10 Benjamin Kaminski (1)

The following day Erik woke up refreshed. The young man was overall in a good mood because, at noon, he would be having lunch with Benjamin.

Erik was very grateful to him since he was the one who took care of him when his father left home. He also knew it wasn't easy for Benjamin to take on someone else's child as if they were their own.

A person willing to open himself up to another so completely expecting nothing in return wasn't ordinary in this society.

However, he couldn't allow the man to see him in his current condition, or he would start asking questions. If Benjamin did complain to the school, Erik knew that Logan would only beat him more; but he was prepared.

Due to all the beatings, he took during these two years, he learned a little about applying makeup and hid all his injuries after his daily workout and a shower. However, he swore that sooner or later, this routine would stop.

Erik's biological supercomputer system, which he was convinced would ultimately turn his life around, was the second factor contributing to his optimistic mood.

"Quests," the young man said, willing for the screen to appear. Immediately, a blue and white semitransparent window appeared in the corner of his field of view. The two daily quests were still there.

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[Quests List]

{Daily}

<Eating Habits:>

-Rewards for completion: Ten Experience, ten DNA points

-Failure Penalty: None

(Eat a healthy meal)

(ACCEPT QUEST) (REFUSE QUEST)

<Physical training:>

-Rewards for completion: Ten Experience, ten DNA points

-Failure Penalty: None

(Train for at least an hour. The Host may choose whatever exercise to complete the quest.)

(ACCEPT QUEST) (REFUSE QUEST)

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The young man looked at the screen as if it was an illusion, which it actually was in a certain sense. He accepted both quests and started the day by having breakfast to have the required energy to work out.

While eating, Erik watched television while listening intently to what was being discussed on TV news shows.

The news discussed the war between his nation, Frant and Hin. The two armies resumed their skirmishes on Hinian shores again.

On top of that, rumors had begun circulating among the public that the conflict might worsen. The war, these days, was not as in ancient times, where ships, tanks, and fighter planes sent missiles; people fought the war.

There were two reasons for this. First, practically every city had barriers encircling it; some resulted from military technology, others brain crystal powers, whose primary purpose was to keep thaids out of the cities.

The wild was, in fact, full of those creatures, and there were many species belonging to this super group called Thaids. It was impossible to kill them all. The barriers also worked against missiles and the like, making them useless.

Secondly, due to the powers, technology quickly became useless against Thaids and humans alike. Some weapons were still effective against some individuals and monsters, mostly low-ranked ones, but generally, they didn't work well.

After all, many people could send devastating attacks capable of destroying buildings thanks to their brain crystal powers, making the production of such weapons obsolete.

Still, transportation means were present, and technology developed in a direction where maneuverability and speed were the main focus.

The battle between Hin and Frant was, at the moment, fought on the Hinian shores. Frant was the attacking nation, trying to conquer Hin, situated on an island between the Mannard continent and the thaid-infested one, Mur.

The problem was that Hin forces were powerful since they were used to fight the thaids that threatened their borders. Due to the island's proximity to Mur, people in Hin were used to strong opponents, and their troops were weirdly powerful.

Even with strategy and strong troops on their side Frant could only arrive on the shores, and arriving there wasn't simple since there were multiple and terrifying sea thaids.

Erik finished eating and washed the dishes in the kitchen. After that, he waited an hour and kept reading and listening to the news about the war.

He was happy when Frant lost battles. He hated his nation, and there wasn't anything more that he wanted to see than looking at this horrible place burn.

After an hour passed, Erik started his training routine. He did the same exercise he did the previous day, pushups, squats, sit-ups, reverse lunges, squats and presses, planks, and others.

After training, Erik quickly showered and looked at the quests. He acquired another twenty experience points and twenty DNA points, bringing him to fifty of both.

He simply needed fifty more DNA points to temporarily unlock the system feature that would enable him to modify the brain crystal and treat his deformity.

After that, it was a jump into the unknown. His power was useless, but at least he would never starve, thanks to it.

Erik thought about starting a farm, as Mister Fox did. Still, it wasn't easy to get permission, mainly because, to do so, one had to become affiliated with the Stone family, which was the most prominent food producer inside the city.

Doing so wasn't simple; the family didn't move for a small business like Erik would eventually make.

They were prideful people, in addition to being filthy rich. A single mistake could ruin him, shattering his recently acquired slim hopes of a better life.

There were many rumors about them making entire families lose their assets and putting them into debt, something he couldn't allow. After all, he could barely afford to live, thanks to the small amount of money he got working for Mister Fox.

Erik then changed into more fitting clothes, jeans and a shirt. It wasn't very elegant, but it was everything the young man had.

Erik left his house after concealing his injuries and waiting a couple of hours. He walked through the streets until he reached the place where Benjamin was supposed to pick him up.

The sun was high in the sky, shining its light upon the buildings lining the road.

Erik always wanted to beat the people who looked at him on the streets since most wore scornful looks. His neighbors knew who he was, so they all looked at him while he walked, looking at him as if he was a cockroach or some other bug. That didn't sit well with him.

Some even spat on the ground when he walked near them. But Erik kept walking, suppressing his rage, only glaring at them.

When he finally arrived at the meeting place,Erik waited for Benjamin's flying car to arrive.

It didn't take much for Benjamin to arrive and land the vehicle smoothly before Erik. He lowered the window, and Erik noticed he was wearing a fancy suit. Despite being in the army, he was tall and thin.

He had dark skin and was in his mid-thirties. His hairs were black, long, and tied in a ponytail. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses, and when he saw Erik, he lowered them to say hi. He then smiled at him.

"You look nice…" Erik said to his father's friend.

Benjamin smiled broadly. "Thank you," he said. "You too!"

Erik then jumped into the vehicle, and the sergeant sped toward the restaurant.