Chapter 122: Ch:122 First rule

Gary and Jessica exchanged a few words. To Daniel’s surprise, the man soon recognized him as Marnie’s son, having heard about him from Jessica.

“By the way, did you hear what happened to Tressa yesterday?” Gary said, his voice dropping low.

“No,” she replied, giving a small shake of her head.

Gary leaned in close to her ear, cupping a hand beside his lips so his words wouldn’t spill beyond her.

“I heard her husband hit her yesterday,” Gary whispered into her ear.

“What? Seriously!?” Jessica said, her expression full of surprise.

“Shh…” Gary hushed her, quickly raising his index finger to his lips.

“Oh, okay,” Jessica replied, giving a small nod.

A moment of silence settled over the marketplace. A few strangers gave them quick glances before turning away. Meanwhile, Daniel observed them calmly.

“Status,” he whispered under his breath.

————————

Name: Gary Kasparo

Age: 31

HP: 1400/1400

Mana: 400/400

Description: A kind and humble man who strives to become a better version of himself. Especially a better father to his children.

————————

“Alright, Jessica. I have to go now, Bye…” Gary said, giving a small wave before turning away.

Jessica raised her right hand for a moment in response, then slowly lowered it.

“Aunt, what happened to Lady Tressa?” Daniel asked with a worried expression.

Jessica turned and met his eyes. “Nothing, Let’s go and buy some meat.”

…

After buying the goat meat, they left the butcher shop and walked eastward toward the residential area.

Midway through the road, Jessica spoke.

“Daniel, are you free tonight?” she asked, biting her lower lip with a smile.

Daniel nodded already knowing her intentions. “Even if there’s a thunderstorm or an earthquake, I’d still come for you…r food.”

Jessica chuckled. “O-okay… I’ll make something new and special tonight.”

With that, Daniel handed her the woven basket, and the two of them walked their separate ways toward home. However, halfway down the road, Daniel changed direction and headed west.

A short while later, he arrived at the horse stable.

“Sir, I’m back to buy some hay,” Daniel said in a steady tone.

…

Daniel sat on the floor with his legs crossed, spending his time crafting new dolls.

“…And done,” he murmured, staring at the finished doll in his hands.

In total, he made four new dolls within half an hour. His hands moved with precision, his fingers twisting with practiced ease as if making hay dolls had become second nature to him.

Daniel withdrew the used dolls and set them aside, replacing them with the new, unused ones. Just then, a random idea popped into his mind.

’What if I…’ he thought, his eyes fixed on the doll.

“Far,” he murmured.

——————

Name: Marnie Medan

Quality: Good

Exp: 4998/10000

Mark: Confirmed

——————

“No way… it actually worked,” Daniel whispered, a look of surprise crossing his face. “Hmm… now I see the full picture. Mom just needs half more EXP to level up her quality. But, what about others? Let’s check theirs as well.”

“Far,” he whispered.

——————

Name: Belinda Blair

Quality: Outstanding

Exp: 0/15000

Mark: Not confirmed

——————

“Hmm… that makes sense,” Daniel thought, then grabbed another doll.

——————

Name: Jessica Jane

Quality: Outstanding

Exp: 240/15000

Mark: Confirmed

——————

…

One after another, Daniel’s eyes moved over the dolls, examining each with careful attention.

Tina Karame [ Exp: 1436/10000 | Mark: Confirmed ].

Elira Blair [ Exp: 1399/15000 | Mark: Confirmed].

Tressa rode [ Exp: 1558/15000 | Mark: Confirmed].

Esmeralda Frant [ Exp: 2305/15000 | Mark: Confirmed].

Daniel’s mind began calculating probabilities, while his mana had already drained drastically without him noticing.

The mana in this world recovered in an order of nature. When a single drop of mana is used by the user, it began the recovery process which takes twenty four hours to recover.

*Yawn~*

“Hwaah… ahm… I think I need a nap seriously, running for a week straight has literally reset my body.” he muttered to himself.

Daniel rose to his feet, carefully placed the seven dolls in a cloth sack inside the wardrobe, and then settled onto the bed for a short nap.

…

Hours later, as the sun began to sink toward the horizon, Daniel awoke suddenly on pure instinct.

“Ow shit, the sun is already low,” he whispered, eyes fixed on the window.

Daniel closed the window, lit the lantern, and took a towel from his wardrobe before heading straight to the well. After a quick bath, he returned, changed into fresh clothes, and left his room, locking the door behind him.

He wore a brown tunic and black cotton pants, with a leather belt tucked inside his pouch. Brimming with energy, he walked toward her house.

Along the way, he couldn’t resist stopping to buy a rose for her, knowing it was her favorite flower.

*Knock-Knock*

Soon, Jessica opened the door, but to his surprise, her expression was deadpan. Yet he didn’t hesitate to pull the rose from behind his back. In an instant, her mind seemed to return — only to vanish again within seconds.

“Aunt is everything alright?” Daniel asked with a neutral expression.

Jessica smiled softly. “Yes, Daniel. Come, come inside.”

He stepped inside. The hallway looked ordinary, but as he walked past, he heard a snore coming from her bedroom.

“Aunt, who’s in your room?” Daniel asked.

“Ugh… it’s your uncle,” Jessica replied, her tone dragging with each word. “He came home a little drunk from work.”

Daniel sensed a hint of frustration in her mind, a fragment of a story that refused to reveal the full truth of what had really happened.

…

Somewhere in a secret hideout.

“What! Don’t you know we can’t afford to be seen? What does the first rule say, Zero?” a man barked, his face hidden behind a wooden mask and his body cloaked in a black robe.

“The first rule says: avoid being detected at any cost, even if it costs your life. Never be seen, never be heard, exposure can drag your shadow from the earth,” Zero replied in a steady tone, his chin lowered.

The man nodded softly and sank into a wooden chair, carved like a king’s throne. “The rumors say there were two people. If one is you, then who is the other?”

Zero gritted his teeth beneath the wooden mask.

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