"The money you gave me was too much. The medical expenses didn't amount to that much," Rossi said as they walked together. They had just left the hospital where Theo had been treated.
"It's okay. Consider it my way of saying thank you for helping me. If you weren't there, I might have died that night."
"I did it all without expecting anything in return."
"Just accept it. Honestly, I feel bad that you've spent so much of your savings just to help me."
"Fine, if you insist. Thanks. But do you still have any money?"
"Of course. I have enough to meet my needs. Don't worry about it."
"I wonder, you have a lot of money, so why did you decide to work at a nightclub?" Rossi stared at him with a puzzled expression, while Theo remained silent. Logically, the money he had was more than sufficient, but Theo couldn't explain that he worked there for a specific reason, one of which was to find the Dante group that had tried to kill him.
"What about you? You also seem to have a lot of money, so why do you work at a nightclub?" Theo turned the same question around, and his words made the man silent without a response. Theo suddenly became confused after seeing Rossi's reaction. The man seemed to be hiding something from him, but Theo genuinely didn't know what he was trying to conceal or why he was keeping something from him.
For a moment, the sudden shift in the situation brought silence. Not a word escaped their lips. Rossi fell silent, seemingly preoccupied with something related to Theo's earlier question. Meanwhile, Theo was now contemplating the next steps.
I don't know what to do right now. Going home doesn't seem like the right choice, especially in this situation. The Bloodhound Cartel knows I'm still alive, and in a state like this, they won't stop chasing me. They've probably already come and ransacked my house. In this situation, I need to find another suitable place to hide while I devise a plan. But where? Where is a suitable place? A place where no one can trace my whereabouts. Theo remained silent, deep in thought.
"By the way, Theo, after this, where will you go?" Rossi suddenly asked. His words broke Theo's reverie.
"Of course, I'll go home. Why do you ask?"
"To your house?"
"Hmm, about that, I don't know."
"What's wrong? Are you hesitant to go home because of what happened back then?"
"Yes, as you know, they even knew where I was being treated. That means they might also know where I live, right? I feel like going home is not the right choice for now. Maybe I'll move to another place temporarily, for sure. Just not home," Theo explained. Rossi nodded in response to his words.
"How about staying at my place?"
"What?"
"If you don't mind, you can stay with me. I happen to live alone, and who knows, by staying at my place, you might elude them."
"Really? You're offering me to stay at your house? Is that okay?"
"What's the problem? I'm actually glad if you accept my offer; that way, I can have a friend to talk to. Just so you know, my house isn't too fancy, and—"
"No problem! I accept your offer."
"Alright, should we head there now?"
Theo nodded. They both walked towards the nearby bus stop. In silence, they waited for the bus heading to Rossi's place.
I don't know why he's being so kind. But I can sense that this guy genuinely wants to help me. For now, I mustn't waste his kindness. I'll try not to burden him with my living expenses, and besides, I also need to improve my abilities and ensure this kid's safety. Anyway, if he's with me, it means I have to protect him so they won't dare to harm him.
"The black sky envelops, and the silent action begins. Conceal yourself in uncertainty. Strength grows like night flowers. Protect the weak in the embrace of darkness." Category: Sub Difficulty Level: E Completion Requirement: Hide and protect your loved ones while crafting a plan and honing your skills. Prevent a repeat of the same incident! Time Limit: Until you can master all your martial arts knowledge. Reward: You will receive special coins as a reward once this quest is successfully completed!> Theo grinned slightly. He didn't expect such an item to appear at a time like this. "Truly unexpected." * "So, this is my home. Sorry, it's a bit messy; I haven't had time to tidy up because I've been busy." Rossi picked up some scattered items from the floor and began straightening up. Theo stood silent for a moment at the front door, taking in the surroundings. Rossi's house wasn't far from his own—small, simple, worn, and somewhat neglected. Theo understood perfectly why everything looked this way. "What are you doing? Aren't you going to sit down?" Rossi asked while fixing the old sofa in the living room, which also served as the central area. Theo nodded and approached the available sofa. The items he had bought earlier were placed on the table. On the way home, Theo had taken Rossi shopping. Even though they were going to live together, Theo didn't want to burden Rossi too much. So, during their trip, he took him to buy household necessities and some new clothes. "Do you want something to drink? I have canned soda and juice if you'd like." "No need. I'd rather help you clean up." Theo got up from his seat, grabbing the bag of groceries they bought. He then carried it to the kitchen to put everything away. "No need. Besides, you're still recovering, and I'm the host here. So—" "Let it be. Don't refuse too much. Besides, we'll be living together shortly. So, I shouldn't burden you more. From now on, I'll help too!" Theo smiled and opened the fridge in front of him. As the fridge door swung open, Theo could see its empty contents, filled only with the canned soda and juice Rossi mentioned earlier. "Good thing I went shopping." Theo put all the groceries in, one by one. Meanwhile, Rossi got up to attend to other tasks. Theo fell silent, watching Rossi now busy cleaning the floor with his vacuum cleaner. It seemed like my choice to accept Rossi's offer to stay at his house was indeed the right one! * Rossi opened his eyes. He still felt very tired and was reluctant to get out of bed. But he couldn't keep lazing around because this morning he had an early class to attend at the university. With reluctance, Rossi got up and sat on his bed, trying to gather his consciousness. Shortly after, he got up from the bed and walked out. When he arrived in the living room, he immediately fell silent upon seeing his room so neatly arranged. Rossi paused, furrowing his brow. "Why does everything look so tidy here?" Before he could figure out what was happening, his attention shifted when he heard a sound coming from the kitchen. Curious about what was going on, he quickly approached the kitchen to check. There, he saw Theo busy arranging dishes for their breakfast. "Theo." Rossi approached him. His sudden appearance immediately diverted Theo's attention from preparing breakfast. "Good morning. Are you awake?" "Yes, good morning. What are you doing?" Rossi stopped near the dining table, looking at the spread on the table. There, he saw so much food that Theo had prepared for him, all of it appearing like healthy food he hadn't consumed in a long time. "I just finished making breakfast. Come, let's sit down and have breakfast together. Didn't you say you have a class to attend this morning?" "Yes, in that case, I'll wash my face and be right back." "Okay." Rossi headed to the bathroom to wash his face, then returned and sat in the chair, where Theo was already waiting for him. The man seemed to have everything prepared. "Did you tidy up all these rooms?" Rossi looked at him with a curious expression. "Yes, since I'm used to waking up early, I thought it wouldn't hurt to help tidy up your house and prepare breakfast." "You shouldn't have done that. After all, you're not fully recovered yet." "I'm fine. Besides, I actually feel healthier after leaving the hospital." Theo smiled and started eating. "Still, don't let this make you sick again." "I'll take care of myself." Theo tried to reassure him. After a brief conversation, their time together was filled with silence. Not a word was uttered until they finished breakfast. Once done, Rossi decided to clean the dirty dishes they had used. Before leaving, he chose to wash the dishes and asked Theo not to overexert himself given his still-unstable condition. Theo simply agreed to assure Rossi not to worry too much about him. "Then, I'll head out now. Take care, and don't overexert yourself. Today, I might not be back until late because I'll be working straight from campus into the evening." "Alright. Don't forget to have lunch, and be careful on the road!" "Okay, you too!" Rossi stepped out, leaving Theo alone in his house. Before leaving, he had asked Berta and Jim to come and visit Theo so he wouldn't feel lonely or bored. However, his coworkers mentioned they were busy and could only come later in the afternoon. Rossi had to leave Theo alone reluctantly. On the other hand, Theo felt relieved when Rossi finally left. As soon as the man was truly gone, Theo began practicing, following every instruction in the system. Today, he had full enthusiasm for training because there was a grudge to settle and people he needed to retaliate against for their actions. Theo quickly prepared to start his training. Today, he intended to skip the previous exercises and focus more on building his self-defense skills. * Focus all your energy on both fists, ensuring your body is in a ready position to attack. Imagine that your current enemy is right in front of you, truly engaging in a fight with you. Then move according to the instructions below!> "Okay, this isn't too difficult!" Theo clenched both fists and began to move, following the gestures on the screen. Through his system screen, he could see a video tutorial of the movements he was learning. This exercise is intended to immobilize the enemy by bringing them down and locking their bodies once they fall under our attack. Make sure to use your strength and focus your energy on the hand used to lock in the enemy's movements. Even if the enemy falls and is locked into our attack, never let your guard down. Because the enemy can attack in any way. Please follow the instructions below for proper locking practice!> Theo continued to train tirelessly. Occasionally, he took breaks to recharge. Once he felt his energy restored, he resumed training until he truly understood every movement. Slowly, Theo began to get used to the fatigue of the exercises, and thanks to this, he felt stronger. Unbeknownst to him, it was almost night, and Theo decided to conclude his training. Theo fell silent, catching his breath. He stared at the system panel in front of him with a wide smile on his face. His funds had increased again, and he had successfully completed the quest this time. "Finally, even though I'm at home, I can still earn money. Shh..." Theo winced softly as he felt a twinge of pain from his injury. "I forgot that my wound hasn't fully healed. It seems like today I got too excited and forgot to be careful. Hopefully, the stitches didn't come loose." Check here to see updates on your Basic Information!> Name: Theodoric Nightshade Age: 26 Height: 5.87 ft Weight: 171.96 lb Background: No parents or close relatives. (Has been living as an orphan). Abilities: Eclipsa Mastery Lv.1 Motivation: Living a Better Life Relationship: Last relationship status was dating a woman named Lizzy, but it ended for reasons that cannot be explained. Involved with a mafia group called Bloodhound Cartel, which has attempted to kill him twice on orders from their boss, who is believed to have taken Lizzy. Note: Information will continue to be updated over time!> "Maybe it's just level one for now, but just wait and see. I'll keep training until I can consistently improve my self-defense skills and become stronger to retaliate against them! Just wait for my revenge! I won't let you off the hook for what you did to me!" ***