System: "[This system specializes in Plant Cultivation. All wood-element magic products are offered at discounted prices. The listed prices for Dewdrop Spell and Soil Tilling Spell are the true base prices.]"
"…You expect me to believe that?" Ron scoffed inwardly.
Seriously, of all the times to reveal those prerequisite spells, the system waited until after he spent his points on 'Seed Accelerating Spell'?
If that's not bait-and-switch, what is?
Hmph!
I swear I'm never buying those two spells!
Ron vented a bit to himself, trying to maintain some shred of dignity.
Of course, even if he wanted to buy them now, he couldn't afford them.
Which only made it more frustrating.
Why hadn't I thought this through earlier…
Ron had read some beginner books like 'Magic for Starters' over the past few days, but they only covered the basics of the three major branches of magic. More advanced stuff, like composite spells, he'd mostly skipped over.
The three branches of magic were: White Magic, Green Magic, and Black Magic.
Water and Earth fell under Green Magic.
Wood, however, was a composite type formed from Water + Earth—a sub-branch of a sub-branch of Green Magic.
So naturally, related knowledge was deeper and more complex. Ron hadn't taken the time to explore it.
He had assumed that since the system offered the Seed Accelerating Spell, it'd be like the Meditation Technique—instant comprehension, plug-and-play.
But nope.
What he got was a trap card.
It was like a math problem requiring a compound formula derived from two foundational ones. Except that he only had the final formula and no idea how to get there.
And the question demanded that you derive it step by step, or lose points.
Totally unfair.
Ron flopped down in his lounge chair with a sigh, telling himself to take a breath and calm down.
But the more he thought about it, the angrier he got.
It was like getting scammed online—
The scammer says you need to pay $100 to claim a prize.
You send the money, and then they ask for a $500 "security deposit."
And all you can do is curse your own stupidity, block the scammer, and vow revenge.
And curse them with: "May your kid be born without—"🤭
…
Well, sadly, the system doesn't have kids.
After giving the system a long, internal rant, Ron finally cooled down. He glanced at the time—almost 5 PM.
So he closed up the shop and headed over to the barbecue joint next door.
A little grilled meat to soothe my soul…
As he passed the alleyway between the two stores, Ron glanced inside out of habit.
The trash bin stood alone—no one in sight.
He walked into the barbecue shop and ordered his usual skewers. But this time, he added one extra portion.
Lyle came over, curious. "Expecting a guest today?"
Ron just smiled and shook his head.
Lyle didn't press. He chuckled and said, "We've been getting tons of customers lately—people coming from all over to try the barbecue. Business has never been better, and it's all thanks to you."
Ron hadn't really paid much attention to the shop's condition these past couple of days, always eating quickly and returning to his store.
Looks like things were going well.
Not long after, the skewers arrived.
Ron finished his own plate first, then greeted Lyle before taking the extra portion and walking out.
The sun was beginning to dip behind the Manchester Mountains to the west, and twilight had already blanketed the eastern sky.
At the mouth of the alley, Ron spotted the familiar slender figure, once again rummaging through the trash for food.
Though the figure had its back turned, they must've had sharp instincts—because the moment Ron looked over, they instantly twisted around.
A pair of dark gray eyes met his.
Without a word, the child turned and bolted toward the far end of the alley like a startled rabbit.
"Hey! Wait up!" Ron called out, jogging over and placing the skewers wrapped in oiled paper on the ground. "We've seen each other a few times now. Here—have some barbecue."
He gently opened the wrapping so the aroma could spread freely, filling the entire alleyway.
The small figure paused at the far end, turning around cautiously. There was obvious surprise and wariness in those eyes.
Bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun, Ron could just make out the child's face.
It was caked in grime and mud—deliberately smeared, from the looks of it—making it impossible to see their true appearance.
Ron meant no harm. He simply smiled, pointed at the food, and walked away.
The kid clearly had a strong sense of self-preservation. If Ron stuck around, no matter how delicious the food smelled, they wouldn't dare approach.
Sure enough, after lingering for a while, the smell of grilled meat eventually drifted over and teased the kid's nose.
So good…
Gurgle…
Stomach growled.
The child hadn't eaten all day, and hadn't even found anything yet in the trash.
Finally, unable to resist, the child cautiously crept toward the meat.
After scanning the street and confirming that Ron had indeed gone back inside, they relaxed a little and squatted down, peeling open the oiled paper.
The aroma hit the child like a wave.
The child immediately grabbed a skewer and devoured it in one bite, barely chewing.
The fusion of pepper, cumin, and juicy meat exploded in their mouth like a firework.
"Mmhh…"
The child swore—he'd never tasted anything this good.
Even the half-eaten steak they once dug out from a restaurant bin couldn't compare.
This was on another level entirely.
Within just half a minute, more than half the food was gone.
"Cough cough!"
The child stuffed his mouth too full and got a bit of spice down the wrong pipe.
Clink.
Suddenly, a cup of water was placed down beside them, making him jump in surprise.
Ron stood nearby, watching the small figure with a faint smile. He gently set the cup down, then stepped back, showing he meant no harm.
The child peeked at him a few times. Seeing his face up close, they were momentarily stunned by how handsome he was—then quickly looked away.
After a brief pause, they picked up the cup and took a sip.
It was just plain water. But somehow, it tasted sweet.
"…Thanks."
The voice was soft and hoarse—but had a clear, crisp undertone.
Ron was a bit surprised.
That voice… doesn't really sound like a boy's…
Maybe they were just at that age when voices were changing?
He glanced over the small figure again. The oversized, tattered cloak they wore made them look even thinner. There wasn't much shape underneath—completely flat.
A poor little boy, Ron thought sympathetically.
He smiled warmly, then turned and walked back into his shop.
He didn't bother with any clichéd questions like "Where are your parents?" or "Do you have a home?"
They were strangers. What would be the point?
Maybe it was the lingering sense of loneliness from crossing into this world, but sometimes his heart just overflowed a little.
Anyway, it was just a skewer of barbecue.
No big deal.
So Ron returned to his study, sat down, and continued reading.
And just like that, the encounter was forgotten—filed away in some quiet corner of his mind.