"We will miss you, Ethan. Take care of yourself."
"Good lad. Take care of yourself and grow stronger."
"Honey boo! I will visit you every little chance I get." Harley stated with a determined and serious look.
"You don't have to you know?"
"I will and you can't stop me. Don't try to!"
"Good luck with that."
"You can come and stay with us if you like." Trevor said from the sides with a mischievous grin.
"Really?!" "No!" Ethan and Harley exclaimed at the same time.
"Ethan! You can't stop me."
"What about a bet?"
"What is it?"
"If you level up to the mid of the Advanced level in 2 weeks, I will allow you there and also give you a special reward. If you lose, you will stay here and visit me 3 times in a week only..."
"Deal! Don't forget this when I win."
"Good luck."
"Hmph!"
'Are you sure about this?' Zark asked Ethan.
'Mm. She has to get stronger and with the kind of potential I'm seeing in her, she appears even more talented than some Zodiacs.'
'You know that the situation of your family is also a factor.'
'I know but she needs something to fire her up. It could be said that I'm using her but, in this situation, is for something good. She's important to me and I will do anything to make her strong even if it is the underestimated Healing affinity. Besides, she needs to reach that level before she can use that technique. I will also teach her combat skills.'
'I think you forgot another requirement...'
'Is there no way to omit it?'
'I'm not sure.'
'I will see what I can do about it. For now, let's focus on the task at hand.' Ethan said while stroking the hair of Harley who appeared to be sobbing.
System Identification had leveled up, granting him the skill of knowing some things about people he knew but it had limits. For example, his mom. All he could see were question marks apart from her name. The same was for Harley's parents. Apart from their names and affinities, the rest were question marks. Harley's own were open book to him and he was shocked to see her affinity rank. An S. With how talented and hardworking she was, all she needed was a good technique and she could become one of the strongest Healers and Ethan was willing to make her that. In the past, this would've been a mere dream but now, with system, nothing was impossible, at least from what he had experienced.
Right now, he was saying farewell to his family. Trevor had come to take him to his new lodging close to the academy. He had finished packing up and was just saying farewell to them. On the outside, he appeared calm and happy and emotional but, on the inside, he was withholding the urge to curse at the system. It had projected a huge countdown for his Breakthrough quest, and he couldn't get it off his vision.
"Harley, I gotta go. We need to make preparations ahead. I won't forget you. I will make sure to visit you." Ethan whispered into her ears.
"Then I want you to take my first time when I win that bet." Harley whispered back causing Ethan to freeze.
"Hehe! See you later. I will miss you, but I won't lose to you." Harley said as she gave Ethan a kiss on the lips in front of everyone present.
'Hahahaha!'
'This lucky bastard!'
'Very straightforward. I like it.' Everyone had different thoughts after seeing this.
Madeleine moved towards Ethan, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"We didn't get to spend much time together, but you still have to go. I will miss you my baby boy and make sure to visit me otherwise... You don't wanna find out." Madeleine said. Ethan was now almost as tall as his mom, and he felt a certain kind of achievement from it. Inwardly, he felt his mom wasn't as simple as she looked, and system identification affirmed that suspicion, but he just couldn't see through her.
"I will visit you. I promise. I don't wanna know what I will go through."
"You mischievous boy. Goodbye my son."
"Goodbye mom." Ethan and his mom broke their hug. Ethan used Telekinesis to pick up the traveling bag he was sending. He didn't really need it as he had a storage space in his system to keep his things, but he figured out that he would need it to keep more important stuff other than clothes. Besides, he can't be moving out of the house empty handed.
Trevor then led Ethan towards the car he brought with him to pick him up. Ethan's jaw fell to the ground in shock when he saw the vehicle. It was about 7 feet tall and about 1.8-2.7 meters wide. It had a sleek, aerodynamic design with clean lines and minimalistic features. It was a blend of a sports car and an off-road car. It was black with black tinted windows and glasses. There were armored panels on the vehicle in a light grey color, adding a touch of beauty to the vehicle. Its tires were large, rugged and black, like the tires of a monster truck, giving it the ability to maneuver a lot of terrains. The wheel arches appeared to be also reinforced, emphasizing durability. The rims of the tires glowed in an occasional orange color.
The door was opened so Ethan saw its interior and he was just marveled. There was a cabin with a dashboard that spanned the entire width of the cabin. The design was minimalistic but beautiful. The seats were upholstered in high-tech fabric, a blend of comfort and durability. The dashboard and door panels used a mix of matte and glossy surfaces, giving a futuristic yet refined feel. Instead of physical buttons, the controls appeared to float in mid-air with the central console housing a holographic display of a map, climate analysis, etc. Soft ambient lighting illuminated the cabin. For now, it was light blue color while the footwells and door handles emitted a gentle glow, creating a calming atmosphere. At the far front was the drivers' seats, the cockpit. They were cocooned, emphasizing focus and control. The steering wheel was compact with touch-sensitive surfaces for various functions. The head-up display projected information directly onto the windshield.
Trevor took Ethan's bag and pressed a small button on the dashboard after he entered. A space opened up on the floor of the cabin while some mechanical hands grabbed the bag and placed it in a compartment and then it closed up. Ethan was still reeling in shock as he went round the vehicle. He finally broke down.
"Are you for real! A freaking TerraEdge? Trevor!"
"Chill bruh. It's a TerraEdge alright."
"How..."
"It was part of my birthday gifts."
"Version?"
"M3, 4th gen, AI plus hover qualities."
"Damn! You are literally driving a house."
"Meh. It will be much useful when we start going for missions. Besides, I'm still getting used to it. I just use the normal driving mode or automatic driving mode. I can't use the hover functions yet."
"That's good. I nearly thought I..."
"Say that shit and you will walk."
"..."
"Come on. The others should be waiting."
"Others?"