After the bewildering events of the day, I found myself in an even more unbelievable situation, Mr. Choi Sung-Min, the Hero Player, had taken me in. He even informed the hospital nurse of the matter.
Mr. Sung-Min's mansion was enormously large and impeccably clean, filled with a subtle, almost manly scent. This was the kind of dream home I once thought impossible to attain, especially in my current desperate state.
"I heard about you from the doctor," he began, his tone immediately serious. "Your name is Chris Seolha, a half-American, half-Korean girl. You have no parents, became an errand girl for the alley thugs, and were abused and sexually harassed?" A deep frown etched his face as he spoke, clearly sympathizing with my plight.
I couldn't muster the words, only manage a fragile nod.
"Starting today, I'll take you in," he announced, a genuine smile replacing the frown. "However, I have one condition. You must become my maid here. You'll be in charge of all the chores, since you already have experience with errands, is that okay?"
I couldn't afford to be picky with an opportunity like this, it was one in a million chance. Plus, as the maid of a Hero Player, Mr. Sung-Min, my safety felt absolute.
"I will do it! I will do it!" I exclaimed, my eyes gleaming with pure, desperate joy.
"Good choice!" Mr. Sung-Min's words were reassuring, and the warmth of his smile instantly put me at ease.
"Oh, and one more thing! I will grant you the privilege to go to an academy. I'll support your education completely, so don't worry about it."
Upon hearing this, I couldn't properly express the flood of mixed emotions. I never expected such kindness. I felt deeply indebted to Mr. Sung-Min.
"Mr. Sung-Min… thank you so much!" I burst out, unable to stop the sudden flow of tears.
But a persistent thought lingered: Did I really deserve this? And how could I possibly tell Mr. Sung-Min about my blessing? If he knew my job was seemingly trash, would he neglect me?
"Is something wrong, Chris? You were fine a moment ago, why the sudden change of emotion?" he asked, concerned.
"Ah, no, it's okay! I just remembered something bad, haha…" I lied, knowing the memory of my failed Job awakening wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the full truth, either.
I decided not to tell Mr. Sung-Min yet. I needed to figure out my power first. Thankfully, he didn't press me about my blessing.
Morning came quickly.
Mr. Sung-Min was going on duty, and it was my first day officially working as his maid.
"System Call: Warrior Suit Activate!" His voice was commanding and serious as a metallic suit seemed to materialize out of thin air, enveloping his body.
"I'll leave the house in your care, Chris." With that, he was gone.
"Y-yes, Mr. Sung-Min!"
So, that's how a Hero Player's System Call works, huh? I wondered if mine was the same. As I thought about it, a hologram suddenly flickered into existence before me.
[System Notice: Your target is invalid, please find a valid target to use Memory Devourer.]
I was baffled. I thought the function might be similar to Mr. Sung-Min's, but it seemed my System Call wasn't a suit. Does everyone's blessing have a different function?
A thousand questions raced through my mind, but I reminded myself, chores first.
After finishing all the household duties, only the grocery run remained. I headed straight for the market with the list. On the way, I encountered an old, terrifying problem. Even though I was in disguise as a simple maid outfit, the thug who beat me up that day recognized me.
I ran as far and fast as possible, but the distance between us closed quickly. Eventually, he caught up.
"Do you really think you can get away from me, you pesky little girl?!" His eyes were insane, and his murderous intent was terrifyingly real.
"W-what are you going to do with me this time…?" I trembled, trapped once again in a shady alley.
"Haha! You know, I'm not actually a Mage! That lightning I used on you was just an artifact! I'm a Swordsman! And now, instead of tormenting you with lightning, I'll slice you into pieces! Haha!" His laugh was pure devilish malice.
"I—I didn't do anything wrong to you guys! I always obeyed! So why?! WHY?!" I pleaded.
"Why, you ask? It's because you called that goddamn Hero Player! Now I'll slice you for good using this cheap sword of mine, brat!"
I thought I was genuinely going to die this time. But as I looked up, I noticed a flower vase starting to topple from a nearby balcony. The thug hadn't quite reached the perfect spot yet. I slowly shifted backward, matching his movements, until the moment was right. He landed in the exact, terrible spot. He never saw the vase falling; it struck his head directly.
I felt no guilt, though I was still trembling. The thug was instantly dead.
[System Notice: This body has no sense of life, it makes the perfect target. State in mind or say 'System Call' if you want to use 'Memory Devourer.']
I was utterly dumbfounded. If I devoured his memory, would it become mine? I didn't know, but I had no choice. I needed to figure out this power.
I swallowed hard and whispered "System Call" in my thoughts, uncertain of the consequences.
[System Notice: Devouring the target's memory. Please compose yourself and don't lose your sanity while you are in the devouring phase!]
"Huh…?"
The devouring began instantly. A sudden, overwhelming surge of feelings crashed into my body. My head screamed in pain; I felt like I was losing my mind. I couldn't help but scream.
After a few excruciating minutes, the devouring was complete, and somehow, I had survived the crisis. The thug's body began to fade away completely. Is this how my System Call works?
[System Notice: Memory Devouring has completed, congratulations on your first devour!]
To be continued...