"Dear, your breakfast is ready."

Asher sat on the chair and took a bite of the scrambled eggs that his wife had prepared for him. He smiled happily as he ate.

"Your cooking is always wonderful, even when you can't find anything to cook." Asher smiled slightly and seemed to be lost in thought.

"Now, my dear, what do you have to say?" He said, "We all know the amount of effort you put in for our happiness."

Jack looked at his wife, who puffed her left cheek as a sign of anger, but her bright smile returned again. At that moment, they both heard loud laughter coming from Jack's room, which surprised them a bit before Asher spoke.

"It seems our son has finally lost his mind."

His wife looked at him with a complicated expression and said, "This is not funny, dear. I'll go check on him."

"Alright, it's almost time for me to go as well." Asher got up from his seat and gently hugged his wife before leaving the house. He was in a particularly good mood today because he received a work deal from a famous company that was launching a profitable new product. However, he didn't tell her that the company was owned by the same factory he went to for overtime work, but it was a trivial detail to him.

Asher rode his bicycle and set off. The traffic was heavy on the way, making the movement of cars almost stagnant, and the intense heat made the situation worse. However, Asher was never bothered by the congestion; instead, he maneuvered between the cars with ease and comfort.

"Hmm, the benefit of having a bicycle," he thought. Along the way, Asher noticed different scenes—a clear blue sky with birds flying, a group of children playing happily away from the street with water, men and women hustling in alleys to feed their families. All these sights made Jack smile at times and feel sad at other times.

Life isn't fair, that's for sure, but despite all the difficulties and hardships, a person should never give up or cry because there are always people in worse situations. One should appreciate what they have and find happiness in it before seeking more. This was Asher's belief in life. When Asher arrived at the familiar factory, he parked his bike and coughed a little before entering.

"Oh, it's Asher! Hahaha, how are you, man?"

"Ah, Jimmy, is that you? Didn't I tell you to cut your hair? It makes you look like a monkey. Aren't you feeling hot anyway?"

"Leave me alone. I don't have much time before I go bald, so I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can."

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Yeah, that's clear. Anyway, I see you're in a good mood. Oh, don't forget to stay hydrated."

"Are you my mom? Just go."

Asher smiled at Jimmy the guard and continued his way towards the reception area, where he found a young woman in her twenties lighting up the reception desk.

"Hello, Laura, How are you?"

Laura looked at Asher from top to bottom with annoyance before speaking. "Fine. The lady is waiting for you upstairs, Asher."

"Ah, alright. Thanks." Asher paused in the middle of the corridor and turned his gaze back to Laura with a mischievous smile.

"Sniff, I smell a wonderful fragrance here. Does someone have a date tonight?"

Blushing, Laura was embarrassed and yelled at Asher to leave her alone. But Asher told her to lighten up if she wanted a boyfriend, and then he continued his way upstairs, meeting some acquaintances and exchanging greetings with them.

Finally, he reached a beautiful glass door with "Director's Office" written on it. He gently knocked on the door until he heard a beautiful feminine voice telling him to come in. When Asher entered, he saw a beautiful woman with blond hair, green eyes, and a cool and elegant demeanor. Her tight black clothes highlighted her beauty even more.

"Greetings, Director Helen."

Helen raised her eyebrows and looked at Asher with displeasure.

"What?"

"You know."

"Ah, Good morning, Helen."

"Hmm, that's better." Helen gave Asher a small smile and continued, "I assume you're ready for work?"

"Me? Not really, but does my opinion matter?"

"No."

Asher concealed his laughter and took the papers she handed him, even though he had already read them. He read them again to confirm his decision.

"Yes, I can handle this, and the pay is good too. Thank you, Helen, for the support once again."

Helen returned to her seat and sat down. "For the good old days," she muttered before Asher left her office.

This new job was at a factory that manufactured synthetic fibers, such as fiberglass and others—the same factory he used to work at. Now, he would assist Helen, the head of workers, in a position close to the manager. His relationship with the employees there was good, and everyone liked him. The pay was higher for less work. Maybe this was a turning point in his life. Finally, he wouldn't have to strain himself at work, although he would need to sleep there most days according to the contract, and he would also need to promote the products he would manufacture from the fibers, but it wasn't too bad.

Asher arrived at his office, and when he entered, he inspected the place and sat on the high-backed chair. He smiled, thinking, "Not bad."

.............

"I will burn that place down," Jack murmured to himself, laughing.

"I need a real plan this time." Asher sat in front of his small desk with a pen and a notebook in his hand.

He touched the pen to his lips as he thought, then wrote down some important things:

"First, verify the coordinates' accuracy through the system, so I need transportation for going and coming back.

Second, I have to wait until the invisibility skill is ready for the grand performance, which means waiting for five days.

Third, I need to train with that dagger and understand the limits of my healing abilities.

Fourth, I need some weapons and armor.

Fifth, I need to copy all the information I'll find there.

Sixth..."

Jack paused, unable to think of anything else to write.

"Sixth, if possible, this family shouldn't be involved in the complications after the mission."

With that, Jack finished his train of thought. He had decided that when he completed this mission and didn't need to sacrifice himself, he would leave this family to live safely while he continued his own path.