My house was situated near the community park of the town, far... far away from the nearest Hunter’s Clan for obvious reasons. The closer you were to a guild, the better the security.
The farther you got, the cheaper the rent.
I lived in a small apartment house. And unlike what Mark said, it definitely wasn’t a shack.
"Thank you."
I paid twenty dollars for some more food for the night. Nothing much, just rice rolls and meaty bread. Yes, it was expensive, but so was almost everything.
The economy was just like that with the introduction of dungeons and their by-products.
Even the Hunter who was beating the life out of me an hour ago surely earned around ten thousand a month from a reputable dungeon, with operation fees on the side.
I never had any talent for combat, nor could I use high-grade armaments because I was poor. Well, not a surprise, was it?
And because I was told regeneration was quite an overpowered skill, the heat of youth urged me to drop out of college mid-semester.
So yes, I couldn’t hunt, and now I couldn’t work.
Why am I brooding? Not like it would change anything.
Shaking my head, I looked ahead.
There, I noticed someone standing beneath a flickering street lamp.
It startled me, but I didn’t stare and started walking a little faster. Naturally, areas like these had many snatchers and pickpockets as well.
However, just as I was about to take the turn, I heard a voice.
"Kai, wait."
They knew me, and that voice sounded a little familiar.
I turned and finally saw the person.
"Jean?"
When she removed her cap, I saw her long black hair and emerald eyes.
My former classmate stood there with a... child in her arms.
My breath hitched in my throat.
It couldn’t be... right?
"I know this is too much for you to handle, and I should have come to you earlier, but I was forced by my situation." Her voice faintly trembled as she stepped closer to me.
I finally looked at the sleeping child in her arms. Chubby, snow-white cheeks and black lashes matching the hair on its scalp.
Its tiny fists were tightly clenched as it moved its lips in its sleep.
"Are you... certain?" I asked her, finally looking up.
She nodded. "I am, but you can still take a DNA test tomorrow. I don’t want you to doubt your own child."
She sounded certain, even though it had been almost two years since we last met.
I took a deep breath and asked, "Can I...?"
Her eyes gleamed briefly. Was she happy? I couldn’t tell what I was feeling either.
She nodded and stepped closer.
Very carefully, I cradled the little life in my arms.
"She is a girl... I haven’t named her yet," Jean informed me.
My lips curved without me realizing it as I stared down at the baby girl.
She weighed almost nothing. So delicate and soft, I feared the worst, so I kept the baby close to my chest.
Just then,
[Task: Hold your child for the first time.]
[Reward: Ten thousand dollars.]
[Note: All monetary and property rewards are legally sourced through the System’s registered corporate entity. The Host is recognized as a beneficiary, investor, and legal consultant of the organization.
All applicable taxes, fees, and regulatory obligations have been fulfilled. The organization possesses no publicly accessible ownership records.]
I was struck speechless by the sudden flash of the System screen before my eyes.
It was a translucent screen with blue and white letters, describing something hella sketchy.
Was I still hallucinating after that beating? Or was it some sort of skill?
"What happened?"
Hearing Jean’s voice, I was shaken out of my daze before shaking my head.
"Nothing... just astounded by how soft a baby could be." I faintly smiled before telling her, "Why don’t we go inside? Being outside in this locality at this hour is dangerous."
She nodded before I handed her the child... reluctantly.
Man, who could have thought holding a baby for the first time could be such a gentle sensation?
Regardless, I took out a key and opened the door for her.
"Please don’t mind the condition inside." I sheepishly smiled and welcomed them.
For the first time in my ten years of living alone, I regretted having my house so shabby and unorganized.
Regardless, I couldn’t save face now as Jean stepped inside, and I followed right after her.
[Task: Welcome your family into your house for the first time.]
[Reward: A 3 LDK apartment in the Kreacher’s Block.]
"...."
Another flash of a message appeared, and I knew this wasn’t an illusion at all, so I tried reading the task properly this time.
Welcoming my family into my house?
The child could be mine, but Jean and I were still... well, what were we anyway?
"Umm, can I put her down somewhere?" she asked, her voice indicating that she was tired.
Now that I noticed, her eyes were dark as well, possibly from lack of sleep, and she looked a lot thinner compared to the last time I saw her.
I didn’t make her wait and said, "Here."
Since it was just one room, we reached the bed on the side easily. And I dare say, my bed was the cleanest asset of my house.
She gently laid the baby down before I brought two foldable chairs so we could sit.
"Should I cover her with a blanket?" I asked, not sure if the temperature of the room was too harsh for her.
She shook her head. "No, it’s fine."
With that, she exhaled a sigh and sat down.
I sat beside her before she said, "You must have many questions, no? Where was I, or why did I appear before you now of all times?"
My lips parted, and I nearly agreed. I was genuinely curious why I was seeing my first crush after two years with our child, who was clearly already about a year old.
But looking at her, the only thing I could say was, "Let’s save the chat for tomorrow. If you aren’t hungry, sleep with the baby."
She was startled. "Ah, are you sure? I just barged in, and now you are allowing me to..."
I nodded without hesitation. "Yes, sleep for now. And if you are insecure about having me in the house, I can go and stay at a friend’s place."
Basically, the rundown office, since going to Mark’s place would surely create problems for him.
However, Jean shook her head and said, "No... please stay."
She faintly smiled and said, "I know you well enough to trust you with this."
That smile caused my heart to skip a beat.
I hurriedly looked away and got up.
"Then, I will prepare myself some dinner. You rest early."
She hummed before getting up.
As I reached the kitchen and took out my dinner, I found Jean already settled beside the baby, her eyes closed.
She... must be quite tired to easily fall asleep in this strange place.
I just watched them for quite a moment before finally asking quietly,
"System... are you really there?"
[I am, Host.]
Okay, so this System was as real as my first love sleeping in my bed.
This day couldn’t get any more unpredictable.