Liam's body felt energetic as he pushed himself out of the bed. His first objective was to try out his newfound powers and see how much of what he understood could be applied in real life.
The system had been gentle with Liam and had decided not to overload his brain with too much knowledge at once.
With his newfound powers, magic came as naturally to Liam as breathing. Magic flowed through his veins, following his command. It felt natural, like breathing itself.
However, unlike breathing, which happened even without focus, magic required concentration and willpower—something Liam wasn't very good at.
He wouldn't go so far as to say that he had a weak mind, but even he knew his limitations well.
After confirming his powers, Liam went back to bed before the doctor could come in and give him a disapproving look. But since Liam wasn't caught in the act, the doctor couldn't scold him.
Cough
"Mister Sanders, I would love to keep you here longer, but as per your record, you are free to leave anytime you want. Cough I would advise against walking out, but it is your decision—Cough"
Before the doctor could finish speaking, he broke into a fit of coughing that made his whole body shake.
Liam awkwardly patted the man's back to help him breathe easier. He wanted to comment on the doctor's condition, but that would have been beyond insensitive.
"So, I can leave…whenever I want? That's good to know. But, doctor, maybe you should get yourself checked out as well. It doesn't look like you're doing too well."
Liam pointed out, trying to calm the doctor down. His words earned him a grateful yet slightly annoyed look. Still, the professional quickly pulled himself together.
"Ahm, I'll be just fine. At my age, this is something to be expected. Besides, I don't want to create more work for the people who'd be looking after me. Anyway, make sure you take care of yourself, kid."
The doctor spoke softly before handing Liam a certificate to prove he'd been to the hospital and excuse him from strenuous activities.
Liam was thankful to the doctor, but even with the note in hand, he was well aware that his employer would have other ideas.
He hadn't checked his phone yet, but having missed more than three days of work, Liam was bracing himself for a verbal lashing. Even with a legitimate excuse for missing work, his boss was an insensitive block of ice who likely wouldn't try to understand his position.
______
Liam made the mistake of checking his phone and, to his surprise, he had only received calls from three people. The first was his insurance agency, informing him they didn't cover 'voluntary risks' taken by the victim.
This meant Liam would have to pay for his hospital stay himself.
The second caller was Natasha, his girl…well, his ex-girlfriend now. She had called only once and hadn't even left a message.
The last caller was his boss—or soon-to-be ex-boss, by the looks of it. That man had called Liam over 50 times in the past three days. It was a new record, and Liam was willing to bet he'd received more calls in those three days than in the entire month combined.
"Looks like it's time to face the music. Should I threaten to quit my job on short notice? I'll lose a month's pay and the experience certificate, but at least I won't have to listen to that man talk anymore."
It was a tempting idea, but Liam considered himself better than that.
The memories in his mind painted his past self as a virtuous and patient man. Liam wanted to live up to that image, so he decided to call his boss back.
Of course, the first thing he heard was an insult hurled by a fast-talking, loud man.
"Liam Sanders, explain why you've been missing work! Do you know how behind we are because of the stunt you just pulled? You need to get leave approved a month in advance!"
Loud and proud—that was Edward, Liam's boss.
The only reason Liam had taken this job was because no other employer had gotten back to him. His lack of money and desperate situation had forced him to accept the lousy contract.
"Boss, I got into an accident and was hit by a truck three days ago. I'm currently in the hospital—"
"Ugh, why did you have to get hit by a truck now of all times? Don't you know how important this period is for us? Who will handle the closing accounts and everything else? Look, I don't care what you do in your free time—get hit by a truck for all I care. BUT FOR NOW, COME IN AND FINISH YOUR WORK BEFORE THE DEADLINE."
Liam wanted to look at his phone in disbelief, wondering if his mind had made up what he'd just heard. But because he'd known Edward for years, Liam could tell the man was completely serious about having him come to work.
'Should I resign? Now that I have powers, maybe I can do something else?'
As soon as the thought entered his mind, Liam dismissed it. There was one reason for his hesitation—being discovered could mean becoming a government guinea pig and being forced to serve them instead of Edward.
'Tsk, humans live and die for money. Looks like I'm no exception. Let's just hang in there.'
"Oi, are you listening to me? Come to work tomorrow, or you're fired. I expect to see you ten minutes early!"
Edward didn't wait for a reply, mainly because he knew he didn't need one. The only choice Liam had to stay afloat was to show up at work the next day.
"Looks like I will have to go to work tomorrow. Ugh, I knew this was going to happen as soon as I picked up my phone. Edward is a bastard with no human decency, but at least he pays me on time…I should check out now. Do I even have enough in my bank account to pay for my treatment?"