Dinner and Dessert

"Heh. This guy is still here?" Liam smirked when he walked out of the Trade building. Of course, he had noticed Berat following him around, but he didn't see any need to act on it.

"Well, let me see if he still waits around." His grin widened and the next second his figure disappeared.

"What the heck? Where did he go?" Berat looked around here and there. "His speed and agility are already so high that I cannot even track him anymore?"

"No, wait. Did he learn some sort of stealth skill?" Berat was disappointed that he had lost his mark. "Now how should I find him again?"

He racked his brain for a while before realizing something important. He then facepalmed himself for overlooking the obvious!

"Fuck. He must have just logged out. Why am I getting so flustered?" He shook his head as if he was physically trying to make his brain stop overthinking.

He let out a long sigh and sat down near a tree at the entrance of the Trade building. "I already wasted 3 hours. So what if I waste a few more? Fuck it."

He had tried talking to the few alchemists in the town a hundred different ways but he was not able to find even a small clue about a possible loophole.

At this point, he was so invested that he was obsessed with finding the loophole! It was either this or he was ready to quit the game altogether! err… at least for the rest of the day...

…

…

…

Liam felt a jolt surge through his body and his consciousness returned to the real world. He then opened the game capsule casually and stepped out of it.

"Bro! Bro! Wahhh! You are finally back." Meilin immediately stood up and ran over to him, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure curiously.

"Yes. Did you get hungry? Sorry, I am a bit late."

"No. I am alright." The girl flashed a big smile like always, batting her long lashes. Though her small face and phoenix-like eyes looked a bit tired and droopy.

Liam couldn't help but smile. The girl was far too mature for her age. She had never once demanded anything from him even though they went to sleep hungry a lot of the time.

He patted her and then quickly ordered some food for them from a nearby restaurant.

He wanted to take her out to someplace nice but tomorrow was going to be busy so he decided to finish the day with a quick meal.

The food soon arrived and Liam served the bunch of dishes on plates and bowls for the both of them.

It was only the brother and sister pair in the house so it was pretty quiet as the duo wolfed down the food.

"Brother, is this really ok? We are spending a lot ah..?"

"Mei Mei. Do you want to move to a bigger apartment tomorrow?" Liam smiled and shoved another piece of tenderly cooked pork.

"Bigger apartment? Brother, did we win a lottery?" The girl giggled cutely.

"He He. I guess we can call it that." Liam chucked. He added some more food to her bowl and also to his own.

He was ravenous after expending so much energy. And also, there was the other thing…

"Umm… brother… this… something looks different about you?" Meilin couldn't put a finger on it but her scrawny brother looked somewhat different today.

Though he was still a skeleton, he seemed as if he was stronger for some reason. The pimples on his face had also disappeared and he had muscles?

"Eh? Stop staring at me and eat your food. We are eating better so it's natural to look and feel better. Don't think too much about it."

"And no school tomorrow alright?"

"I am earning now playing this game. So we can afford to move to a better place. I don't want us to stay here any longer."

"You should eat well and take a proper rest tonight so you help brother when we move tomorrow."

"Wahhh! Brother, is this really true? We can earn money by just playing games?"

Liam smiled and ruffled her head, which made the young girl pout. "Of course. Why will I lie to you?"

"We will have a better life from now on. You can have your own room. New dresses. Whatever you want. You will see tomorrow." He nodded.

"Ahh…" The girl was completely speechless. "Brother then I should also start playing? I can help you?"

"Mmm. All in due time. Let brother get stronger first. Then I will take you to the new world."

"Ahh… but!"

"No buts! You should rest first. After you wake up, wait for me and don't head out to school. Remember alright?"

"Ok, brother. I will listen to you. Umm… Don't work too hard."

"Ha Ha. I won't." Liam threw the dishes into the small sink and didn't bother to wash them.

He then made sure that the door was latched properly, drank a jug full of water, and popped back into the capsule again.

After he left, Chang Meilin looked at the capsule from a dozen different angles, but she was too afraid to mess up something and didn't come anywhere near it.

She sat back in her corner, silently pulled out her textbook, and started reading.