Chapter 38: Chapter 38: System's Homecoming

Elio Elian's Statistics

Skills:

Sacred Flame

Holy Water

Ice Sacrifice

Familiars:

Salamander (15/100)

Frog (0/1,000)

Rabbit (0/10,000)

(0/100,000) Level 4 required

Level 3

Mana: 30/30

Resistance: 30/30

Stamina: 7/7

Attack: 3 (8)

Magic Damage: 3

Strength: 3

Defense: 3 (5)

Speed: 3

Perception / Agility: 1.3

Superior Mana Spear / Attack 5

Superior Mana Spear / Attack 5

Superior Resistant uniform / Defense 2

Portable oral oxygen stone

Balance: 157,715 mana points

Elio paused before his house door, his heart pounding. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

With 157,715 mana points in his balance, he knew he was about to change his family's life forever.

Finally, he gathered the courage to knock. The familiar pattern of knocks resonated inside the indestructible white stone structure.

The door opened, revealing Lena's tired but loving face. To Elio's surprise, she was no longer as thin as a stick, and her face looked much healthier.

Her eyes lit up at the sight of her son.

"Elio!" She enveloped him in a fierce hug. "My boy, you're home."

Elio melted into the embrace, tension seeping from his shoulders.

"Hi, Mom," he managed, voice thick with emotion.

Before he could say anything else, a small whirlwind of energy pounced on him.

"Elio!" shouted Rian, his now 7-year-old brother, clinging to his legs. "You're back!"

Elio couldn't help but laugh, lifting the little one in his arms. "Hello, shorty. Did you miss me?"

"This deserves a celebration!" Lena declared, wiping away her tears. "Kids, let's prepare a feast!"

♢♢♢♢

What followed was an organized chaos of activity. Elio immediately noticed the changes in the house since his last visit. The air was fresher and more abundant, a sign that Lena had been using mana points to maintain a constant oxygen supply.

The kitchen, once sparsely equipped, now had several good quality utensils. Elio watched Brenda use a sharp knife, a luxury they couldn't afford before.

"Mom bought some things for the house," Jeanne explained, noticing Elio's gaze. "She said it was an investment in our happiness."

Elio smiled, realizing he hadn't expected this from his mother. Even with limited resources, Lena had managed to save for his maturity.

The somewhat stingy image of his mother he had... cracked.

While helping prepare the food, Elio learned how things had changed since his last visit.

Lena had used a good part of the 10,000 points Elio had left her last year to gradually improve their quality of life.

"Mom bought emergency air stones for everyone," Angie said excitedly. "Now we can breathe better when we go out."

"And we have thicker blankets," added Rian. "I'm not cold at night anymore."

Lola, who was bringing some food, nodded. "Mom also bought some wooden weapons. She says it's important that we keep practicing before maturity."

Elio felt overwhelmed with gratitude towards his mother. With limited resources, he thought she would try to spend as little as possible in case something happened to him. But apparently, his mother had full confidence that he would return.

Elio found himself dragged from one task to another, helping Brenda not burn the food, holding ingredients for Lena, and being the judge in an impromptu dance competition between Rian and Jacky.

Meanwhile, Jeanne and Lola bombarded him with questions about his life on the wall.

"Is it true that you can make your spear fly?" Jeanne asked, fascinated.

"Have you seen many monsters?" Lola added, trying and failing to hide her interest.

Elio grinned. "I'll show you my technique after dinner, okay?"

Both nodded enthusiastically.

Finally, they sat down to a feast. The table was full of dishes Elio had never seen before, the aroma was heavenly.

"We've been trying some luxuries from time to time," Lena said, placing a plate in front of him.

Dinner was a simple but abundant affair. There was soup, fresh bread, and even a large piece of some kind of meat for each one (a rare luxury). Even for Elio, who had gotten used to spending 3 points per meal, it was a feast. Just that amount of good meat would cost about 10 points.

For the first time in a long time, Elio truly felt satisfied.

After dinner, as promised, Elio demonstrated his technique in the backyard. He showed how he could control its trajectory in the air.

"Wow!" exclaimed Rian, his eyes wide. "You're magical, Elio!"

"It's not magic, silly," Jacky corrected. "It's science. Right, Elio?"

Elio laughed. "It's a bit of both, I guess."

As his siblings debated magic versus science, Elio felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Lena.

"I'm proud of you, son," she said softly. "Your father would be too."

Elio's throat tightened at the mention of his father. He wanted to say something, express everything he felt, but the words wouldn't come out.

He simply nodded.

♢♢♢♢

That night, lying in his old bed (now with a proper mattress and warm blankets), Elio reflected on the changes he had seen.

His family was better off, more comfortable, safer. But he knew that the challenges he faced on the wall were still there, waiting for his return.

The constant threat of monsters, the manipulations of the privileged families, the mysteries of the System... all of that awaited him.

However, for now, at this moment, he was home. He was safe. And his family had a brighter future ahead.

With that comforting thought, Elio fell asleep, a small smile on his lips. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but tonight, he was exactly where he needed to be.