CHAPTER 7

 

Daemon was able to successfully proved that the system rewarding definitely provides him monetary rewards once he accomplished every task. He verified that after hugging his professor, Monica. Although the result of that may have been awful knowing that at the end of it, Monica eventually got furious.

“I will not tolerate this kind of harassment, Mr. Quenery. I’ll see to it that the dean learns about this behavior of yours.” Professor Monica furiously pointed Daemon with her finger.

“Professor Monica, I–I am so sorry for that. It’s just that—” Daemon’s words were instantly cut off.

He was shunned when Monica promptly slapped his hands away from her. “Don’t you dare touch me again you perverted kid!” Professor Monica even covered her chest area with her two hands.

She really thought of Daemon now as a pervert, and it would seem that there was nothing that Daemon could to change Professor Monica’s perspective of him any longer.

It has now arrived to Daemon the consequences of what he hd done. Althoug he felt regretful of doing it, he could not simply change things back. Daemon was even thinking about wanting to explain to Professor Monica why he had to do that.

Yet, in the end, Daemon chose to kept his mouth shut. 

He had realized that he couldn’t possibly tell Professor Monica about the system that had chosen him as a player. Not only would Daemon end up being a laugh stock by many, he also fear that authorities might want to go and make a study out of Daemon.

“Please, if you only just let me explain, I would be—”

And yet, once more Professor Monica refuse to listen to Daemon’s please. Professor Monica raised her hand forward to stop Daemon from uttering another word.

“You should have thought of that the moment you decide to think that anybody would just understand you, should you decide to play tricks on somebody else.”

“It wasn’t even my intention to do that, professor. Please hear me out.” Daemon tried his best to persuade Professor Monica. However, it would seem that the professor was already decided about letting the dean learns about this sudden behavior that Daemon had just displayed.

“You can’t convince me any more with that petty lies, Mr. Quenery.” Professor Monica was way too hard to convince for Daemon.

At this point, Daemon knew that trying to convince Professor Monica would be pointless knowing that she wouldn’t even listen to him anyway. 

“What would the dean do to me once he learns about this though?” Daemon eventually asked her, anxiety now growing deep in him. 

Professor Monica didn’t even hold her breath and answered Daemon right away, “Well, you’d only be assessed by the dean first and once proven you’re guilty of all the reports, the dean may have the power to expel you form the university.”

Daemon’s eye grew a bit wide hearing that from Professor Monica. He couldn’t imagine getting expelled after working so hard just to be accepted at Kingspur University. 

Aside from that, Daemon could not afford to be expelled because of his plans to avenge himself against Jasper and Neri who had humiliated him. Daemon tried to beg on Professor Monica to understand him and forgive him.

But just like earlier, Professor Monica just refused to listen to Daemon as she kept shutting him up with her hand signals.

“Professor Monica, don’t you think it’s a little unfair that you’d want the dean to expel me because I hugged you? Your over conservative issue would ruin a student’s dream of graduating into this university that I so worked hard for to attend to.”

Daemon burst out his emotions so that Professor Lou may eventually understand where he was even coming from and why Daemon was so eager to ask for Professor Monica’s forgiveness.

“Daemon Quenery, I hope you already learn that not all things could be granted whenever we so wishes. There are things in life that would be better off learning from our failures as such is life.”

“Professor, I’d like to know if you have proof to show that I’m guilty of your accusation?” Daemon eventually asked, blocking Professor Monica from making her rush exit.

Suddenly, Monica sternly looked at Daemon. It was evident from the way that her eyes looked at Daemon that Professor Monica was dead serious about wanting to tell the dead about Daemon’s poor behavior.

“You don’t want to try me, Mr. Quenery. I may not have enough proof that you hugged me, but your negligence to take the semi-final would really make a good proof to drag you out of the university.” Professor Monica retort back. It would seem that Professor Monica was overly prepared to counter every words that Daemon say to her.

“I really don’t understand why it seemed that no matter how I look at the situation, You don’t look like a professor who should be guiding me. You look more of a sourgraping enemy to me who was so eager of getting rid of me because of some small issue.”

“You shouldn’t even waste your time trying to convince me, Mr. Quenery. Because regardless of what you will tell me, I will still report you to the dean anyway.” 

In the end, there was nothing that Daemon could do but just wait for whatever the result of all this mess. Although he regretted ever trying to hug Professor Monica so he could commit to what the system wanted, Daemon was left with no choice either.

It would be his life year that would be in danger had he not even push doing that. He had to make a choice, and Daemon chose this path. It was just unfortunate that it would have to be Professor Monica whom he had to deal with.

Daemon had a hard time convincing Professor Monica a couple of times. And in all those times, he still failed to do so. It was not very long when Monica eventually grew bored exchanging banters with Daemon that she decided to leave.

However, the time that Professor Monica turned his back on Daemon to answer the phone, she was immediately greeted by her mother on the other end of the line.

“Hello, mother? You called?” Monica answered back, her voice toned down a bit as though she didn’t want Daemon to hear her conversation with her mother.

And although Professor was trying her voice to tone down against the telephone, Monica was also trying to casually inch towards the side where there are lesser people walking on it.

When she was a little farther from Daemon, Professor Monica eventually talked more comfortably to her mother. “Hello, mom. I couldn’t hear you clearly earlier. Why are you suddenly calling me?” Her voice toned down a bit, contrary to how sternly she talked to Deamon earlier, a sign of her respect towards her mother. 

‘Hello, Monica.’ Professor Monica’s mother said from the other end of the line. And since there are too many people outside, Monica decided to turn her loudspeaker on so that he be able to understand her mother clearly.

‘I’m sorry, my dear. I know you’re pretty busy lately, but I would really need your help to bail out your father. He had owed a huge sum of money to shark loans online. Now these people are harassing us everywhere in the internet. If we couldn’t pay for them, they’re threatening to kill your father. And now he’s in hiding.”

“Mother, how did father even got himself into this situation? Didn’t he have a job? Why did he have to borrow? And how much did he even borrow?” Professor Monica’s voice toned up a bit. A clear sign she was really anxious and frustrated of the crisis that her father has got himself into.

‘I’m sorry, my child. Your father has lost his job for over a month now. I don’t know how but ever since then, he had been drinking and gambling a lot to the extent that he had even pawn our house. The next thing I know he had all those shark loans calling him and harassing him to pay them back.’

“And how much did father owes them?”

‘Oh dear, it’s a hundred thousand dollars in total.’

“Hundred thousand dollars? Mother, How do you possibly thing we could afford to pay all of that? My salary from the university was not going to pay all of that? Just what in the world father was thinking borrowing money that big?”

“I’m so sorry, my child. I know this has been so much of a burden to you but I hope you could help your father before it’s too late. There’s no one else we could count on but you.”

In the end, Monica just heaved a heavy sigh, “I’ll see what I can do. I can’t promise anything.” she told her mother after ending the call.

This sudden revelation shocks Professor Monica, causing her to drop her phone in distress. Monica’s sudden family emergency highlights her vulnerable position, needing a solution to a problem far greater than Daemon’s misbehavior.

Little did Professor Monica know, that Daemon was actually able to hear all their conversation from the other side. Which was why when the call ended, Daemon took the initiative to use Monica’s situation to turn the odds into his favor.

“Uhm, excuse professor Monica, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with your mother.”

Monica then glared at him. “Yeah, so what? Are you going to laugh at me now?” she said.

“What? No, ma’am. Actually, I wanted to make an offer.”

“What kind of offer? Monica asked, “Make sure you’re not trying to pull a tricky behavior here to escape. I’m not in  a good mood today, Mr. Quenery.”

“Actually I wanted to help you with the loan that your father owed mam. I heard you needed a hundred thousand dollars. I have it and I can give it to you, if you can bail me out in exchange.”

Despite Daemon's initial goal of testing the system and earning rewards, a new opportunity arises due to Monica's crisis. Now that he has the money from the system, he could help Monica, which would benefit him in the favorability value system as well.