Chapter 7 (Anxiety)

"An important information?" Jeremy mused, and with a deep breath, Jeremy opened the email and began to read, his heart pounding with anticipation.

(Your first mission was a success, and after further evaluation, you have been aasigned with a d-rank as an excorcist)

(Tap here to access your rank's perks.) It read in bold and underlined letters.

As Jeremy mused over the email, a mix of excitement and confusion coursed through his veins. He couldn't help but wonder how he had been evaluated so quickly after just leaving the dungeon moments ago. "After further evaluation?" he questioned aloud, his brow furrowing. "I thought I had just left there a few minutes ago..."

Shaking off his confusion, Jeremy decided to set aside the perks mentioned in the email for now. He had more pressing matters to attend to, like finding a place to sleep for the night. He had already told his mom that he was going for a sleepover at a friend's house, a lie that he wasn't particularly proud of. "I'm so terrible at lying," he admitted to himself, scrolling through his messages.

His eyes widened as he noticed a message from his mother. "Oh! Mum replied to my message?" Jeremy muttered, feeling a glimmer of hope. With anticipation, he quickly tapped on his mother's message to read its content.

"Ok sweety, I won't be available for a while due to work, just make sure you are safe, and avoid fighting with your friends," the message read. Jeremy couldn't help but chuckle, albeit with a tinge of pain. "Won't be available for a while... just how many days is 'a while' going to take?" he wondered aloud, rereading the message.

A realization suddenly dawned on him. "Wait! That means she isn't around then?" Jeremy's face lit up with a smile. "No need for me to spend my hard-earned money on renting a place to stay overnight!" He felt a wave of relief wash over him, knowing that he could sleep in the comfort of his own home.

But his excitement was short-lived as he scrolled up to find another message from his mother. "And I hope you took the spare key because I locked the door before I left." Jeremy's eyes widened, his mouth opening in a comical fashion. His hopes of spending the night at home came crashing down. He had left the spare key inside, foolishly assuming that his mother would be home the next day.

"I wished I was invisible!" Jeremy exclaimed inwardly, his frustration evident. He wracked his brain, calculating the cost of renting a place for the night and how it would affect his finances. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, he realized that his school uniform was also inside the house. If he couldn't get in, he wouldn't be able to attend school until his mother returned.

"Have a great time, love you!" His mum's message concluded.

"I love you too mum." He uttered, before putting his phone back to his pocket.

As he contemplated his predicament, a memory flashed in his mind. He remembered seeing a tab on the screen of the system just before exiting the portal. It was a hidden quest offered by the system, something he had brushed off initially. However, now it seemed like the perfect opportunity to tackle it.

"The hidden quest the system gave me," Jeremy pondered, a newfound determination burning within him. He made up his mind in an instant. He would skip school for the week, and his mother would be none the wiser.

With his resolve strengthened, Jeremy thought about his next course of action. He needed to find the cheapest place to stay for the night.

"I'll send a personal mail to you, so check your phone by 4 pm tomorrow." Jessica's message reverberated in his ears, and a smile surfaced his lips, before it expanded into a grin.

A sense of excitement and anticipation filled the air as Jeremy's grin widened. He was ready to face the challenges ahead, to rise from the ashes and prove himself. "Let's do this!" he declared, his determination skyrocketing.

But before he embarked on his quest, he needed to find a temporary shelter for the night.

Luckily for Jeremy, after an exhaustive search, he stumbled upon a quaint inn that offered a place to rest for the night. The innkeeper, a grizzled old man with a stern expression, quoted a price of 300 rons for a night's stay. Determined to stretch his limited funds, Jeremy summoned all his bargaining skills and pleaded with the innkeeper to lower the price. After an intense negotiation, he managed to haggle the price down to 200 rons, a small victory that brought a sense of relief.

As Jeremy stepped into his room, he couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. The accommodations were far from luxurious, with worn-out furniture and faded wallpaper. The room lacked the comforts he had grown accustomed to, and even basic amenities like meals were not included. "They don't even cover for feeding services," he sighed, realizing the extent of his financial limitations. "Guess that's just how poor I am," he thought, his spirits dampened for a moment.

Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, Jeremy knew that he had to prioritize rest. The fatigue from his first mission was beginning to take its toll, and sleep became an urgent necessity. He lay down on the creaky bed, the weariness pulling at his eyelids. However, anxiety gnawed at his mind, making it difficult to drift off into dreamland.

As sleep finally embraced him, Jeremy found himself transported to a world of dreams and aspirations. In his slumber, he was no longer the struggling teenager burdened by the weight of responsibilities. Instead, he became the protagonist of his own success story, envisioning himself as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company. The dream was vivid and exhilarating, filled with the promise of wealth, power, and fulfillment.

In this dream world, Jeremy's imagination ran wild as he navigated the intricate workings of his empire. He made bold decisions, charting the course for his company's expansion and success. The dream was an escape from the harsh realities of his current situation, a glimpse into a future where his potential knew no bounds.

But even in his dream, a part of Jeremy yearned for more than just material success. He longed for the companionship of true friends, the warmth of genuine relationships, and the love and support of his family.

As dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight pierced through the window, Jeremy slowly stirred from his dream-induced slumber. The remnants of his dream still lingered in his mind, filling his heart with a newfound determination. He knew that he needed more than just a good night's sleep to achieve his dreams. He needed to harness his talents, seize every opportunity, and overcome the obstacles that stood in his way.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Jeremy rose from the bed and prepared himself for the challenges that lay ahead. He was ready to face the world, armed with resilience, perseverance, and an unwavering belief in his own abilities. Little did he know that the path he had chosen would lead him on an extraordinary journey of self-discovery, adventure, and personal growth.

The story of Jeremy, the young exorcist, had only just begun, and the pages of his life were waiting to be filled with triumphs, setbacks, and moments of sheer brilliance. As he stepped out of the inn, he took a deep breath, ready to embrace the unknown and carve his own destiny.

The road ahead would be arduous, but Jeremy was determined to rise above his circumstances and emerge victorious, leaving a lasting impact on the world around him.