As a bright new morning woke Daniel up, he rubbed his eyes sleepily, his fingers inadvertently brushing against the strands of his messy hair.
The events of the previous night had left him restless, the remnants of his pleasures clinging to his thoughts like cobwebs.
He shuffled across the room, his steps muffled by the plush carpet beneath his feet.
As he glanced out the window, the vibrant hues of the morning sky greeted him, a canvas painted with shades of pink, orange, and gold.
The world outside seemed to beckon him, and for a moment, he forgot the weight of his goal.
With a sigh, he turned away from the window.
The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air, drawing him towards the kitchen.
As he entered, his mother stood by the counter, a warm smile on her face as she prepared breakfast.
“Morning, dear,” she greeted, her voice infused with a gentle playfulness.
“Morning, Mom,” Daniel replied, the corners of his lips lifting in response to her greeting.
He leaned against the doorway, observing her graceful movements as she expertly flipped pancakes on the griddle.
“Did you sleep well?” she asked, her eyes glancing at him briefly before returning to her culinary task.
“Yeah, not bad” He smiled and he grinned a little bit and Leila chuckled.
Afterwards, she plated the pancakes and gestured for him to take a seat at the table.
“Breakfast is ready. Dig in before it gets cold.”
As he ate, the warmth of the food seeped into his bones, dispelling the lingering traces of sleep.
He glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing that he had a busy day ahead.
As he finished his meal, he pushed his plate aside and stood up.
”I’ll be busy today Mom” He said.
”Alright, then I won’t stop you” She replied with a warm smile.
He then walked back to his room.
‘Really…the past night had been completely a wreck’
He smirked while gazing at his reflection in the mirror in his room.
At the same time, blue flames spurted out from his hands, an intricate display of controlled power that belonged to him.
In the times he had spent with her, he had requested his mother with a task, to gather information on the players he knew about
Her commitment had borne fruit, and the wealth of knowledge now at his fingertips was exhilarating.
‘As expected of someone who wishes to conquer the world,’ he mused silently, his reflection seemingly nodding in agreement.
The accuracy of the information delighted him.
Every detail, every connection, it was all there.
His mother’s efforts hadn’t gone unnoticed, and he felt a surge of gratitude and pride for her meticulous work.
At the same time, he wanted to reward her.
With a final glance at his reflection, his smirk turned into a grin.
With a confident smirk, he cast a final glance at his reflection in the mirror.
The anticipation in his chest quickened as he reached into his Inventory, fingers closing around the weighty texture of Skill Books.
These were no ordinary tomes, they were Skill Books that were Ranked A tier, and although it wasn’t as high as his other S rank skills, having 20 of them was still quite a huge feat.
A triumphant spark danced in his eyes as he pulled the Skill Books out, one after another.
“Ah, there’s nothing quite like the sight of skill books,” he mused to himself, the words whispered with excitement.
His grin widened further as he savoured the moment, relishing the anticipation of what these newfound abilities might bring to his strength.
And then, with a decisive nod, he embraced the books’ energy as he absorbed them, one by one.
The sensation was electric, a rush of newfound prowess flooding through him with each absorption.
It was as if he could feel the knowledge seeping into his very being, opening doors to uncharted realms of power and expertise.
[: Serene Mind (A) :]
[: Tough Skeletal (A) :]
[: Martial Art Mastery (A) :]
[: Hasten Speed (A) :]
…
..
.
As Daniel received and obtained the skill books, all of his stats had increased by a large margin once again. With some of the passive skills, it multiplies some of his stats from doubled to nearly ten times.
With his satisfaction over the acquired skill books, Daniel’s focus took a sudden turn towards Cecilia. ｂｏ𝚟𝚕.
“Well, now that I should be fine for taking a small break, and mother is pretty much busy handling the Organization Admin matters, I guess it’s time I should start building a relationship with Cecilia,” he thought.
His mind raced with thoughts of how to approach this new endeavour.
He decided to take a chance and rebuild what was lost.
During the time when he climbed the tower, Cecilia requested assistance from Daniel and eventually, she gave her contact number to him shyly, ever since that, it was their last encounter, and now, he couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing now.
‘I’m not sure if she’s free or working herself in the world, but it doesn’t hurt to try’
With a smile, he picked up his communication device and called Cecilia.
Once the call had been picked up, Cecilia’s voice echoed from the other side.
”Hi Daniel” Her voice sounded sweet and delighted as though she had been waiting for his call.
“Hey, Cecilia, how are you?” He questioned.
“Oh! I’ve been good since you aided me. Thanks to your support I could finish the quest better than I expected” She sounded genuinely happy, and it felt like she wanted to see him.
”I’m glad and I hope you’re having a good day. I was thinking, maybe we could grab a coffee or tea sometime. Let me know what you think.” He hit and sent with a smile and anticipation.
After sending his message, Daniel’s excitement grew as he waited for Cecilia’s response. When her reply finally popped up, he couldn’t help but feel delighted.
“Yes, please!” She immediately exclaimed and on her side, she was jumping madly as though celebrating a great piece of news.
”Let’s meet at the East Coast Park in the afternoon!”
Daniel smiled as he heard her voice.
He was amazed by how much their short meeting had affected Cecilia.
With a grin, he quickly typed his response, trying to sound as genuine as possible.
“I’m really glad you’re up for it, Cecilia. Can’t wait to see you at the park tomorrow!”
With every passing moment, Daniel’s excitement kept building.
He couldn’t help but wonder about the outcome this time.
Now, Daniel and Cecilia’s country homes are regions apart, but with his alternate future memories of his time with her, he knew her hometown and her favourite things at the back of his palms.