Chapter 23: Chapter 23: A New Beginning

"This house, it is yours"

"...What?"

Van could not help but blink a couple of times as Sarah handed him a set of keys. Did he actually hear that right?

"It's yours", Sarah also blinked as she looked at Van.

"It's mine?", Van could not help but look at the keys on his hand, his expression filled with nothing but confusion. He looked at the houses in the neighborhood, and although the house in front of him was smaller than the rest, it was still a whole lot bigger than his house made of scraps back in the Relic Graveyard.

"What are you waiting for?"

Van's thoughts were quickly disrupted by Sarah's voice, "Open the door, I will be your first guest"

The two stared at each other for a while, but then, after a few seconds, Van lowered his eyebrows. "What do you want from me?", he asked in a chilling tone, "You can't be doing this without expecting anything in return, Miss Sarah"

Seeing Van's sudden change of mood, Sarah could not help but let out a slight chuckle, "I told you...", she said, "...It's compensation from the Explorer Association"

"But you already helped me enroll in the Academy", Van furrowed his eyebrows even further.

Once again, Sarah could only sigh as she slightly rolled her eyes, "Enrolling you to the company was my idea, which I paid for with my own pocket", she said as she fixed her golden hair, "The real compensation for families that were begrieved by Portal monsters is new housing."

"But--"

"Not this kind of housing, though", Sarah continued before Van can say anything, "I upgraded yours a little bit with my own money, again."

"...What?", Van let out a tiny gasp, "Then I can't just accept this. Why are you even doing this for me?"

"Because I can", Sarah looked Van straight in the eye, her tone adamant.

"This", a complicated expression started to plaster all over Van's face, "I can't accept any more help", he said as he tried to return the keys to Sarah.

"You're quite stubborn, aren't you?", Sarah could not help but sigh again, "I am doing all of this because you have potential. It is my duty as a vital part of the Explorer Association to ensure your well-being. As you may know, the goal of Explorers is to, as the name suggests, explore the Portals. But the reason for that is to protect the country first and foremost."

"This country might need you to protect it someday...", she continued her speech, "...I am just looking at the future"

Van's jaw slightly dropped as he stared at Sarah's resolute eyes. It reminded him of when he still held a deep respect for the Explorers and System Holders. It was this kind of feeling that they emitted that made Van want to become one.

"There, is that good enough reason for you?", Sarah clapped her hands, "Now open the house. I have been holding in my bladder for a while now"

"O okay", hearing Sarah's hurried words, Van quickly unlocked the door of the house and opened it. His eyes instantly widened as he saw the interior of the house. It really was spacious.

He was going to live here from now on? Him?

"Move move"

Van's contemplation was instantly interrupted as Sarah slightly pushed him to the side as she rushed to the toilet. But not before touching something in the wall, which made the inside of the house lit up.

"!!!", Van slightly backed away in shock as the entire house was filled with light. Could it be this whole house was powered by crystals!?

'Isn't this too wasteful?', Van could not help but take a deep breath. He felt it was too much. Even in the Academy, most of the halls were lit up by torches and natural sunlight. Only the facilities were powered by crystals.

A car, a house powered by crystals. Van felt like he was in the future or maybe perhaps it was more like the past?

"How is it?", Sarah's soft voice resounded through the house.

"This is mine?", Van still couldn't believe the fact that he had his own house now.

"Yes", Sarah nodded her head, "Well, only until you graduate. You need to buy it from me after", she slightly chuckled.

"That", Van slightly backed away as he tightened his hands, "Are you a loan shark!?", he then pointed at Sarah, the keys jangling in his hand. Was this her goal all along? To increase the interest and make him pay for it!? Van thought.

Sarah, however, only laughed as soon as she saw Van's nervous expression, "It's just the association's policy. Don't worry, I will give you a huge discount", Sarah said as she winked, "Besides, with the crystals you received only on your first in the academy, I imagine you'd be rich enough to buy even the neighborhood by the time you graduate"

"I That's impossible", Van quickly denied it. However, a smile slowly crept on his face as he got excited with the thought of getting rich enough the buy the entire neighborhood.

"Well, that's that", Sarah clapped her hands, "I still have a meeting to attend to"

"O...okay", Van nodded as he escorted Sarah to the door.

"For food", Sarah glanced back towards Van before going through the door, "There's a market nearby, just ask around the neighborhood if you get lost. I will visit from time to time if I am in the area"

Van nodded. The two then bid farewell, with Van still not believing that he had his own house now. It was just too much. He quickly shut the door and returned to the living room.

"I am really going to live here from now on?", he once again asked himself as he looked at the empty house. One day. Just one day as an official System Holder and his life was already turned upside down.

He gained new friends, he gained a house, and he even rode a relic from the past that was probably more expensive than this house he was in. A System Holder's life really was a good life, was it not? It was as he has always imagined it to be.

He walked around the house aimlessly for a minute, and then, he released a slight chuckle. And soon, the chuckle turned into a laugh.

He then dropped to the ground as he continued to laugh maniacally. Tears started trailing down his face as numerous thoughts raced inside his mind.

If only his System appeared earlier.

If only he wasn't born in the slums.

Then maybe, just maybe, he could have escaped his father sooner. Or maybe his father wouldn't have been like that in the first place, and he wouldn't have to escape.

"Wait that's right"

With the thought of his father, he quickly remembered one crucial thing.

'Open System Window', he thought as numerous windows floated in front of him. He completely ignored most of those as he placed his attention at the small window on the lower right corner.

[Souls Collected: 1]

He looked at the flickering black flame that was dancing on the small window. He was interrupted earlier when he was checking it, this time, there won't be any interruptions.

He clicked on the black flame, and three choices popped up in front of him again.

[Please choose where to send the Dark Soul:

The Fields of Punishment | Asphodel Meadows | Elysium ]

He already checked the first one, and so, he clicked the second one to see what it does.

And there, he saw his father living a normal life. Eating, sleeping, working. Repeating over and over again. Van only raised his eyebrows as he quickly lost interest and closed the window.

He then clicked the last one. He saw his father smiling, being surrounded by servants that were feeding him with the most luxurious of meals. Van instantly released a burst of laughter before covering his mouth.

He then shook his head as he quickly closed the window, trying to stop the laughter that was still wanting to come out of him.

And then, without hesitation, he went back to the first option.

[Send the Dark Soul to the Fields of Punishment?

Yes | No ]

And, with a smile, he whispered, "This is truly goodbye, father"

As soon as he clicked 'Yes', the black flame wriggled uncontrollably. A shrilling scream echoed through Van's ears, but still, the smile remained on his face. He stared at the struggling black flame until it was completely extinguished.

[Successfully sent a Lv. 0 Dark Soul to Fields of Punishment]

[Due to the Holder sending a Dark Soul to the Afterlife for the first time, bonus EXP is granted]

[Base Level, Up!]

[System Level, Up!]

Numerous windows popped up in front of him. He couldn't really understand what they were saying, the only thing he knows is that

His vision was starting to turn dark.

"...Oh", he muttered before his eyes completely shut down, his face falling first as he collapsed to the floor.

[...]

[...The Gods of Olympus are watching you now]

***

1000 powestones = 5 extra chapters