CH 33

It was noon by the time the whole affair was over. It's been a long day for everyone, a long and tiresome day. But no one complained, they had cake after all. The whole group were now in the backyard where a party was being held. It was only the people involved plus Tina but the atmosphere seemed to be good as they talked around the pool while James was cooking up some barbecue.

"Yeah, he even had to leave for school for a while. I think he took like a week to come back." Tina who was telling the story of how Zel broke his arm when he was younger because of Emilia being too active when they were playing was looking at the two who seemed to really like each other.

"It's not like I wanted to take a leave. What can I do when I get an arm broken? I remember it hurting so much I cried every night!" Zel held his right arm where the scar used to be. The day he got the system, a few of the more stubborn scars that never healed were removed. The only thing left here was a small mark, but it still made Emilia remember her mistake.

"I'm sorry…"

"Haha! I forgave you a long, long time ago."

Tina who couldn't handle the two let her gaze wander around and watched as aunt Lane was combing the hairs of Charles and Tina who were lying on her thighs with her fingers.

Little Tina had cried herself to sleep earlier so she was out for a while now, but they knew she would wake up sooner or later. Charles on the other hand was embarrassed to copy her but was forced to when he saw the sad face Mrs. Halsey was showing.

He had to position himself so that he won't be able to see her face because he felt more embarrassed when he saw her lovely smile when he first lied down on her thighs.

"I was wondering why you left school the year after though, you still haven't told me."

"..." The backyard seemed to go silent as the four people who knew what happened were all in the room. The only one with the right to talk about what happened was Emilia so they didn't speak, but it seems she had a hard time trying to decide whether to tell it or not.

"It's fine. I'll tell you guys about something important instead!"

She was about to talk with an indecisive look on her face when she felt a hand reach out for hers. This familiar feeling made her look at Zel who gave her a gentle smile, one with none of the teasing expression that was present in his trademark smile. Just like the time they met again on the bar.

"What is it?" Tina was able to back up Zel who wanted to move away from the rather sensitive topic. She wanted to draw attention away so Zel's initiation was immediately backed by her. But truthfully, she wanted to get a better impression on Zel. She wanted to ask something from him afterall...

"I never told you guys about the situation in more detail before, so I want you all to listen carefully. You too Charlie and Tina. It concerns the two of you too." Zel turned towards the two children who had now looked at him with different expressions.

Charles was giving out a serious look as he thought about the implications of what he said earlier when he was overhearing them from the stairs. Meanwhile, little Tina was looking at him with a wronged expression because now she had to leave Mrs. Halsey's leg pillow. It was only when she tried to move that a hand rested on her forehead and combed her hair with fingers while a voice called out to her.

"You don't have to get up sweetie, you can lie down like this."

"Ok..." Little Tina used her tiny hands to gently hold on to Lane's thigh while rubbing her cheeks on it as if finding comfort in the act. This prompted a smile to appear on Lane's face as she continued to give a comfortable head massage to the little girl.

"I can see the future!"

Zel looked around the place only to see five confused pair of eyes staring at him as if asking him to continue. He knew that it was absurd, but he had more than enough knowledge to get them to acknowledge the fact. He had already told Emilia a long time ago so he doesn't need to convince her about it, and it would also help him later as backup.

"If you want to test me, go ahead. I'm not talking about actively knowing what the future holds, it;s more like I have an idea what the future could be. Though there are many things I don't know yet, I do know a lot about you guys. Ask me anything"

"What is the name of the next president?" Tina was curious if Zel's telling the truth, so she asked him a question that no one knew the answer to, except Zel and maybe Emilia.

"There won't be another election. Since the election would have happened two years later, the democratic government would cease to exist at that point. The whole thing will collapse in 8 months' time. Although there was a time before that I had visions of a future without mana, I think it was Adam Jones that won?"

"Adam Jones? That dufus? What do you mean 8 months' time?" Tina remembered the name of the politician. The clown was nothing but a puppet that represented a part of the high society that wanted to remove all the benefits a citizen of the country would have. She never expected that idiot to get the position of President!

"I told you, the world will change in ways you can't imagine. You don't have to worry about it for now, we have things we need to take care of before looking that far in the future. We at least need to survive the thing that happens in a few weeks from now."

"And what's that?" Lane who had been listening all this time couldn't help but be confused as she didn't know why there was a time where their lives would be in danger. Let alone having that something be in a few weeks' time!

"I'll tell you later, for now I want everyone to understand my power so there won't be any doubts. Your question doesn't really make my power all that convincing!"

"Son, what happens in the movie 'Laughing Man' that will release tomorrow?" It was now James who was curious at the notion of Zel's power. If he was to make a choice, he would say he was lying. But the things he had seen earlier made it so that he can't trust his own 'common sense' anymore.

"Laughing Man? The Clown gets shot in the head and dies, but his legacy lives on in the Circus Company that he left behind."

"..." James' jaw dropped as he had no way to deny that it was true.

He was able to see the movie earlier than most, as he was friends with the chief editor of the movie and his friend has showed him a screen test of the film. There was no way for Zel to know this so he was somewhat believing him now.

"Tell me something significant that I will do next week?"

Lane was looking at her husband who had seemingly forgotten to flip the burgers on the grill. Her experience told her that he was accepting the reality of Zel's ability being true.

"You guys were going to accept the offer from the conglomerate 'Imazon' to re-" Zel stopped as he already saw the surprised look on James and Lane's faces. He thought it would be enough, and he was right.

The five looked around confused, asking each other with their eyes if they also heard correctly. Charles himself was surprised to know that there was more to this mana thing than he thought so he wanted to ask Zel something instead.

"Does that mean I can see the future too? Cause you said I have mana now!"

"Not everyone gets the same talent Charles, but I know what yours is."

Charles was going to ask how he knows but felt stupid just as he was about to ask.

'He can see the future!'

"Oh, what is it?"

"Something that would help us a lot. It's easier for you to find out yourself." Zel stretched out his hand and a phone appeared. This was a new model Siopao mobile S, the latest in the series. He used his mana threads to hand the phone over to Charles.

"The system is a tool that can only be used by a few people who are more compatible with mana. We call people who get access to the system as rankers. I'll help you guys to see if you can get one too but of the future I know, only Emilia, Charles and I are able to become rankers. Most others would not be able to store enough mana in their bodies for the system to recognize them as rankers."

Zel then showed them his phone where the system is presently on the screen. They can see the words but when Tina tried to press on them, nothing happened. This made Tina wonder if the app was broken or something but when she saw Zel press it and it loaded to another screen, she tried to press it again. Still nothing.

"Use the phone Charles, you'll get access to the system that way. I take it you've heard a voice just before you fell asleep earlier?"

"You mean that voice of a girl?"

"Yeah, she should have said something like 'Welcome to the system Ranker'"

Zel was all smiles until he heard a lively tiny voice scream out.

"Oh, oh, I heard that too!"

"!" It was now Zel's turn to be surprised by what's happened. Little Tina has never been able to have a system before but he's also never given her a mana potion so that may be the variable in this case.

Still, it wasn't bad for the little girl to get it since it would be useful for her in the coming 8 months.

Charles took the phone and opened it. An app was installed, the only thing that was in the second page of the phone. He pressed it and a feeling of something connecting to him from his lower back gave him a strangely pleasant feeling and he couldn't help but give out a strange cry.

"Ahh~" A red faced Charles looked around, finding a few strange gazes. He covered his eyes to remove himself from their view, but it didn't work.

"..."

"That's normal, I did it too."

"..." Zel scratched his head because he didn't know how to explain it. Having not experience it themselves, they won't be able to know what it feels to have the system in your life. Instead, he watched as Charles scrolled down on the Status Function.

[#0820 Charles McAvoy

Age: 8       Race: Human

Gender: Male   Class: N/A

Vessel Limit: (9/15)   Level: 1 (0/100)

Exp: 70

Titles :

Naturalist - A user whose fate is intertwined with the earth.

*Unlocks Earthbound]

[Stats:

Strength - 1(+0) Endurance - 1(+0)

Agility - 1(+0) Will Power - 2(+0)

Intelligence - 2(+0)

Stat Points Available: 0]

[Talents:

[9] - Earthbound - Yellow

- The ability to move the earth.

- Active Ability: Earth Manipulation - Control and form soil and rocks. [Mana Cost: 90 to activate and 9/second to keep active]

Requirements: A body of earth.]

"Earthbound?"

"Yeah, it's an ability that lets you move the earth to shape it however you want. You must be careful not to overuse your abilities before you get to check out how much it would take out of you. Mana is something that can be used freely but it's not unlimited in its use. You must rest after using it or you can get overworked. Don't even try, that's not going to be any good for any of us, especially you."

"I understand!" Charles sat up straight and placed both his palms over the grassy ground. Everyone watched him as his face sweated and flushed but eventually a smile came out of it. Before Charles appeared a small circular patch of soil that's extruded from the ground. He stood up, stepped on it and then jumped up and down.

"Haha!"

A feeling of accomplishment filled the young boy as he laughed like he had never laughed before. His smile genuine unlike when he copied Zel earlier and he went to Lane while looking at her intently. Like he was looking for approval.

"That's amazing little Charlie!"

"Hehe." The answer seemed to be something he was looking for as he gave out a chuckle after hearing it. He looked towards Zel who was also giving him a warm smile while showing him a thumbs up.

"Big brother, tell me, how I can help you?"