there—especially since the crown prince was present. He wasn't particularly wary of the prince, but avoiding unnecessary trouble was always a good idea.
Scratching his head, Darius Noctis let out a sigh. He had arrived in an unfamiliar world, and with his rough and blunt personality, he worried that a careless remark might get him executed. He looked up at the vast sky; the fresh air was perfect for a smoke.
Thinking it over, he decided to go for it. He pulled out a reclining chair from his vehicle, sat down, and lit a cigarette.
"Click… click…"
Darius Noctis exhaled a thick puff of smoke. This ancient world probably didn't have tobacco, so he had to smoke sparingly. Fortunately, he had bought a few cartons before coming here—both to sell and to smoke himself. Now, it seemed he'd have to keep them all for personal use.
While he wasn't a big fan of overly advanced technology, the lack of certain conveniences was truly inconvenient.
"Meow~~~"
Suddenly, a black cat let out a soft cry and leaped onto Darius Noctis's lap, curling up comfortably.
Meanwhile, the dog, having finished its meal, stood under the vehicle, wagging its tail incessantly. Seeing the cat snuggled in Darius's lap, the dog hesitated to approach and instead barked from a distance, as if wanting to cuddle too.
"Hiss!"
Annoyed by the noise, the cat hissed, making the dog lower its ears and shut its mouth. But after a few seconds, the dog stuck out its tongue, panting happily as it wagged its tail in front of Darius Noctis.
"Ah, I almost forgot."
Darius reached out and pressed a button on the vehicle's interior wall.
Immediately, several solar panels unfolded from the roof, soaking up sunlight from above. Watching the battery recharge notification on the screen, he let out a relieved sigh.
The vehicle had a fridge, which consumed a considerable amount of electricity. Fortunately, he had this vehicle—otherwise, the fridge would've been useless.
No—he was unlucky to have bought this damn vehicle. If he hadn't, he wouldn't even be here. The thought made him grumble.
"Purr… purr…"
The soft purring from the cat in his lap caught his attention. He reached out and gently stroked its head.
"You two are strays, huh? Want to stay with me?"
"Woof!"
The dog seemed to understand, barking excitedly as it spun in circles, overjoyed.
The cat, on the other hand, acted like it was a given. It simply lifted its head, rubbed against Darius's hand, then curled up again and continued sleeping.
"If I'm going to keep you two, I should give you names, right?"
"Woof! Woof!" The dog wagged its tail eagerly, as if waiting for its new name.
"You'll be called Woof." Darius smirked mischievously.
"And you'll be…"
"Meow!!" The cat immediately reacted, leaping out of Darius's lap.
"You'll be Meow."
"Woof and Meow. Simple and easy to remember, right?" Darius laughed.
The two animals' faces darkened. They had never encountered an owner who gave such ridiculous names before. Couldn't he come up with something more meaningful?
"That settles it. Meow, Woof, don't run off too far. I'll make collars for you two—let me check out some designs online first. Don't complain if they turn out ugly."
Ignoring their protests, Darius Noctis focused on browsing the internet. He heard from the system that his Wi-Fi signal was coming from a relay station somewhere in outer space. The specifics? He couldn't be bothered to care. question it. He just needed to find what he was looking for.
Meanwhile, neither he nor the animals noticed a small, round device extending from the side of the vehicle.
The sudden appearance of the device startled Meow and Woof, making them stare at it warily.
The device blinked, revealing a single glowing blue eye. A scanning light swept across Meow and Woof.
[Ding!]
A digital screen appeared on the side of the vehicle.
• [Feline-like creature detected.] Not a cat. Belongs to the feline family with razor-sharp claws. Brain evolution surpasses that of humans. High-level magnetic field waves. Advanced circulatory system. Exceptional intelligence.
o Threat Level: Undetermined.
o Special Note: Displays disdain for owner.
• [Canine-like creature detected.] Not a dog. Highly evolved brain but only uses 10% of its capacity. Olfactory organ 17,068 times more sensitive than an average dog. Low intelligence.
o Threat Level: Harmless.
o Special Note: Extreme loyalty.
• [Meow and Woof have been recorded in the system. Evaluation and research in progress. Comprehensive analysis will follow.]
Darius Noctis was completely unaware of this. He had disabled the AI assistant's voice notifications, so it would only speak when directly asked a question. However, the AI continued to analyze and store data in the background.
"I actually have internet access here… What the hell is this language?"
Darius stared at a strange assortment of symbols on the search engine.
Not understanding a word, he switched to image search instead, looking for collar designs to craft for his new companions.
"Oh, this one looks good. I'll add some little bells for Meow and make Woof's collar look rugged to make him seem more intimidating. Hopefully, he'll know how to guard the vehicle. Should I also stick a 'Beware of Dog' sign on it?"
As Darius Noctis spoke, he glanced at Woof's dumb, clueless face. With that look, how is he supposed to guard anything? Maybe he'd have to protect the dog instead.
"Pant… pant… pant…"
Woof panted with his tongue out, eyes filled with determination as if saying: Master, please trust me!
Yeah, right. Darius Noctis let out a wry chuckle.
Seeing the dog's tongue dry and cracked, he rinsed out their food bowls and filled them with fresh water. Meow, who had been lying on the roof of the vehicle, jumped down to drink as well. In no time, both bowls were empty.
"You two sure eat a lot… and drink a lot too." Darius sighed, wondering if he could even afford to feed them in the future.
He flicked away the burnt-out cigarette, then straightened up to look into the forest. The dense woodland on either side was full of towering trees, but nothing worth scavenging. It had been a long time since he had seen a real forest. This world was so quiet and peaceful. In his old world, even at night, the cities were always filled with noise and commotion. There was no such thing as true silence.
After a brief moment of reflection, Darius Noctis decided to head into town. He opened the vehicle door and motioned for Woof and Meow to hop in. Seeing how their fur was covered in dirt and dust, he figured he should build a mobile pet crate to tow behind the vehicle. If he let them keep jumping into the cabin, they'd ruin everything inside sooner or later. There were no spare parts available here, so he had to be careful.
Once inside, Darius started the engine. The vehicle's screen displayed a radar scan—something rather new to him.
[1,352 meters ahead: Human settlement detected. Estimated population: 30,000.]
[Town name: Unknown. If the owner knows the name, please enter it.]
Lines of text appeared on the screen.
"Phucloc Town." Darius Noctis said.
He still remembered the crown prince referring to the town by that name.
[Town name confirmed. The first settlement the owner has entered is now recorded as Phucloc Town.]
[Path ahead: Clear. No detected obstacles, potholes, or dangers. Safe to proceed.]
Just then, the voice assistant in his vehicle spoke up.
"That voice… Is that you, Annoying As Shit? You and the text system are two separate AIs, aren't you?" Darius Noctis's expression darkened.
[…]
The screen displayed three dots.
"Knew it was you!" Darius snapped.
[AI Annoying As Shit will only respond when directly addressed. The owner has disabled its voice function. This is the automated system response from the FAQ module.]
The tablet's voice replied, sounding identical to Annoying As Shit. However, it was surprisingly polite and straightforward—none of the usual cryptic, long-winded nonsense.
"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!"
Just as he was about to drive off, Woof and Meow started causing chaos inside the vehicle. One was running around curiously, while the other found it annoying and started chasing and swatting at it. Woof jumped from the passenger seat onto Darius, and Meow immediately lashed out, smacking Woof's backside with a paw.
"Will you two SIT STILL?! You have a death wish?"
Darius smacked Woof's head and grabbed Meow by the scruff, growling in frustration.
Hearing his angry voice, both animals shrank back. Once they settled down, he let them go.
This time, he stepped on the gas, and the vehicle rolled forward. Woof cautiously peeked out the window, while Meow sprawled across the dashboard, lazily gazing ahead.
The road was just a dirt path, slightly bumpy but manageable. Of course, it couldn't compare to the smooth, paved roads of his old world. Luckily, the vehicle's shock absorption system was excellent.
After a few minutes of driving, Darius had to slow down. The road ahead was bustling with people. He passed by numerous horse-drawn carts and had to proceed carefully. Many pedestrians, intrigued by his strange vehicle, deliberately stood in his way to get a closer look. After several such encounters, he finally had to honk loudly to get them to move.
Eventually, he reached the town's walls—a sturdy structure about four or five meters tall. The town's name was inscribed above the gate in an unfamiliar script, yet somehow, he could read it.
[Arrived at Phucloc Town.]
[Area: 2.34 km². Population: 30,211.]
"Stop right there. Present your entry permit."