Resolve and Decisions

Mr. Farrell cleared his throat sharply, drawing Kai's attention. His voice remained professional yet firm as he extended a sleek silver pen toward Kai.

"You're to make a decision, sir Draven..." Mr. Farrell began.

"...either stay with the association and receive a hefty sum of $4,000 per month, with housing fully covered for you... or." he paused, his tone growing colder.

"...you can leave the association, relinquishing any right to sue in exchange for an $80,000 compensation."

Kai's heart raced, his mind already leaping ahead to the possibilities. He had been so elated on hearing Mr. Farrell's words that he almost leaped from his bed in joy.

'Who gives a damn about a lawsuit?' he thought gleefully.

'Joke's on them. I'm broke as hell—there's no way I could even afford a lawyer!'

A greedy grin tugged at the corners of his lips, and a bead of saliva threatened to escape his mouth.

'With 80 grand, I can actually eat more than once a day with that money.'

The offer seemed perfect—perhaps too good to be true. But right now, Kai didn't care.

He was sick of risking his life for an association that constantly reminded him of his weaknesses. In truth, He hated being a sorcerer.

The danger, the disdain from his comrades, and the weight of near-death experiences had piled up too high for him to ignore any longer.

This was freedom on a silver platter.

Without hesitation, Kai snatched the pen from Mr. Farrell's hand and brought it toward the dotted line beneath the $80,000 section. His grip tightened as he prepared to scribble his signature.

But then, at the final moment, his hand froze.

Confusion flickered across his face, as a thought etched in his head.

'What...?' His mind screamed at him to take the money. The plan was already mapped out—food, horse race bets, and a carefree life far from danger.

Yet his body resisted.

'Why do I feel like I don't want this?' he wondered, the pen trembling between his fingers.

'No, that's absurd. Of course I want this job..so why am I... rejecting free money? What kind of idiot does that?!'

Renji and Mr. Farrell observed him closely. Their expressions betrayed no surprise; they clearly expected him to choose the compensation. Any seeker, especially one like Kai would do that.

Still, Kai was never the type to care for what people thought of him. He had been used to the slurs thrown at him on the daily for the life he lived, so this was not new territory for him.

The pen scratched against the paper as he signed— and then he extended the document to Mr. Farrell.

Mr. Farrell's brow furrowed as he accepted the contract, glancing down at Kai's choice.

At that moment, right before the words could escape from Mr. Farrell's mouth, Renji's spoke aloud.

"You chose to stay with the association, despite the risks at stake." Renji said, his voice calm yet curious.

Kai's lips parted in disbelief.

'How does he do that?' Kai thought, bewildered. Renji hadn't even looked at the document, yet he had known his decision. Perhaps he was moving a bit too fast for Kai to see.

"Yes, sir." Kai answered hesitantly.

"Why's that?"

Kai hesitated, his thoughts churning as he searched for the best reply he could come up with. He needed an answer—not just for Renji but for himself.

After a brief pause, he spoke.

"That night... it showed me just how powerless I am in this world...and in the heat of battle, my comrades made it clear—I was the one who deserved to die there, not them."

Renji's eyes gleamed with sudden interest.

"So?" Renji pressed, leaning forward slightly.

"You just wanna keep going? Is that it?"

Kai clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.

"No."

"I'm going to spite them all by becoming the strongest sorcerer that has ever lived and live the comfortable life I deserve."

The air in the room grew cold as Kai muttered his revolve. It has truly a chilling phrase to hear..

Mr. Farrell cast a wary glance at Renji, seemingly anticipating a hostile reaction. After all, Kai had just declared his intention to claim a position of power in a world where Renji stood atop of.

But instead of anger, Renji's lips curved into a confident grin.

"That's stupid," Renji said, standing to his full height.

"You don't stand a chance as long as I'm still breathing."

Regardless, Kai's eyes stkll burned with defiance as he muttered.

"That's what you think...But I'll show you. I'll get strong enough to kill that god-devil that took my comrades."

And then, for the first time, shock flickered across both Mr. Farrell's and Renji's faces.

Kai noticed it immediately—the brief crack in Renji's usual composure.

But just as quickly, Renji's grin returned. He stepped toward the door without another word.

"That'll be all for now," Renji said coolly.

"I need to have a conversation with my superior." He paused at the threshold.

"I'll be seeing you around, Kai Draven."

Kai opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat as Renji turned and strolled out of the room. Mr. Farrell followed close behind, leaving Kai alone in the room.

'Umm... I'll be seeing you too, I guess... weirdo.' Kai thought sarcastically.

With his superiors finally gone, his gaze drifted to a familiar glow hovering beside him.

It was the system, greeting him with it's blood red glowy chime.

[Ding!]

[The first step is now complete.]

[The second step has now begun!]

[Assessing player stats... please wait...]

Kai frowned.

'"Assessing player stats?"' he muttered.

'I'm still not sure if this system is real or fake. But for some reason, it doesn't wanna leave me alone. This isn't how I imagined my otaku life.'

[0%... 27%... 56%... 82%...complete.]

A holographic display materialized, revealing Kai's stats. He blinked in disbelief.

[Player: Kai Draven

Age: 18 years old

Strength: 8

Skill: 7

Stamina: 4

Endurance: 7

Mana: 1

Player level: Seeker]

Kai's lips twisted into a scowl.

"Stats...more like insults." he muttered.

[Ding!]

[Player stats processed.]

[Your stats are pathetic!]

Honestly, Kai was used to recieving insults on the daily, but an insult from a lifeless system, that hit harder.

However, something else caught his attention, another notification floating behind the former message.

[Wishes: 7/9 wishes used.]

Kai's eyes widened.

"Seven wishes?How's that possible? I only wished for Muri's death... or was it counting my failed wishes too?"

Another notification popped up as well, displaying a text which left Kai utterly speechless.

[When player has exhausted all 9 wishes, player will lose his right to live.]

Simply put, he'd die once he had exhausted all nine wishes