Lian: “Hello?”

Antonio: “It’s me! Diego, are you all right?”

Hearing this, Lian couldn’t help but berate himself inwardly. He assumed that most of the workers would be outside, so he didn’t consider the consequences of making any sound.

Lian opened the door and reassured Antonio that everything was fine. He was also curious as to why Antonio wasn’t currently in the fields like everyone else, but it wasn’t his place to ask.

Once the room was quiet again, Lian decided to train brawling. Since his main body had only just woken up a few hours ago and was training the meditation skill, he might as well get a head start on strengthening himself before heading to the fields.

“Heh…If I continue training at this pace, next week is going be interesting...”

Although Lian was a coward when it came to combat, he was also a very impulsive person. Most of the time, due to his fear of death, he was cautious and leaned strongly toward self-preservation. However, if he was forced into a nerve-inducing situation, the momentum would push him to act out crazily. Fortunately, he still liked being in control of the risks he faced in any situation, so this wasn’t a huge problem.

A few years ago, Lian was stuck on a ski lift that was only momentarily malfunctioning. Unfortunately, the feeling of being alone in the middle of nowhere was too nerve-inducing for him. Therefore, he removed all protective measures and jumped out. Since Lian was sitting over the edge of a mountain when he jumped, any mis-step could have meant death. Thankfully he survived. However, once he landed, someone on a nearby lift even yelled at him and called him a psycho.

*System: User has gained 1 exp point for spending one minute on: Brawling.*

As Lian trained, an hour went by quickly. The brawling skill managed to dive well into lvl 2, but he was now tired and somewhat sore.

After the level-up, he gained some new information with regards to the vital points to attack in an enemy’s body, as well a few techniques requiring nearby weapons to sneak-attack. His moves also became slightly smoother.

Stretching to ease any cramps, Lian initially decided to head downstairs for a snack. But before walking out, he thought back to his encounter with Antonio. This would be a good opportunity to invite the guy and probe him for information. Lian might even manage to discover some sort of side-task! Despite already having one, he always welcomed more. Therefore, he stopped by Antonio’s room.

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Strangely, as he approached, a distinct sound could be heard.

“Sobbing?”

Deciding against knocking, Lian tried thinking of a way to peak through the door.

Toronto

In his main body, Lian abruptly woke up from meditation and began to search through the internet for ways to peak through closed doors. Within less than a minute, he went to a box in the basement and took out an unused CD. He proceeded to shove it into the storage.

Orphan House

A few second later, Lian pulled out the same CD and use some techniques to shamelessly place into the crack underneath Antonio’s door. Lian also made sure to scout the hallway so that he wouldn’t be caught. Since the rooms were small and everything was usually placed on the ground, the reflective surface would be a smart way to investigate.

“Hmmm…!?”

Inside the room, Antonio could be vaguely seen holding a rope in his hands. They were shaking as he seemed to be in deep contemplation. Lian could distinctly see Antonio mouthing words. He decided to place his ear closer to the door.

Antonio murmuring: “...can’t do this. There’s no way. As long as she can survive, I need to keep pushing.”

Lian frowned.

“Fuck, what did I get myself into this time…”

After investigating briefly, Lian concluded that Antonio was in a state of mental weakness. From the words spoken, Antonio’s current plight was most likely due to an important women in his life who happened to be in a life-threatening situation. Furthermore, it might even have some sort of relation with his long work hours.

However, knowing this information wouldn’t currently change Antonio’s mental state. Lian knew this from his own battles with moderate depression, and his experience with a friend who passed away due to suicide. From this unfortunate circumstance, Lian learned that even the most joyful of people could be hiding the greatest of inner demons for a very long time. They don’t just disappear.

Such being the case, Lian knew that he wouldn’t be able to deal with the cause of the problem by disturbing Antonio. Hence, despite the moral dilemma he was currently in, Lian chose not to barge into the room. This might seem ruthless, but Lian chose to act logically instead of emotionally. Nonetheless, considering Antonio’s hospitality, he would definitely interfere if the situation progressed.

“Would I take the risk of bringing attention onto myself if it was to help someone else that I didn’t know? I’m not sure…”

Throughout this situation, Lian was able to truly grasp just how uncaring he had become towards others. This was baffling, since he was very empathetic as a child. However, through his own life experiences, Lian came to the conclusion that his only responsibility was to take good care of those close to him. Perhaps this trait of his could change in the future, but he currently saw no real issue with it.

Eventually, Antonio wiped away his tears and put away the rope. This was Lian’s cue to leave the premises. He already knew that if he didn’t interfere in some way, some day, Antonio might actually end his own life. However, before getting the chance to decide on the next plan of action, Lian received a new notification.