Chance Encounter Completed

Sage's arms were laden with bags, each one filled to the brim. She carefully arranged them on the front seat, leaving only two bags in her grasp. One contained a collection of books, the other a new phone, both intended for Xyle. "I bought this for you," Sage said, her voice soft as she handed over the items.

[+1000 Destiny Credits]

The driver's voice cut through the silence, his eyes meeting hers in the rearview mirror. "Where to, ma'am?"

"Seaview City, please," Sage replied, her gaze shifting back to Xyle.

Xyle's curiosity was piqued as she opened the first bag. The weight of it hinted at something substantial. Her eyes widened as they fell upon a stack of books. She glanced at Sage, a soft "Thank you" escaping her lips.

Next, she opened the bag containing the phone. Her eyes narrowed slightly, suspicion flickering within them. She lifted the lid of the box, revealing the sleek black screen of the phone. "Is this mine?"

Sage simply nodded. "I've already added my number. You can contact me anytime, emergency or not."

"Thank you." Xyle quickly inspected the phone, arranging and installing art apps. It took her no more than half an hour before she returned the phone to its box. Her interest was piqued more by the selection of books Sage had chosen. Her eyes remained focused, undeterred by the bumps and jolts of the ride.

Meanwhile, Sage unlocked her old phone and navigated to her messages.

Sage: When are you gonna come back? (Sent 22:31)

Receiving no reply, Sage retrieved her new phone from its bag. She explored the apps and settings of her aPhone, testing the camera by pointing it out the window. She was taken aback by the clarity of the image, even in the darkness of the night. She snapped a few photos, admiring her own photography.

"Does this phone have a stabilizer feature, or are my hands not trembling anymore?"

She attempted to post a few shots on her altergram app but was halted by a notification that she hadn't signed into her account. She searched through the notes and screenshots on her old phone for her account details but found nothing. She even checked the hidden files on her phone, but to no avail.

She stared blankly ahead, racking her brain for where she could have stored the passwords. A memory surfaced, her past self-declaring, "Taking notes is such a hassle, and I have a sharp memory, it is not needed. I'm sure I can remember it when the time comes."

Sage rubbed her face, mentally berating herself. "Damn you, little Sage! Sage of the past!"

"System!" Sage called out in her mind.

[What can I do for you, host?]

Sage pondered, "Do you have a memory enhancement pill?"

The system opened the shop and directly showed Sage the Memory Enhancement Pill with a price tag of 5,000 destiny credits.

Sage's eyes twitched. The system could have done this earlier, but it always suggested finding the item on her own. She wasted a lot of time finding something she wasn't sure if the system had. But she patiently asked the system, "Please show me the description."

[Memory Enhancement Pill

Description: A medicinal pill that allows the person intaking the medicine to have their memory's enhanced 115% from the current intelligence. Information gained from studying increased by 50% permanently after intake.]

"That good?" Sage asked inwardly in surprise. But her eyes cast a suspicious gaze at the system panel. "But why is it so cheap?"

[This pill is only a beginner item, host. There are more similar items that will be in stock in the future.]

Sage felt a wave of disinterest wash over her. She stopped speaking and clicked to buy the pill. She was left with 4,151 credits in her wallet.

Upon their arrival, Xyle thanked Sage for the second time. Her hands were full of bags filled with groceries and books. She had already placed the new phone inside her personal bag.

"See ya later~" Sage bid goodbye and asked the driver to also drop her off near her mother's house. After paying the fare, she had a realization.

"Can these fit in my inventory?" Sage asked the system. She put the grocery down on the ground to lighten her load.

[No, host. Your inventory is only 10 in³.]

"I see," Sage murmured, understanding dawning on her. She crouched on the ground and began transferring the heavy items into a small plastic bag. She also put the phone inside the plastic bag, then placed it in the inventory.

She remembered her former hideout and ventured into the dimly lit abandoned compound. Overgrown trees and grasses obscured the view. She switched on her flashlight and made her way into the broken building that was far from the gate. Beggars couldn't enter the place due to its secluded entry.

Sage had only been gone for a few days, but the spiders had already spun their webs across the entrance. A chill ran down her spine; she despised spiders the most. She traced the web with her light, looking for an entrance, but it covered the entire entrance. Sage laughed in amusement as she scolded the non-sentient spider, "I just threw a tantrum a few days ago, and you already blocked the way."

As if responding to her scolding, the spider suddenly leapt from its web towards her. Sage let out a silent shriek. However, her eyes remained wide open, checking if the spider intended to attack her.

The spider shot out a web and retreated back to its web.

Sage could feel her heart pounding in her chest. No one would believe her if she told them that a spider had intentionally scared her.

She turned away from the enclosed building and surveyed another location. She remembered the hut that she and her other childhood friends often frequented.

Sage walked for a few minutes before recognizing the banyan tree they used to climb. Beside this banyan tree was the hut, but it was no longer there. The roots had already consumed the benches that were once connected to it.

"Well, at least this place doesn't have any spiders. I'm not sure about the rats though." She commented as she went to retrieve the groceries and placed them behind the tree. She murmured, "I'll get you back tomorrow."

As she walked back home, Sage took the Memory Enhancement Pill she had bought from the system.

Khal'el : We have an event in school today. I can send my driver to pick you up.

Sage read the message first thing in the morning. She still felt groggy, her body aching all over. She wanted to lie down all day, but her business and her mother's endless orders didn't allow her to do so.

Sage: Time? And I won't join your event, let me sleep in the car.

Khal'el: 9AM

Sage put down her phone and went to grab her bag at the foot of her bed. She emptied its contents, segregating the money to the right. She counted the remaining cash on hand and reached a total sum of $43,595. She sighed in relief, "Oh, damn. I thought I lacked the payment."

After Sage finished all her household tasks, she heard her father coming home. She went out and took his things. "Pa, Khal'el invited me to go somewhere," Sage casually said.

"When? Be sure to eat before going out."

"Today," Sage answered. "Am I that close to Khal'el, Pa?"

They entered the house and Father Everest collapsed onto the sofa. His eyes were deep-set, the fatigue evident. "Yes, Khal'el and Xyle are your closest friends. Why?"

"I understand about Xyle. But I don't remember much about my friendship with the other one." Sage took a plate and put rice on it. She opened the canned sardines and put them in the metal bowl. "Eat before you sleep, pa."

Father Everest got up and weakly approached the table. "You knew Khal'el before you knew Xyle." He put a spoonful of rice on his spoon and ate it.

Sage contemplated while preparing her clothes. "Does the memory ball have the complete information about Khal'el?"

[Yes, host.]

"Why can't I remember him?" Sage asked.

[One word to describe why you can't remember him, host, is defense mechanism. The system can also instill the memory of the past to the memory ball.]

"Please do. I want to know why my defense mechanism is forgetting about his existence."

[Chance Encounter Updated]

[Description: Buy the set of knives you promised to buy from Khal'el Richard within one week. Buy 15 hunter knives for the Manta Ray Club.

Rewards: 35% Rebate; $1,000,000; 5 System Sponsored Searches in Shop; Memory Ball containing Khal'el Richard (present & past); and 10m³ Inventory.]

A message notification interrupted Sage from looking at the updated chance encounter.

Khal'el: The driver said he has arrived

Sage quickly exited the house, brushing past her mother without giving her a chance to scold. "I'll be back early." "That brat is so disrespectful!" her mother muttered under her breath.

Knock, knock!

The window beside the driver's seat rolled down. "Miss, please get inside. The young master is waiting."

Sage couldn't help but smile. She slid into the passenger seat, whispering under her breath, "What young master? That's too cringey."

Sage drifted off to sleep during the ride, only to be awakened by a conversation in the front seats. "Young Master, two companies have already expressed interest in investing in the next project." A deep chuckle echoed through the car, followed by a curt response, "Don't respond to them. I'll accept investments after the official announcement." "You're accepting investments now, Young Master?" "Yes," he replied curtly.

Sage sat up, pretending she hadn't heard a thing. She rubbed her eyes, trying to clear away any lingering sleepiness. "Khal'el?" Her voice came out hoarse and cracked.

Khal'el glanced back at her, a smile playing on his lips. "How was your sleep, baby?"

Sage feigned a gag. "What baby?" But inside, she was panicking. A strange ticklish feeling had started to stir in her stomach, a sensation she didn't particularly enjoy.

"System, why do I feel ticklish inside?" she asked inwardly.

[You're in love, host.]

Sage immediately dismissed the idea. Ignoring the system, she turned her attention back to Khal'el. "I have the money, where are my knives?"

The driver flinched slightly at her words, which sounded suspiciously illegal.

"They're in the back," Khal'el replied.

Sage looked behind her, her eyes landing on several boxes of various sizes. One box, with its cutesy packaging, caught her attention. An expectation began to bubble up inside her. "Is that mine?"

She was about to ask, but her attention was diverted by the numbers floating above Khal'el's head. His karma value, which had been stagnant at 78,325, was now rapidly increasing until it stopped at 98,325.

"Are you an angel?" she blurted out in surprise. How could a person's karma increase so rapidly?

"Huh?" Khal'el asked, a look of innocent confusion on his face.

Regaining her composure, Sage checked the system again and noticed an updated description she had failed to check earlier. "By the way, I also need 15 hunter knives. Do you have those?"

"Yes. Including the 15 hunter knives, the total comes to $13,174." Khal'el's demeanor shifted to a more professional tone as they discussed business.

"$13,174? Okay." Sage reached for her wallet, her rationality being swallowed by her excitement. "Wait—" she paused, her hands still counting the bills — "Isn't it supposed to be about $40,000?"

"No, I was joking with you when I mentioned that price."

"Really?!" Sage's eyes lit up with excitement as she handed $13,500 to Khal'el.

[Chance Encounter Completed!]

[Inventory upgraded to 10 cubic meters.]

[You received a memory ball of Khal'el Richard (past & present).]

[System Sponsored Searches +5]

[You received a rebate of $6,885.25 and $1,000,000. Temporarily keeping the cash in the host's inventory. Please open a bank account, host.]

They exited the car, and Sage eagerly received all the items, opening them right there on the floor. When the light shone on one side of the pocket knife, she noticed a Japanese symbol and the word "Arashi".

The knife was sleek and paper-thin, small enough to fit in the watch pocket of her jeans. Its color was a deep charcoal black, and it featured a tiny button that could open and close the knife with a single press.

The hunter knives, meanwhile, were also charcoal black, designed with a reverse tanto blade. They were perfect for their training or actual self-defense, as they had been taught to use a double edge blade or a reverse edge blade. Instead of a knife, it looked more like a dagger.

Sage tested the knives she had bought from Khal'el, discovering a hidden feature. With a forceful thrust, the blade extended an additional three inches. Initially excited, she quickly realized, "I don't think this is good for training."

Khal'el clapped his hands together. "I was inspired to design that item from you. Although I thought you'd figure out its hidden feature in the far future."

Sage returned the knives to their boxes. "Far future? Why?" she asked, one eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"The feature can only be triggered if the force of the attack reaches 10 kilograms of impact."

Sage laughed. She might not know her own strength, but she was certain it could never reach 10kg. "Just tell me if the product is defective, or if there are issues, I should watch out for."

"Nothing. Just trust me," Khal'el replied nonchalantly, seemingly unconcerned about the possibility of his product being faulty.

Sage rolled her eyes. She picked up the heavy box and bid them goodbye.

Sage hailed a taxi to Crown Homes, the nearest housing compound from her mother's house, though it was more than a kilometer away.

She approached the guard house and asked, "Sir Guard, may I know where and who I can approach to buy a property here?"