Being called like that, he neither argued nor shouted back. He was fully aware of what he was right now.
Especially as her mother was that kind woman who wouldn't be furious after seeing her treated that way despite everything she had done?
Remembering the hallucination that had happened earlier, he decided to test it again. Taking it as the perfect moment, he resolved to ask for forgiveness.
[Mission: Ask for forgiveness
Description: After all of the trouble that you have made saying you're sorry is not really that bad.
Objective: Just say sorry
Reward: Culinary(random)]
...
After making up his mind, he closed his eyes and lowered his head. Deep down, what he was about to express was his heartfelt sincerity.
"I'm sorry for everything. Please forgive me for all the bad things I've done. From this moment on, I'll try to change myself and repay you for everything," he said.
"I know my words may have no credibility, but I'll prove them through my actions." He kept his head lowered, not daring to look up.
Seeing him being like this Claire was dumbfounded, "Is he on drugs again? There's no way his this high,"
After hearing no reply for some time he spoke again, "Can you please give me more time? I'll repay it soon," he said, neither loudly nor softly.
Seeing his sudden change, she remained silent, wondering if this was real. After witnessing her mother's kindness being repaid so cruelly, she had been filled with anger.
Her mother had never actually told her to demand the payment.
This was entirely her own decision for she believed that if she kept pressuring him and forced him to leave, it would be better for her mother in the long run.
Sometimes, when she came to collect the payment, the two of them would argue every time, forcing her mother to step in and even scold her own daughter.
While letting the bad man go, which made her very mad in who is the real blood.
She clenched her teeth and thought bitterly, "Am I the one who is adopted here?"
Back in the present, she glanced at John, yet her anger did not lessen in the slightest.
"I won't forgive you even if you kneel before me! After humiliating my mother for so long, you really have the nerve to say this?!" she screamed.
Her hand flew out and slapped him across the face. John did not look up nor did he fight back.
Seeing that he didn't react at all, she couldn't help but wonder if he had truly changed. In the past, even the slightest bump would earn her a slap, proof of how violent he used to be.
Yet now, there wasn't a trace of anger on his face.
"Hmph. I'll give you one week to pay for the three months you've stayed here. Since you let me vent, I won't count the food, or the money my mother gave you, that's all," she said while snorting in the end.
With that, she turned and walked down the stairs without looking back.
Watching her leave, he sighed and accepted the outcome. He had expected far worse and perhaps a few more slaps or even kicks.
Fortunately, it had been only one slap. Feeling the sting on his cheek, he let out another sigh and gently rubbed it with his hand.
...
[Mission: Ask for forgiveness [Completed]
Description: After all of the trouble that you have made saying you're sorry is not really that bad.
Objective: Just say sorry
Reward: Culinary(random)]
...
[The mission was completed]
[Do you wish to claim the reward?]
"Yes," he replied, still wondering if he was truly hallucinating.
There was no way a hallucination could be this consistent, this clear and without a single flaw. As that thought crossed his mind, a flood of memories washed over him.
After a few seconds of absorbing those experiences, he finally saw the rewards he had received.
...
Skill: Street-Grade Fried Chicken Mastery
Type: Culinary
Tier: Beginner (Upgradeable)
Description: The host gains instinctive understanding of street-style fried chicken including seasoning balance, oil temperature control, frying timing, and aroma management.
...
When he saw the skill he had obtained and especially the experience that felt like being pulled into a dream, he was greatly shocked by how real it was.
"So… it really isn't a hallucination," he said, filled with surprise.
Now that he had learned something, he felt a little disappointed that it was only about cooking fried chicken.
Then suddenly, he remembered something.
Back in his old world, this kind of thing sold extremely well so why couldn't he do it here too? With that thought, he began to plan.
First, he didn't have any proper equipment to sell on the street. Second, he lacked funds.
"Wait…" he muttered as he checked his pockets, his eyes lighting up.
He had over five hundred pesos it was small, but enough to start something modest.
If he hadn't gained the skill, he wouldn't have dared to take the risk. But now that he had it, he decided to try.
Then he went down the stairs and headed to the shared kitchen for the boarders. There, he saw several pans and even a charcoal stove, so the only things left to buy were the ingredients and plastic bags.
He then went to the market. After checking his old broken phone, he saw that it was already six in the morning.
It seemed like a good time, since many people had not eaten yet.
Nighttime would have been the best, but morning was not bad either, especially because the apartment was close to a small public jeepney terminal.
There were clearly many people passing through the area, so he figured he might be able to sell there.
Taking the chance, he did not waste any more time and headed straight to the market.
The place was crowded with customers, packed with activity.
Luckily, the location was good since it was close to the city. After walking around and carefully checking prices to stay within his budget, he finally began buying what he needed.
He bought chicken drumettes and wings, about one and a half kilograms in total, along with all purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, ground black pepper, garlic, oil, and MSG.
After returning to the apartment, he went straight to the kitchen and began his work.
With the help of the system, he moved like a veteran in cooking, totally performing at his full potential.