chapter 2: the farm and doc

The farm that Angie and I (and a couple of other kids, teens, and adults) worked at was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Danvo, an old couple that had been married for over 30 years now and still going strong... sometimes too strong.

"Oh~ dear, keep your hands to yourself! Kids are watching"

"Pff! Let them watch." Mr. Danvo grinned, his hands still wandering over her body. Despite her words, she didn't push him away her hands trembled as she continued to water her flowers.

For a couple in their seventies, they are surprisingly active... 'doesn't mean I want to fucking see that,' I grumbled, my hands continuing to move in a practiced fashion. I grabbed and pulled the weeds out and placed them into my wooden basket. The heat made me pause to stand up and wipe my forehead free of sweat.

Curious. I glanced around at my coworkers. Most are fellow orphans or teens in need of money, with only one or two adults working here. Like me, they also ignored the behavior of our employers cause, after all, they're the bosses.

If they wanted to flirt and get handsy in public, that wasn't their problem. As long as they were paid, they'd keep quiet.

Well, there was one person...

I glanced at the red-haired girl that I may or may not have threatened last night. Her face was flushed, whether from the heat or the sight of the two owners whom she kept glancing at. I don't know.

I grinned when our eyes met, which made her eyes widen in surprise, especially when I wriggled my eyebrows at her eyes, shifting from the couple and back to her.

She knew that I knew.

And so, for the next hour or so until our next break, I felt a smoldering glare on the back of my head, making me grin even more.

_______________________________________________

[Gamers mind-(toggle): removes all emotions and heightens logic by 30%. Removes debuffs of mental statuses. Your mind is protected from intrusion]

[Gamers body-(passive): Your body is like a video game character. Only needing minimal rest, food, and water to work at maximum capacity. Your body is a blank slate. Able to adapt to various energies and abilities]

I let out a pleased whistle at the descriptions of the skills. Sure, they were well within my range of expectations. Nonetheless, they were powerful and life-saving skills.

I took my canteen and gulped down the water in it hungrily, my throat and lips feeling parched from the heat. Unfortunately, the northern area of Noxus was a neighbor to the desert/country called Shurima, making it also extremely hot by proxy.

Unlike the Eastern side of Noxus, who enjoyed the privilege of chilly and cold weather

My fingers twitched as I felt the smoldering glare that had been on me for the last 2 hours come back with a vengeance. Behind me, sitting on the grass and dirt of the farm was a very irritated Angie. Her teeth grinded together.

I felt a little confused. Ignoring last night's events, all I did was tease her a bit. That shouldn't have been enough to get her this mad, right?

"H-hey"

My thoughts were interrupted by the owner's son, I turned my head and looked at him, surprised; a quick search through Cross's memories gave me no results or answers as to why this guy was suddenly interacting with me...

He looked to be around the 14 to 15 age range. He looked like an average guy his age. Black shaggy hair kept short. Brown eyes and tanned skin from working throughout the day with the sun shining its warmth on him. His face was flushed... flushed... no, this guy was blushing?

"Hey?..." I answered back awkwardly. A smile grew on his face for whatever reason, and the blush on his cheeks grew with it.

I felt a shiver run through my spine at the conclusion that seemed so obvious.

I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised about it. Cross was oddly enough. He was extremely beautiful, even if he was a guy. Long black hair (that I plan to cut) that seems to never lose its luster for whatever reason. Tanned skin, green eyes that I swore sometimes glow at night. Along with a very feminine face, pouty lips all that jazz. And because he was starving while looking like this well...

I'm honestly surprised the kid didn't get kidnapped or sold into the red-light district.

Mama Raven, for the win, I guess. She had a pretty infamous reputation around the town even if I didn't know why. So most people didn't mess with her or anyone that she took care of

Taking my silence as some sort of acceptance, he sat down next to me, twiddling his thumbs. I let out a quiet sigh as I wondered how I was going to deal with this.

"Um. So is there anything I can do for you? Mr danvo?" I said the last part hesitantly. This kid was even younger than me before I died. No way in hell, I was comfortable calling him Mr.

"Danny. Call me Danny, " he said instantly

I nodded slowly. "Uh, okay, Danny. Is there anything I can do for you?" I asked once more, licking my lips unconsciously as I felt my lips dry up a little from thirst. The water from the canteen is not nearly enough to satisfy me.

[Congratulations! You have learned [charm] (press for more info)]

I looked at the screen shocked. What the fuck do you mean by charm? What the hell did I do to even learn this skill-Oh.

I looked at the red-faced boy in front of me, his fingers digging into his thighs as he seemed to be in an internal conflict with himself his eyes closed as he took in deep breaths. He crossed his legs as if hiding something- oh. He was.

... I ignored his struggles. Instead, I opened up the description of my new skill.

[Charm]-(passive/toggle) - (level: 1)

[Passive]

Charm, you're enemies, and you're allies

Your words are more likely to be heard and considered.

Your beauty is increased by 2%

Your voice will passively charm soothe and comfort the weary by 10%

[Toggle]

Blast your charms to the max, and bend the wills of those around you.

Your words will hold a greater weight on people's hearts

Your beauty increases by 10%

Your voice is now like a pleasant itch in people's ears. They'll always want more. Increases the passive effects of you're voice by up to 15%]

I looked at the screen in front of me with apprehension. What the hell did this system think I wanted to be? Some sort of courtesan or something? This skill is useless for me as I am. Maybe it'll have its uses in the future.

My eyes, however, wandered toward a section in the skills description.

[Your voice is now like a pleasant itch in people's ears. They'll always want more. Increases the passive effects of you're voice by up to 15%]

It took me a couple of seconds before a plan conjured up in my mind. A grin grew on my face. As I turned to the still-blushing boy.

"So, Danny ~ what brings you here?" I asked toggling on my [charm] skill, and boy, did it affect him. Well, maybe it was cause I decided to give the best playful smile I could

He was a tomato. There was nothing else that could fit as well as that. His eyes moved around erratically, only taking quick peeks at my face before he would remove it quickly

[Congratulations [charm] has leveled up]

[Congratulations [charm] has leveled up]

The smile on my grew even wider, and my eyes locked on the boy in front of me. Fuck dignity. I was starving, and I needed money and to get said money. I need this damn skill leveled up. And I had the perfect lump of exp right in front of me.

I took a page out of some animes I watched when I was younger. And leaned forward much to his surprise. Our foreheads are pressing against each other. My hands slid up to cup his cheeks as I hummed.

"Hmm? You're pretty warm. And considering how red you are... you wouldn't happen to have a fever?" I asked "innocently" my eyes meeting with his as I pulled back slightly.

He didn't get to answer back as he suddenly wobbled before falling onto the grass below face first.

[Congratulations [charm] has leveled up]

[Congratulations [charm] has leveled up]

[Congratulations [charm] has leveled up]

I sat there stunned as I looked at the unconscious boy happily muttering. His face set in a wide grin that sent chills down my spine... disgusting.

"Disgusting," a voice echoed my thoughts behind me

Ah, right, I forgot about her. I turned my head to face Angie, who was looking at me with disgust. I simply toggled my charm on once more and blew her playful kiss just to test how powerful it was against people who hated me.

And much to my surprise, a rosy blush grew on her face. Before she shook it off and glared at me. Making me cackle.

Oh, system, I take it back. The [charm] skill is way better than I thought it to be. Even if it was kinda undignified.

_______________________________________________

"No."

"Oh, come on, sir, please. Just one song!"

"I've already told you that the answer is no. We've already got a couple of people who promised to sing for the night, so scram."

I let out some curses as I stomped out of the bar. My hands clenched in anger.

My [charm] skill hit level 7 easily somehow. And so I knew that even if my singing was... subpar, I was sure I'd still make an enjoyable experience for the customers in the bar... well, street performances it was.

Finding a decent spot in the middle of the market was easy enough. I placed the small basket I borrowed from the farm on the ground beside me. The streets were bustling with people. Most of them were women. However, I noticed, which didn't surprise me as I was in the clothing area of the market.

Taking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes and wondered what song I'd sing for a potential audience predominantly women as well. Rap was out of the way. Pop could work? Rock? Nah, I didn't have the vocals for it.

Romance and/or a sad song would probably be best. Plus, it needed to be a song that worked well enough without music as well.

I clicked my tongue. Damn in my excitement, I hadn't thought things through properly.

If only I had a guitar at least - wait!

I immediately left my basket behind before returning 3 minutes later. A wooden out-of-shape guitar that looked too big for me awkwardly sat on my lap as I sat down on the floor. I noticed a couple of people stooping to glance at me curious.

I had spent the money gained from today and a whole week! On this damn thing. This plan better work.

I took in a deep breath, my eyes closed as I gently pulled onto the strings. A harmonious melody emerged from the guitar that evoked a sense of sadness.

I grinned inwardly at the notification from the system.

[Congratulations you have learned [guitar mastery]

[Previous experience in [guitar mastery] noticed transferring previous experience]

[Congratulations [guitar mastery] has leveled up (13)]

I continued playing, noticing that I had begun to acquire a small crowd just from the guitar. Some were even swaying and bobbing their head slightly to the music.

I grinned, a song coming into my mind. One that I knew could easily work and thrive with only a guitar.

"I found a love~ for me," I whispered, toggling my [charm] to the max. Immediately blasting the surrounding area with it.

"Well darling, just dive right in. and follow my lead~," I noticed another notification from the system, but I opted to ignore it and instead focus on the growing crowd.

"I found a girl~ beautiful and sweet," I noticed that as I kept singing. A white light began to emerge from my body and guitar. Wrapping around the crowd as if gently hugging every person in my range.

"And I never knew you were that someone waiting for mee meee~" my hands began speeding up, "cause we were just kids when we fell in love. Not knowing what it was~"

The bright light began appearing even more but I ignored to immersed to focus on it.

"And I can not give you uppppp~ this tiiiiimee~ darling just kiss me slow~ cause you're heart is all I own and in your eyes, you're holding minnnnneee~" I stretched the last part out. It working perfectly. A harmony that I hadn't ever been able to achieve in my past life seems so easy now.

"Baby, I'm dancing in the dark~ with you between my arms~ barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite songs ~" I hadn't noticed when or why I stood up, but I continued nonetheless as I felt compelled to continue. The white light turns into a shade of silver.

"When you said you looked a mess~ I whispered underneath my breath~ but you heard it, baby, you looked perfect tonight." I stopped singing. And switched to humming. My fingers were Still playing on the strings of the guitar until, a minute later, I stopped completely.

I shifted a bit as I noticed the eyes of everyone on the market on me all frozen and dazed. Until the sound of a single person clapping snapped them out of it.

Soon, 2 people were clapping

Then 10

Then 30

Until the entire crowd around me was all clapping. Cheering me on I even heard some people asking for me to play again. I grinned as I noticed the basket that I had placed was filled with rough coins.

"Alright, everyone, I have time for another song." I grinned at the applause that I gained. Is this what superstars felt? Cause damn it feels good.

I walked home that night, a new man. A rich one in fact.

_______________________________________________

I let out a sigh as I looked at the absolute chaos that was occurring right in front of my eyes.

My performance from yesterday had been the talk of the town. A beautiful young "girl" suddenly appeared in the market to take everyone's breath away with her gorgeous voice and songs.

It didn't take long, however, for people to find out that it was me. I mean, it's not like I kept my identity hidden or anything, so yeah. Now I've got fucking fans knocking at the orphanage doors every hour of the day requesting that I sing another song.

Heck, they even kept bothering me and my coworkers at the farm. The owners had to step in and boot them out of the property... Danny seemed pretty enthusiastic about it, not that it was surprising considering his little crush on me...I wonder does he actually know my gender? Or does he think I'm a girl?

... a question for another time.

Despite how annoying these fans could be, they did pay pretty well whenever I sang for them. I have made my previous challenge of eating a filling for 30 days a simple task now.

And so I was right now dealing with the status debuff by checking up with a doctor.

"You're the uh singing girl, right?"

"Boy, but yes, that's me," I answered, making the doctor tilt his head at me confused. I simply lifted my head, showing him my tiny growing Adam's apple, making his eyes widen, and took off his glasses with trembling hands.

"I see... this.. well, I guess in a world like ours, this isn't the weirdest thing out there, " he mused' "ignoring that you said you wanted a cheek up?"

I nodded, explaining my concerns and problems to him, and he made me lay on the table as he began examining my body, checking my heartbeat, mouth muscles, and all the jazz.

"So got a name, kid say ahh." I opened my mouth as he stuck in a metal... I don't know what it's called but a medical tool into my mouth. Making my answer slur a bit.

"Crooshh" I slurred out. Before he pulled the medical tool out of my mouth "it's cross. No last name" I ignored the pitying look that the man gave me at that.

He shook his head "well anyway cross. You're body is mostly fine. It's just some unhealed injuries that needs some rest." He grabbed a parchment and scribbled on it quickly "here these should be included into you're diet if possible." I glanced at the handwriting before giving the man a deadpan look.

A blush grew on his face as he coughed " Oh right. Give me a second" he wrote down the foods this time actually legible and readable for us nethanderals.

"Thanks doc" I said my hand reaching out to hand him his money only for him to shake his head and push it away.

"Actually kid there's something else I want for payment. Shouldn't be too hard for you as well." He said, showing his hand. A sliver ring shining on his ring finger "me and my fiance are going to be having a wedding a week from now and she's a big fan of yours so could you? You know?"

My eyebrows rose. "You want me to play on you're wedding day? Some random kid?" I asked him surprised by the request.

He shrugged "my wife loves you're songs that's enough for me. If you agree I'll even pay for some proper Instruments. For you to use, " he paused and took a glanced at My tattered clothes and clicked his tounge shaking his head in disappointment "and a suit as well can't have you there looking like... well that. Or would a dress be preferable?" He asked a light smile on his face. His blue eyes shinning with mirth.

I shook my head giving him a slight glare that I felt only fueled his amusement even more. "No thanks I'll take the suit. You have a deal." I said stretching out my hand for a handshake which he accepted.

"Kid meet me tomorrow at the entrance of the hospital tomorrow morning" I tilted my head at him confused which made him chuckle "well for the suit of course. I'll need your measurements and stuff." He explained, which made sense.

"Alright, see you tomorrow, doc." I said, walking towards the exit of the room

"Call me Mr tango brat." I froze a chuckle, escaping my lips as I processed the name, which made the other man fluster out "Hey its a perfectly normal last name" He yelled out as I waved him off and left the hospital feeling much better in just a couple of days of work.

[Name: cross ???

Title: orphan - reincarnated

Status: starvation.(Urgent) Unhealed injuries

Strength: 2.1 (-8%)

Agility: 2.7 (-8%)

Endurance: 1.6 (-8%)

Magic: 3.4 = 3.6

Intelligence: 6.2

Threatscore: 2.4 = 2.7

Magical aptitudes:

Elemental magic: 0.8% (press for more information)

Spirit magic: 0.6% (press for more information)

Celestial magic: 0.0% (press for more information)

Skills: [gamer mind]-(toggle) [gamer body]-(passive) [charm]-(Passive/toggle) [guitar mastery]-(passive) [singing]-(passive)

[Starvation (severe): -70% and -60% deduction from physical experience and magical experience gained.

Eat a filling meal once a day(or more) for 30 days consecutively.

Current progress: 6%]

[Unhealed injuries: -20% deduction from physical experience gained. And -8% reduction in physical stats

Heal your body with rest, good food, and a touch of magic... and a doctor would help.

Progress: 4%]