Jesterâs voice echoed smoothly in his mind, eager, obedient. Michael could almost feel the anticipation behind the words.
This next memory was something Michael was looking forward to since there was a possibility he could tie to his [Talent].
After all, evolution was the foundation of his power.
Whether it was the Evolution Points he spent or the advancements of his undead, everything he was building relied on his talent.
If there was a method out there to further utilize it, he wanted it.
Michael sat back down, fingers tightening briefly around the armrest of his chair.
"Begin."
As Michaelâs body in the Land of Origin sat immersed in a silent exchange of knowledge.....
His other selfâback in Auroraâstepped out into the warm evening air, leaving the soft chatter and clinking cutlery of
Miaâs Hearth
behind him.
The sign was new, only a few weeks old, but it already felt lived-inâlike it belonged.
Aunt Miaâs dream had always been simple: to own her own restaurant.
A few months ago, she did seek a grand establishment in her dreams, just a place with her name on it.
Michael had helped her secure the buildingâa solid space nestled between a glasssmithâs shop and a small flower boutique in one of the cityâs quieter, more artistic districts.
The location had potential with just enough traffic for good business.
He had also contributed most of the fundingâthe capital, ads, an exclusive sight and so on to make everything smooth for his aunt because he cared.
And because it mattered to
her
.
Still, money was just one side of things. Managing a restaurant was a different beast altogether.
Handling suppliers, managing staff, inventory, marketing, customer serviceâit was a lot.
Aunt Mia had no prior experience running a business, and Michael had quietly prepared for the possibility that she might need extra help beyond finance.
But, surprisingly... she hadnât.
The restaurant hadnât just openedâit had
flourished.
Despite being just a few weeks old,
Miaâs Hearth
had begun building a regular clientele.
The place hadnât yet paid back the full investment, of course. Not yet.
But judging from the current trend, it wasnât just viableâit was thriving.
And that made Michael... happy.
His aunt finally had something that was hers.
Also, why did he leave the restaurant?
Wellâ
"She kicked me out," he muttered, almost laughing.
Apparently, his mere
presence
had become a problem.
Or rather,
he
wasnât the problem.
It was her staff.
For some strange reason, the servers and kitchen assistants had been getting... distracted. Dropping plates. Peeking from behind counters. Whispering.
All while Michael just sat quietly in one corner, minding his own business.
Eventually, Mia had marched over and scolded him like a child.
"Youâre ruining my flow," sheâd said, waving a spoon at him. "Go home. Go do your necromancer thing."
He hadnât argued.
Just smiled faintly and stood.
And now, here he wasâmaking his way back home under the night sky.
Aunt Miaâs dream was alive.
That, in itself, was something worth protecting.
As he entered his home, Michael paused just past the doorway.
The house was quiet.
For the first time in what felt like ages, he didnât have anything urgent to do.
Just silence.
And time.
Michael let out a slow breath, walking past the central hallway and into the sitting room.
He dropped onto the nearest couch, resting one arm across the back.
His fingers brushed over something.
A faint buzz tickled his palm.
His phone.
He pulled it out slowly.
A name he hadnât seen in a long while appeared on the screen.
Mira.
Michael blinked.
Mira?
A former classmate and fellow awakener.
He had just even thought of her.
What a coincidence.
The message read:
"Hey. Just checking up on you. Todayâs your first day for the college exams too, right? I know we havenât talked in a while, but... good luck. Also, would it kill you to respond to my messages?"
Michael stared at the screen for a second longer than necessary.
A part of him had just been thinking of responding later but the last sentence in the text.....
"Itâs truly not a good habit to leave others on read...."
Michael finally admitted and responded to the text message.
He typed out a simple reply.
"Thanks. Iâm doing well. Hope youâre not failing the written exams yet."
Almost immediately, a notification popped up.
"Fail? Me?? Please. Iâve already reached Rank 2, by the way. So if
you
havenât, then guess whoâs no longer the strongest? (â â˘â âżâ â˘â ) Thatâs rightâyou. Bow when you see me."
Michael stared at the message.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It was silly. Childish even.
Like watching a three-year-old girl proudly show off a drawing of stick figures with too much crayon.
Still... it made him feel lighter.
He shook his head, replying:
"So you advanced too. Congrats."
Three dots blinked on the screen.
"Thatâs more like it (â ââ á´â ââ âżâ ). Now, what about you? Whatâs your level right now?"
He chuckled and didnât respond.
Let her wonder. He had his secretsâand he was fine keeping it that way for now.
He set the phone down, leaned back, and stared at the ceiling.
So Mira had reached Rank 2.
This reminded himâhe couldnât afford to slow down either.
No matter how far ahead he was, this world didnât wait.
And now that the Land of Origin was giving him a whole new dimension to grow in...
He wasnât just aiming to stay ahead.
He wanted it to remain that way.
Michael never knew he was also a competitive person.
"That reminds me.....I wonder if Lilian too has advanced to rank 2....."
As several thoughts flash through his head, Michael shook his head a few seconds later and redirected his focus fully to his body in the land of origin.
Now he had already disgusted the massive amount of information Jester had imparted to him.
*****
A/N; Sorry for the delay and thank you for reading todayâs Chapter. Thank you for your continued support!!!!