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.

hands looked no different than his

observed about his mother was that whenever he was around her, she never appeared to be

in the opposite chair

put much thought into it

strange. Maybe she also didn't like the

the side a little and

confused her as

"Hm? What's this?"

"Eat it."

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

her head

already eaten,

"Lies."

Kevin cut her off.

eaten yet. He had been observing her

was to

at least three times as much as she did and walk for a couple of kilometers for a payment of approximately 10 U. The cart was filled with trash, and she would sort

most people, but it was also the only job she knew

get less than what she worked for, but she never seemed to

was a tough

been observing her the whole time, and

a quiet sigh

a sharp one.

look at Kevin, she stood up

just eat your meal. I'm not

'Liar.'

Kevin inwardly mumbled.

had been staring at his soup with great concentration

though it was obvious that she was coveting his soup, she still turned it down when it was

Why was that?

asked himself, once again confused by

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

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

'It's cold…'

Yet…so warm.

***

spent most of his

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 the morning to collect the

amount of pay that they received between the two of them was only 30 U per day, which was just about

this that Margaret

mall in the inner districts

to drag you along with me, Kevin, but I won't take too

nodded his head without saying

the mall and watch

of worn-out gloves to collect trash from the trash cans placed around

she received from shoppers in the shopping mall, she continued to work

Kevin to tilt his head further as he had a sudden

'Dangerous.'

thought that the smile was

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

maybe, just maybe, they didn't

could help them survive that calamity

they will be a

was only a fleeting thought, however, as he quickly discarded the notion right

serve as nothing but burdens

and he couldn't let anything distract him away from

long after, and his eyes paused on the

was confronted by a bustling crowd of people entering and exiting

faces and children playing with their parents

thereafter, Kevin's eyes shifted away from their image and lingered on a small purple banknote

'50 U'

a 50 U

mind, a

to dealing with millions of U at the time during his previous two regressions that the note appeared to be nothing more than