Global Sign-in: 10x Multiplier with the Strongest System!-Chapter 53: A Quiet Mother

Pierre wore a defeated expression as he stood before the door of his home, took a deep breath, and knocked.

A short minute later, a woman with auburn hair opened the door. She had a pointed nose as he did, but bore him down with dead eyes. "You’re back," she said flatly.

"Yes, Mom." Pierre stepped inside.

The simple house was modest and clean, but it felt quite hollow. His mother had already turned away, returning to whatever she’d been doing before his arrival had interrupted her.

Pierre followed her into the living room, where she sat on the couch, phone in hand, scrolling through something he couldn’t see.

"Aren’t you going to ask me how school was?" He forces a playful grin.

There was a brief silence.

"How was school?" she asked, not looking up.

"It was fine. I got an ’A’ on my math test."

"Hm."

That was all. Just ’hm.’

Pierre stood there for a moment longer, waiting for... something. Anything.

"Mom, I was thinking we could maybe have dinner together tonight? I could cook something—"

"I have plans." She finally glanced up, her expression blank.

’To watch television all night,’ he added inwardly.

"Oh. Okay." Pierre’s shoulders sagged. "Uh, maybe tomorrow then?"

His mother’s gaze had already returned to her phone.

Pierre stood there for another second before heading upstairs to his room. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, exhaling slowly. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

His room was neat, organized. Quite a number of trophies, framed certificates, and medals from academic or extracurricular competitions lined one shelf. These were things he had worked hard for. Things he had hoped would make his mother proud.

They never did, of course.

Pierre walked to his desk and pulled open the drawer where he kept his energy crystals. The small velvet pouch felt light in his hand.

Opening it, he saw that it was empty.

"Shit." Pierre clenched his jaw. He had used the last one yesterday to sign in.

Without more energy crystals, he couldn’t sign in again. And without signing in, he couldn’t progress. This meant he couldn’t get stronger sooner to pass the upcoming entrance exams, which meant he couldn’t become an executioner, and finally, he couldn’t become someone his mother would finally acknowledge.

Even if he did get some energy crystals, what was the point? Another thing would just make him fail the Hidden Story. He knew he wasn’t going to pass it on his first try, that was only reserved for the medium-difficulty and easy stories, whether ’main’ or ’side’; however, he just wanted to sulk after his defeat.

Pierre dropped the empty pouch on his desk and sat down heavily in his chair. He stared at the ceiling, mind racing.

He needed money. Energy crystals were expensive, and his allowance barely covered anything beyond basic necessities. His mother certainly wasn’t going to give him more money for "video game nonsense," as she had called it the one time he had asked.

’I could get a part-time job,’ he thought, but that would cut into his study time. And if his grades slipped, his mother wouldn’t be happy. Though he doubted she would even notice.

His only choice for now was to wait for his energy to naturally refill. As a level ten, that was going to take at least three days. Longer if he used his skills.

Pierre rubbed his face with both hands.

The encounter with Roy earlier still rattled him. That abyss soul. Roy had an abyss soul. And he had controlled it so easily, so confidently. And that wasn’t just a weak beast.

’How long has he had his system? And for him to have an abyss soul means he’s already fighting abyss creatures. I remember he mentioned once that his brother works for a guild. Lucky him. He’s still too young to be an executioner, so he would most likely be preparing for the Irregular Academy Entrance Exams, too. He must already be some executioner’s Initiate and a capable fighter; how else would he have gained an abyss soul? Dammit. He’s going to take the exams too. And he’s got an abyss soul already...’

Pierre ruminated over that last big as he let the shower wash down his body. He hated Roy’s luck. Know one knew, but he had pissed on himself when he was that abyss creature. He could only curse at Roy because he already saw himself as a dead man. After everything he had done to Roy, he believed he already knew what the boy would do given such an ample chance.

’But he didn’t do anything. How odd.’

Pierre thought about Roy’s threat, about that abyss creature’s jagged teeth, and about how powerless he had felt standing there while that beast loomed over him.

He hated Roy. That bastard had it so easy.

Right as he came out of the shower, his phone rang. His girlfriend was calling. He froze for a second, but then flipped his phone over with an annoyed expression. He ignored the call.

* * *

That night, Roy lay in his bed, staring at the iridescent cube floating above him.

~Tap to sign in~

He tapped it, but it said sign-in unavailable.

He dismissed the cube with a thought and rolled over, pulling his blanket up to his chin.

’Pierre doesn’t have energy crystals,’ Roy thought with a slight smirk. ’No way he’s signing in tonight. If only I could give him some. These delays aren’t helpful.’

Plus, Roy was tired. Genuinely tired. Between the expedition, the undead horde, Master Abraham’s brutal training, and now dealing with Pierre’s attempted revenge, he needed rest.

He could easily put away the anger he felt for Pierre after watching the boy get beheaded by his crazy girlfriend quite a number of times.

The next morning, Roy woke to the sound of a car horn blaring outside.

"Roy! Get up!" Donald’s voice carried up from downstairs.

Roy groaned and rolled out of bed. He moved through his morning routine on autopilot: shower, brush teeth, get dressed, grab bag, go outside.

Parked in their driveway was a sleek black and bold pick-up truck, exactly as he had suggested. The thing looked like it could drive through a wall and come out the other side without a scratch.

"Beautiful, isn’t she?" Donald grinned, leaning against the driver’s door with his arms crossed.

"Not bad. I didn’t ask yesterday, but is this car mine or yours?" Roy walked closer, running his hand along the hood.

"Ours."

"Does that mean you’ll let me drive?"

"A-Ahem! Another time."

’Tsk. Just as I thought.’ Roy snorted.

The truck purred as it rolled down the street. Donald had one hand on the wheel.

"You know," Roy said after a while, "this whole ’still going to school’ thing is stupid."

Donald didn’t look at him. "We’ve been over this."

"But I should be training. Every second I waste in that classroom is a second I’m not getting stronger."

"You’re still going to train." Donald glanced at him now. "You’re even seeing Master Abraham after school today."

Roy slouched back in his seat and didn’t say anything else. There was nothing to say.

They drove in silence for a bit longer before Donald spoke again.

"Look, I get it. School feels pointless right now. But you’re still a kid, Roy. You need some normalcy."

As he walked toward the school building, he heard students whispering. Some pointed at him, recalling him as the boy in the widespread video.

’GayRoy,’ they called him. And he ignored them.

The five seniors from yesterday, Pierre’s little gang, were coming towards him in the school hallway. When they saw Roy, they lowered their heads like obedient puppies and gave way for him to pass as though he was the size of five grown men.

Roy walked past them without a word, but he could feel the stares from other students who knew the notorious bullies. They pushed down those smaller than them for the giggles and always looked for someone to pick on, for some trouble. The onlooking students didn’t understand the spectacle.

Their confused faces followed Roy as he made his way to his classroom.

Chris was already there, sitting at his desk. When he saw Roy walk in, his eyes widened slightly, and he quickly looked away.

Roy didn’t bother saying anything. He just walked to his seat at the back, dropped his bag, sat down, and rested his head to continue his sleep before the teacher came. Their school only had assemblies on Mondays and Wednesdays.

But by the end of school that day, Roy was no longer GayRoy. No one dared to call him that any longer.