The Next Morning
The sun had barely crept over the horizon when the news began to spread like wildfire across the Valentine estate:
"The foreman Richard's youngest son was miraculously healed by the intervention of a mysterious goddess—and they say he's not just decent-looking now, but that his body looks sculpted by the heavens themselves."
It didn't take long for the rumors to reach the ears of the Valentine family themselves.But inside the humble little Raymond cabin, life carried on as usual.
We were gathered around the table for breakfast. In front of me sat a plate of stale bread and a bowl of steaming vegetable soup.
"What kind of life is this?" I thought bitterly, frowning at the food.
I desperately missed the meals from my penthouse—the juicy steaks, the refined cuisine, the exquisite desserts...
"Please, universe, even just a simple plate of scrambled eggs... If you give me back my old life, I solemnly swear I'll never complain about food again. Swear it on whatever you hold dear."
My mother, wearing that warm, loving smile of hers, looked at me with gentle eyes.
—"Sam, sweetheart, how's the food?" she asked with hopeful enthusiasm.
"It's awful... there's not even salt in this."
But I couldn't tell her that—not after she'd done her best to cook with what little we had.
I forced down a bite, swallowing hard as a single tear rolled down my cheek.
—"It's delicious, Mom..." I lied, my voice trembling.
"Please, someone just kill me already..."
As I tried not to wince from the taste, my father chimed in with a serious look.
—"Son, what kind of blessing did that goddess give you? Because you're my boy, but... not even up north do muscles develop like that from a simple blessing."
My mother nodded in agreement.
—"Yes, ever since yesterday, everyone who's seen you says you've become... less ugly. Maybe even a little handsome. What exactly did she tell you?"
—"Huh? Why do you ask, Father? And Mom, I really doubt I'm 'handsome'..." I replied, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.
"Handled that one already."
My brother Ryan, who'd just been listening in silence, leaned forward with a mischievous grin.
—"Hey bro, think that same goddess could bless me? I'd love to be as popular as you now."
I sighed internally.
—"I don't know, Ryan... What I do know is that you're fine just the way you are."
Ryan beamed.
—"Thanks for the honest answer, little bro."
Everything was going smoothly... until my father's voice cut through with a commanding tone.
—"Son, tell me exactly what the goddess said to heal you. And what blessing she gave you."
Oh, shit.
"Crap! What do I say now!?"
For a second, my mind went blank.
"Screw it. Gotta ride this lie to the end."
Wearing the most innocent expression I could muster, I replied:
—"She said I had a strong destiny... and that I needed to buy my freedom—and my family's—as part of it."
My father stared at me with a mix of awe and admiration.
—"That's the only reason she helped me," I continued. "Also, she blessed me with the Blessing of Excellence."
As those words left my mouth, my inner voice screamed:
"Not even a seven-year-old would believe this garbage... 'Blessing of Excellence'? Who in their right mind would buy that!?"
I glanced sideways at my father—and... he had tears in his eyes.
"You've gotta be kidding me... Did he actually buy it?"
He looked at me, his face glowing with emotion.
—"Father... are you okay?" I asked, genuinely baffled.
He wiped his tears and nodded solemnly.
—"Yes, my son... I'm just... deeply moved." He placed a hand on my shoulder, proud. "My son has a great destiny."
Oh, come on...
Suddenly, his expression turned grave—resolute.
—"Son, this... can't leave this room."
—"Huh?"
—"If our masters find out, they may try to suppress you—to stop you from fulfilling your destiny," he said gravely.
My mother and Ryan nodded immediately.
—"Understood, darling. I won't say a word that could jeopardize our son's future," my mom said with fierce conviction.
—"Don't worry, Dad," Ryan added. "I'd never do anything to mess with my little bro's destiny."
My father looked at me again with intense seriousness.
—"Son, if our masters ask you anything... lie to them. Your future depends on it."
My lips trembled slightly as I processed his words.
"You gullible old man... If I'm lying to you, of course I'll lie to them."
But staying in character, I blinked innocently.
—"Father... isn't lying wrong?" I asked with fake naïveté.
He held my gaze, deadly serious.
—"Of course it is. But sometimes, it's necessary—for a greater good."
His words made me smile inwardly.
"We all know that. We just don't say it out loud."
Unspoken Man Rule #7: Every man lies—when he has to.
I nodded solemnly.
—"I understand, Father. I'll remember that."
He patted my shoulder, proud.
—"Good. Now stay and rest a bit longer in the cabin, alright? Your mother, brother, and I are heading off to work."
—"Okay, Father." I smiled sweetly.
"Work? Ha! 'Work' my ass... A slave doesn't work. A slave gets exploited."
Once breakfast ended, my family left the cabin to carry out their daily tasks.
At last, I was alone.
I took the chance to check my Status Window.
[NPC STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Sam RaymondRace: HumanAge: 12Title: Successor of the Supreme EntityLevel: 9thVitality: 1080 / 1080Mana: 2,002,100,000,000,000 / 2,002,100,000,000,000Unique Trait: Random NPC, Player's SoulJob: Slave (F)Class: None
Strength: 100.1 (1%)Agility: 100.09 (1%)Speed: 100.08 (1%)Vision: 100.1 (1%)Endurance: 100.09 (1%)Intelligence: 100.11 (1%)Wisdom: 100.10 (1%)Adaptability: 100.08 (1%)Luck: 100.1 (1%)Charm: 100.09 (1%)
Available Points: 00Skills: System Window (Ex)[Note from Quincy: All stats are currently set to 1% of their actual values.]
"Creating this AI support system was the smartest move I've made."
At least now, I didn't have to worry about manually controlling my stats.
However...
"My ridiculous mana amount is still a problem. If I run into anyone who's sensitive to energy, I'm screwed."
And then there was my relatively low vitality—which I couldn't control or tweak.
I sighed in frustration.
"I'll deal with that later."
I stood up and stepped outside the cabin.
It was time to explore.