Transmigrated With A Thrifty System

4 – I'm not crazy!

The man turned towards him and said, "It's going to happen tonight."

Aiden was confused and asked, "Tonight? What's going on tonight?"

The man looked at him as if he were crazy and then explained, "The ceremony. The one that happens once a year."

Aiden nodded, pretending to understand, and then walked away. He couldn't help but feel intrigued by the strange behavior of the people and decided to stay and observe.

As the day turned into night, the crowd started to grow larger, and the chanting got louder. Aiden could feel the energy building up in the air, and he wondered what was going to happen next.

Suddenly, a woman with a painted face approached him and said, "you look lost. Can I help you?"

Aiden looked at her, surprised by her kindness, and said, "sure?"

The woman smiled and said, "This is the Night of the gods. It's a celebration that honors the ancient mythical creatures that once roamed our lands. We gather here every year to pay our respects and to offer them gifts."

[Would you like to establish a telepathic connection with me, host?]

Nodding his head in affirmation, Aiden questions his system on how long ago the event started.

[Since dawn broke over the horizon hours prior]

Aiden was fascinated by the idea of gods and asked, "gods?"

The woman nodded and said, "the majestic dragons, but they are rare and only appear to us on this night."

'The dragons are considered gods here?' He ponders.

He starts to wonder why his kind of being was called to as gods when people could ride them like horses because it just didn't make sense to him.

[A limited handful of dragons known only as 'gods' are the ones who created magic and possess superhuman abilities beyond the grasp of mortals. Whether or not the citizens ride particular dragons has absolutely nothing to do with it, host.]

Slowly nodding, he acknowledges what it now means.

As they spoke, Aiden noticed that the chanting had stopped, and everyone had turned to face the altar. He could feel the tension building up, and he wondered what was going to happen next.

Suddenly, the sky darkened, and a bolt of lightning lit up the square. Aiden could hear the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance, and he felt a chill run down his spine.

The woman next to him whispered, "It's starting. Watch."

Aiden watched as the clouds gathered, forming thick layers that moved swiftly towards the heavens. Thunder roared louder still, causing cracks to form everywhere. Rain poured hard, hitting the pavement and sending water cascading downward.

To his amazement, dragons swoop past carrying stone bowls full of an unknown liquid that blends in with the raindrop to form gold and silver coins raining down wherever it lands. Aiden watches in awe as the dragons fly overhead, their wings creating a gust of wind that nearly knocks him off his feet.

'What is going on here?' Aiden questions in his thoughts, wondering what kind of celebration this is supposed to be about.

[This festival is that of the god of wealth! It marks the beginning of prosperity for a new life ahead!] Lyris replies excitedly. [You should join in too.]

The citizens all rush towards the entrance of the large temple complex located directly opposite the main square. It seems as though they are searching for something special etched on the coins.

[The gold coin with a dragon mark, host. You'll need one of those to gain entry,] Lyris informs Aiden.

A memory surfaces within his mind showing him holding a similar golden token given to him years earlier—the same symbol engraved upon his green credit card.

Aiden takes a deep breath and joins the crowd of people, weaving his way through the throngs of individuals, all searching for the same thing. As he searches, he can't help but feel a sense of excitement building inside him.

'Could you help me with this?' Aiden asks, turning to Lyris to see if she knows anything regarding the whereabouts of said item.

A holographic search has Aiden walking around others, trying to meticulously search alongside hundreds of other individuals doing exactly the same thing. As he continues to search, a glint catches his eye off to the side behind several rows of individuals searching. It looks like only he could see the gleaming gold light.

He moves forward carefully, stepping aside to avoid getting stepped on by another person walking right next to him. Standing in front of the gleaming light, he reaches into a puddle, collecting mud along its way. With great care, not wanting to lose hold of whatever lies beneath, Aiden pulls forth a gold coin marked with the image of a dragon flying through the air above two crossed swords.

Everyone stops in their tracks, staring straight at him. The eerie silence breaks suddenly as people begin to clap wildly, cheering for him. The sound echoes throughout the entire area, making even more noise.

Turning away from the group, he walks slowly backward, taking small cautious steps and watching closely for trouble. When nothing happens, Aiden turns once again facing the direction leading toward the plaza.

]Congratulations host. You have successfully unlocked your character status,] Lyris announces.

Aiden momentarily mistakes its words for some sort of joke since nobody else seems aware of being recognized except himself. 'I'm sure I don't know anyone,' thinks Aiden, confused.

Suddenly his vision starts to blur, then everything goes black.

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When consciousness finally returns to him, Aiden finds himself lying flat on a soft bed inside his luxurious bedroom overlooking the sea far beyond. His eyes flutter open and he blinks several times, trying to adjust to the bright light streaming in through the window. The room is filled with warm sunshine and he can feel the gentle breeze coming in from the balcony.

Rolling slightly upward, he sees sunlight streaming across the floorboards shining brightly against white walls painted bright yellow. From somewhere nearby, music plays softly filling the atmosphere with soothing tones. The scent of saltwater and tropical blooms fills the air. It feels like a dream, but Aiden can't remember dreaming anything like this before.

'Is someone playing a prank on me?' Aiden thinks to himself, wondering if all that had happened a few minutes ago were just a figment of imagination brought on by overindulgence in alcohol during the previous night. He tries to recall the events of the previous evening, but his memory is hazy at best. He can remember going out with friends and drinking more than he should have, but beyond that, everything is a blur.

Waking fully now, he sits upright feeling dizzy due to lack of sleep coupled with alcohol consumption. He rubs his eyes, trying to shake off the grogginess and take in his surroundings. The room is lavishly decorated, with a king-sized bed adorned with silky sheets and fluffy pillows, a plush rug on the floor, and ornate furnishings. He can see the ocean in the distance, the waves lapping gently against the shore. It's breathtakingly beautiful.

After sitting quietly listening to the melody play itself out, he stands unsteadily reaching under the pillow and pulling free a familiar-looking object–the green card. He stares at it in disbelief, wondering how it got here. The last thing he remembers is holding it in his hand, then everything went black.

Holding onto the thin piece of plastic tightly between both hands, he stares down at the new glowing letters etched deeply into the surface: "Thrifty System."

[Welcome back, Host.]

Aiden drops the card, falling backward and landing hard on the headboard, causing waves of pain to shoot through his body. He groans and rubs his head, feeling a little disoriented. The card hovers and floats about three feet overhead hovering motionless, waiting patiently for instructions.

'It's real, I'm not crazy!" shouts Aiden excitedly, staring up at the floating card.

Zooming toward him, the card morphs into a jade bracelet, hanging loosely around his wrist. Its color matches perfectly with what he saw moments prior floating high above the ground.

"Why were you given to me?" questions Aiden, his face scrunched together showing concern.

[It was the last wish of your parents, in hopes that you would become as resourceful in your spending as they were.]

'Resourceful? Why would anyone want that?' Aiden questions in confusion.

[You are going to need help managing your monthly expenses.]

At the mention of expenses, Aiden narrows his eyes at his system. 'How much will that be?'

The system remains silent, causing Aiden to groan in frustration. "Okay, fine, what do I have to do?"

[It depends on your individual situation and needs. I will provide you with personalized challenges that will help you develop good spending habits and save money.]

Aiden sighs heavily. 'Great, just what I need. More challenges.'

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[Name: Aiden Lancaster]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 22]

[Level: 1]

[Height: 180cm]

[Spending Quota: $150000]

[Inventory: 1]

[Merit points: 100]

[Ability: ??]

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Aiden couldn't believe what he was seeing on his spending quota. His eyes were fixated on the numbers, thinking to himself, 'how could one person possibly manage something like that? That's what I spend in minutes!' It was almost unimaginable that he had to spend such a meager amount in a month.

As he was pondering over this, he quickly analyzed his current situation. He had been shut out from his fund, and he wondered if having limited access to wealth might make him more accountable and calculative.

As he was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly saw another notification appear in front of him, bringing him back to reality. He stares blankly ahead, trying to figure out how exactly he should move forward.

After a few minutes of silence, Aiden finally spoke up, asking about the terms he was unfamiliar with. "What do I need to know about my level, spending quota, merit points, inventory, and abilities? Does that have anything to do with being thrifty?" he inquired. His curiosity was piqued, and he wanted to know more about this new world he found himself in.