"What the hell is happening?" Mr. Red screamed so loudly that entire building shook for seconds. He first approached his wife Marie, who jumped into his embrace.
I kept caressing Maddy's cheek as I secretly analysed her manaflow. 'It's a mess.' I grabbed Maddy's arms and picked her up.
Mr. Red looked at me and asked in confusion. "A-Altaris, what happened here?"
I ignored him at placed Maddy on the bed and sat beside her, still caressing her cheeks. "Her sensory organs are dead, she probably can't even feel my touch."
"You are wrong! He is lying! I know my daughter, she responds whenever I walk into the room. She knows my voice!"
Mr. Red holds his wife together, his face was full of worry. "Child, I don't what are you doing but please leave no-"
I smile at his words. "Leave? Sorry, but I am Maddy's friend and I always help my friends."
I put my other hand in my pocket and raise an index finger close to Maddy's face. I concentrate all of borrowed mana and redirect it to my finger. Then my finger ignites. The fire was dangerously close to Maddy's skin.
"Stop! What are you-" Mr. Red raises his voice once more but I shush him.
"Any normal human would be jumping from high temperature. But she doesn't even feel it." I flick my finger to extinguish the fire. "In fact, she lost her hearing and the ability to see quite a while ago. All because of the cures. You brainless snakes overloaded her immune system with so much holy spells, medicines and what not that it crashed."
I suddenly grab her forehead and began extracting all of wild mana. Maddy opened her mouth and screamed inhumanly. "UAHHHAHH!"
"Stop!!!" Marie's voice was so small compared to her daughter. Black blood began coming out of her eyes and gathered on my front palm and formed a magic circle. I gritted my teeth and scooped a large amount of black mana in go.
"Ugh!" I took my hand off her and the black magic circle.
Mr. Red held my neck and lifted me in the air. "Give me one reason not to smash your skull into hundreds of pieces?" His hand was so big that he could crush my face too along with the skull. My apathetic eyes definitely infuriated him as threw against the wall.
BAM!
I could taste my own blood on my lips. "She can see you know?"
Mr. Red glares at me with immense bloodlust but it disappears the very next second. A small whimper made his anger vanish. He turned to his daughter, who had tears rolling down her face.
Marie pathetically crawled to her daughter. "Maddy! Maddy. Maddy. It is mother. Don't you cry."
It has been a year since Mr. Red saw any type of emotion from his daughter. Unable to process the reality, he turned to my smiling face.
"Ow."
"Don't move, the medicine stings. If I miss, I have to apply more which means more pain." Marie applies some kind of cream on my lips.
While, I sit in the chair frequently making eye contact with Mr. Red behind the counter. 'This smell of strawberries is kinda nice.'
I think as I glance around the kitchen. Sizzling sound of Mr. Red's pan grabs my attention. 'Is he making something?'
Mr. Red was indeed making something, something for me. He grabs a stool and a chair from the counter and puts it in front of me. He sits on the chair's opposite side, his large hands over the back rest. Marie hands me a fork and spoon then stand besides her husband. "Eat."
There was no plate, Mr. Red put the entire pan on the stool, it was some kind of egg omelette covered in red sauce. They both looked so serious about it that I couldn't risk to say anything but yes. I picked up the fork and ate a decent piece of the omelette. 'It's really good?'
This omelette has to be one of the most delicious foods I ever put in my mouth. "Looks like you liked our family dish, the red omlette made with the blood of the family head."
I stop chewing and look Mr. Red. Marie hits his shoulder with chuckle. "He is just pulling your leg. This is his way of apologizing. You see, Sander hails from lineage of world class chefs. The red omelette is an very special family dish made only for distinguish guests or when he wants to apologize for something."
"Mari. Can you stop speaking for moment?"
"Sure."
Mr. Red tightens his grip and stares at me before lowering his head. "Can please forgive my actions? You saved my life yet-"
I pick the pan to cut even larger portions. "No need. It was. Partially my fault for not explaining my actions too."
Mr. Red smiles and glances at Marie. "Altaris. Can you help our daughter Madison?"
I take the last bite and wave my fork in the air. "Sure, after all I am her friend."
Delighted, Mr. Red jumps on his feet. "Then let's go."
"No, I cannot extract any more mana from Maddy. Her immune system is beyond wrecked, her body has become a literal mana bomb at this point. Intaking every type of mana available and storing them in her body."
"Then what can we do?"
"There are few ways… We could summon an demon from depths of hell and offer Madison's dying body. Later after he found out that she is dying, he will return it on his own."
Marie and Mr. Red expression at that time were hilarious, they gulped nervously and asked. "How will this help Madison?"
I glance at both of them and chuckle. "I am jesting, of course. Ahem! We could find a very specific yet very common ore found in places filled with very high density mana."
"Marie, grab the paper and write down the name of ore. I will search every blacksmith and oremaster in the Cross dungeon city."
I liked the enthusiasm but had to break it. "Sadly, you will not find it anywhere but in lower dungeon floors. For that hire me."
"You?" Mr. Red glances at the white ribbon wrapped around my wrist. "But you are just a rookie."
Annoyed, I point my fork at him. "So do you have any other choice?"
Marie reads my gesture, she steps and grabs the pan and utensils from my hand. "My husband is not mocking you, but he worries that if you could take on the lower floors."
Under the light of bright sun, I was travelling through the dense forests on my way back to the house. After a long time, Dora decides whisper in my mind. 'Do you think they will offer you that job?'
'I don't know and don't care.' I answer very fast.
'But you need that job to ascend in rank to earn more money.'
I halt my steps and bring out Dora out of my coat. "Then? What should I do?" I almost yelled.
The mouse looks the other way and whispers in a chessy way. 'It definitely has nothing to do with rudely leaving the bakery. You didn't even meet Stella on your way out.'
I grab my own forehead and rub it aggressively. "Argh. I gave them too many chances, I fucking hate working with dumb people. Or people in general who don't know when to grab an opportunity."
Dora climbs onto my shoulder. 'Whatever, it's their loss.'