CH 71

"See you tomorrow!"

"Yeah, thanks again. I appreciate your help a lot! Come visit when you have the time!"

" Gasp . O-ok!"

Zel was walking back home while smiling like an idiot. He was so smitten with the girl from earlier that he wasn't even aware that he had already walked halfway through their subdivision. He wasn't even tired from it too, which was nothing short of a miracle for Zel.

All he was thinking about was how she was so nice, so cute and so lovely. He wasn't able to meet her parents but they must be rich since her house was so big. She seems to be with a babysitter who had fallen asleep on their couch, looking quite tired as she had bags under her eyes.

It had only been around an hour since Emilia left home to chase after Mr. Whiskers, but so much had happened. Hopefully no one finds out, especially her parents, or the babysitter might get scolded for it.

'Ding.'

[Urgent Quest Notification:

(Helping Each Other)

Quest Rating: F-D

Francis Brittle is a young man with Blue A-rank potential. Your success will largely depend on the people you keep beside you in your journey. Recruit this young man and help him, so that he can help you in the future.

Follow the instructions listed out. Read and act them out. Rewards will vary based on the conclusion.

*Rewards:

-???

*Failure Penalty:

-??? ]

"Hehe. Oh?" 

Zel was still wondering what he should talk about with her tomorrow when he heard a familiar 'ding'. Then the screen once again showed up in front of him.

"No! Wait! Stop!" Zel raised his arms involuntarily, as if his body surrendered even before he thought about it. He was so scared of what could happen next that he even closed his eyes.

"What is it, kid?" 

"Huh?"

A young man who was walking along the same street as Zel turned back to look at him. He wore a black hoodie that hid his body, but Zel could tell that he was probably skinny. His face was quite handsome, though.

'Unfair.'

"You asked me to stop, didn't you?" Francis was getting pretty annoyed with this boy. He looked the same age as his little sister, but other than that he couldn't give less of a fuck. He was about to start walking again when he heard the little boy ask him a strange question.

"Do you want to make some money?"

"Huh?"

Now it was Francis' turn to be confused. Why is a kid offering him money? And why does he look like he doesn't even know what he's talking about?

"I'm not in the mood for pranks, little boy. Go home." Francis merely brushed the boy aside, going back to his own thoughts.

'I need to get mother to a better hospital. Those fuckers aren't able to help her at all! I can see it on their dumb faces!'

"If you help me, I can get you what you want." Zel had a strange expression on his face as he talked. He kept his feet firmly planted on the ground, not moving a step. But Francis couldn't do that, he was too curious in the boy's proposal.

"..." But he didn't respond. Not yet. If the boy was just messing around, he might just start giving him the first beating in his life. But what if, what if he really did have something for him?

"I'm not going to tell you how, but I know you need money. I know you have someone in your family that needs 'better' treatment. Ask me a question, I'll answer it in a way that would make you trust me. Any question, past, present, future, I'll answer it."

Zel's eyes had been slowly gaining a more faded color. As if he wasn't quite in the moment, like he was focusing on something else. But Francis didn't see that. He was too focused on his question to care.

"How can my mother get better?" Francis didn't even think before asking. His mind was so obsessed with healing his mother that he blurted it out instantly.

[Shake your head and say 'Curing cancer isn't something that is possible right now.']

All this while, the screen that only he could see was showing a line of words and gestures that he had to follow. If he does, then he gets a reward. If he doesn't, then he gets a new penalty.

"Curing cancer isn't something that is possible right now." Zel shook his head, following the words written in front of him. 

'Wait, what did I just say? His mother has cancer?' Zel was already sweating, but thankfully the system was still continuing its instructions.

[Point at yourself with your thumb and give a big smile.]

Doing just that, Zel was able to see that, though Francis looked like he was getting mad and disappointed at the same time, he once again gave Zel his attention.

[Say 'But I can cure it, if you want proof then I'll show you.']

"But I can cure i- What?" Zel was merely following the system's commands, but this was too absurd. He can't just claim that, especially not in front of someone who has a loved one that suffers from the dreaded disease. He can't just give him that hope by lying through his teeth.

[Just say it! You can do it! I'll show you how!]

"Ehem. I mean, I can cure it. If you want proof, I can show you." Zel whose shocked face returned to one of solemnity repeated the system's words. 

"Go on then. Show me." Crossing his arms, Francis was obviously weirded out, but he had no choice. He could at least give him a shot. But he swore, if this bitch boy is lying. He's gonna have to crawl back home.

'What do I do now?'

[Take a Time Marble out of your storage. Break the concrete with your foot then rewind it back by a few seconds. Easy, right?]

'Easy!? I don't even know how to do the first thing you said!'

Francis watched as the boy's face turn angry. His skin reddening while his hands clenched into fists. But just when Francis was about to call this whole charade off, he was caught off guard when the boy suddenly slammed his foot on the ground.

"Bang. Crack. What the hell!?" Staggering back, falling on the ground and dumbfounded, Francis was getting his whole world turned upside down.

"Please, don't hurt me!" Crawling backwards as the boy approached him, Francis pleaded for his life. He was even more terrified when the boy placed one hand in his pocket and revealed a glowing red orb.

"You wanted proof? Here you go."

Throwing the marble into the air where it floated, Zel placed his hand in front of him. His hand still clenched to a fist, he twisted it counterclockwise slowly, as if turning a key. The marble then turned, slowly rotating as it released a crimson cloud of dust that spread out towards the broken sidewalk.

"Wha-what's going on?" Francis was forced to give his attention towards the crack on the concrete sidewalk that was filling itself back to normal. No, the debris around it was also moving, slowly placing themselves back together to form what was once an uncracked road.

"Is this good enough for you?"

Francis was still unable to accept reality as he approached the ground cautiously. He tried stepping on the exact spot that showed him a miracle, progressively showing more force as he kept on it.

"Do you have a phone? Give me your number. Here's mine." Looking at the boy who held out his phone, Francis couldn't say anything. He just took out his phone and exchanged numbers with him.

"See you later then, Francis." Zel procceeded to walk back home again. He was so tired, exhausting his mana actually had an effect like this on his body. He recorded this as he kept a mental note, promising to himself that he'd write it when he returns.

'How did he know my name?'

Meanwhile, Francis momentarily paused his stomping of the ground when he recalled not giving the boy his name. What a strange kid.