Chapter 25: The Past Unknown
Although the deal still had to be made legal via contracts, Klaus still left the place so Martin and Sofia could talk things out between themselves.
However, instead of walking directly to his bike, he slid his hands into his pockets and strolled into a nearby park.
Today was Saturday, so many youngsters, including teenagers, were here, playing various games.
Their laughter and bickering resounded throughout the park, and he shifted over a bench, calmly looking at the children enjoying their lives.
For a brief moment, he saw himself in them, but the picture vanished before it could settle down.
He didn’t remember playing like them.
Heck, he didn’t even remember how his parents or his elder sister looked, even though he had only run away seven years ago.
A chuckle escaped his lips.
"Seeing Sophia made me remember some bad memories."
Throughout the years, he had tried multiple times to recall why he had actually run away from his parents’ house, but he couldn’t.
The only thing he knew was that he had some dispute with his father. The dispute was big enough for him to run away from that house, but he didn’t know what it was about.
He sat there for a long while before he forced himself to stand up. There were still things to do.
He absentmindedly made his way toward the park’s exit.
The moment he stepped out, a kid bumped into him.
"What the—" He twisted his head toward the kid.
He had a terrified face with tears in his eyes.
Klaus frowned. "What’s wrong?"
Instead of answering him, the kid shot to his feet and bolted inside the park.
"No respect, huh..." he mumbled while shaking his head.
He turned around to continue toward his bike, but he was forced to stop by the beast before him.
"Gr... Woof!"
It was a dog, growling toward him with anger-stricken eyes.
"Haha, so he was running away from you," he mumbled with a chuckle and picked up a rock from the ground.
"Grr!" The dog took a step back; however, the anger in its eyes only intensified.
Klaus wasn’t looking to hit it anyway; he was simply going to make it leave the place.
"Bound strength." The moment he whispered those words, the strength he had momentarily stopped thinking about coursed like a stream unrestricted, leaving him surprised for a brief second.
The corners of his lips arched upward, and he tightened his fist on the rock, crumbling it into powder and pieces.
The dog watched it happen and fell silent.
It let out a soft noise and turned around before running away from there like it had seen the Grim Reaper.
"Haha," Klaus laughed, and a blue screen appeared before him.
[Host has saved a human from a mutated monster!]
[Host has leveled up!]
[New normal mission added!]
[Save another human from a mutated monster.]
"Limit strength."
He stared at the screen, thinking about how he could exploit it to level up as quickly as possible.
He reached his bike, climbed onto it, and drove to his next destination.
After about fifteen minutes, near noon, he stopped before a three-story building with multiple small windows and brick walls.
A board was nailed above its front doors: Whittson Financial Firm
[Host, why are we here?]
Klaus walked toward the firm’s entrance and answered inwardly, ’This is my office.’
[I am aware of that, but why are you here? To collect rabble?]
’Yeah. I am trying to find something that will shut you up.’
Klaus walked into the building, and the sounds from inside flooded his ears.
"Mr. Belling, I cannot help you with a fifth loan until you settle the ones you’ve already taken"
"Ah. Miss Hills, you are looking quite beautiful today. Are you free for the evening?"
"What the hell do you mean I need more documents?!"
His gaze fell on rows of booths, a few with customers and a reception at the very end.
"Oh, look who has decided to show up," a voice full of ridicule shot toward Klaus, and his gaze set to the third booth on the left.
It was the booth of Mars Harlinton, a finance consultant just like him.
’This guy never learns, huh?’
Klaus ignored him and walked toward the reception at the far end.
"Huh?! You dare ignore me, you bitch!"
Klaus’s co-workers looked at him; some eyes were ridicule-filled, some welcoming, and many neutral.
[I still do not understand why you are doing all of this.]
’You don’t need to. Your task is to support my decision, not judge them,’ Klaus remarked and stopped right at the reception.
The old lady sitting at the reception looked at him with a smile and said, "Oh, Klaus, you are finally back... Martin had told me that you are sick; it’s good to see you back on your feet."
He smiled softly. "It’s good to see you as well, Mrs. Melson."
Mrs. Melson opened a thick diary and drifted her finger across its pages before she said, "You can go upstairs. Darlan is free right now."
"I didn’t even tell you that I wanted to meet him," Klaus mumbled.
She patted her diary and then the table. "Not everything needs to be said."
"Thanks a lot," he smiled and climbed the stairs.
As he walked closer to Darlan’s office, a stoic expression took hold of his face.
’I hope he doesn’t make a big deal out of it.’
He knocked at the door and muttered, "It’s me, Klaus Murrow."
"Finally here, huh? Come in," replied a deep voice from inside.
He pushed open the door and walked in. His eyes landed on a man with broad shoulders, a well-kept beard, and determined eyes sitting in a chair.
He looked like a muscular bear in a suit.
"Why did you come to me instead of going to your booth?" Darlan asked as he lowered his hands on the table.
Klaus looked into his eyes. Darlan seemed annoyed and furious because of something, but Klaus didn’t have any choice in this matter anymore.
He stepped forward and demanded in a respectful tone, "I want to quit."
The very next instant, he tilted his head to the side, and a paperweight flew past his head.
’What the fuck?!’
"You shameless bastard!" Darlan roared furiously.