I'm on my way to a specific place...
In the distance, there are a few huge, very modern-looking skyscrapers, but I am heading in the opposite direction—following the memories I have acquired in this life.
The further I move away from the skyscrapers, the poorer the neighborhoods become, and the people in the side streets look increasingly wretched.
Amidst my newfound joy, I had briefly forgotten how unfair the world is.
.
I walk for a few minutes until I finally find myself standing in front of a tall apartment building.
...
*Thud Thud Thud.*
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"Who is there?"
An annoyed voice, sounding like someone who was already half-dead, called out from behind an old apartment door.
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"It's me, Jin."
...
...
"J-Jin!?"
This time, the voice doesn't sound half-dead, and heavy, rapid footsteps are quickly drawing nearer.
*Thud Thud Thud Thud Thud *
The footsteps grew louder, and the door was flung open.
.
.
"HEHEHAHAHA!!!"
"It really is you!"
"Have you finally given up on running away, my dear Jin? Hahahaha!"
"Are you finally going to work for me now, have you already brought my money!?"
"HAHAHAHA"
.
.
'+Eye of Truth+'
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// Status //
|—————————————————————
| Name: George Law |—————————————————————
| Age: 44
|—————————————————————
| Gender: Male
|—————————————————————
| Strength: 5/100
|—————————————————————
| Agility: 4/100
|—————————————————————
| Mana: 0/100
|—————————————————————
| Combat sense: 4/100 |—————————————————————
| Charm: 4/100 |—————————————————————
| Skills: none
|—————————————————————
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'Perfect. Looks like the Eye of Truth is working.'
.
"Yeah, George, I'm tired of running away. I want to work, but I haven't brought you any money yet."
"Hahahaha heeheehee"
"Don't worry about it, at least you've come back, my dear."
"But you know, in your current state, you can't do a normal job hehehaha you know what I mean, Jin!"
"Heeheeheehaahaa!"
"Let me hug you, my dear source of money. Because this is the last time I'll be so sweet to you. For running away and putting me in such a shitty situation. This is all your fault. So you have to be punished for it, hehe."
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_____________________________
*Ring Ring Ring*
"Asta Security-emergency Department—what is your emergency?"
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• Hello, I need an ambulance... •
...
• ... my uncle just fell out of the fifth-floor window.•
...
...
"Are you with him right now? Is he still moving and breathing?"
• I'm not with him right now. I'm still in the room he fell out of, but as far as I can see, he isn't moving. •
"Where are you located? Please verify your address."
• I'm at Swan Street 33 •
"Alright... help is on the way."
.
_______________________________
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'It's a good thing George landed on his face when he fell out of the window.'
'Otherwise, people might have noticed the injuries he already had on his face. The only problem is that his neck injury might be discovered, the one where I jammed that old syringe I found in the alley into his neck while he was hugging me.'
"I need to get rid of the syringe."
But it's a good thing I first called for help when I did, though, the neighbors had started to discover George's body. That's why it was handy that George has a phone, because I don't have one.
Even though many poor and addicts live in this neighborhood, it isn't a slum and the majority of the residents here are decent people.
Still, when I told the young woman on the phone where I lived, she sounded a bit annoyed when I mentioned Swan Street.
.
I need to prepare what I'm going to say when the ambulance arrives. It's possible that the police might show up as well, and I don't want to draw attention in front of them.
...
// Quest completed. First Blood: Kill a person. //
// Combat memories: level up! //
// level 0 → level 1 //
.
Suddenly, those headaches are coming back.
It is the same kind of headache I had when I regained my memories after reincarnating, but this time it was much weaker and shorter. I didn't find any clue in my memories about another reincarnation, but something feels strange, it's as if I'd already been practicing martial arts for a few years.
.
.
+ 3 Strength
+ 1 Agility
+ 1 Mana
+ 1 Combat sense
+1 Charm
.
.
"Status."
.
.
// Status //
|—————————————————————
| Name: Jin Law |—————————————————————
| Age: 16 +18 +18
|—————————————————————
| Gender: Male
|—————————————————————
| Strength: 7/100
|—————————————————————
| Agility: 7/100
|—————————————————————
| Mana: 5/100
|—————————————————————
| Combat sense: 6/100 |—————————————————————
| Charm: 49/100 |—————————————————————
| Skills:
| | Combat memories: Level 1
|—————————————————————
| hand-to-hand combat Instincts: Level 1
|—————————————————————
| Eye of Truth: Level 1
|—————————————————————
.
"So this is Combat Memories."
I feel stronger, significantly stronger. I can feel that ++Combat Memories++ is my strongest ability so far and I already love it.
To unlock it, I had to kill someone, and George was the right person for the job. It feels strange to kill someone, but it wasn't the first time I'd done it. The previous owner of this body had killed his mother; I know I didn't do it directly, but I inherited the exact memories and felt exactly what he had felt, It amounts to the same thing. But there is a big difference between the murder of my mother and my uncle.
I didn't feel anything when I killed George.
No sadness, no pity.
But it still felt strange, and I can't describe that feeling, I can only say that there are no emotions involved, or is it? Still, there is something there...i'm not sure...
But I know one thigs for sure: I stood up for myself, and I've become stronger because of it.
When the world is fucked and you have no power, you have to be the first to be cruel in order to survive. That is the one thing I've learned.
.
"Anyway. I have to get rid of the syringe.
even though it helped me win the fight so decisively, I have to say goodbye to it now."
'wow, almost sounds like I care.'
...
I decided to throw the bloody syringe out of a hallway window into an alley; no one would care about it, even if it were found. But it would be bad if the wound on George's neck were discovered and I were caught with a blood-spattered syringe. But now that it's been disposed of, there's nothing left to do but wait.
So I'm waiting. But isn't it a bit odd? It's been a few minutes since I disposed of the syringe, and almost half an hour since I called the emergency department. Did I give the wrong address?
No, I'm sure about that. Back when I lived with my uncle, we initially lived in a house closer to the city center. But when he ran into money trouble, he had to sell it to some thugs and move into this old fifth-floor apartment. Even though I have better memories of the first house, I'd never mix up the address.
.
// Quest available. //
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// The first link in the chain: Found an underground organization and get at least two people to join you. //
// reward: ??? //
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'Wow, unlocking a new quest happens really fast... does a new one unlock automatically as soon as one is completed?'
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___________________________
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Thanks for reading! :D
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to be continued
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