In the slums the were three grown men kicking something small while they were cursing, whatever they were kicking was so small and dirty that whoever passed through there would think that it was just some dead animal or trash.
But most of the people that pass through here were the usual residents of this place so they did know that what they were hitting was not other than a person, a kid.
After the men vented all their fury on the kid, they finally stopped and started leaving not before spitting on the kid and leaving behind some last words.
"You are better off dead, remember that!"
When the kid heard this it didn't affect it because even the kid's eyes showed no signs of emotions. It was like a living dead, so after seeing that the men finally left the kid couldn't fight back its drowsiness.
After a few seconds, the kid couldn't hold it anymore and started closing its eyes, but not before it saw a figure that was reaching his hand.
The person who reached towards the kid was Gabriel, ever since the Professor told all of them that they would have a tournament and this made him realize he needed companions he didn't waste any seconds and after finishing his classes he headed straight towards the slums.
The reason that he chose the slums was because the only people were those who couldn't find a form to make a living or those who they lost everything to someone or something.
They are the first type of people that he can start by looking for because they are the easiest to convince. So after class ended he headed towards the slums and has ever since looking for people.
Of course, Gabriel wouldn't straight up start talking to random people just because he would determine depending on what his skill [Appraisal] could tell him about the person.
The reason he used the skill [Appraisal] on someone although it doesn't tell much about a person with it was because he found that whenever the skill is used on someone other than him he could not see their stats but he could see some information about them.
This is the reason he has only been walking and looking at people instead of talking with them because his skill already told him everything he needed to know.
That's why it comes until now, when he saw the kid he immediately saw what he needed in this kid that's the reason he is now helping the kid.
The kid is in a bad condition, most of the kid's body is riddled with bruises and even most of the bones are cracked and even a few organs are on the verge of failing.
That's why Gabriel is carrying the kid on his back so that he can help the kid in healing with his skill [Aura Control]. This skill level is not enough to perform outside body control of aura to heal the kid, that's why by having a body part of him touching the kid he could transfer some aura to the kid with the properties of accelerated healing so that it enhances the healing factor of the kid.
In the few minutes that Gabriel's been carrying the kid, most of its injuries had healed only a few bruises had not finished its healing process. At this moment Gabriel is looking for a restaurant to feed the kid.
"I don't know who's so heartless to even beat a kid half to dead." Though Gabriel when he suddenly felt the kid started to wake up.
The kid started to feel a warm sensation throughout the body, this feeling felt like the warm embrace of a mother. This energy was washing away all the pain and despair.
Thanks to this warm energy, the kid started to open its eyes and when that happened, the kid saw a big and wide back. This sight confused the kid, but the kid immediately determined that someone was carrying her.
Noticing this the kid tried to drop down from Gabriel's back. Feeling this Gabriel stopped the kid.
"Don't move much, although I manage to heal you you're still weak because of it." Said Gabriel to the kid.
The moment Gabriel said that the kid immediately stopped what she was about to do. Gabriel noticed this so he continued talking to her.
"You are probably really weak right now. Your body uses all its energy to heal itself while I help it do so, anytime you will start to feel hungry." Gabriel explained to the kid that every second he did so, she relaxed more and more.
Suddenly a rumbling sound appeared from the kid's stomach, this sound announced to the world that it needed food for energy reserves while at the same time making someone embarrassed.
To this, Gabriel just laughed it off and continued taking the kid towards the nearest restaurant. Not before telling the passenger at his back the direction they are heading.
"Right now I'm taking you towards the nearest restaurant that I can find so that you can eat and have your fill and don't worry I'm paying for everything."
As if letting Gabriel know that she understood the kid laid her head on Gabriel's back, making the feeling of safety return to her. The kid didn't take long before she fell asleep on Gabriel.
Feeling this Gabriel couldn't help but shake his head in helplessness while still looking for a restaurant where they could stop and eat. It didn't take long after that to find a restaurant where they could eat, so Gabriel woke the kid, and got a table for themselves.
At the table, Gabriel looked at how the table was filled with all types of different food. All this was other by the kid but it didn't matter to him at that moment this amount of money that he had was enough to support this type of eating for a month.
So Gabriel didn't even mind the amount of food at the table, but what he did was stay quiet and wait for the kid to get used to his presence finally. Most of the people that live in the slums are not strangers to people helping them when is about giving them food or even offering a job.
But what most of the people of the slums have learned from the experience of those who receive help from someone all of sudden is a big reminder the moment the bodies of the same people who got help appear on the streets of the slums dead. So is it a well-known fact that people only use the slum people as objects or trash that has some use to be used in a dangerous experiment or for their profitable body parts and even organs.
Due to this experience, most people who lived in the slums now were more cautious with people who suddenly lent a helping hand. That's the same reason why the kid was wary of Gabriel when he helped.
It wasn't long until the kid finished eating until full, so after putting the last platter of eating on the side and then taking a big look at Gabriel the kid finally took the courage to ask Gabriel why he helped.
"Why did you help me? What do you need from me?" Asked the kid its eyes still looking directly into Gabriel's eyes with a light that could tell if he lied or said the truth.
Gabriel knew that if he lied to the kid he wouldn't earn the kid's trust and he would have lost a talented person.
Gabriel was sure that the kid was able to tell if he lied because when he used his [Apprisal] skill on the kid the skill showed him enough.
Name: Kate Phelps
Description: Generous/Just/Narrow-Minded/Grateful/Vengeful
Talents: None
Skills: [Lied Detector Lv 10]: able to detect the lies and truths of everyone by looking into the eyes of the target. The higher the level the more one can tell what is being lied about.
Information: Being from a family of three with only a mother and a little sister. One fated full day a merchant tricked the mother and took her into slavery while leaving her and her sister homeless making their life hard. She swear vengeance on the person who destroyed her family with all her might. She hates liars with all her being.
It was this skill that prevented Gabriel from actually telling a lie about why he wanted to help her and gain her goodwill. So the only thing he could do at the moment was to tell her the actual truth.
"I want to recruit you to work for me." Said Gabriel to Kate (The Kid) while still looking straight into her eyes so that she could see that he wasn't lying.
When Kate saw through Gabriel's eyes that he wasn't lying, she sighed with relief. Although she didn't show it she was still scared about Gabriel, because it wasn't normal that someone could heal her in a matter of minutes.
This means that he had either a talent that could heal people or that his strength was so big that he could heal people effortlessly. The first means that she didn't have to worry about him at the moment if he was dangerous because she could just escape but if it was the latter she was worried that she could at the moment die for refusing.
"Why did you need me? I don't have any special talent or am that useful. I come from the slums, so you can tell how useless I am." Said Kate while looking downwards, in her eyes could be seen the impotence and anger she felt when she couldn't help her mother.
Gabriel noticed this emotion and thoughts that were rushing through Kate, as he could read her mind. This reminded him that this is a little girl who lost her mother and is worried about her sister.
The only thing he could do at the moment was give her a moment of hope, a chance to help her find her mother and at the same time give her the strength to protect her and her sister.
"I need you because you have the qualities I see in you. The best part about this is that by working with me you'll have a chance to grow stronger and find your mother while protecting your little sister. I will help you through all that while you help with my problems too." Gabriel said while looking at Kate's eyes.
Gabriel's eyes shone a little or that's what it seemed for Kate but it was due to this that her mood improved, she now could see the light at the end of the tunnel and that was thanks to him.
"How do you know about my mother and my sister?" Asked Kate after thinking for a little bit but her eyes already showed resolved and knew what she wanted to do.
To this question, Gabriel just smiled a little and winked at her. Gabriel would exactly tell her that he used a skill because she wouldn't know what that was.
"I have my ways." Said Gabriel.
When Gabriel said this Kate noticed that there wasn't any lie in his eyes, so the only thing that she could do was shrug it off. She still made up her mind and decided to work for Gabriel, in exchange for his help she would help him back.
"Okay, I'll work for you but I have conditions." Said Kate to Gabriel.
"Good choice! Don't worry I'll agree with any conditions. What are your conditions." Answered Gabriel with excitement at Kate's agreeing to work for him.
"I want you to protect my sister and help me find my mom while at the same time, I want you to make me stronger." Kate listed her conditions to Gabriel.
To this, Gabriel didn't have any problems, after all, he was planning to do all this so that Kate would have more loyalty to him after this.
"I'm okay with the conditions after all these were things I was planning to do already." Said Gabriel to Kate.
After saying this Gabriel immediately used his talent [Magic Seed] and a small mana ball condensed in the shape of a seed appeared on his left hand.
"Why don't we start by giving you strength?" Said Gabriel after Kate had an astonished look on her face while Gabriel reached his left hand where the magic seed resided to Kate.