Shock

"Fuck, my body is so weak!"

Nathan couldn't resist complaining about his weakness. Just jogging through the city was enough to make him want to puke blood. 

But the sight of his mother's restaurant reinvigorated him.

'George's'

Named after his maternal grandfather.

It was a simple storefront with glass windows to reveal the tiny dining area and counter inside. It was far from luxurious or fancy. But it was home. He even saw his dad sitting by the counter and looking into the kitchen while eating.

Nathan had a wide smile on his face as he entered the shop to the ringing of a delicate bell.

"Dad! You son of a gun!"

Nathan marched up to his father and smashed his face down into his plate, breaking it and splattering what remained of his noodles all over the bar top.

"Yuander!"

Nathan's father got up like a mad bear and chased after his horrible son into the kitchen.

"No fighting in the kitchen, Terrence!"

"A-anita!"

Terrence's rage dissipated like spring snow as his wife and Nathan's mother pointed at him with a stainless steel spatula.

"But that bastard…!"

Terrence pointed at Nathan, who hid behind his mother. It only earned him a powerful smack on his hand.

"Shut it. You can complain when you get a job."

"...Yes."

Terrence slumped, sulked, and returned to his seat to begin cleaning up.

Nathan reached out for a high-five. Anita returned it with the spatula.

But Nathan just smiled. Even the way his hand hurt was nostalgic. It was the first time his heart felt warm in decades.

"And you…"

Anita pointed at Nathan with her spatula.

"The customer hasn't gotten their food yet. What happened to your delivery?"

'Ah.'

"Ah."

Nathan froze.

"...I have no idea."

"If you ate it again, I'm selling your shoes."

"I actually didn't eat it this time."

"Are you saying the crows took it again, then?"

"...No."

"A thief?"

"...I don't know. I looked away, and when I looked back the next moment, they were gone."

"Disgrace."

Anita's slightly tan and worn face scrunched up and she returned to cooking. Her dark eyes only had the food she was cooking in them.

Nathan smiled.

Regardless of the circumstances behind it, he was happy to be back. It had been so long since he saw his parents that he had forgotten what they looked like. He had been worried he wouldn't recognize them.

But he instantly recognized the silhouette of his stout and tall father's back when he sat at the counter. His unruly dark hair that had started to thin at the top and his bushy beard were all things that Nathan had an idea of what they looked like. But it was only when he saw them again that he knew what his father looked like.

And when he looked at his mother with her clear skin, dark eyes, light brown and seemingly sun-bleached hair, Nathan didn't understand how he could have ever forgotten what she looked like.

But he had forgotten what he looked like when he was young, so maybe it wasn't so strange, especially since he had inherited his father's dark hair and his mother's almost black eyes.

"What are you looking at, you brat? Pick up another order and get moving."

"Yes, ma'am."

Nathan listened. After all, unlike his father, he contributed by doing delivery.

But after picking up a box to deliver, he looked at his mother.

"Uh, where to?"

"Fucking hell."

Nathan hadn't been in the city or delivered food for a few decades. He didn't know his way around Avalio. He had only made it back to his mother's restaurant by following his heart. But his mother couldn't possibly know that.

Anita sighed before looking at her son and realizing he was serious.

"It's a barber shop a few blocks away in that direction. It's a new place. Big Cuts."

'Ah.'

"Ah."

Nathan knew which shop she meant.

"I'll be back in a jiffy."

"Sure, but don't ever say 'jiffy' again."

Anita waved her son out of the kitchen.

Terrence glared at his son as he skipped through the shop. He would get his revenge.

Nathan felt his father's hostility and intentions, but he was still full of smiles. There was nothing that could rein in the happiness he felt at being back.

That's what Nathan thought until he saw the two thugs with leather jackets outside the barbershop.

Instantly, murderous rage dyed his face.

He might have forgotten his parents' faces. But he had not forgotten their killers, the Vijang Syndicate.

Only members of the syndicate would wear such leather jackets with the symbol of a flame on the back.

Instinctively, Nathan reached for the source of his power, even if he shouldn't have awakened at this point in time. 

[Error: No rivals or rival candidates detected.]

"Huh?"

Nathan was surprised for two reasons.

He had not expected to already have been awakened. But that wasn't a complete surprise. After all, he had regressed. He was the same person who had fought tooth and nail for several decades with his skill to cause as much trouble as possible for society and the heroes, especially the Shrouded Hero.

If his mind, soul, or whatever regressed, it wasn't strange that he could still use his skill, even if it was weaker. Or maybe the regression had awakened his body to his skill.

Whatever the case, it made sense, even if he hadn't been prepared for it.

No, what Nathan found truly surprising was the fact that he got a holographic message when he tried to use his skill.

The last time that happened was when he awakened. It told him about his skill, and then, Nathan figured out the rest on his own.

It was the same for most who awakened their skills. Nathan had even heard about some who didn't even get that.

It was surprising enough to startle Nathan out of the blinding rage he felt when looking at the members of the Vijang Syndicate.

But it didn't end with just an error message.

[Rivalry Reconnaissance has qualified for evolution.]