4

I recall hearing sirens. Ambulances and police, I think.

I could even picture Liz talking to an officer.

My body was put on a gurney and moved to a different place. It was shaking and rumbling.

I went back to sleep after that. It was long and dreamless.

When I finally opened my eyes, I could smell the medicine, hear the electrocardiogram machine buzzing, and see the writings.

There were more of them this time.

[PROFILE]

[NAME: HARRY MCKANE

AGE: 16 

LEVEL: 1 

STRENGTH: ANALYSIS AND FAST THINKING 

WEAKNESSES: TOO SCARED TO MAKE CHOICES

... click to see more]

[NOTIFICATION] 

(THERE ARE 3 UNREAD MESSAGES ...)

[MISSION]

(......)

There are a few more columns with different words below. But since it didn't make much sense, I didn't pay attention to it.

I was more interested in where I was. The hospital? The same one where Mom was treated?

No, no. This one seems more exclusive. I even got a room by myself.

When the door opened and Liz walked in, I was unsure how to greet her. "How many days?"

Liz seemed surprised and confused at the same time. "What?" But She understood right away. "Oh, Just a few hours."

Thank goodness. "No, no. I... thank you."

"First, I'll call the doctor so you can be checked out. Is there anything you want to eat? I'll buy it for you."

"Please also ask the doctor if I can go home, if you can."

Liz made a frowning face. "What? Of course not! You don't know how you were last night! You fell down and passed out all of a sudden, and your heartbeat was slow. I thought... I thought I had let something really bad happen."

I may not be very good at sports, but is it that bad? "Well ... um, it seems I have a conditon—"

"Seems?  You don't really know?"

I sighing. Why do people always interrupt my words when it's not important?   "It only happens once in a while, so I don't know if it's a big deal."

"Then let's make sure now," Liz said, still insistent. "Soon, the doctor will be here. I want you to ask him about your condition, too, okay?"

Liz's tone made it clear that she didn't want to be argued with. So, I didn't have a choice.

I looked at the time when she came back out. It's 10:00 in the morning. Is it too late to go to school? 

But the writing was what was bothering me so much now. It looked like it was floating.

Now, it wasn't in small columns, but on a single transparent screen that was very bright.

[RECOGNIZE YOURSELF]

"The game is on!" As our valued player, we want you to enjoy our features to the fullest. Get to know the System better and change your future!

Objective(s):

(*) Complete Tutorial Mode

(*) Increase your level by 1

(*) Add 1 points to your selected Attributes

(*) (Optional) Make your first [INVENTORY] save 

(*) (Optional)  Buy your first thing from the [SHOP]

Will the area I can move through be limited again if I don't finish this damn mission?

When I looked out the window, I saw the answer right away.

There was another floating text, and what looked like a wall made of a faint red energy field.

[Complete the mission to access this area]

Tsk! Fine. It's not as hard as before, anyway. Maybe, it''ll give me something interesting.

*#*

When I was done, the doctor came right away.

Does this System or something also affect other people?

[RECOGNIZE YOURSELF]

Mission Accomplished!

Claim Reward?

[Yes]  [No]

(Note: You have not completed any additional missions. Reward acceptance might not be maximal.)

Liz was nervously standing next to me as the doctor gave me a thorough checkup.

But after five minutes of waiting, the doctor gave a positive verdict. "Your body is deprived of nutrients. You don't exercise much?"

I laughed in a bad way. "Only occasionally. I'm a bit busy."

The doctor gave a nod. "There's nothing to worry about. Just get enough sleep, eat right, and work out more often."

This is good news. "Okay, so can I now go home?"

"I don't think it's a good idea, but if you want, I can give you vitamins to keep your body from going down again."

"Great. I think that sounds good, " I said with a lot of energy.

But the happiness didn't last long. Because after the doctor left to do his job, Liz, who had made a disappointed face, just shook her head and folded her arms.

She was sitting on my bed and said, "You're very stubborn, aren't you?"

I replied in a casual way, "I just don't want to waste my time."

Liz sighs. "You should know what happened last night," she said.

Actually, no. Knowing more about something that doesn't matter  won't do anything for me. But Liz had already opened her mouth when I wanted to shake my head.

"Just so you know, Mr. Sandler was not involved in anything suspicious. One day, he was financially constrained, while there were employees like you who also needed to be paid. Then the loan sharks came in and took advantage of him."

That was starting to sound plausible, but another question popped up.

"Even though we tried to fix the problem, the interest rates kept going up. They started making Mr. Sandler and his family's lives hell."

"Wait, we?" I interrupted, not understanding.

Liz looked at me in a way that made me think she was going to tell me a big secret that she shouldn't have to. "Only a few people know this, but Mr. Sandler and I agreed to run this restaurant together. Mr. Sandler is in charge of management and finances, while I'm in charge of technical things."

So that's why she sticks up for the Boss so much. And why I can be put in a luxurious room like this.

But even rich people like her bother to disguise themselves as employees, huh? Wait. Liz also mentioned financial matters which raised a bit of concern in me. "Em ... sorry, Miss, I—"

Liz chuckled. "Don't act so formal all of a sudden. We've known each other for a long time, after all. Just call me like usual."

How could any employee call their boss 'casually'? But since this was a 'order,' I'll just do it. "If the restaurant is having financial problems, is it... still, functioning as usual? You know..., for us working people."

Thankfully, Liz understood right away. "You don't have to worry about the pay. I've covered it with my reserve fund.." She put on a cheerful face. "You don't have to worry about those bad guys either. Once they're locked up, they won't bother you any more."

So... are they really under arrest now?

I don't know. When I heard that, I have an uneasy feeling.

That guy named Shane ... I don't think he'll stop even if he's arrested.

*#*

And, as expected, I felt like I was being watched when I went to the receptionist's office to take care of some paperwork. The situation turned out well, though, because someone paid for my medical bills.

I took a quick look back. Behind the door, eight men were sitting on a big motorcycle.

When I looked at one of them, he gave me a look that was... a little scary.

I thought I was overthinking it until I took a step away from the door and four people immediately approached the door. Their eyes were on me from behind.

What made everything clear was the warning from the floating writing.

[SAVE YOURSELF!]

A group of suspicious people are trying to catch you. Run and hide!

Objective(s):

(*) Survive!

Is that it?

When I saw that the hospital door was being opened, I took a thousand steps and left.

*#*

The best thing I could do was go to the bathroom and lock myself in a stall.

At this rate, it will only make things easier for them.

Three people laughed as they walked in.

"You should've seen him face last night. Help! Help! He said."

"Really?"

"Yes, he screamed and cried like a girl."

The other two laughed.

There was no mistaking it. However, I didn't come here unprepared. They weren't the only ones who didn't want to make a big fuss.

After learning a little bit about this System, I finally understood why I was able to win last night with just one attack.

[Advanced Observation]

Lv. 3 

Gives user the ability to scan something or someone to find out the best way to win. Effectiveness and completeness of information depends on skill level (will automatically take 30 Mana Points per second)

I check [PROFILE] and looked at what was avalaible.

[NAME: HARRY MCKANE

AGE: 16 

LEVEL 3 

ANE: 16 YEARS OLD,

LEVEL 3

STRENGTH: ANALYSIS AND QUICK THINKING 

WEAKNESSES: TOO SCARED TO MAKE A CHOICE

HP: 1500/3000

MP: 1500/3000

STRENGTH: 10

VITALITY: 15

AGILITY: 15

INTELLIGENCE: 21

SPEED: 21

(WARNING: You still have 15 attribute points to use!)]

So, I only have 50 seconds and, if I'm lucky, I can only take about two hits.

But 15 attribute points that come from leveling up can be used.

After steadying myself and sighing, I opened the lavatory stall.

The three people were already waiting behind it while wearing smiles.

"You're... so hard to find," said one of them.

[NAME: SILAS

AGE: 28

STRENTG: FAST REFLEXES

WEAKNESSES: HAS A STAB WOT ON HIS ABDOMEN THAT HASN'T DRIED UP COMPLETELY

... click to see more]

I didn't wait for this one to attack.

I had my fist tight and was going for his weak spot. The man called Silas caught me with ease and confusion. "Don't you dare!"

I wasn't at the end of my rope. I took advantage of how tight and small the bathroom was and did something I never thought I would do: I jumped.

Silas tried to let go, but he fell with me instead, which caught him off guard.

I let go of his hand, stood up, and stomped on his stomach, which was his weak spot.

The wound looked like it was still very wet. Because when I did that, Silas opened his mouth wide, screamed, and then passed out.

I looked at the remaining two, who were wary as they looked back at me. I stuck up my hand. "Listen, this doesn't have to end badly between us."

Too late. One of them stepped up.

I activated [Advance Observation] once more, not to find out his weaknesses, but to look for ways to win.

[Result confirmed!]

You have an 80% chance of knocking out your opponent by giving them an uppercut.

This one's attack was almost as fast as Shane's, but I had prepared for that as well.

[Add +15 Points to Agility?]

[Confirm]     [Decline]

Thanks to the added agility, my movements suddenly became as slick as an acrobat's. I dodged him almost as smoothly as a dance, delivering a straight fist from below to the man's neck as hard as I could, sending him flying backward.

The hit didn't hurt very much, but it must have thrown him off. He took a step back, slipped, and fell, hitting his head on the urinal.

I hope it will be a long time before he wakes up.

"You ... prick!" The only person left took out a knife.

At the same time, the 40th second had already passed.

I checked how many Mana Points I still had.

[MP: 300/3000]

If I used [Skill] for too long, I might pass out. Even now, my vision is blurry and dim. "Wait, wait," I said, putting my hand up again.

Fortunately, this one still had the sanity not to fight back.

I waited until he had enough time to calm down. "All I want to do is talk."

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked impatiently.

"Look, I might have done something wrong and made your leader look bad. I'd like to meet him and give him a gift as a way to say sorry."

"A gift?"

"I know who you are, and I want to warn you that the business you're running right now doesn't look good for the future."

The man yelled, "What did you say?" as he raised his weapon again.

I backed away quickly and shook all over as I did so. "I-I'm just saying what it is. People will always be in debt, but how much do you get from them in a year?" His silence and look of shock show that I was right. Good! "Because of this, you insist on charging high interest rates, and the people who owe you money leave. Nothing came to you."

"So what? Have you got a better plan?"

"I do. In fact, this would be a fantastic business opportunity if your boss wants to cooperate."

"Business?"

This time, I couldn't hold back my excitement. "It's about stuffs that can make everyone taste heaven."

[SAVE YOURSELF!]

Mission Accomplished!

Claim Reward?

[Yes] [No]

[Reward received!]

[+100 Gold,

+100 Experience Points,

+10 Charisma]

[Take It]    [Refuse]

Now, It's all set.

I recall hearing sirens. Ambulances and police, I think.

I could even picture Liz talking to an officer.

My body was put on a gurney and moved to a different place. It was shaking and rumbling.

I went back to sleep after that. It was long and dreamless.

When I finally opened my eyes, I could smell the medicine, hear the electrocardiogram machine buzzing, and see the writings.

There were more of them this time.

[PROFILE]

[NAME: HARRY MCKANE

AGE: 16 

LEVEL: 1 

STRENGTH: ANALYSIS AND FAST THINKING 

WEAKNESSES: TOO SCARED TO MAKE CHOICES

... click to see more]

[NOTIFICATION] 

(THERE ARE 3 UNREAD MESSAGES ...)

[MISSION]

(......)

There are a few more columns with different words below. But since it didn't make much sense, I didn't pay attention to it.

I was more interested in where I was. The hospital? The same one where Mom was treated?

No, no. This one seems more exclusive. I even got a room by myself.

When the door opened and Liz walked in, I was unsure how to greet her. "How many days?"

Liz seemed surprised and confused at the same time. "What?" But She understood right away. "Oh, Just a few hours."

Thank goodness. "No, no. I... thank you."

"First, I'll call the doctor so you can be checked out. Is there anything you want to eat? I'll buy it for you."

"Please also ask the doctor if I can go home, if you can."

Liz made a frowning face. "What? Of course not! You don't know how you were last night! You fell down and passed out all of a sudden, and your heartbeat was slow. I thought... I thought I had let something really bad happen."

I may not be very good at sports, but is it that bad? "Well ... um, it seems I have a conditon—"

"Seems?  You don't really know?"

I sighing. Why do people always interrupt my words when it's not important?   "It only happens once in a while, so I don't know if it's a big deal."

"Then let's make sure now," Liz said, still insistent. "Soon, the doctor will be here. I want you to ask him about your condition, too, okay?"

Liz's tone made it clear that she didn't want to be argued with. So, I didn't have a choice.

I looked at the time when she came back out. It's 10:00 in the morning. Is it too late to go to school? 

But the writing was what was bothering me so much now. It looked like it was floating.

Now, it wasn't in small columns, but on a single transparent screen that was very bright.

[RECOGNIZE YOURSELF]

"The game is on!" As our valued player, we want you to enjoy our features to the fullest. Get to know the System better and change your future!

Objective(s):

(*) Complete Tutorial Mode

(*) Increase your level by 1

(*) Add 1 points to your selected Attributes

(*) (Optional) Make your first [INVENTORY] save 

(*) (Optional)  Buy your first thing from the [SHOP]

Will the area I can move through be limited again if I don't finish this damn mission?

When I looked out the window, I saw the answer right away.

There was another floating text, and what looked like a wall made of a faint red energy field.

[Complete the mission to access this area]

Tsk! Fine. It's not as hard as before, anyway. Maybe, it''ll give me something interesting.

*#*

When I was done, the doctor came right away.

Does this System or something also affect other people?

[RECOGNIZE YOURSELF]

Mission Accomplished!

Claim Reward?

[Yes]  [No]

(Note: You have not completed any additional missions. Reward acceptance might not be maximal.)

Liz was nervously standing next to me as the doctor gave me a thorough checkup.

But after five minutes of waiting, the doctor gave a positive verdict. "Your body is deprived of nutrients. You don't exercise much?"

I laughed in a bad way. "Only occasionally. I'm a bit busy."

The doctor gave a nod. "There's nothing to worry about. Just get enough sleep, eat right, and work out more often."

This is good news. "Okay, so can I now go home?"

"I don't think it's a good idea, but if you want, I can give you vitamins to keep your body from going down again."

"Great. I think that sounds good, " I said with a lot of energy.

But the happiness didn't last long. Because after the doctor left to do his job, Liz, who had made a disappointed face, just shook her head and folded her arms.

She was sitting on my bed and said, "You're very stubborn, aren't you?"

I replied in a casual way, "I just don't want to waste my time."

Liz sighs. "You should know what happened last night," she said.

Actually, no. Knowing more about something that doesn't matter  won't do anything for me. But Liz had already opened her mouth when I wanted to shake my head.

"Just so you know, Mr. Sandler was not involved in anything suspicious. One day, he was financially constrained, while there were employees like you who also needed to be paid. Then the loan sharks came in and took advantage of him."

That was starting to sound plausible, but another question popped up.

"Even though we tried to fix the problem, the interest rates kept going up. They started making Mr. Sandler and his family's lives hell."

"Wait, we?" I interrupted, not understanding.

Liz looked at me in a way that made me think she was going to tell me a big secret that she shouldn't have to. "Only a few people know this, but Mr. Sandler and I agreed to run this restaurant together. Mr. Sandler is in charge of management and finances, while I'm in charge of technical things."

So that's why she sticks up for the Boss so much. And why I can be put in a luxurious room like this.

But even rich people like her bother to disguise themselves as employees, huh? Wait. Liz also mentioned financial matters which raised a bit of concern in me. "Em ... sorry, Miss, I—"

Liz chuckled. "Don't act so formal all of a sudden. We've known each other for a long time, after all. Just call me like usual."

How could any employee call their boss 'casually'? But since this was a 'order,' I'll just do it. "If the restaurant is having financial problems, is it... still, functioning as usual? You know..., for us working people."

Thankfully, Liz understood right away. "You don't have to worry about the pay. I've covered it with my reserve fund.." She put on a cheerful face. "You don't have to worry about those bad guys either. Once they're locked up, they won't bother you any more."

So... are they really under arrest now?

I don't know. When I heard that, I have an uneasy feeling.

That guy named Shane ... I don't think he'll stop even if he's arrested.

*#*

And, as expected, I felt like I was being watched when I went to the receptionist's office to take care of some paperwork. The situation turned out well, though, because someone paid for my medical bills.

I took a quick look back. Behind the door, eight men were sitting on a big motorcycle.

When I looked at one of them, he gave me a look that was... a little scary.

I thought I was overthinking it until I took a step away from the door and four people immediately approached the door. Their eyes were on me from behind.

What made everything clear was the warning from the floating writing.

[SAVE YOURSELF!]

A group of suspicious people are trying to catch you. Run and hide!

Objective(s):

(*) Survive!

Is that it?

When I saw that the hospital door was being opened, I took a thousand steps and left.

*#*

The best thing I could do was go to the bathroom and lock myself in a stall.

At this rate, it will only make things easier for them.

Three people laughed as they walked in.

"You should've seen him face last night. Help! Help! He said."

"Really?"

"Yes, he screamed and cried like a girl."

The other two laughed.

There was no mistaking it. However, I didn't come here unprepared. They weren't the only ones who didn't want to make a big fuss.

After learning a little bit about this System, I finally understood why I was able to win last night with just one attack.

[Advanced Observation]

Lv. 3 

Gives user the ability to scan something or someone to find out the best way to win. Effectiveness and completeness of information depends on skill level (will automatically take 30 Mana Points per second)

I check [PROFILE] and looked at what was avalaible.

[NAME: HARRY MCKANE

AGE: 16 

LEVEL 3 

ANE: 16 YEARS OLD,

LEVEL 3

STRENGTH: ANALYSIS AND QUICK THINKING 

WEAKNESSES: TOO SCARED TO MAKE A CHOICE

HP: 1500/3000

MP: 1500/3000

STRENGTH: 10

VITALITY: 15

AGILITY: 15

INTELLIGENCE: 21

SPEED: 21

(WARNING: You still have 15 attribute points to use!)]

So, I only have 50 seconds and, if I'm lucky, I can only take about two hits.

But 15 attribute points that come from leveling up can be used.

After steadying myself and sighing, I opened the lavatory stall.

The three people were already waiting behind it while wearing smiles.

"You're... so hard to find," said one of them.

[NAME: SILAS

AGE: 28

STRENTG: FAST REFLEXES

WEAKNESSES: HAS A STAB WOT ON HIS ABDOMEN THAT HASN'T DRIED UP COMPLETELY

... click to see more]

I didn't wait for this one to attack.

I had my fist tight and was going for his weak spot. The man called Silas caught me with ease and confusion. "Don't you dare!"

I wasn't at the end of my rope. I took advantage of how tight and small the bathroom was and did something I never thought I would do: I jumped.

Silas tried to let go, but he fell with me instead, which caught him off guard.

I let go of his hand, stood up, and stomped on his stomach, which was his weak spot.

The wound looked like it was still very wet. Because when I did that, Silas opened his mouth wide, screamed, and then passed out.

I looked at the remaining two, who were wary as they looked back at me. I stuck up my hand. "Listen, this doesn't have to end badly between us."

Too late. One of them stepped up.

I activated [Advance Observation] once more, not to find out his weaknesses, but to look for ways to win.

[Result confirmed!]

You have an 80% chance of knocking out your opponent by giving them an uppercut.

This one's attack was almost as fast as Shane's, but I had prepared for that as well.

[Add +15 Points to Agility?]

[Confirm]     [Decline]

Thanks to the added agility, my movements suddenly became as slick as an acrobat's. I dodged him almost as smoothly as a dance, delivering a straight fist from below to the man's neck as hard as I could, sending him flying backward.

The hit didn't hurt very much, but it must have thrown him off. He took a step back, slipped, and fell, hitting his head on the urinal.

I hope it will be a long time before he wakes up.

"You ... prick!" The only person left took out a knife.

At the same time, the 40th second had already passed.

I checked how many Mana Points I still had.

[MP: 300/3000]

If I used [Skill] for too long, I might pass out. Even now, my vision is blurry and dim. "Wait, wait," I said, putting my hand up again.

Fortunately, this one still had the sanity not to fight back.

I waited until he had enough time to calm down. "All I want to do is talk."

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked impatiently.

"Look, I might have done something wrong and made your leader look bad. I'd like to meet him and give him a gift as a way to say sorry."

"A gift?"

"I know who you are, and I want to warn you that the business you're running right now doesn't look good for the future."

The man yelled, "What did you say?" as he raised his weapon again.

I backed away quickly and shook all over as I did so. "I-I'm just saying what it is. People will always be in debt, but how much do you get from them in a year?" His silence and look of shock show that I was right. Good! "Because of this, you insist on charging high interest rates, and the people who owe you money leave. Nothing came to you."

"So what? Have you got a better plan?"

"I do. In fact, this would be a fantastic business opportunity if your boss wants to cooperate."

"Business?"

This time, I couldn't hold back my excitement. "It's about stuffs that can make everyone taste heaven."

[SAVE YOURSELF!]

Mission Accomplished!

Claim Reward?

[Yes] [No]

[Reward received!]

[+100 Gold,

+100 Experience Points,

+10 Charisma]

[Take It]    [Refuse]

Now, It's all set.