Hope sat in his apartment, his thoughts swirling with uncertainty. His mind kept drifting back to the man sitting outside Kara's apartment. "When will he leave?" he wondered, concern creeping into his thoughts. Unable to focus, he finally spoke up as Kara entered the room.
Hope: "Why are you here, Kara?"
Kara, looking somewhat uneasy, responded quickly.
Kara: "You're the one who told me to go to a safe place, remember?"
Hope: "I said a safe place, not my place."
Kara sighed and began explaining her predicament.
Kara: "I know, but people are after me. I withdrew some money from the bank, planning to go to my parents' place. But as soon as I got the money, people started showing up. They said they wanted to recruit me into their guild. More and more recruiters kept coming, and I realized they already knew where I was, just by tracking the money. My parents' place isn't safe anymore because they'll know my address. So, I thought the best place to hide would be here, at your place."
Hope let out a mild chuckle, nodding in understanding.
Hope: "You can take the couch."
After a moment of silence, Hope's thoughts turned to something more pressing.
Hope: "Have you learned the skill appraisal block I told you about?"
Kara looked down, a bit embarrassed.
Kara: "I practiced, but I didn't manage to learn the skill."
Hope's expression grew serious.
Hope: "I have an ability that lets me read other people's stats and skills. So, I know about yours."
Kara's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Kara: "Oh… so you knew."
Hope: "Yeah, I checked your stats after you got an A rank in the test. That's why you need to learn the appraisal block. Someone with an appraisal skill could see how you got to A rank, and they might accuse you of cheating. The skill you have… it's never been seen in the Tower before. Some people might try to experiment on you. There have been incidents like this before. You can learn the appraisal block skill more easily if you put all your points into intelligence and then try again."
Kara, now more determined, followed Hope's instructions. After two intense hours, she finally succeeded.
Kara: "I've learned the appraisal block! And online, it says it usually takes at least eight hours to learn this skill. I'm really hungry now."
Hope smiled, proud of her progress.
Hope: "I told you it would be faster if you put all your points into intelligence. But there's something else I need to tell you. With all your stats allocated to intelligence, you're probably a B-rank overall, or maybe a B+. You displayed the power of an A-ranker, but this could be bad for you in the future. If you put all your stats into one area, your abilities will be unbalanced, which could cause huge problems in battle. Only allocate the points you need, okay?"
Kara nodded, realizing the gravity of his words.
Kara: "You know more about my skills than I do."
Her stomach growled, reminding her of her hunger.
Kara: "You said you're hungry. There's instant ramen on the shelf."
Hope: "Yeah, I checked the fridge when I got here. It's empty. Tell you what, if you go to my apartment and get some ingredients, I'll cook us a delicious meal. Can you go through the back window?"
Hope stood up, ready to help.
Hope: "You can cook? I'll get it now."
Hope activated his skill, phasing through the walls to quickly gather the ingredients. Kara's eyes widened in shock when he returned.
Kara: "Never use your skills outside the dungeon!" she exclaimed, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Hope, confused by her reaction, didn't understand why she was so upset.
Kara: "And take a bath. You stink of monsters."
As Hope stepped into the shower, his mind wandered to the female voice he'd heard during his hunt. "That voice… it really helped me. I've heard it somewhere before, but where? Whoever it was, they saved me in that situation. From now on, I need a game plan. I need to avoid night raids, but they've given me so much money. I should buy some items, strengthen my dagger, and get new skills. I need to plan for the next time I encounter a monster."
A knock on the bathroom door interrupted his thoughts.
Kara: "The food is ready."
Hope emerged from the shower and joined Kara at the dining table. The table was filled with a variety of dishes. He took a bite and immediately felt tears welling up in his eyes.
Kara: "Did I put too much spice? I'm sorry, I'll get you some water."
Hope shook his head, smiling through his tears.
Hope: "No, the food is perfect. It's just like my mother used to make."
A moment of silence passed before Kara asked cautiously.
Kara: "If you don't want to answer, you don't have to… but can I ask you something? Before the dungeon break, you never really looked at me. Compared to then, you've changed a lot. Can you tell me what happened?"
Hope took a deep breath, his expression turning solemn.
Hope: "Do you know why I came to live here? Back when I first awakened, my power made others sick. I caused my mother to become bedridden because of it. For some time, I lived on the streets, isolated from everyone. I fought monsters just to survive. Then, I discovered that I could control my power by killing monsters, so I did that every day. Eventually, I rented this place to avoid harming anyone else. But now… that power of mine is gone."
Suddenly, the same female voice from before echoed in his mind.
Female Voice: "I can save your mother. There are two ways."
Hope's eyes widened in shock.
Hope: "How did you know about that?"
Kara looked confused.
Kara: "How did I know about what?"
Hope: "You said there are two ways."
Kara frowned, looking more confused.
Kara: "I didn't say anything."
The female voice spoke again, her tone calm and reassuring.
Female Voice: "I'm the one who told you there are two ways."
Panic surged through Hope as he grabbed his head with both hands.
Hope: "What's happening?"
Kara rushed to his side, worried.
Kara: "Hope, are you okay?"
The female voice continued, her tone soothing.
Female Voice: "Just tell her you have a headache and go to another room. I'll explain everything, and don't worry—you're not going crazy."
Hope nodded weakly, trying to calm himself.
Hope: "I think I have a headache. I need to lie down."
He got up and retreated to the bedroom, locking the door behind him.
Kara: "Are you sure you're okay, Hope?"
Hope: "I'm fine. I just need to sleep. This headache will go away."
As soon as he was alone, Hope's thoughts raced.
Hope (thinking): "Now tell me what's happening. Who are you, and why are you in my head?"
The voice responded, her tone gentle.
Female Voice: "I'm a friend. I won't harm you. I'm here to help you."
Hope: "Help? Why are you in my head?"
Female Voice: "Think of me as a guardian angel, protecting you."
Hope: "How can I believe you? Maybe you're just my imagination, or maybe I'm going crazy."
The voice remained calm, her words reassuring.
Female Voice: "This isn't your imagination, and you're not going crazy. I'm here to help. Remember when I told you the monster's weakness?"
Hope hesitated, then nodded.
Hope: "Okay, I'll believe you… but first, tell me about yourself."
The voice seemed to smile as she continued.
Female Voice: "How about this—I had the same growth skill you have. I'll tell you everything I know about it, and as a bonus, I'll tell you how to save your mother. Does that sound good?"
Hope's lost in thought Hope: she has the same skill as me and she can save my mother.
Hope: "You know how to save my mother? Tell me."
Female Voice: "There are two ways. The first requires specific skills. The other is through an elixir."
Hope's mind raced as he recalled something.
Hope: "An elixir… I have something that could make an elixir in my inventory, but it's half burned."
The voice acknowledged his concern.
Female Voice: "I know. Even if you had the complete recipe, it's difficult to acquire the necessary ingredients. And you'd need a high-tier alchemist to make it. But the other way is easier. You just need to get the right skills and cure her yourself. Do you trust me now?"
Hope took a deep breath, his resolve firming.
Hope: "I don't fully trust you, but if you can help me cure my mother… I'd sell my soul to a demon."
The voice's tone suddenly turned sharp, almost angry.
Female Voice: "Don't say things like that. You don't know boy what it means to sell your soul."
Realizing the gravity of his words, Hope quickly apologized.
Hope: "I'm sorry. Please, just help me save my mother."
The voice's tone softened again.
Female Voice: "That's better. I'll guide you, but there's something you need to know. You can't tell anyone about me. People might think you've gone insane. For now, just listen to me, and I'll help you."
Hope nodded, his mind reeling from the revelation.
Hope: "Alright… I'll listen. Just… help me."
Female Voice: OK from now on call me master.
Hope: why are you helping me ,what will you gain from helping me.
Master: I have my reasons, after you become more powerful i will tell you.
The voice promised to do just that, and for the first time in a long while, Hope felt a glimmer of hope.
As the night wore on, Hope didn't know who this voice was or why she was helping him, but if she could truly save his mother, he was willing to take the risk.