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.

looked no different than his after practicing with his sword for years on

was that whenever he was around her, she never appeared to

the opposite chair from him and watch

put much thought into

indeed strange. Maybe she also didn't like

head to the side a little and pushed the bowl of soup forward.

confused her

"Hm? What's this?"

"Eat it."

at the bowl, and his mother blinked a couple of times, clearly confused

eventually shook her head and

eaten, you

"Lies."

Kevin cut her off.

that she had not eaten yet. He had been observing her since early in

job was

would push a shopping cart that weighed at least three times as much as she did and walk for a couple of kilometers for a payment of approximately 10

was looked down upon by most people,

what she worked for, but she never seemed to

a tough and tenacious

been observing her the whole time, and he

a quiet sigh and mumbled

sharp one. Sometimes I

at Kevin, she stood

worry, and just eat your meal.

'Liar.'

Kevin inwardly mumbled.

with great concentration just

obvious that she was coveting his soup, she still

Why was that?

again confused by the way

go to such lengths to help a

of him and seeing his reflection,

'It's cold…'

Yet…so warm.

***

and Kevin spent most

construction site to help build the new high rise buildings in the

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

that Margaret

of a shopping mall in the inner districts

you along with me, Kevin, but I won't take too long. You can just stand there quietly and wait for me to finish

his head

a seat on the staircase of the mall and watch his mother labor through the scorching heat of the

face as she used a pair of worn-out gloves to collect trash from the trash cans

many stares she received from shoppers in the shopping

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

'Dangerous.'

moment, he thought that the smile was dangerous to

regressions, he had never really cared to look at his 'caretakers' and just single mindedly pursued his own goals…but it was at this moment, during his third regression, that he started to have different

didn't need to die like they

them survive that

they will

as he

further, they would serve as nothing but burdens

and he couldn't let anything distract him away

and his

a bustling crowd of

faces and children playing with their parents

Kevin's eyes shifted away from their image and lingered on a small

'50 U'

a 50

mind, a trivial

time during his previous two regressions that the