Thinking back to Ekon's previous questions, a stunned expression was shown briefly on Deion's face, "Who am…I? You want to know who I am."
"Pfft. Hahahahha," Sweet and gentle laughter rippled through the room. Deion closed his eyes, holding his stomach, laughing as tears dripped out of his eyes. He laughed until his voice and cheeks grew sore.
Previously, Ekon would've thought that Deion's laughter resembled an angelic symphony. Now it's more akin to a demonic chant.
Straightening his back, Deion wiped a tear drop off of his face, "It really has been a while since I've come here huh? To think that a time would come where people wouldn't know a name as grandiose as mine."
"It's ok though, one could say that where I come from is a very covert organization. You may have the honor of calling me by my name, Sir Deion or just Sir is fine as well," Deion smiled once again but this time his smile carried a bit of nostalgia with it.
Ding!
[A new task is available.]
Deion didn't even look at the transparent screen, continuing to talk with Ekon, "Now let's get on with things shall we?"
"You've slept peacefully without interruption for 12 hours with the help of my incense. Of course, I didn't treat you out of the kindness of my heart. You will pay." Deion walked behind the counter where the cash register was.
Deion beckoned Ekon over and he looked at the screen of the cash register that listed the amount that Ekon owed.
[Ekon Evermore
Amount Owed: 1 Low-Grade Spirit Stone
Amount Paid: 0
Would you like to start a tab for Ekon Evermore? Yes/No]
This is new. Usually one could only start tabs in bars. Dismissing his thoughts, Deion looked back up at Ekon.
"You only ever had one option from the start, considering the fact that you accepted a service without the means to pay for it," Deion pressed yes on the cash register to start a tab for Ekon. One of the drawers of the counter popped out revealing a glowing pin.
Deion picked up the pin to examine it, pinching it between his thumb and index finger. The pin was entirely black except for a cartoon image of a glowing white sheep that sat in the idle of it.
"I'll open up a tab for you. In this way, you'll be able to pay back your debt later." Deion held out the pin for Ekon to take it.
Ekon looked down at the pin Deion was holding out and he accepted it. As he accepted it a static jolt ran across his fingers accompanied by a strange sense of relief that washed over his body.
"Ah before you go I must warn you." With a frown, Deion leaned over the counter to get closer to Ekon. "Melatonin Incense isn't a cure. Sure it'll heal all of your injuries over time and it'll give you a night's rest but your inner demons won't go away. You will continue to have trouble sleeping for the rest of your life unless you see actual therapy."
"Why can't I just take the melatonin incense every day? You don't have to worry about me not paying. I have enough money to pay that amount for at least a million years." Ekon asked, eagerly waiting for a reply.
"Melatonin was never meant to be administered to a person for long-term treatment. It was meant to be taken 2 to 3 times a week and even then that's over the course of 2 months, not your entire life." Deion shook his head regretfully, "If you took melatonin long-term eventually your body would become used to it and it would stop working altogether."
"Then it's hopeless." Ekon gritted his teeth before he looked at Deion with a hopeful look in his eyes, "You made the incense so you must have a way to fully treat me right? You have to have a full solution."
"Of course I do, our little clinic is able to eradicate most inner demons after all. You're extremely lucky that your inner demon is one of the most common ones. " Deion bragged, pausing at the relieved look on Ekon's face."Still, It's a common inner demon for a reason. It can be extremely hard to get rid of depending on the patient so don't get your hopes up."
"It will be a long process and we'd have to make a few preparations before we get rid of your inner demons. Are you sure you want to do this?" Deion leaned back from the counter, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Yes!" Ekon grinned, the lights of the shop reflected against his eyes making them look like they were on fire.
After finishing up the conversation with Ekon and waving him goodbye. Deion returned to the apartment connected to the clinic to sleep, deciding to leave the problem of the next task for tomorrow.
Upon waking up, Deion looked at the new messages from the system, finding a new task alert.
[Finish Healing Ekon Evermore's Injuries
Melatonin incense Treatment: ¼
Time Limit: 1 Month
Rewards: 2,000 USD]
Finishing up his morning routines, he walked into the kitchen. He opened his fridge to start preparing his breakfast only to be met with nothing, the fridge was completely empty. I should probably go out and buy groceries.
I'm so happy that I'm able to afford food now. Deion strode towards the front door in a happier mood than he was in earlier.
"Hmmm Hmmm," Deion practically skipped in his steps as he picked out a variety of frozen and instant foods.
"I should start cooking actual food again instead of just relying on frozen foods." He muttered, adding a few types of fresh meat, vegetables, and fruits into his cart.
Checking out, He took the bags and returned to his apartment to make his breakfast. He placed the pancakes, scrambled eggs, and sausages he made on the tables, sitting down to eat.
It's so silent. I need to get speakers or something to play music with. After I'm done with this, I should check out some of the clinic upgrades so that I can make the clinic a bit more presentable.
Shoveling a spoonful of eggs into his mouth, Deion opened the system shop and went straight to the 'Clinic Upgrades' Column.
I should get speakers installed into the ceilings that play calming music. No, should I get plants first? For the ambiance?
Deion looked closer at the plants displayed. I've never seen these kinds of plants a day in my life. They're so beautiful. These must be plants from the other world. How lucky.
Getting a koi pond sounds cool. There's not enough space for it though. A fish tank would be more doable but I need more space for that as well. Deion rubbed his chin as he thought of how to upgrade his shop.
Let's just stick with the speakers and plants for now. He pressed on the screen to purchase and add the new changes.
As Deion purchased the changes, he felt a bit of his soul slip out of his body. Why are plants and speakers so expensive? Including the cost of my groceries, I spent 2,250 dollars today.
[Renovation Duration: 2 hours]
[You have 5 minutes to exit the shop or else you'll be placed into a state of unconsciousness for the duration that the changes will take place.]
In a hurry, Deion grabbed his phone out of the inventory and started running around his apartment to find anything else he needed.
Oh, right I don't have anything else. Sagging his shoulders, He left the clinic with nothing else other than his phone.
Deion stood in front of the door to his clinic, scrolling on his phone as he thought of places to go while the clinic is undergoing renovations. Crossing off any places that required money to access, he thought of crashing at his friends' place for a few hours.
"Quincy is the only person I can go to right now," Deion muttered, starting his trek towards Quincy's apartment.