The Author's POV

Kevin's head was filled with a constant ringing sound, and he was just staring at the wooden table in front of him with no expression on his face.

He had a silver spoon in his tiny hands, which he was holding onto very tightly.

'I failed again…'

Kevin mumbled to himself, his eyes gradually losing focus.

In contrast to the first time, this time, he was defeated before even having the opportunity to engage in a meaningful conflict with Jezebeth.

It turned out that he was not even powerful enough to defeat the army of demons that were at his disposal, let alone him, who was even more powerful than them.

'Where did I go wrong? What am I missing?'

He did everything that the system told him.

He did the missions and took advantage of the opportunities from his past life…he did everything yet still failed to accomplish his mission.

Just what was he missing?

"Here's your food."

The sound of his mother's voice jolted Kevin out of his reverie and brought him back to the present.

When he raised his head, he saw her staring at him with the same friendly smile that he was so used to by this point.

Placed in front of him was the same bland soup that she used to make for him in his past life.

It was her signature soup, and one that she would start making as soon as he became five years old, which he had just reached not too long ago.

Just a single look was enough to take his appetite away.

Nonetheless, he still decided to eat it. As long as he got his nutrition in, he was fine.

Slowly, Kevin took a mouthful of the soup and had a taste of it.

"Hm?"

When Kevin looked over at his mother, who was also looking at him intently, he noticed that his brows had suddenly arched a little bit.

"Is there anything wrong?"

Kevin didn't answer her.

Instead, he blinked his eyes a couple of times. He lowered the spoon and took another mouthful.

He wanted to double check.

"…It's good."

Kevin mumbled aloud, savoring the flavor of the soup in his mouth.

As soon as he said those words, his mother immediately displayed a look on her face that indicated she was surprised; however, Kevin didn't put much thought into it as he continued to eat the soup.

'Why does the soup taste better?'

For some odd reason, the bland soup that his mother made him wasn't as bland as it had been in the past.

Why was that?

"I'm glad you like the soup."

Kevin was startled when he felt a warm hand caress the top of his head, and he looked up to see his mother looking back at him with the same smile she always wore.

Her hands were large and rough, unbefitting of her graceful and frail looks.

With just a glance, Kevin could see that they were filled with calluses and cuts.

It was obvious that these were the hands of someone who had been through a lot of adversity throughout their entire life.

Kevin knew this better than anyone.

different than his after practicing

that whenever he was around her, she never

never did anything other than sit in the opposite chair from him and watch him eat

never really put much thought into it

indeed strange. Maybe she also

and pushed

actions confused her

"Hm? What's this?"

"Eat it."

his mother blinked a couple of times, clearly confused by

eventually shook her

already eaten,

"Lies."

Kevin cut her off.

He had been observing

job was

for a couple of kilometers for a payment of approximately 10 U. The cart was filled with trash,

was a grueling job that was looked down upon by most people,

than what she worked for, but she never

was a tough and tenacious

been observing her the whole time, and he knew that she

a quiet sigh and mumbled

not speaking much, you're a sharp one. Sometimes I wonder if

another look at Kevin, she stood up and headed back

just eat your

'Liar.'

Kevin inwardly mumbled.

been staring at his soup with great concentration just a few

his soup, she still turned it down when it was offered

Why was that?

once again confused

understand why she would go to such lengths to help a small

front of him and seeing his reflection, Kevin put the spoon in

'It's cold…'

Yet…so warm.

***

spent most of his time

father went to the construction site to help build the new high rise buildings in the inner city, his mother, Margaret, would always leave early in

of them was only 30 U per day, which was just about enough to get

because of this that Margaret decided to go somewhere

of a shopping mall in the inner

drag you along with me, Kevin, but I won't take too long. You can just stand there quietly

head without

nothing more than take a seat on the staircase of the

dripped down the side of her face as she used a pair of worn-out gloves to collect trash from the trash cans placed around

from shoppers in the shopping mall, she

was her smile that caused Kevin to tilt his head further as he had

'Dangerous.'

thought that

never really cared to look at his 'caretakers' and just single mindedly pursued his own goals…but it was

thought that maybe, just maybe, they didn't need to die like they did

could help them survive that

they will be a

thought, however, as

would serve as nothing but burdens if he let

clear goal, and he couldn't let anything distract him away

long after, and his

confronted by a bustling crowd of people entering and exiting the large shopping

smiles on their faces and

away from their image and lingered

'50 U'

a 50 U

mind, a trivial

so accustomed to dealing with millions of U at the time during his previous two regressions that