Dilek frowned at the glowing screen. "Delete a skill? To get another one?" he muttered, He noticed the people looking at him, Confused as he thought
'Gotta do it fast.'
———
You have reached the maximum amount of skills you can hold. Delete a skill in order to replace this.
Skill List:
Skill: Painful Healer
Skill: Fullbright
Skill: Communication with Blockheads
Skill: Brave Against Edgelords
Skill: My Sonido Is the Fastest Among the Espada!
Skill: Monster Rider
Skill: Believe in Me for Super Good Heals
Which skill would you like to delete in order to obtain the new skill?
———
'Painful Healer… I have an upgraded version of it that doesn't cause pain. Then should I get rid of it?'
He frowned. 'Wait, no. This practically saved me against Tommy.'
'Next one is… Fullbright. Yeah, that's staying. Yep, never switching that one.'
He looked at the next line. 'Communication with Blockheads… should I do it? If what Iris said was correct, I think this is the skill that let me talk to the Ruda. This… is useful if I can communicate with monsters...'
'Brave Against Edgelords? Well, I don't feel fear around Tusk. But he doesn't really try to scare me anymore…Hmm, What about the others?'
He tilted his head, reading the next one. 'My Sonido is faster than yours? Hold on, what is up with the name?... Forget it. This is the most useful skill after the healing spells. It's good that I can react to people at the same speed as them, Kinda overpowered against a super fast guy, and probably the worst if I'm up against someone like Marcus…'
'Monster Rider… this one seems the most useless. It's so cool though… aw man, I don't wanna delete it, but I have to.'
He sighed. "Delete Monster Rider…"
———
Confirming… Proceed with payment.
100 BP required to delete a skill.
———
"WHAT?!" he raised his voice, startling the people near him. Quickly composing himself, he bowed slightly in apology and looked back at the screen.
'Goodness… screw it.'
———
Remaining BP: 56
Purchase successful. Skill has been deleted. Would you like to replace with the new skill obtained?
———
"Yes…" he muttered.
Skill acquired: Did You Just Cough?
He turned to the people, smiling. "I'm sorry for the wait… Please, lead me to the sick people."
They nodded and quickly guided him through the narrow lanes of the slums. The houses leaned against each other, some doors half-broken, their windows covered with cloth instead of glass. Every door that opened revealed a pair of dull eyes.
—
In the first house, an old man slept on a straw mat, his chest rising with effort, his lips cracked and dry. Dilek knelt beside him and pressed a hand to his chest. A faint light seeped through his fingers; the man's breathing steadied, the tightness in his throat easing.
The next home belonged to an elderly woman sitting against a wall, her hands trembling as she tried to lift a cup. Dilek crouched beside her, smiling gently. "Hello, granny. Are you okay?"
She looked at him, tears slipping down her wrinkled cheeks. Slowly shaking her head. Dilek sat beside her and took her hand.
Skill: Did You Just Cough? (Activated)
She felt warmth surge up her arm, but her hands still trembled.
'Hm? Weak bones, I guess, This one needs body healing' he thought, frowning slightly as he held her hand again.
Skill: Believe in Me for Super Good Heals (Activated)
The shaking calmed. She stared at her hands, disbelief softening into a prayer. Murmuring words of gratitude, she pulled Dilek close and kissed his forehead.
He blinked, startled, then smiled softly. As he stepped out, the people waiting outside began chanting.
"The goddess Yaguya is looking at us! She is blessing us!"
Their voices rose in unison, echoing through the crumbling streets. Dilek looked at them, a pang of guilt forming in his chest.
'I am fooling them… for my own gain. I lied about a goddess, and now they really do believe in it.'
He turned away, following them deeper into the maze of alleys.
At the third stop, a little boy lay curled in a thin blanket, his skin burning hot. Dilek entered with a quiet smile, brushing the child's hair back before resting a palm on his forehead.
"You feel hot?"
The boy gave a weak nod. A soft glow pulsed once, and the fever melted away. The boy blinked up at him, smiling faintly. Dilek smiled back.
The chanting outside grew louder.
He was walking an invisible path — one he couldn't see the end of. People were ready to follow him because of a single lie.
'No… not a single lie,' he thought, his eyes dimming. 'When did I ever tell the truth?'
In the next home, a young mother sat with her baby pressed against her chest, exhaustion carved deep into her face. Dilek didn't say a word. He simply reached out, and warmth spread from his hand to hers.
Outside, the chants grew louder.
House after house, light after light — he walked through the slums, his quiet steps echoing, despite it being filled with people, it seemed empty.
By the time the last door closed behind him, twenty minutes had passed. Dozens of people — old, young, mothers, and children — sat outside their homes now, their pain gone like a bad dream.
And in the middle of that narrow street, Dilek stood with his hands trembled, his smile soft but tired.
The people knelt around him, their faces wet with tears and their hands pressed together.
"Thank you so much, Priest... No—Saint! Saint Dilek!"
"SAINT DILEK! SAINT DILEK!"
Their voices rose in the narrow alleys, echoing between the half-crumbling walls. The slum dwellers—men, women, children—each of them had seen hope, given to them by him. Their eyes followed him with trembling reverence.
One of the men stepped forward, his voice shaking. "Thank you, Saint… Please, teach us about the goddess that's granted us her blessings."
Dilek looked at him and smiled—a guilty, faint smile. "The goddess is with you. Believe in her, she couldn't ask for more… Someday I'll tell you all about it."
Another lie.
The crowd bowed. "May the Saint be blessed with Yaguya's light!"
They chanted his name again, voices overlapping like a feverish hymn. Dilek turned, forcing a wave, and said softly, "I'll have to go now."
He walked quickly—past the narrow alleys, until the slums gave way to sunlight.
—
The city. Its white and green stone walls shimmered with light. The chatter of merchants, the cries of vendors—everything felt suddenly too loud.
Dilek stepped in slowly, his shoes brushing against cobblestones slick with dust.
For a brief moment, the light felt colder.
Every face he passed turned toward him. Every eye felt as if it were focusing on him.
For some reason, he felt all of them staring—each mouth whispering the same word.
"Liar."
"Liar."
"Liar."
"Liar."
Their voices weren't real, but they still disturbed him.
—
He reached a bakery tucked between two buildings. The warm scent of butter and sugar drifted through the air. Inside, people chatted quietly.
He stood in front of the counter, sweat clinging to his forehead. The girl behind the counter smiled brightly as she packed his order—pastries, biscuits, chocolates, a little bit of everything.
'I'm fooling them… I really am shameless,' he thought, watching her wrap the sweets. 'I didn't think much of it before, but… it really does feel bad.'
His eyes dropped.
Then he suddenly widened them, slapping his cheek with a sharp smack. "HUH?! WHEN DID I GET DEPRESSED?!"
The customers in the bakery froze, startled.
He coughed awkwardly and grabbed his order. "HOW MUCH FOR IT?"
"Uhm… forty-three bisho," the girl stammered.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bisho engraved with 100. "Keep the change," he said, flashing a grin before rushing out.
Outside, sunlight bathed the streets. The city buzzed with life—vendors calling, carriages rolling past, laughter echoing in the air.
'Screw all that!' he thought, his pace quickening. 'If they think I'm some sort of saviour, let them think that! I'll heal them—what's wrong with that? Matter of fact, they're like my BP generators, and I am helping them. I'm not scamming them!'
He raised his head and shouted, "SO IT'S ALL GOOOODDDDDDD!"
Every passerby stopped to stare. A vendor dropped an apple. Someone muttered, "Is he drunk?"
And then—
A message flickered into view.
Grace period is over. For each use of skill, your BP will be consumed.
"Huh?" he blinked, the screen hovering before him.
For all the times you have used heals since 12:00 a.m. today, BP will be deducted.
The number 56 began to drop, until it stopped at.
BP: -37
"Wha—what?" His voice cracked.
———
Error: You do not have enough points. Your points have gone into negatives. Since you weren't able to pay, your body will be compensating for that.
———
"M-my body?!" Dilek clutched himself dramatically. "WHAT THE HELL? YOU MEAN THE SYSTEM IS GOING TO USE MY BODY FOR PERVERTED THINGS?!"
"THAT'S RIDICULOUS"
He paused. 'Good point… that is ridiculous.'
In the distance, he saw the carriage waiting. Diego and Nandita were waving, shouting his name. Ami was running toward him—eyes lighting up as she spotted the bag of sweets in his hand.
He smiled faintly, looking at them—Marcus, Diego, Nandita, Ami, Hela, Duja…
And then his gaze fell on Kelid. She was sitting inside the carriage, the door open, her eyes meeting his.
For a moment, everything else blurred.
Dilek's cheeks flushed. 'Wow… I feel really warm… actually… too warm.'
Ami slowed her steps, frowning, looking at dilek. "What the—?"
He blinked. A single tear slid down his cheek.
He reached to wipe it—and froze.
Blood.
"What…?"
He stared, trembling, as more streaks of red fell. His eyes turned bloodshot. His chest tightened; he couldn't breathe.
"What… the… hell—?" he gasped, before coughing—
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
A bright red screen appeared.
———
Penalty for not having enough BP is in effect:
Some of your organs have failed as a form of penalty for 30 seconds.
———
His vision started blurring,
Ahead, he could barely make out their shapes—Ami sprinting toward him, Diego shouting, the others rushing from the carriage. The other's voices turned distant, fading.
He stumbled once, twice—spitting blood.
Blood poured from his nose, mouth, and eyes.
He tried reaching out to the ami who was about to reach him.
'No... she won't... reach... me... in... tim—'
—and everything went black.