Fortunately, they arrived at the orphanage located at the edge of town near the slum area in just 10 minutes. Laura explained the charity program that had been launched last year during the pandemic to help parentless children with their needs. This was the first time Laura had been to the orphanage and Aaron found it strange that she had to come alone since the surrounding area didn't look safe at all.
Laura parked her car in the VIP parking spot and as they were unloading the boxes, Aaron asked her in a serious tone, "Is this place even legit? Look at the facilities. You just told me that almost 50,000 credits were donated during pandemic, but it doesn't look like any improvements have been made from the donation.."
He even pointed at the facilities there to convince her. It was lackluster at its finest, especially when looking at the playground equipment which looked rusty and as if it was going to break at any moment.
"No, you shouldn't say that. This program was officially launched by the government last year and I watched the whole briefing online. Just because it doesn't look great or lavish, they must have a good reason for not spending the money on improving the facilities," replied Laura confidently.
However, deep down, she had some doubts, but she abandoned those thoughts due to her optimism. She believed that Aaron was just throwing a tantrum as she didn't think he was the kind of guy who would do charity and something nice for others without incentive.
Aaron sighed deeply and reluctantly continued moving the boxes towards the main building entrance that looked like it hadn't been maintained for years. The paint on its exterior walls was faded, cracked, and peeling all over the place.
"Urgh.. This is obviously a scam.." thought Aaron, but he kept his thoughts to himself since he knew he couldn't convince Laura anyway.
Ever since Aaron expressed his doubts about the legitimacy of the orphanage, Laura had grown distant and unfriendly towards him. He was eager to complete the task at hand, so he could return to his daily quests and transmute his newly acquired items.
The two adults responsible for receiving the boxes appeared brutish and intimidating, far from the type of people he imagined working with children. Aaron attempted to force a smile but eventually gave up as the workers remained cold and unapproachable.
Aaron stayed outside and watched as Laura dealt with the workers. Half an hour later, she went into a small room to eat and apparently had a cup of coffee with the manager of the orphanage. The manager looked very different from his workers; he was in his early 30s, muscular, and of the same height as Aaron.
Aaron watched them for a while, until a group of tired and dirty-looking children walked past him, which piqued his curiosity.
"Hey there, where are you guys going?" Aaron approached them as friendly as he could.
As Aaron approached the group of tired and dirty children, none of them responded to his friendly greeting. They appeared too frightened of the orphanage workers to acknowledge him.
Aaron slipped his left hand into his pocket, where he kept his magical pen. Although hesitant to use it, he uncovered the pen and touched it with his hand to read their thoughts. He had refrained from using the pen's ability unless necessary because he despised invading others' privacy. Yet, he felt compelled to help these children in some way.
"No, please just stay away from us and don't talk to us please…"
"I hope someone won't spill anything about the hidden basement.. just please.."
"It hurts.. Every time Lily cried for food, we would get beaten but those 2 gorillas…"
Aaron's face shifted as he caught sight of the children. Mad and sad all at once, he wanted to help but knew better than to risk their safety. He tried to act cool, keeping his distance from the kids for now.
"Damn it.. This is so bad.. I need to think of a way to help them. Laura can't find out about this. Not that she would believe me anyway.." thought Aaron as he sighed deeply, trying to keep himself calm.
Half an hour later, the meeting was finally over. Aaron had been paying extra attention for anything suspicious, but he found nothing. He learned that there were three buildings on the premises. The main office, where the meeting happened, and two more buildings located behind the front one, the children's dormitory and a warehouse. From his observation from a distance, he could see that the warehouse was locked and seemed to be guarded by another brute.
He felt bad and slightly guilty about what had happened to those children. But he was just a teacher, not even the best one, and was in no position to stop such a level of crime.
"Sigh.. I really hope I can find some proof to give to the authorities.. At least I can do it anonymously." thought Aaron as he got into Laura's car to head back.
Neither of them spoke until they arrived at the school parking area. As Aaron got out of the car, he turned to Laura and offered a sincere apology.
"Laura, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for my behavior at the orphanage. I was being too aggressive and overly suspicious.. I apologize for that. So.. Have a good holiday and happy New Year in advance, friend. "
With that, Aaron opened the door and walked towards his own car while pointing his right pinky to remind her about the promise they made before.
At 2 PM, Aaron went to a nearby supermarket to buy a razor blade, some cooking ingredients, and things he needed to make the magic items he drew earlier that morning. He then headed to the jogging park to complete the first two daily quests by running 10km and doing 100 pull-ups.
He had to skip his plan to go to the barber's because he felt uncomfortable getting a haircut before or even after exercising. At 5 PM, he arrived home.
"Damn it.. It has been a very long day.. Let's eat the takeaway first and cook something light for dinner later.." muttered Aaron as he unloaded the things he bought from Geant.
When he was done making chicken soup, he ate it together with fried rice he bought from Aunty Marina's stall. He had transmuted the items needed for the latest magical items he drew.
[Common Tranquility Cup - Water drank from the cup increases the drinker's thinking ability and calms their mind.]
[Uncommon First Aid Pendant - Increases the wearer's physical and mental regeneration.]
Out of curiosity, he decided to try the enchanted water while having his dinner. He felt a substantial alteration in his mental state as the water pacified him and boosted his cognitive capabilities. It made him feel more focused and productive, as if he had entered a state of perfect clarity and peace that he had never experienced before.
As for the pendant, he donned it as soon as he obtained the item, but he was already in prime physical condition so the regeneration enhancement couldn't be tested at that moment. Nonetheless, the ache from the exercises he performed earlier dissipated after a few minutes of wearing the pendant.
He cleaned the kitchen and took a shower before dawn. His aim was to complete the last quest by 9PM so that he could either play Diablu or watch random animes. With the help of the tranquility water, he was able to finish the quest half an hour before 9PM, which came as a surprise to him.
As he looked at the system interface, he noticed that he had received three magical item tokens.
"Hmm… I think keeping them for a while would be fine since x10 rolls would benefit me more!" Aaron thought to himself.
[With 10 tokens]
Guaranteed to get at least one item or skill of Uncommon (60%), Rare (30%), or Legendary (10%) grade.