05. Come Back Home

"I've told you many times, I don't want to give you anything anymore! You dirty beggar!"

A half-old man with a tall figure glared fiercely at a hunched elderly woman standing in front of his shop. The old woman wore a worn-out pink dress and both of her shoes had holes in various places.

"P-please, Sir. Tomorrow, my grandson will have an exam, and I want to give him bone soup to keep him motivated to study—"

"I don't care if your grandson has an exam or not. Old lady, just go away from my store! Your terrible appearance is scaring away my customers!" scolded the meat shop owner. He wore a blood-stained apron, and underneath it, his belly bulged due to his stingy and calculating nature.

"B-but..."

"Tch, go away!" Running out of patience, the meat shop owner stepped out of the store and pushed the old woman hard.

"Ahhh!"

The old woman fell onto the street and winced in pain as her entire aged body ached. The shop owner then spat to the side.

"Go away and never come back here!" The butcher shop owner sternly declared.

People on the street saw what was happening and whispered to each other, but none of them intended to help the poor woman. They all continued on their own way with an indifferent expression.

As the meat shop owner was about to turn back to his work and sell meat to the waiting customers inside, however, something suddenly pulled his pants.

"S-sir, I beg you. Give me the leftovers... or even the bones that didn't sell. I promise I'll pay you back next time. I want to boost my grandson's spirits before his school exam starts—" The old woman who was blind, looked up at the meat shop owner's face that she could not see at all while crying weakly. Tears flowed heavily from her eyes.

"Tch, you really can't be told properly, huh?" the meat shop owner said with an angry expression. He then looked around, making sure no New Orleans police were patrolling this place, in the area 72.

Grab—

The owner of the meat shop grabbed the hair of the old grandma, whose hair had turned completely white and thin, and her scalp showing through in some places, before dragging her to the side of the road.

"Aaaahhh! I-it hurts, sir! Please forgive me!"

"I've told you countless times not to beg in my shop again. Now, you'll feel the consequences, you disgusting old woman!"

"GRANDMA!"

From the side, a young man's shout was heard, followed by a strong push that sent the meat shop owner tumbling to the side due to this sudden attack.

"A… Ave?" Grandma Ave recognized the voice well. It was the voice of her only grandson, the one she cherished like her own child.

Ave, still filled with anger, breathed heavily, glaring at the meat shop owner. He had just come out of the cave behind the market in Area 72 with a joyful heart, intending to buy a gift for his grandmother when he witnessed this heartbreaking incident. Ave bit his lower lip hard, causing fresh blood to flow from it.

He hated himself for not being able to protect his grandmother properly.

"Ah, you jerk! Why did you push me, huh? Are you asking for trouble?" The store owner fumed with eyes wide open.

Ave chuckled briefly. "Asking for trouble? Looks like you got it all wrong, you stingy old fool. You're the one asking for trouble with me! How dare you bother my grandma! I'll make you feel the consequences!"

Consumed by anger, Ave panted as he searched for a rock or something to smash that cursed butcher shop owner's head. He could endure all the mistreatment directed at him, but if they dared to touch his grandma even once, Ave couldn't guarantee they'd live to see tomorrow.

For Ave, his grandma was the most important person in his life, as money and wealth meant for him. All those golds meant nothing if his grandma was not there by his side.

"Ave! Ave, don't do that, dear! Grandma is fine, really!" As Ave grabbed a rock the size of an adult's fist, he walked toward the butcher’s shop owner with the intent to kill, but his grandma grabbed one of his legs. Grandma Ave hugged Ave's leg and cried.

"Ave ... you don't need to do this. I’m fine. It's my fault for asking for the leftover bones because I want to make you bone soup tonight. It's okay, Ave, let's just go home, alright?"

Hearing his grandma's words, Ave's lips trembled as he held back his tears. His grip on the rock loosened and it fell to the ground.

"Why... Grandma? Why did you have to do that for me?" Ave asked weakly while feeling the tears that welled up in his eyes. He looked up, trying to hold back his tears.

Ave’s Grandma was always like this. She never thought about herself and was willing to do anything for Avery.

Back when Ave was in elementary school, he once stood up to a bully in his class and ended up sending the bully to the hospital. Ave’s Grandma Ave sacrificed all the savings she had collected little by little from selling junk and scraps so that someday they could move to a better place, just because Ave was almost reported to the police for assault.

Ave was so afraid that his grandma would be angry with him at that time, but Ave’s Grandma was not angry at all. She even carried little Ave on her back on the way home.

Since then, Ave promised himself not to cause any trouble that would burden his grandma. He wanted to make his grandma live happily, just like the life she had provided for him until now.

Ave was abandoned by his parents when he was a little kid and he was raised alone by his grandma.

So, for Ave, his only family in this world was his grandma. And because of that, he was willing to do anything, even if it meant to kill someone to protect his beloved grandmother.

[Ding!]

[The host's deep love for his grandmother has been channeled into the system.]

[The system is sorting through the right quest for the host.]

[Quest obtained]

//

[Bonus Quest - Defeat the Grandma Bully]

Grandma is in danger. Beat the meat shop owner and show that you're not someone to be messed with!

Rewards:

1 set of top-quality expensive meat

2,000 Gold Coins

Punishment:

None

//

Ave stood frozen as the new quest notification popped up. He felt that his life and his grandmother's were truly miserable. They could not even afford to eat real meat, just gnawing on the leftover bones his grandma managed to get from begging at every meat shop in the market area.

Ave's chest ached at the thought of it all.

He wanted to break free from this poor life.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the meat shop owner stood up again and hurriedly walked toward Ave and Ave’s grandmother.

"You darn kid, I'll definitely kill you. Just wait!" Feeling humiliated by Ave, he intended to grab the knife he usually used to cut meat and attack Ave with it.

He had lost his sanity. His mind was now filled with revenge and the desire to kill.

"Hey, system. Earlier, you said I could unlock one of the Underdog’s Wrath skills or whatever it is, right?" Ave asked the empty air.

[Answer: Yes, the host can activate the reward skill anytime. However, the obtained skill will be randomized.]

[Does the host want to activate the reward skill now?]

Ave nodded. He was poor and powerless. He did not care what kind of skill he would get now.

The most important thing was to protect his grandmother from evil people like them.

[Begin randomizing skill]

[A random skill has been obtained. Host received the skill 'Mighty Blow Lv. 1']

[Does the host want an explanation of the skill?]

"No need, all I need is just activate it and hit him, right?"

[Answer: Yes, that is how this skill works.]

Ave sighed in relief and nodded briefly.

"Then I don't need further explanation. System, activate the skill."

[Host's request has been accepted.]

[Skill 'Mighty Blow Lv. 1' has been activated.]

From the butcher shop direction, the shop owner came out holding two big knives, still covered in fresh animal blood. He ran towards Ave with reckless steps, as if he wanted to kill Ave right now.

"Rahhhhhh! I'll kill both of you!" shouted the butcher shop owner loudly, grabbing the attention of people along the market street. They gathered to see what was happening from a distance, afraid to approach because of the large knives in the butcher shop owner's hands.

"A-Ave?"

"Grandma, wait for me here for a moment. I'll be right back." Ave gently released his grip on his grandmother's leg and stepped forward, as if preparing to face the brutal attack. However, the young man had also prepared a counterattack. He clenched his fists tightly, and a bluish light gathered in the fist area.

"Feel this!" The butcher shop owner swung his knife recklessly at Ave, who instinctively ducked and immediately punched the man's groin with his skill.

Crack—!

Ave could hear the butcher shop owner's pelvic bone crack, followed by the possibility that his two "things" might have broken due to the fatal attack from the young man.

"Urk—! Ah … AHHHHHHHH!" The meat shop owner pulled wide-eyed as his groin got punched. He tumbled down while holding himself in pain.

"Hosh … hosh …." Ave glared at the dying man with a cold look. He felt one punch was not enough for what the guy did to his grandma. Yet, Ave was determined not to be a criminal and became a trouble for his grandmother. He turned away from the unfortunate man and returned to his grandma.

"Let's go, Grandma."

"Eh …? But what about the shop owner, Ave? H-he sounds like he's in pain? Is he okay?" Grandma Ave asked fearfully. They were the lowest caste in society, and going against a higher caste was like inviting their own death.

Ave shook his head and helped his grandma stand, then supported her to walk away from the place. "He's fine. Just slipped on his own. Let's go home. I'll cook for Grandma today."

"You don't have to do that. Grandma will cook for you—"

"Ssssst, today Grandma doesn't have to do anything. I'll cook and give you a good massage, so Grandma just needs to rest!"

They chatted while strolling down the narrow alley, the only way to Ave and his grandma's house in the slum area. As Ave reached the mouth of the alley, he glanced back and saw the shop owner once again. He was still crying in pain, but now a bunch of curious people surrounded him to know what had happened.

"Hmph—maybe I should have broken his hand too," Ave whispered to himself.

"What did you say, Ave?" asked his grandma, who was in his grandson's embrace.

Ave shook his head. "Nothing, let's go home."

//

[Ding!]

[Bonus Quest - Defeat the Bully Grandma completed.]

[Calculating quest rewards.]

[Quest rewards calculated. Host receives rewards:]

1 set of top-quality expensive meat

2,000 Gold Coins

//

Hearing the notification sound, Ave smiled a little at his grandma.

"Grandma, today we're having meat for dinner, okay? I got a gift from my friend at school!"

"Eeeeeh?"