Chapter 10
A week had passed since Jayden began living with Lolly's family. Life had settled into a quiet rhythm.
Jayden helped around the house when needed, took care of Lolly, and listened to the old man ramble about history while pretending not to be interested.
Lolly, on the other hand, had become even more attached to him. She followed him everywhere, dragging him into pointless games or bombarding him with stories. Her energy was endless.
Jayden, of course, remained deadpan through it all.
But, strangely enough… he didn't mind.
One morning, the old man called for him.
"We're heading to the forest," he said.
Jayden raised an eyebrow.
"The family funds are running low," the old man continued, sighing. "We need coin, and cutting trees is a simple way to earn."
Jayden's deadpan gaze remained fixed on him.
"You want me to cut trees?"
The old man smirked. "Not with your bare hands, kid." He handed Jayden an axe.
Jayden took it, feeling the faint hum of spiritual energy running through the handle.
"It's a powered with power stones," the old man explained. "It'll make cutting easier for you. But don't get any funny ideas. With your low cultivation, you'll still struggle."
Jayden simply nodded.
As they walked through the village, Jayden recalled everything he had learned over the past week.
There were four empires in this world, each ruled by powerful factions.
Factions determined everything. The weakest were D-rank factions like Morphoen, while S-rank factions like Scarlet Faction dominated the world.
Power levels were just as strict. The lowest, Pink Plane, was where all cultivators started. The legendary Cyan Plane stood at the peak—but only one man had ever reached it. That man had gone missing, leaving behind countless legends.
Jayden's system had already confirmed that if he upgraded his power level status, he'd be at the mid Blue Plane. But he couldn't be bothered. Too much effort.
Why rush when he could take his time?
The old man led Jayden deep into the vast forest behind the city. Towering Ironwood Trees loomed over them, their bark infused with spiritual energy, making them unnaturally tough.
The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and leaves, and the occasional rustling of unseen creatures echoed in the distance.
The old man rested his hand on one of the trees and sighed. "Alright, kid," he said, stretching his back. "This should keep us busy for the next few days."
Jayden yawned.
Too slow.
Too boring.
His eyes lazily scanned the sea of trees around him, and his mind quickly processed the situation. With an axe, they'd be here forever.
But what if…
A flicker of amusement passed through Jayden's normally blank eyes.
Without a word, he casually set the power axe down.
The old man immediately narrowed his eyes. "Oi, what are you doing?"
Jayden raised his right hand. Blue chakra swirled, twisting violently in his palm, forming a rapidly rotating sphere of energy.
The old man's face changed.
"W-Wait, kid—!"
"Rasengan."
BOOM!
The explosion was instant.
The massive Ironwood Tree didn't just fall—it was utterly obliterated. Splinters and chunks of bark shot in every direction, the earth trembling beneath the force. A cloud of dust and leaves erupted, momentarily blinding everything around them.
The forest fell into an eerie silence.
The old man stood there, mouth agape, staring at the empty spot where a giant tree had stood just seconds ago.
Someone at the pink plane shouldn't achieve that feat unless he use his all out attack.
Jayden blinked.
Then, a notification popped up.
[New Quest Received: The Lumberjack Menace]
Rewards: 50 EXP, 5 SP per tree
'Wait… the system is actually being generous for once?'
His deadpan eyes flickered to the rewards, then back at the countless trees surrounding him.
An opportunity.
A very profitable opportunity.
Without hesitation, Jayden raised his hand again.
"Rasengan."
BOOM!
Another tree collapsed in a deafening explosion, sending birds screeching into the sky.
"Rasengan."
BOOM!
Another.
"Rasengan."
BOOM!
Again.
And again.
And again.
The forest quaked under his relentless assault. One by one, the once-mighty trees crumbled before him, reduced to nothing but rubble and dust. The sound of constant explosions filled the air, echoing across the land like the onset of war.
10… 22… 39…
Ding successfully reach level 7, A bronze chest as been received
But –
Jayden didn't stop.
With each tree destroyed, his EXP and SP increased. His body moved on autopilot, only focusing on the numbers.
That is, until—
"STOP!!"
The desperate voice snapped him out of his trance.
Jayden turned, still holding a Rasengan in his palm, his blank eyes settling on the old man.
The man's face was pale. His hands trembled as he pointed frantically at their surroundings.
"If you keep this up, we'll be blamed for destroying the forest!" he screamed. "Look around, kid! You've practically—"
Jayden followed his finger.
The sight that greeted him…
Was absolute devastation.
Half of the entire forest was gone.
A once-thriving ecosystem, now nothing more than a war zone of shattered stumps, uprooted trees, and burning debris. Smoke and dust still lingered in the air, and the sheer destruction stretched far beyond what was necessary.
Jayden slowly blinked.
He casually canceled the Rasengan in his hand.
Then, rubbing the back of his head, he muttered in his usual deadpan tone—
"…Sorry."
The old man twitched violently.
He pointed a shaking finger at Jayden.
"Are you actually sorry… or is that just your default face?!"
Jayden didn't respond.
The old man grabbed his chest dramatically. "This kid is gonna give me a heart attack!"
Jayden didn't answer.
That evening, at dinner, the old man exaggerated every single detail of what had happened.
"He took down trees at an insane speed!" the old man declared, waving his arms dramatically. "And his spiritual energy never ran out! Just Pink Plane, my ass!"
Lolly's mother chuckled. "Well, we won't have to worry about money for a while. Thank you, Jayden."
Jayden simply nodded. His face remained completely deadpan.
The old man sighed, shaking his head. "I swear, kid, you're cursed with that expression—"
Then it happened.
Lolly smiled brightly. "Big brother is amazing!"
For some reason
Jayden… smiled.
The old man choked on his food.
Lolly's mother patted his back as he coughed violently.
Jayden tilted his head. "Are you okay?"
The old man pointed at him, wheezing. "D-Did he just… smile?!"
Lolly beamed. "He smiles all the time!"
The old man slammed his fist on the table. "No he doesn't"
The night sky stretched endlessly above them, glittering with countless stars. A cool breeze rustled the grass as Jayden and Lolly lay side by side, gazing up at the vast expanse.
Lolly stretched her arms, sighing softly. "The stars are so pretty tonight."
Jayden gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. He wasn't really looking at the stars—he was just existing, as usual, his mind drifting between nothing and everything.
Then, her voice grew quieter.
"Big brother… I don't remember my father anymore."
Jayden's gaze shifted.
Lolly's small hands clutched the fabric of her dress. "Mom always says he's watching over us." Her voice trembled slightly. "I… I wonder if he's still out there somewhere."
A rare silence stretched between them.
Jayden remained expressionless, but inwardly, he understood.
Loss. The lingering ache of an absence that could never truly be filled.
Lolly turned to him, her black eyes filled with hesitant hope.
"Big brother… can you find him?"
Jayden didn't hesitate.
"...Yes."
DING!
A soul-crushing notification popped up in his vision.
—[New Main Quest Issued: The Lost Warrior]— Find lolly father
—This quest cannot be rejected.—
Jayden's eye twitched.
'…Damn system.'
He had just casually answered out of reflex, and now he was contractually obligated to embark on some wild goose chase.
Jayden looked back up at the stars, mentally cursing the absolute scam that was his Anime System.
But then—
Lolly's voice cut through his thoughts.
"If you find him…" Her tiny fists clenched. "I'll get stronger too! I want to protect Mom and Grandpa!"
Jayden raised a brow. "You?"
She puffed up her cheeks, glaring. "What's that supposed to mean?! I can get strong too, you know!"
Jayden's face remained blank. "You can't even reach the top shelf."
"THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH STRENGTH!"
She huffed, crossing her arms, before taking a deep breath. Then, with an earnest expression, she whispered—
"Big brother… let's grow stronger together and make the world a better place!"
Jayden's chest tightened.
For the second time that day, he smiled.
It wasn't much—just a small, fleeting curve of his lips—but for someone like Jayden, it might as well have been a full-blown miracle.
He reached out, gently ruffling Lolly's hair.
"Of course."
Lolly giggled, kicking her legs excitedly.
Jayden, unaware of what the future holds simply lay back down, staring at the sky.
'I wish this could last forever…' He thought.
But fate had other plans.
A storm was coming. And soon, the peace he knew would never be the same again.