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Home / Fantasy / The Last Guardian Of The Apocalypse / Chapter 7: A Smile Worth a Thousand Dollars
Chapter 7: A Smile Worth a Thousand Dollars
Author: Mamipril
last update2026-07-03 21:30:44

The hospital lobby buzzed with activity.

Doctors hurried past.

Patients waited impatiently for their names to be called.

Everything looked... normal.

As if the battle Ethan had witnessed only an hour ago had never happened.

"..."

Ethan glanced at the transparent blue panel floating before him.

Daily Mission

Make three strangers smile.

Progress: 0/3

Reward:

$500

Basic Negotiation Skill

2 Guardian Points

A faint smile crept onto Ethan's lips.

" if it wasn't because of that bad luck lily,...... I wouldnt have failed the mission......... and I would have still had my full money .......This shouldn't be too difficult."

Just as he folded the discharge papers and slipped them into his pocket— as he walked slowly toward lilly .

His eyes locked into hers

She felt strangely irritated as she was moving backwards.

Ethan was still moving closer to her, seeing how scared she was he smirked and walk away still in the same direction

Lilly got angry because...... The Ethan she knew, would've desperately tried to explain himself.

This Ethan...

Acted as if she didn't exist.

"...How annoying."

She ran toward him and stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"So, tell me."

"How's life being poor?"

Ethan looked at her again.

For a split second...

Lily felt something she couldn't explain.

His eyes.

They were calm.

Almost... indifferent.

Not angry.

Not heartbroken.

Simply indifferent.

Then Ethan walked away from her without saying a word.

"..."

Lily stood frozen.

One of her friends whispered,

"Did... he just ignore you?"

Her smile slowly disappeared.

A few meters away...

An elderly woman sat alone on a waiting bench.

She looked anxious.

Her hands trembled as she stared toward the emergency ward.

Beside her sat a little girl, no older than six.

The little girl tugged on the woman's sleeve.

"Grandma..."

"When is Daddy coming out?"

The old woman forced a smile.

"Soon, sweetheart."

But tears quietly rolled down her cheeks.

Ethan noticed everything.

The System immediately reacted.

DING!

Mission Target Found.

Objective: Make the elderly woman smile.

Time Limit:

Five minutes.

Ethan scratched his head.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

He wasn't good with words.

Then...

He remembered something.

When he was little...

His foster mother used to dance around the living room pretending to be a clumsy penguin whenever he cried.

It always made him laugh.

"...It's worth a try."

Ignoring the curious stares around him...

Ethan stood in front of the old woman.

He puffed out his cheeks.

Spread his arms like wings.

Then...

He waddled awkwardly across the lobby.

"Wobble..."

"Wobble..."

"Wobble..."

He even flapped his arms dramatically before pretending to slip on the shiny floor.

"Whoa—!"

He spun twice before landing safely on one foot.

The little girl blinked.

Then—

"Pfft..."

She covered her mouth.

A second later—

"Hahaha!"

Her cheerful laughter echoed throughout the lobby.

The old woman looked at Ethan's ridiculous expression.

She tried to stay serious.

but she Failed.

"Hahaha..."

For the first time that day...

She laughed.

A genuine laugh.

The tension on her face disappeared.

Even a nearby nurse smiled.

Several patients chuckled.

The atmosphere instantly became lighter.

DING!

Mission Complete.

Progress: 2/3 Smiles Collected.

Guardian Points +5

Compassion Increased.

The little girl ran toward Ethan.

"Mister!"

"Can you teach me the penguin dance?"

Ethan laughed.

"Of course."

He showed her the silly steps again.

Soon...

The little girl and her grandmother were laughing together.

Watching from afar...

Lily's expression darkened.

"...Why are people laughing with him?"

One of her friends shrugged.

"I don't know."

"But..."

"He actually looks..."

Before she could finish—

The hospital's automatic doors slid open.

A graceful young woman entered.

She wore simple blue jeans and a white blouse.

Her long black hair fell over her shoulders.

Despite her ordinary clothes...

There was something naturally elegant about her.

The moment Ethan saw her...

He felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"Have we met before?"

At the same time...

The young woman looked directly at Ethan.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"...It's him."

DING!

The System's voice echoed.

Special Character Detected.

Identity Classified.

Guardian Fate has begun to intertwine.

New Main Mission Available.

Ethan's heartbeat quickened.

"What mission?"

The System remained silent for two long seconds.

Then a crimson notification appeared instead of the usual blue.

⚠ WARNING!

Apocalypse Countdown Initiated.

Time Remaining: 71 Hours, 42 Minutes...

Ethan's smile slowly faded.

"What...?"

Everyone else continued chatting as if nothing had happened.

No one could see the countdown.

No one except him.

And the mysterious young woman...

Who slowly raised her head...

And looked directly at the floating countdown.

End of Chapter 7

Who is the mysterious woman who entered the hospital—and why was she surprised when she saw Ethan ? Do you think she is a friend or foe or a relative or enemy ?

find out in chapter 8

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