006. Dinner

He got home later that evening and saw the mail with his payment on the front porch of his little apartment.

"That was way faster than I thought."

Below the envelope with the payment were the address and number of the school Mr. Wong founded and wanted him to join.

"He's way more persistent than my father."

He sighed a bit before he bent low and picked it up as well, then unlocked his door and walked in.

He stared out the door before he shut it—long enough to make sure he wasn't being followed by anyone. Not that anyone would want to follow someone like him, but you never know.

Afterwards, he moved straight to the floorboards in his small living room and pulled open a tile square, which revealed all the payments he had been receiving, both big and small, all piled up inside.

"This is the only place safe enough to keep these valuables."

He dumped it in and closed it back, before he relaxed and dropped to the half-torn couch. Then he raised up the card and stared at it.

"Should I really accept this offer? Even after everything they did?"

He laid back and glared at the ceiling, remembering when his family was still together—before they broke off from each other.

"I shouldn't look at it like that. I should reason this from a different angle. I need money to survive. I need a better place to live in. And I do need somewhere I can level up faster and this school offers all."

"If I take on this, I might actually be in a win win situation and not a loss."

He stared back at the card again for a long while before he shut his eye. After a while of thinking, he slowly opened his eyes.

"I'll make my decision after dinner.."

He stood up and walked over to his little kitchen and flipped open the old fridge he now used as a storage can since it was broken.

"Now what do we have here?"

He stared into the fridge for a while, then brought out some ingredients for a soup recipe his mother had taught him back when he was a kid and they all still lived together.

He flipped the fridge closed carefully to avoid unnecessary loud noises from the rusted hinges.

Then he checked for gas before he went over to the sink and dropped a pot in it, rinsed it, and dropped it on the fire.

The procedure took a long while due to the crude means, but he ended up with his result, which was the main point.

"Been long since I've had this. Good thing I decided to head to the farmers yesterday, their harvests are always better than that of the retailers," he murmured as he chowed down a spoonful of vegetables from the soup.

Then he dished a portion for himself on a plate and went straight to the parlour again because his apartment was too small to include a dining area, so he had to make do with what he had.

He sat on the couch and dropped his dinner on the center table and shifted it closer to himself.

"Decisions are best made with a filled stomach."

He drew closer and sipped the soup slowly, while thinking about the decision.

By the time he was done, he hadn't fully come to a conclusion yet.

"Looks like I'll have to accept, because I don't see why not. It would be better than to continue working as a carrier during dungeon raids."

He picked up his plate and walked over to the kitchen, still murmuring some words to himself.

"But I better be careful, I don't trust those guys. They give me the eeks."

He briefly glanced at the card on the table, then dropped the plates in the sink and walked toward his room.

The room wasn't big, just an average-sized room that accommodated a small-sized bed, enough for one person.

He dropped on the bed, the exhaustion from the dungeon slowly settling in on his bones and muscle fibres as he relaxed on the bed.

"What a sad life I've got. I've got options but no will to choose. Only been forced to choose since I was a kid, and it's the same."

He rolled to the side and faced the peeling wall, then he slowly dozed off from fatigue.

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Kael was fast asleep when he felt a soft sensation on his leg, and he immediately jolted up out of bed.

"Who's there?!"

He glanced around the room, but it was empty. Then he lowered his vision toward his legs and saw a cockroach clinging to the hairs on his leg like trees did to the earth, and he immediately shook his leg violently.

"Shit! You damn bug!"

He grabbed his footwear and smacked it, and its internal juice poured out from its abdomen.

"If I wasn't so disgusted by bugs, this would probably be an appetiser."

He rubbed his eyes and glanced around, only to notice it was morning. He didn't have anything that could tell the time. He never saw the need to afford a clock or a mobile phone because he saw the Internet as a distraction.

"I probably should have bought a clock at least."

He walked over to the window and struggled to pull open the glass, but it didn't budge.

So he retreated and rather went to the parlour instead. He grabbed a glass of water he left on the table the night before and gulped it down.

"I'm not sure if I overslept or not, but the sun's up and that means I should head over to the address."

He picked up the card again and stared at the address before he went back to his room to freshen up.

He wanted to see the school and its facilities. Even if he's a poor nobody, he still understood what a good facility was.

After a few minutes of freshening up, he came out and grabbed the card as the only thing he supposed he needed.

He glanced at the fridge and remembered, "Right, I don't have anything to eat for breakfast. I guess I'll just have to manage."

He went over to the tile, flipped it open, counted out a couple of coins he was sure he needed, and closed it back.

Then he walked out the door, making sure to shut and lock the door behind him.

The city was buzzing with life, the morning sunlight shining over Eldorado.

Eldorado was a lovely city—when you're rich, belonged to a noble family, or possessed a powerful ability. Unless you're part of those mentioned above, your point of view of Eldorado would be completely different.

The cab drove straight to the address he showed the driver on the card, and as he imagined, the school was grande.

The school's imposing facade loomed before him, its sprawling structure stretching across the landscape like a gentle giant. The entrance gates, adorned with the school's emblem, stood tall and proud, flanked by high walls that seemed to whisper tales of generations past.

Beyond the gates, a broad driveway curved gently, leading the eye to the main building's stately columns and arched windows, their glass glinting in the sunlight like a scattering of diamonds.

The building's façade was a warm, honey-colored stone, worn smooth in places by the touch of countless students over the years, giving the entire structure a sense of solidity and tradition.

Lush greenery – trees and manicured lawns – softened the edges of the architecture, hinting at the vibrant life that pulsed within.

"This might not be a bad idea after all."

He stepped in through the gates, displaying the card to the security personnel for entrance.

Students of different classes roamed the school grounds. He could notice the difference in abilities by the amount of mana that flooded the place.

He had to cover his nose slightly the rest of the way—he didn't want to react to the brewing mana pool from the students.

Inside, the school was as well-designed as the exterior, with notable student awards hanging on the pillars to showcase their might.

He glanced around for a while. "Doesn't seem easy enough to find Mr. Wong's office from here."

He turned around and tapped on a student that sat by some trees.

"Sorry to disturb, but do you know where Mr. Wong's office is?"

He wasn't really expecting an answer from him, but surprisingly, he took him by the hand—despite his looks—and dragged him down the hallway.

"Mr. Wong's office is this way. By the way, what's your name and what are you doing here? New intern?"

Kael nodded. "Yeah, I'm Kael. And you are?"

"I'm Joe. Just walk straight and you've arrived at Mr. Wong's office."

"Alright, thanks. I will."

He let go of his hand and watched as Kael walked toward Mr. Wong's office.

Kael didn't fully believe it, because it was impossible for a rich individual to be nice to him despite his looks. Every other student that passed stared at him with disdain.

"Must be a prank, but I'll never know unless I check," he sighed.

He opened the door and saw a female seated at a desk on the opposite side of the room.

He went in and walked up to her. "Good day, miss. I'm here to meet Mr. Wong?"

"Right, and do you have an appointment with him?" she asked, staring at his clothes.

"Yes, I do." He lifted the card and dropped it on the table.

She was about to respond to him before someone stepped out of the office doors behind her.