Chapter 2: Gift and Determination

"Carl! You dare eavesdropped on our conversation?"

Seeing the person in front of him, Ryan let out a disgusted voice.

Varius's face also didn't have a good expression.

This short boy's name was Carl, and he was Alan's cousin. He was also one of those who coveted Ryan's family assets. He had never shown a good expression toward Ryan.

Meanwhile, Varius knew about him because of his nickname, ' Number two.'

Varius would always place first in all exams from the first grade onward, while Carl would always place second.

"Ha!"

Facing Ryan's questioning, Carl sneered and continued.

"Ryan, don't change the topic. I was walking normally in the school corridor earlier. Did I violate any school rules by walking?

"You, on the other hand, said something about 'a serum.' Let me hear it."

Ryan pursed his lips and pulled Varius away. It was clear that he did not want to tangle with Carl.

As they walked, he said to Varius, " Varius, ignore him. That guy is just like a piece of used candy. Disgusting and clingy. He's very annoying. Let's talk about this somewhere else."

When Carl heard Ryan's words, a flash of brilliance flashed across his eyes. He shouted, "Ryan, stop right there!"

Ryan and Varius did not have any intention of paying attention to him. They did not stop walking, causing Carl's face to turn even darker.

Carl looked at their backs and snorted coldly.

"Ryan, I'm going to tell my father about what you did. I'll tell him to go to the family meeting and seize your family assets!"

Hearing his family assets being mentioned, Ryan could not take it anymore. He stopped and turned his head around.

"Carl, that's too much! Do you think this unverified matter can be brought to the family meeting? If you dare to implicate my family, I'll beat you up!"

Ryan waved his fist aggressively.

Seeing Ryan's actions, a faint smile of victory appeared on Carl's face.

Of course, he knew that it was impossible to question Ryan's words and actions at the family meeting, but that didn't stop him from using this as a method to annoy the other party.

In his opinion, Ryan's family are complete ingrates.

Not only did they obtain one of the largest assets in the family, but they also repeatedly refused his family's support. In the end, they even made a false accusation and accused his family at the family meeting. They said that his family wanted to annex their property, causing his father to lose face.

Since this incident happened years ago, Carl started targeting Ryan everywhere. Whenever he saw that Ryan was furious, he would feel happy.

The more Ryan tried to prevent him from speaking, the more he wanted to do the opposite.

"How is this a small matter, Ryan? Giving away family is a serious crime. Even if there is only a suspicion, it shouldn't be ignored. I am thinking for the sake of the family!"

Carl's words angered Ryan. He pointed at him and said, "You're talking nonsense! You have no evidence at all!"

Varius shook his head gently and took a step in front of Ryan. How could he watch his friend being bullied for no reason?

"Carl, you want to cause trouble for us, right?"

Varius' tone was low. He walked steadily toward Carl and looked straight at him as he spoke.

Carl was startled by the gloominess in Varius' eyes. He subconsciously took a step back.

Varius's combat test results had always been first in the grade and left a deep impression on others. At this moment, his aggressive approach frightened Carl.

Carl took a step back and immediately realized his actions. He could not help but be angry at his momentary fear.

He stood firm without batting an eyelid. He did not believe that Varius had the guts to beat him up in school.

He stared at Varius and revealed a mocking smile.

"Heh, Varius, enjoy your last days as the number one in our grade. After tomorrow, you will know how big the difference between us is!"

As the number one in the grade, Varius's every move had always been watched by his peers. When he got sick, he was forced to take a few days off. By the time he returned, the whole school had long learned about what had happened.

When Varius heard Carl's words, he suddenly understood that Carl had not only come to find trouble with Ryan but also to mock him.

As the number two person in their grade who had always been behind him, Carl had always been unhappy with him.

The new and old grudges that Carl had with Varius and Ryan had been added together to create this opportunity for him to make some trouble.

He saw Carl looking at him with a disgusted look as if he was waiting for a reply before continuing to ridicule them.

Varius decided to ignore him and brushed past. He walked down the corridor heading to the teacher's office

Carl was initially puzzled about what Varius was going to do, but when he saw Varius' actions, his eyes could not help but flash with a hint of panic.

"Varius, you…"

A fierce look appeared on Carl's face, but he was interrupted by Varius before he could finish his sentence.

"Carl, if you have anything to say, you can say it to our teacher."

Carl immediately shut his mouth, his face turning pale.

He curled his lips and said stubbornly, "Varius, you won't get to be so smug for long. Wait until tomorrow, when you obtain your class. I'll teach you a lesson!

"What's the use of good grades? In this world, the class is the most important thing!"

After saying that, Carl turned around and left at a breakneck speed. He had no intention of staying at all.

He knew that he was not very popular with the teacher compared to Varius. Since Varius had not ultimately decided on his class, the teacher's attitude would be biased. Carl was the one who started this matter, so he would not stay and ask for trouble.

Seeing that Carl had run away in the face of the battle, Varius did not care. He knew that Carl was a coward, after all.

"Let's go Ryan"

Varius called Ryan and walked home.

Although Carl was an annoying person, his last words made Varius realize that Carl was correct. In this world, class was the most important thing.

He could refuse others' help because of his stubbornness. Still, but when he thought about how he might cause his loveones and friends to be bullied by people like Carl because of his powerlessness in the future, he couldn't bear it anymore.

Ryan saw Varius walking thru the corridor and quickly came over.

Ryan put his arm around Varius' shoulder again and continued the topic from before. "Varius, if you need help, just let me know. I'll help you."

"Don't worry I have a plan."

Ryan was confused by Varius's words and kept asking questions.

The two of them walked home.

…

Returning to an old building, Varius pushed open his room door.

As soon as he entered, he saw how dirty the inside of the room is. Then, a low voice said, "So Its time."

Varius' heart tightened. He recognized this voice and quickly walked into the depths of the room.

Varius could tell that it was the caretaker speaking.

At this moment, the caretaker continued to speak.

"You've grown up."

There was a deep sense of exhaustion in the caretaker's tone. This caused Varius to feel a wave of tightness in his chest.

In his previous life, he had suffered a lot even with a complete family. Only after he came to this world did he feel the warmth from having someone care for him.

Creak.

The sound of the floor made the person inside look toward the door.

Dan His caretaker was sitting at the living room. There was a steaming hot dinner on the table.

Dan was a dignified old man. Because of the hot weather, he was wearing a white t-shirt.

Dan put away his expression before he could say anything.

"Varius! There's something I want to give you."

It was evident that he have something to say.

Varius wanted to speak, but Dan continued his word.

Dan waved his hand and said, "There's no need to say anything else!

"Varius, you have to know that this matter concerns the rest of your life. Although you grew up without parents, I have high hopes for you."

Looking at the determination in Dan's eyes, he decided to listen.

Dan took out a vial filled with liquid.

He saw Varius's confused expression. He directly revealed the answer.

"When you where taken here, this Awakening Serum was left behind by your parents."

Varius was shocked when he heard the vial's origin. He had heard a lot about his origin but this is the first time he heard this.

If anyone was willing to provide him with a serum, his dead family must be one of them.

He was not worried that Dan would trick him. The value of an Awakening Serum was not cheap, and no one would be willing to give this serum to Varius for no apparent reason.

Dan's calm expression also made him believe that he was not lying to him. Even though the origin of the book was clear, Varius had a new concern.

"Didn't you said that my family died long ago? An Awakening Serum is not cheap. How did they obtain something as expensive as this?"

An Awakening Serum was a solution to Varius's urgent need. It could save his future. Varius had initially planned to borrow money for the sake of purchasing the serum.

Dan closed his eyes and fell silent for a while. Then, he let out a "Hmm" sound as if he was thinking.

Not long after, Dan open his eyes. His expression regained its dignity and even had a hint of seriousness.

"Varius!"

Varius looked at Dan. He knew that it must be a serious matter when the other party spoke in such a manner.

"Your Father risk his life to obtain this. Before your parents died, they gave this to me."

"They said, I should give this to you when the time is right."

Varius showed a confliced expression. He naturally knew what Dan meant. He would forever treasure his parents sacrifice in his heart.

He answered without any hesitation, "I understand."

Dan nodded. He gave Varius the vial and a letter.

Varius realized that the letter was left by his parents for him.

His figure seemed to have become much smaller.

"Alright, sit down and eat. You can read it later."

Varius obediently sat in front of the table and put away the vial and scroll. The two ate their meal in silence.

After the meal, Dan washed the dishes while Varius walked to his room. He opened the letter.

After a moment of silence, Varius showed a struggling expression. He then let out a long sigh and said bitterly, "Father, mother, thank you. This time, I've wronged you. If it weren't for your sacrifice, I would have no choice but to be mediocre for life."

Varius looked at the letter in surprise. He did not expect this, then a look of determination flash his eyes.