Chapter 11: A Hit with Old Ladies (And Hitman, Apparently)
After school, Elias made his way to an old commercial district. It was a bit of a hike from campus, known for its bustling farmer's market and popular public park. Though he planned to earn Lucky Points through the history essay competition, he hadn't entirely given up on other quests. If his reputation was sabotaging his efforts near school, then he'd just go somewhere his name wasn't infamous.
For the next two hours, Elias busied himself completing several quests—most involved helping elderly people with various errands. The park and market were prime real estate for unranked tasks like these. With the area filled with seniors, it was practically a jackpot of quests. He would've been a fool not to take advantage.
Eventually, the number of elderly visitors started to dwindle. Deciding to wrap up with one last quest, Elias helped an older vendor pack up her remaining crates of vegetables into the back of her small car.
"Thank you, baby," she said, her dark skin wrinkling into a wide smile. She rummaged through her purse and placed a few candies in Elias's hand. "I usually save these for my grandbaby, but you look about his age—and you've been such a sweetheart. Thanks for all your help."
"It was nothing! Really!" Elias flapped his arms awkwardly, flustered by the unexpected praise.
Sure, he hadn't helped her purely out of the kindness of his heart—Lucky Points were a big motivator—but it still felt nice to be appreciated.
> [Congratulations! Hidden Quest (UR): Help 15+ Elderly — Complete!]
[Rewards: +5 LP, +CHA, + Title: (UR) Apple of My Eye]
---
[Title: Apple of My Eye (UR)
You're popular among the elderly.
Passive: +50% CHA when interacting with elderly individuals.
(Note: Applies only to people who have lived 60% or more of their species' average lifespan.)
Active: Once per day, use this on a friendly elder to receive a gift.
(Note: Gifts may not always be useful.)]
[Total Lucky Points (LP): 21]
---
Elias's mouth twitched when he read the title. It didn't seem particularly useful. He also raised an eyebrow at the note in the passive ability.
Why not just say people in their 60s and older? he thought.
Then it clicked—he remembered his own abnormally long lifespan. Suddenly, the phrasing made a lot more sense. If other races existed, some might live much longer or age more slowly. The system probably had to account for that.
He paused, briefly wondering if he'd ever meet people of other races. He didn't even know if they truly existed, but the system had mentioned something called a High Human.
What's the difference between a High Human and a regular one? he mused.
Is it just lifespan… or something else entirely?
Just as he was about to thank the old woman and leave, something caught his eye. His heart skipped a beat. With his enhanced perception, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance—one he'd been yearning to see for days.
"Dad," Elias breathed, frozen in place.
The man turned, and their eyes met. Elias's chest surged with hope—only for the figure to suddenly whirl around and bolt down a nearby alley.
Without thinking, Elias took off after him.
The old woman gasped as the boy dashed off without so much as a goodbye. A nearby police car rolled up, and the window lowered to reveal a Black officer with a mustache behind the wheel.
"Oh, Mama," he said with a grin. "I was gonna help you pack up your stall. Looks like someone beat me to it."
"Which one of your friends helped you this time?"
The old woman chuckled and pointed toward the retreating figure. "That boy there. Real sweetheart. He's been helping me and a bunch of us around here for over two hours. But I don't know why he ran off so suddenly."
The officer squinted, brows furrowing. "Elias?" Officer Clifford muttered, recognizing the silhouette.
His mother's eyes lit up. "Is that his name? Huh! Kind kid. But it's strange how he just ran off like that…"
Clifford's mind turned sharp. Missing parents. Recent kidnappings linked to cult activity. The boy's odd behavior. More than once, he'd wondered if Elias's parents were connected to the disturbing uptick in occult crimes.
His gut clenched. He threw open the car door and stepped out.
"Mama, finish up and head home. Be safe. The city's changed."
His mother gave him a knowing look. "You be safe too, Henry. I better not read about your death in the paper tomorrow. Now go."
Clifford nodded and slipped into the crowd, following Elias's trail. He prayed his instincts were wrong.
---
Elias sprinted down the alley, eyes scanning every shadow. At the far end, he saw him—his father, standing just before a dead end.
"Oh, Elias," the man said, turning with a warm, familiar smile. "If you saw me running, what on earth possessed you to follow? Honestly, have you no sense of self-preservation?"
The voice. The face. The smile. Elias's chest ached with longing—but something inside him screamed wrong.
He wanted to run up and embrace him. But something deep in his gut stopped him.
It was the same face. The same voice. The same mannerisms…
Except the eyes.
His father's eyes had always been kind. Full of warmth. These were empty. Cold. Calculating.
Elias's body suddenly jerked to the side—just in time to dodge a blade that whistled past his shoulder and embedded into the wall.
He turned.
A tall man with long, greasy hair, sunken eyes, and a shadowy aura stepped from the darkness, blade in one hand and a rope in the other.
"Damn," the man said with a crooked grin. "You actually dodged that? Impressive."
Before Elias could reply, the imposter behind him spoke up.
"Mr. Jackal, sir, I've done my part. How would you rate my performance?" the fake Harold asked with a toothy smile. He raised his hand to his "face" and ripped it off. Underneath was a young man with a foxy, androgynous face. When he pulled off the wig, long, luxurious wine red hair flowed down.
Elias spun to face him—his posture had shifted, his presence utterly different.
Jackal popped his neck. "Not bad, Chameleon. You got him here alone. That's the hard part." He tilted his head at Elias. "But he figured it out at the end. Might have to dock your pay for the slip."
"No, dear client!" Chameleon said with a deep bow, voice full of exaggerated politeness. "Please reconsider! Surely you can see the finesse in my craft. The boy has some abnormal instincts—and apparently reflexes that exceed what we know. He even dodged your blade, despite your… legendary accuracy. Are you quite certain our intel is accurate?" His cold eyes scrutinized Elias with undisguised malice.
Elias's blood ran cold.
He had always suspected someone was after him—but this was confirmation. And now, face to face with people who wanted him captured—or worse—he realized how little all his fantasies and novels had prepared him.
'I might die,' he thought, panic seizing his chest.
He clenched his fists, digging nails into his palms. 'Calm down. Calm down. Calm down', he repeated like a mantra.
They want information. The artifact… Dad's artifact.
'Shit. If they find out I absorbed it… will they try to cut me open?'Elias began to sweat. 'They absolutely can never find out!'
'Get your head together!'He scolded himself. Forcing himself to calm down, Elias began sorting through his thoughts, trying to find a way to escape.
But Jackal didn't give him the chance.
He closed the distance in a flash and drove a brutal kick straight into Elias's chest. Even though Elias saw it coming, it was too fast. Not even his trait, Danger Reflex, could save him—his body just wasn't quick enough.
A Perception stat meant nothing if your reflexes couldn't keep up.
Elias was sent flying, crashing into a metal trash can with a loud, echoing bang. The impact slammed the air from his lungs, leaving him gasping.
A sharp, searing pain tore through his arm—jagged shards of broken glass from inside the can had sliced deep into his forearm and elbow. Blood trickled down, warm and sticky, soaking into his palm.
Clutching his chest with his uninjured hand, he struggled to draw air back into his lungs. But before he could fully catch his breath, another sharp kick slammed into his stomach.
He was launched into the air again, crashing hard against a brick wall.
This time, his vision spun. Before he could even think about breathing, a wave of bile surged up his throat. He vomited violently, nearly choking as his body tried to exhale and inhale at the same time.
Suddenly, his hair was yanked back, and he was forced to stare into Jackal's gaunt face.
"You have no idea how much trouble I've gone through trying to get a hold of you, you damn brat," Jackal snarled, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.
Elias could only shudder as their eyes locked. His scalp burned from the vicious pull.
"Let me g—" he began, but a sharp slap cut him off. His head snapped to the side, and he collapsed onto the ground. Blood dripped from his chin, his skull ringing like a bell.
Chameleon sighed. "Mr. Jackal, I understand your frustrations, but perhaps we should relocate him for proper interrogation. He's an underage teenager, not a trained operative like us. If you break him too early, we might lose the information we need. Once we get what we want, you may use whatever torture method you please. I'll even assist, if that's your desire, dear client."
He dangled a set of car keys and gestured toward the alley's entrance. "I'll retrieve the vehicle. Please keep watch of the boy until then."
Jackal grunted in reluctant agreement.
"Why the hell did you park so far away?" he growled, realizing Chameleon had left the car over a block from their position.
Chameleon gave a cheerful, self-satisfied smile. "Parking any closer would've been illegal. Wouldn't it be awkward if our getaway vehicle got towed?"
Jackal scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
"Just hurry up and get the damn car."
Chameleon twirled the keys around his fingers and strolled off, whistling a jaunty tune. Once he was out of earshot, his tone shifted to a quiet mutter. "My big break is finally here… I swear, I'm retiring from this damn job when this is over."
Elias watched the red-haired man disappear around the corner. His fingers trembled as they dug into the dirt and gravel beneath him. He was scared, but more than fear he felt overwhelming rage at his own helplessness.
He was just a high schooler. He'd never been in a fight, never faced a situation this dangerous. What could he possibly do?
And if they ever found out he'd absorbed the artifact they were after…
They wouldn't let me live, he realized grimly.
Then something clicked.
'Wait!'
His mind jolted like it had been electrocuted.
'Am I stupid? The system! I have options!'
You couldn't blame him for forgetting. He'd only had the system for less than two days.
He forced himself to focus, mentally running through what was available to him. His second title, Bringer of Disaster, seemed promising—but he wasn't sure if it would activate instantly or even work the way he hoped. Still, it was worth a shot.
[Title: Bringer of Disaster (MYTH) activated.
Chosen individual's [LUK] will decrease by 50% for the next 72 hours.]
[Cooldown Time: 30 days.]
His thoughts darted to the knife in his survival kit. As an idea formed, his eyes narrowed, locking onto Jackal.
This was going to be a huge risk.
"Look… I know what you want," Elias said carefully. "If I tell you where the artifact is, will you let me go?"
Jackal tilted his head, interest sparking in his eyes. "Oh? You do know what we're after?"
His gaze gleamed with dark amusement, eyes fixed on Elias like a cat watching a trapped mouse. Elias turned his eyes away, feigning fear. "Yeah. I read about it in my dad's journal. I know where he hid it."
Jackal's expression lit up.
'Damn', he thought, 'this brat's even easier to squeeze than I expected. He's just a scared kid, after all. Still… after all the crap I've been through chasing him, I'm not letting him walk away, no matter what he says. But he doesn't need to know that.'
He twisted his mouth into something that might've passed for a smile—if he'd ever learned how to fake warmth.
"Alright, kid. I'll give you a chance," he said, lying with effortless ease. "If your info makes me happy, I'll let you go."
Elias let his eyes widen with apparent relief. "Okay… You better keep your promise," he said, voice trembling. "The truth is… the artifact is…"
He mumbled something, barely audible.
Jackal's face hardened. "Don't play games. Speak up!" he snapped, storming over and yanking Elias up by the collar. "Say it loud enough for me to hear!"
"Dumbass," Elias said flatly.
Jackal blinked. 'What?'
And in that split second of confusion, a small knife appeared in Elias's hand—and he drove it upward.