Michael couldn't believe how quickly things had turned. It's almost been a month since he arrived in this world, and his restaurant was already raking in huge profits. He never thought he would go from a delivery guy to someone who owned such a profitable business. Everything was going well for him.
But as it is said, Good things don't last long.
Now, Michael stood before a mob with blood trickling down his face from a wound on his head. His hand gripped a sword still stained with fresh blood.
The leader of the mob was looking at him with an evil look in his eyes, as if he was looking at a dead person.
"I never thought today I would have to face my first fight."
A few hours ago…
"Boss, finally, you will introduce new dishes in our restaurant. Some of our regulars told me they were bored by eating the same food repeatedly." Raziel said.
When Michael came to the restaurant today, he told the chefs about his plans to introduce new dishes.
Everyone was thrilled when they heard it. The introduction of machines had significantly reduced their workload, and now, with lots of free time, they felt uncomfortable.
It's not like they were dying to work hard, but Michael offered them ten times more salary than they could have earned elsewhere. Now that they were sitting idle, they felt like they were cheating Michael out of his money.
"Okay, everyone. I have decided to offer three more dishes. The current ones are more like dinner and lunch options. We don't have any breakfast options," Michael said.
Michael then went to his work table. He had already bought all the necessary ingredients to make the dishes.
Everyone around Michael looked at him with anticipation. They were also surprised to see those ingredients. Never in their lives had they encountered something like that, and they felt magical vibes from them.
"Hey, what kind of fruit is that? It's my first time seeing something like that, " said one chef eagerly.
"Yes, same here. Hey Boss, can you tell me what those ingredients are."
Even Michael was surprised. He had thought that these experienced chefs knew the ingredients already, but now he knew that this was their first encounter with them.
"System, are these ingredients from the same world as the previous ones."
"Yes, Host. The amount of spiritual energy in that world is equivalent to that which is found in this world."
Michael was shocked to hear this.
"But System, how come this world has so much spiritual energy?"
"Ding! 8 SP debited."
"Host, although this world has spiritual energy, people are not born with the corresponding spiritual roots necessary for absorbing spiritual energy. That's why the spiritual energy is mostly unused in this world."
"Doesn't that mean I can grow and use those same ingredients in my restaurant? God! I can save so many SPs by doing this. Okay, it's done. I am going to start farming."
Michael was thinking about the saved SPs when Raziel nudged him.
"Boss, what are you dreaming about?"
"Nothing, let us start with our recipe." Michael came out of his trance and replied.
"The new dish I will make is called Dragon's Feast. Dragon's feast consists of three dishes: Dragonfruit Smoothie, Mystical Omelette, and Enchanted Porridge."
"From now on, besides selling the dishes individually, we will offer the food in sets. It will help us categorize our dishes for the customers and will also help us make more sales than regular."
Michael then explained the ingredients and recipes to them.
He started with the Dragonfruit Smoothie. Michael peeled and diced the dragonfruit. He then placed the fruit in a blender with enchanted spring water, yogurt, honey, and a squeeze of lemon.
A soft, magical glow emanated from the blender as he blended the mixture, a sign of the smoothie's vitality-boosting properties. Michael then poured the smoothie into a glass and set it aside.
Next, Michael moved on to the Mystical Omelette. He cracked three eggs into a bowl and whisked them with a touch of fire, giving the mixture a subtle, smoky aroma.
Heating butter in a pan, he added leafy greens, their vibrant green color standing out against the golden butter.
He poured the egg mixture into the pan as the greens wilted, watching it bubble and set. He then sprinkled finely chopped unicorn truffle over one half of the omelette, folding it carefully.
Finally, Michael prepared the Enchanted Porridge. He combined grains with spiritual spring water in a saucepan, bringing it to a gentle boil.
The grains cooked and absorbed the water, becoming tender and fragrant. Michael stirred in milk, honey, and cinnamon, the aroma of which filled the kitchen with warmth and comfort. As the porridge thickened, it became golden, reflecting the magical spices within.
With the Dragon's Feast set complete, Michael stepped back to show his work to others.
The fragrance that was coming out of the food sent everyone into a trance.
"Uhhmm," Michael cleared his throat. Suddenly, everyone emerged from their daze and eagerly gathered around the dishes.
"Wow, Boss, what is this? How does it smell so good."
"Yes, Boss, I feel some kind of sensation in my body just by sniffing," said one chef.
"Boss, I think this dish will be a major hit."
"Okay, guys. Everyone must taste the food and see how it tastes. I have written a recipe here. I need all of you to go through it and practice it after work. I plan to sell these dishes in the next few days."
Michael passed the recipe to Raziel and asked others if they had any doubts about it. Although the recipe was pretty simple for a professional chef, Michael wrote it in a detailed format.
After that, he helped them in making today's dishes. After everything was settled, he went outside to sit at the counter beside his Mother.
Nancy was counting the money when Michael asked her,
"Hey, Mom, did Jenny come today?"
Nancy looked at him smilingly. Michael knew she must have misunderstood.
"There's nothing like that... I want to ask her to take me to Principal Yearwood," he quickly added.
"Why are you blushing? I never said anything. You have already informed me about it. But now I guess there's more to your meeting with Jenny." Nancy said teasingly.
"No, Mom, you misunderstood me." Michael flustered.
"Okay, I understand. But I think you are late. Jenny just picked her takeaways…"
"Mom, I am going to meet her," Michael said.
Before she could complete her sentence, Michael ran outside the restaurant.
As soon as he went outside, he saw Jenny boarding a horse carriage. Before he could stop her, the carriage already started moving.
Michael saw this, boarded another carriage, and asked the driver to follow Nancy's carriage.
It was his first time sitting on the carriage after coming into this world.
"The roads are worse than the village roads in my past life," Michael complained.
Because the roads were terrible, the carriages could not run at their maximum speed., Hence, Michael was unable to catch Jenny's carriage.
"Let it be. I will catch Jenny when her carriage stops."
With that, Michael sat in the carriage and started observing the scenes passing by.
When he first sat, the carriage passed through an affluent part of the city, but slowly and steadily, the scenery started to change. Small houses replaced the rich mansions, and after some time, the slums began to appear.
This was Michael's first visit to this part of the city. Everywhere he looked, there were signs of poverty and hardship.
Michael was shocked to see it. Since his transmigration, he has only visited the places near his mansion. He thought that the whole city, if not the Kingdom, must have affluent people staying in it.
"This world is exactly like his old world. Although the supreme being restored the peace, it was only limited to the race wars."
"No wonder many people work so hard to become a Mage. Being a Mage in this world is like a ticket out of their poverty."
Michael was still going through that area. Finally, when he stopped, a small mansion appeared before his view. From the looks of the mansion, it felt like the walls could barely hold itself.
Then he saw Jenny emerge from her carriage with the takeaways and proceed toward the old, dilapidated mansion.
As soon as she got near the gate, she called someone.
"Aunt Lily, Joy, Jackson, and everybody, come outside. I have bought you guys some food."
Michael, too, left his carriage and started moving towards the mansion.
Soon, some kids came running out of the mansion, with an old lady slowly following behind them. They all gathered around Jenny.
"Sister Jenny. We were waiting for you."
Michael noticed the kids were skinny and wore worn-out clothes, but that didn't stop them from smiling.
"Jenny, thank you for your help. It's because of you that these kids have started showing improvement."
"It's nothing, Aunt Lily. I have barely done anything for them. By the way, Aunty, where are Joy and Jane? I haven't seen them for the past two days."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Lily became distressed.
"I don't know, Jenny. Joy was fed up with orphanage life. I can't blame the poor kid—we can barely provide for the children here.
He always talked about going to the city centre for a better life. But you know how hard it is to earn money as a mortal, especially for a 9-year-old like Joy."
Aunt Lily took Jenny's hand in her hands.
"Jenny, can you find someone to look for those kids? I am worried about them. Jane is just a 5-year-old girl, and you know it's not safe for kids in this world."
"Don't worry, Aunt Lily. I will talk with my father about this situation."
While they were conversing, Michael approached them, but before he could say anything, he heard someone's coarse voice behind him.
"Oye Old Woman. You still haven't given us this month's protection money."
Jenny looked at the incoming voice and saw two burly men standing before the Orphanage. She was also surprised to see Michael standing beside them.
Michael looked at Jenny and moved away from them as if trying to show he was not with them.
Jenny saw that both men were looking at her with lustful eyes, but she ignored them.
"Aunty, who are these two, and what are they talking about?"
"Jenny, they are from the Snake Gang. They live in the nearby slums. The Snake Gang extorts money from businesses for so-called 'protection'. If someone refuses to pay, they beat them mercilessly," Aunt Lily explained.
"Enough with the chit-chat. And girl, you better stay out of it, or else..." one of the guys said, making a hand gesture around his neck.
"I don't have a single coin. Whatever money I had, you already took them." Aunt Lily said with tears in her eyes.
Michael felt pity for her. He looked at those two men, but Jenny came forward before he could say anything.
Jenny squared her shoulders and faced the two burly men, anger gleaming in her eyes.
"You have already taken everything from them," Jenny said firmly. "They have nothing left to give. Leave them alone."
The men smirked and stepped closer, but before they could say anything, Michael stepped between them and Jenny.
"Listen up, you two," Michael said calmly. "You heard the lady. Leave now, or you'll regret it."
The larger of the two men laughed. "And what are you gonna do, pretty boy?"
Michael's eyes narrowed. With a swift movement, he caught the man by his neck and lifted him off the ground, suspended in mid-air.
"What the..." The man struggled, his legs kicking futilely.
"Mage… This guy is a Mage."
Michael glanced at the other man, who stepped back, fear spreading across his face.
"Take your friend and return to the Snake Gang," Michael said. "Tell them that this Orphanage is off-limits. If they come back, they'll have to deal with me."
Michael threw the man on the ground.
That man's eyes were wide with terror.
As he got up, Aunt Lily noticed a bracelet in that guy's hand.
"Wait, what is that bracelet doing in your hands? It belongs to Joy."
Aunt Lily looked at him in horror.
"How did you get that?" she asked urgently.
That large guy knew he had messed up. He stood up, and both were about to run when Michael approached them.
He grabbed that guy's hand and twisted it while removing the bracelet. That guy started screaming because of pain.
"You haven't answered Aunt Lily's question. Where did you get that bracelet from?"
Michael stopped twisting his hand and waited for his answer.
"I... I don't know. I found it on the ground near the Orphanage. I liked it and took it."
Michael felt he was hiding something, so he used his Eyes of Truth skill.
>> Name: Andre
>> Age: 35
>> Race: Demon-Human
>>Level: Mortal
>> Talent: None
>> [Andre was born in the slums of the capital city. Kidnapped as a child by a member of the Snake Gang, he was raised to be a thug.
His merciless methods earned him recognition within the Gang. Now, he is responsible for extortion and kidnappings. Two days ago, he kidnapped Joy and Jane and took them to his Gang's hideout.]
"I knew something was fishy," Michael murmured.
Michael was about to beat him but then refrained from doing it.
"Let's find the kids first; it won't be too late to beat these bastards."
Jenny was about to question him when Michael kicked that guy.
"Remember what I told you earlier, now scram."
Michael handed the bracelet to Aunt Lily.
"Michael, why did you let him go? He was lying", asked Jenny.
"I know that's why I let him go and follow him from behind. You wait here with Aunt Lily. I will be back."
Saying this, he ran and went behind those two men.
"Wait, Michael. I am coming with you."
Michael didn't waste his time with her and followed those two thugs.
Andre and the other guy were walking through
"Andre, I think we have to talk with Boss. We cannot handle that, Mage; let Boss deal with him."
"Once Boss catches that guy, I will ask him to cripple him and let us deal with him," Andre said with a glint in his eyes.
Both didn't know that Michael and Jenny were following them.
After some time, both of them reach their Gang's hideout.
They saw an area covered by slums, with a small mansion in the middle of them.
Although it looked simple, reaching here was anything but that.
The slums are like some maze. You will get lost between the roads if you don't know the streets.
Michael saw a few men coming out of those slums.
"I think those houses belong to the gang members."
Michael assessed their power. Although the majority of them were mortal, there were still quite a few of them who were Mages, and this was just an outer area. Who knows how many mages must be there inside?
Jenny was shocked to see so many Mages. She thought they would deal with some mortals, but now the situation is more serious.
"What should we do, Michael? I don't think we can handle them. Should we go back and ask my Dad for help."
Jenny was a kind-hearted girl, but she knew her limits. She is a newly promoted First Tier Mage, and Michael, too, looks like an Apprentice Mage.
Michael had the same thoughts. He was thinking of leaving the place and reporting to the authorities, but suddenly, they saw some kids being taken inside by a group of thugs.
All the kids were blindfolded. Among those kids, Jenny saw Joy and Jane. Both had tattered clothes and looked like someone had beaten them.
Nancy got angry when she saw this.
"Never mind, Michael, let me handle them."
She was going to go towards them when Michael pulled her towards him.
"Have you gone mad? Do you want to alert them and lose our chance to save them? Stay here, and let me see what I can do." Michael was astounded by how quickly Jenny changed her mind.
Michael then looked at his System to find anything helpful in their current situation.
He found an automatic drone and a mapping tool that could be used along with the System.
Automatic Drone (housefly version): Small Drone as small as a housefly. Best to use in stealth missions as it is noiseless, and even a noob can handle it with command. It comes with a small pocket mobile-sized screen that allows you to see the visuals.
Price: 100SP
Mapping System(V1): An all-in-one terrain mapping system that can scan 500 Metres. You can only see static maps and the location of enemies.
Price: 300SP
Michael ignored the "noob" part, and although he purchased both of them, he was still unconvinced by the high cost.
"Hey, System, why are the prices so costly," Michael complained.
"Host, finished products are always more expensive than the blueprints. You can try creating your products to save up the cost."
Michael rolled his eyes. Even if he wanted to save his SPs, this world was very ancient. There are not even proper paper or glass products.
It will take him a long time to start his manufacturing unit.
Michael then used the system mapping first. Suddenly, he saw a map with his and Jenny's positions marked in blue.
"System, scan the area and show me the map."
"Yes, Host, Scanning the System. Waiting time: 3 minutes."
Michael made an excuse to wait and observe. Till then, the Gang had already taken away those kids to the inner part.
"Don't worry, let's observe first and then see what we can do."
Michael consoled Jenny, who was getting very nervous. While consoling, he kept his hands on hers. Jenny didn't know why, but looking at Michael's radiant smile calmed her.
"Okay.." she said in a barely audible voice.
After the 3 minutes had passed, Michael looked at the map and was shocked at what he was looking for. The map had as many as 30 red dots.
You have to know that the red dots represented the Mages. The mortals were in yellow dot. Their number was around 100.
"So many of them; how can I help those kids out." He exclaimed.
Jenny saw the shock on Michael's face, so she asked him.
"What happened, Michael? Are you feeling well?" she asked with a concerned look.
"No… I mean, Yes, I am fine. It's just that I saw at least 10 mages in there. And there may be many more."
Then he put his hands in his pocket, removed the Drone and a mobile-sized screen from the system storage, and showed them to Jenny.
Jenny was confused.
"This is a magic equipment called a drone. I love making things in my time, so I got the help of magic craftsmen to make this Drone. It will help us see the place without entering there."
He commanded the Drone to approach the mansion. After that, they saw visuals of the slum. The mansion had many mortals standing there as guards.
Some people drank and ate, while others roamed around doing odd work.
As the housefly drone went inside, the screen displayed many rooms in the mansion. As they checked the mansion, they saw Andre and the other guy waiting outside a room with a guard stationed outside.
Michael commanded the fly to sit on Andre's shoulder.
After some time, Andre went inside. Michael saw a big room filled with all kinds of luxury items.
Andre went to the demon, who was sitting on some sofa-type furniture with two beautiful elf women around him. Those women had bruises on their faces, and their eyes lost their glow.
Jenny became agitated after seeing this but remained quiet.
Michael saw that man speaking something but could not listen to those words.
"Oh, I forgot about the audio feature. Drone activate sound transmission."
After that, Michael and Jenny heard the conversation.
"So you want to say that the people in the orphanage made you like this."
Andre and the other guy were frightened of the boots. They knew that their Boss hated failures, no matter how small it is.
"So tell me in detail what happened?"
"Boss… As you ordered, we went to that Orphanage to see the children under the Orphanage on the pretext of asking for protection money, but suddenly, a guy and a girl came before us. They both were Mage. That guy twisted my hands and kicked me."
The other guy, too, joined him.
"Yes, Boss, Andre and I tried our best, but…"
Before he could complete his words, the demon before them used fire magic and burnt that guy.
Suddenly, the whole room was filled with the screams of that guy. He was burnt alive by that man.
"I hate when someone does something without my permission."
Standing beside the guy, Andre was feeling the heat from that guy's burning body. He was so afraid that he peed in his pants.
That demon got angry when he saw that.
"Guard, take this coward, ensure you beat him well, and send someone to clean it."
After Andre went outside, the demon started having fun with one of the elf women. Michael quickly controlled the Drone and looked around the room.
He saw various things like magic potions, weapons, and books there.
He found nothing worthy, so he left the room. But he didn't notice the glint in the eyes of that demon.
Next, he resumed searching all the rooms, finally entering the room where the kids were.
Jenny suddenly came close to Michael to see the screen more clearly. Michael was shocked by this.
It was the first time in both his lives that a girl came so near him. For a second, he zoned out but quickly focused on the screen.
If Jenny had seen him, she would have found Michael blushing.
He shifted slightly and focused on the screen. The children in the room huddled in one corner, many with tears.
The older children were silent, seeming to have resigned themselves to their fate.
"Look, Joy and Jane."
Jenny pointed towards the two kids. Looking at them, she had tears in her eyes.
"Don't worry, we will save them."
Michael then marked the location on the map and looked around the mansion. Once he was convinced, he called back the Drone.
As the Drone returned to Michael, he saw a red dot approaching them.
"Not good; they have discovered us."
One guy came in front of Michael and Jenny. Behind him came two other mages.
"Jenny, get ready to fight."
Michael quickly took out the talisman he had purchased from the System.
"Now that our cover is blown, we should attack first to get the advantage."
After that, he threw the talisman at the man's face. The guy who came was surprised to see a paper thrown on his face; he ignored it and was about to use magic when the talisman exploded in front of him.
The talisman not only killed him but also injured the guy who came behind him.
Michael felt uneasy after he saw that. It was the first time he had killed someone.
Soon, he started vomiting and only stopped after a minute.
Jenny was going to console him when he waved his hand to her.
"Don't worry, I am okay. Let's quickly go and rescue those kids."
After that, he headed toward the slum. Before long, the guards spotted him, and one of them rushed at him, brandishing a sword.
The guard attempted to swing it at Michael, but Michael quickly countered with a powerful punch, stopping the guard in his tracks.
Although Michael became a cultivator, his technique mainly focused on defence, so he had little choice other than fighting barehanded.
Michael took the sword from that guy's hand and waved it at other guards who came to attack him.
Although he had never used a sword, in his past life, he had seen many historical movies and always loved the way of swords.
Along with his Initiate Stage cultivation, with every swing, he was able to injure those guards.
When he was busy fighting, one demon mage used a stone and hit it on his head. At that moment, Michael felt slightly dizzy. Soon, the blood started coming out of his head.
"Damn it, I was so engrossed with the sword fight that I forgot to use my cultivation technique for defence."
He swiftly activated his cultivation technique, forming a small protective layer around his vital parts.
I can't keep the cultivation running; I must finish these mortals quickly.
Then suddenly, he took out two more talismans and threw them toward the four people running towards him.
"And just like that, my 20 SP went down the drain."
Michael was reluctant to use a talisman because even the most basic exploding talisman cost him around 10SP.
After clearing the initial guards, he threw the talismans at the houses. One by one, he started destroying the slums, clearing the path for himself.
"Whatever, I don't care anymore. First, I will deal with these bastards and then think about the SPs."
With that, he started using exploding Talismans like grenades. Wherever the talisman dropped, that place was destroyed.
The path towards the mansion was destroyed, and the mansion's outside area looked like a warzone.
Throughout the time, Jenny, who was walking behind him, was so shocked that she could not say anything.
"Where are those exploding papers coming from? Does Michael have a full stalk of it?"
Michael wanted to give Jenny some talismans, but then he remembered that she could not use the spiritual energy needed to activate the talisman.
After some time, they reached the room where he had seen that demon leader.
He kicked the door and was about to use the talisman when he saw one of the elven women being thrown at him.
Because of his instinct, he caught her, but just from her behind, one flame came toward Michael.
As Michael saw this, he quickly used his cultivation technique, covering his whole body with a barrier.
He covered the elf woman with his body and let the fire come on him.
The fire did not do anything to Michael.
Jenny, behind Michael, quickly used her fire spell on the demon, but that demon quickly countered it with the wind magic.
"heh... I never thought a day would come when two First-tier ants would attack my hideout. Tell me, how should I deal with you?"
Michael didn't say anything and threw another talisman toward that demon, but that demon had already seen Michael using that talisman.
With wind magic, he blew away the incoming talisman, and the talisman exploded away from him.
Michael never expected this. He was distressed and started thinking of a way to defeat this demon.
"Let me check first who he is." Michael used his Eyes of Truth.
>> Name: Des Mond
>> Age: 80
>> Race: Demon
>> Level: Third Tier Mage
>> Talent: Low Grade
>> [ Des Mond grew up as a servant in a nobleman's house. When he matured, the nobleman had him work for his son, a Fourth Tier Mage, who was researching a forbidden blood technique found in an abandoned cave.
The Mage needed large amounts of blood for his experiments, and he tasked Des Mond with collecting it in exchange for resources that helped him become a third-tier mage.
Des Mond now kidnaps children from impoverished areas and delivers them to the Mage. Today, he was set to deliver another batch of kids.]
"This guy is a serial kidnapper.", Michael exclaimed.
Michael knew he couldn't defeat a Third Tier Mage with his initiate stage cultivation.
"I have to think something. What can I use, what can I use."
Michael was thinking, but Des Mond thought Michael must have been so afraid that he had zoned out.
Jenny nudged him.
"Michael, what should we do?"
She, too, was afraid of the demon. She didn't know his Tier, but she was sure it was not something she could deal with her puny strength.
Suddenly, she remembered the pendant her father had given her. He had given it to her long ago and told her to use it whenever she was in trouble.
Des Mond was now angry with Michael's lack of response.
"Since you don't want to say anything, just die."
He was about to cast a fire spell, but Jenny swiftly broke the pendant. Immediately, a figure materialized from the energy and stood before her and Michael. The figure looked exactly like her father, Jose.
It was not sentient, but when it looked at Des Mond, it gave him a sense of crisis.
By then, Michael had come back to his senses. He saw a figure of Principal Jose pointing its finger towards Des Mond.
Meanwhile, Des Mond didn't even consider fighting; he just tried to escape. But before he could, the figure pointed a finger at him, and boom—a concentrated energy bullet shot from the figure's hand. It struck Des Mond, incinerating him in a fraction of a second.
Michael was shocked.
"Not even his body was left behind," he mumbled.
Michael knew that the Mages of this world were powerful, but this was the first time he saw someone taking action before him.
Although his Mother, Nancy, used Air magic to beat those naughty customers, it was never this exaggerated.
"What if that energy was used against me? I would have died even before it would have reached me."
This further strengthened his belief in getting stronger.
After Des Mond was incinerated, Michael and Jenny quickly made their way to the room where the kidnapped children were held.
As they navigated through the dimly lit corridors, they encountered a few mages guarding the passage. Without wasting a moment, Michael swiftly used his Talismans to eliminate them before they could react.
Jenny observed that Michael was deploying talismans at a much faster pace than before. Little did she know that Michael, not wanting to take any chances, was determined to act swiftly, using talismans before anyone could even move.
Once they reached the room, they removed all the kids. At first, they were afraid, but Jenny consoled them. Even Joy and Jane came crying toward her. Seeing that Joy and Jane were conversing with Jenny, the kids trusted her.
"This guy had created a mansion here. Maybe I can find some hidden treasure. But when Michael came to Des Mond's room, he saw that everything was scattered.
Other than those two elf women, the rest of the things were destroyed because of the energy that Principal Jose used.
He went near those two women.
"Hello, Miss. We have dealt with everyone who was here. You are free to go now."
But those two women were still sitting there without saying anything.
Michael was going to say something when one of the elf women took a dagger and moved towards Michael.
Although Michael was shocked, he quickly went behind, and that dagger passed through the air.
The other elf woman did the same.
Now Michael was angry.
"I saved you guys, and instead of thanking me, you are trying to kill me."
Those two women didn't say anything and again jumped on Michael. This time, Michael used his cultivation and punched them with two hands.
"Although I respect women, I am a staunch supporter of Equal rights." Michael was going to beat them further when Jenny came between them.
" Michael Stop. They are under the spell and don't know what they are doing."
Then she saw Michael quietly keeping the talisman inside his pocket.
"I knew something was wrong, and that's why I was just trying to shake them off and wake them up." Jenny rolled her eyes. She saw those exploding papers in his hands.
"How many of those papers does he still have?" she wondered.
He used his hands and knocked both of them out. After that, he tied them both.
"Let's take them to Father; maybe he can break those spells."
"What kind of spell is being used on them," Michael asked.
"Someone has used a puppet spell. Under its influence, the person loses their free will. This spell is mainly effective on individuals below the third Tier. The caster of this spell must be above Third Tier, and he is still alive." Jenny said.
She added, "But who could be so sinister to cast this spell? This spell falls under taboo magic. Our Kingdom takes this magic very seriously. Anyone caught using taboo magic is executed immediately, without any trials."
"If my Eyes of Truth were an Advanced version, it would have given me information about the mastermind. Alas, with the beginner version, I can only get information related to the person I am using it upon." Michael sighed.
After that, they took those kids and two female elf women to the Orphanage.
By the time they reached Orphanage, it was already evening.
"Michael, Thank You for helping us out. If not for you, we don't know what would have happened. You saved our lives."
Michael got flustered by the praise. Although he was a thick-skinned person, he knew that without those talismans, he wouldn't have been able to save them even if he wanted to.
"But then this System belongs to me; I deserve the praise."
"…"
"No worries. It was just by coincidence that I was there and helped you."
"Yes, Michael, I forgot to ask why you were at Orphanage."
"I want to meet your father regarding my business."
"Oh, it's like that. I thought you suddenly realized you liked me and came after me to confess."
Michael was astounded.
Jenny laughed, looking at his expression.
"I am just joking. Tomorrow, I will take you to my father."
Michael gave her an awkward smile and went on his way.
Suddenly, from behind, Jenny shouted
"By the way, I wouldn't mind if that joke was true."
Michael was shocked.
"This girl… Is she flirting with me?"
Michael quickly walked away from the Orphanage.
Jenny still looked at his back smilingly.
"Since when did I become so courageous." She mumbled.
When Michael reached home, Nancy looked at him with a worried expression.
"Michael, where were you the whole day? You know how much I was concerned about you."
Michael knew he was at fault here, so he kept quiet and endured her nagging.
Lila was giggling from behind while eating some nuts.
Michael felt warmly affected by this situation. In his past life, his Mother used to worry about him in the same way.
Suddenly, he had a tear in his eyes.
"What must Mom and Dad be doing? I hope they do not suffer because of my absence."
Seeing the tear in Michael's eyes, Nancy stopped and approached him.
"What happened, Michael? Are you hurt?"
"No, Mom, I'm grateful for how much you cared about me. In the past, I didn't talk to you and Dad as much as I should have.
I was always lost in my world. I'm sorry, Mom. I promise I'll make it up to you both."
Nancy was surprised when she heard this. And she, too, became emotional.
She embraced Michael.
"Don't worry, child. I want you to live your life as you like. Don't worry about anything else. Your Mom will always love you."
"and me too," Lila said from behind and ran towards them.
Suddenly, Michael felt like his body and mind were integrated with this world.
"Ding! You have completed the hidden quest, Embracing Your Present.
Embracing Your Present: You have finally accepted your reality and this new life.
Reward: Your soul is now correctly integrated with your body. This will significantly aid you in your cultivation journey.
"Ding! The System has activated a permanent side quest.
No Good deed would go unrewarded."