The following morning, Xero had woken up. He had a blur memory of what had happened and when he looked around he noticed that he was on a fluffy bed and his pillow was too soft to be real.
Beside him sat Lora her head lay close to his waist on the bed. She had obviously slept off while taking care of him. He sighed lightly, he hadn’t ever imagined being taken care of by a lady before.
Having seen the ugly side of life it was abstract for him to see someone who cared genuinely about him. He grazed his hands over her hair and stroke it lightly.
Then he looked up and stared at the ceiling. In front of him was his system notification. The very same on that had appeared to him earlier while he was fighting Romeo.
[Optional Quest: Kill Romeo Desen]
[Reject/ Accept]
[3:45:23]
He sighed lightly. He looked at the time and he could pick a guess that was a count down before the Quest disappeared but why would there be a countdown on an optional quest?
"Reject."
He couldn’t bring himself to kill another person. Despite the fact that he had killed before he didn’t want to repeat the same mistake.
[Warning: Host’s intention to reject this quest can cost a toxic result.]
’That’s right I have a Murdering System and as such I am obligated to kill. So in reality this isn’t optional it is actually mandatory.’ He thought and decided to accept it.
"Accept."
[Quest Accepted]
[Kill Romeo Desen]
[Reward: 1000 EXP]
[Hidden Reward]
"Hmm that’s new. Wonder how good that will be?" He muttered to himself.
Lora woke up and raised her head slowly. It was then that Xero noticed that he had been stroking her hair since. His face flushed red in embarrassment.
She glanced at him and noticed that his HP was fully restored. She heaved a sigh of relief and smiled lightly.
"Good to see that you are awake." Lora said and Xero scratched the back of his hair and smiled lightly.
"Yah."
"Uhmm..." she muttered.
"What is the matter?"
"I’m sorry for lashing at you yesterday. It wasn’t necessary. I am sorry." She said and avoided his gaze.
Xero smiled widely and dragged her cheek. Her face flushed red.
"You don’t have to be sour about that. I wasn’t offended." He said.
She nodded lightly and he let go of her cheek. Then he glanced around wondering how he gotten to such a sophisticated ward. She noticed the anxiety on his face and stepped up to clarify his mind.
"General Bryan got you this place."
He stared at her confused by her words. He couldn’t believe that General Bryan will willingly give him such a luxurious treatment. The last time they had met, he had vividly rejected his offer for an ability.
"Are you sure?" He said in disbelief.
Lora was about to speak when the door opened and a nurse stepped in. She wasn’t the only one who stepped in, beside her stood Lady Valandi.
Xero eyes widened in shock. Why was he bumping into her. Getting treated by her twice in a space was no normal coincidence. He was beginning to think she was his personal healer.
"Nice we meet again." Valandi said with a generous smile.
"Yah. What a horrible way to meet again." Xero said wearily.
"Well there is no other way to meet me other than this way." She said and walked closer to him.
Lora stared at her cautiously as she got closer to Xero. Then she opened her palm and enchanted a few words, with that the entire room was sizzling with bright yellow light. It died off within a few seconds and Valandi stepped back.
"Thanks." Xero muttered.
"You’re welcome. It’s my pleasure to help out my patients." She said and offered her generous smile again.
"Just to know, what happened to you?" Valandi said lightly. Xero stared at her for a while before responding.
"I got into a fight. Very terrible set up."
"I can see that. Do you happen to know the names of the persons who got you to be here?"
Xero stared at her wondering what she had in mind. He didn’t want to complicate things so he lied about knowing anyone.
"Are you sure? It wouldn’t kill to open up on your attacker. I could be more help than you can imagine." She said but Xero only smiled.
"Sorry. I don’t have any useful information."
"Okay. If you say so." She said and walked out of the room. The other nurse followed her away.
Lora stared at them until they were gone. Then she looked back at Xero who gazed expressionless.
"You know her before now?" Lora asked and Xero nodded.
"The nurse that took care of me when I was sent here."
"Thought as much. Let me go and grab your food. I will be right back." She said before leaving the ward.
Xero then looked towards the ceiling. He couldn’t shake off the feeling about Valandi. She seemed too eager to know what happened and who had gotten him rough.
It made him wonder who exactly she was. Why was she insisting on knowing who harmed him? Why was she interested in his case? Who was she in the first place?
He sighed lightly and brushed off the thoughts as sleep held him in the bosom of the dreamworld.
********
Valandi stood outside the hospital. It was already 5 o’clock. She wore her white jacket and sighed.
Just then her wrist watch rang. She frowned lightly before picking the call.
"Yes..."
"Why now? What happened?..." she waited for a response from the other end.
"Definitely I will make it in twenty minutes." She said and hung up.
"Seems like there will be a change of plans." She said and the man white the purple hair formed out of thin air.
"So what now? He was attacked." He said.
"Yes but we do not know the full story. Until then nothing happens. Just have your boys watch him closely." She said and walked away.