Global Sign-in: 10x Multiplier with the Strongest System!-Chapter 58: Friend and Rival

The hospital corridor was busy.

Roy took the elevator up two floors and walked down another sterile white hallway until he found a particular room.

Knock~ Knock~

"Come in," a female voice called.

Chris was sitting up in bed, looking considerably smaller than he was yesterday. His mother, much like her son, sat beside the bed.

The black and red veins on Chris’s neck, face, and arms had vanished, the muscles had deflated, and he was back to being a fat los—no, a chubby teenager.

His mother, a weirdly happy woman, welcomed Roy and stepped out to get more food for Chris. Was she using that as an excuse to give them some privacy? Or was she using privacy as an excuse to get Chris more food? Roy didn’t know which it was. She reminded Roy of Nana.

"Chris."

"Roy..."

The fat—ahem, chubby teenager, cocked his head up but didn’t maintain a gaze with Roy.

"I... I didn’t think you’d come."

Roy stepped forward. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." Chris laughed weakly. "They said whatever that person used on me nearly made my heart explode. I’m lucky to be alive."

Roy displayed awe and exclaimed, "You turned into a damn giant! Dude, that was crazy!"

"I know, right?!" Chris was still surprised. Despite the consequences, such a phenomenon still intrigued the young boys greatly. It wasn’t every day your normie friend became Samson and killed a Strange Beast with his bare hands.

Roy then asked, "Who was it anyway that gave you that power?"

"To be honest," Chris shrugged, "I didn’t even get his name. Just some kid our age I met on my way home."

"Our age? Huh..." Roy noted. He considered prying more into the details of the Irregular, but he decided to save that for later.

A brief silence erupted between the two of them.

"Roy," Chris tightened his fists, "I’m sorry. I... I sold you out to Pierre and killed your abyss soul."

Roy studied him for a moment. The boy looked genuinely remorseful, but that didn’t change what had happened.

"I didn’t mind much that you sold me out. But then you killed my abyss soul."

Chris flinched. "I know. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t in control—"

"I know that. Abyss souls aren’t something you just find lying around.

"You should feel proud, I guess. You killed a Strange Beast. Not many people can say that. I know I can’t. My master was the one who helped me kill it."

Chris stared at him. "Uh... thanks, I guess."

Roy walked to the window and looked out at the city. "I’m leaving school. The Irregular Academy Entrance Exam is two months away. I wanna get in."

"Oh. So you’re really on your way to becoming an executioner now."

"Yeah. My master is a D-Class that’s as skilled as a C. He almost became the God of Irregular Highschool."

Chris’s eyes widened. "Whoa, have I heard of him?"

"Do you know Black Zero?"

Chris leaned forward gingerly. "Shut your face! Your mentor is Black Zero?!"

Roy nodded, quite surprised that his nerd friend was even nerdier than he was.

"Whoa, that’s so cool! That’s too cool, Roy!"

Roy raised his chin. "Heh. You haven’t seen anything yet."

"Roy, what even is your system’s name?"

"That’s a secret for now." Roy put a finger on his smiling lips. Chris seemed downtrodden a that response, so Roy diverted the focus from him with a simple question.

"So what’s it going to be for you?"

"I don’t know. Go back to school after the three-day break, I guess. Assuming they let me." Chris was quiet for a moment. "You know, I still can’t get past the fact that you fought abyss creatures and got an abyss soul.

"I don’t think I can ever face an abyss creature without pissing myself. I’d rather be a guild manager. Leading things and helping, from a safe distance. If I can’t be strong myself, at least I could help those who are."

Roy glanced back at him. "That’s not a bad idea. Who knows, we can start our own guild. I’ll be the strongest executioner, and you will be the guild manager of the strongest guild."

Chris smiled hopefully, but his eyes fell. "After this? Who’s going to trust me? I’m sure everyone hates me even more. I remember what I said, Roy. I was going to kill everybody."

"But you didn’t. So who cares? You think too much about bullshit." Roy folded his arms confidently. "You want to be a guild manager? Then try your hardest. Same for me. I’m going to be the strongest executioner ever known."

"Pfft~" Chris stifled a laugh.

"You think it’s a joke? I am going to be the strongest executioner."

"You? Okay, then. As for me, I’ll create the strongest guild."

Roy grinned. "See you at the top then, you fat loser."

"Hey!"

The two chatted a few minutes more, but Chris called out to Roy before he could leave.

"Yeah?" Roy half-turned.

"Good luck. I hope you make it into the academy."

"Thanks."

Roy’s empathy towards Chris, despite the things the latter had done against him, was mainly borne from the fact that he believed they were similar. Far too similar. If he hadn’t gotten his sign-in system, wouldn’t he have still been following Pierre’s orders and submitting his allowances to him?

Roy got back to his room when an unexpected voice called out to him, just as he was about to enter his room.

"Roy. Wait."

He turned to see Pierre walking toward him, looking considerably better than he had yesterday. The bastard was still as good-looking as ever.

Roy’s expression went cold. "What do you want?"

Pierre stopped a few feet away, hands raised in a placating gesture. "I just want to talk."

"How are you back up already?" Pierre wondered, since Roy took the brunt of Chris’s rage.

"None of your business," Roy answered.

Pierre frowned. "I haven’t yet thanked you for saving my life."

"Yes?"

He hesitated, but didn’t let his pride get the better of him and said, "Thank you."

Roy didn’t dally. "So what else?"

"That day, before that thing happened with... Chris, I was going to talk to you about forming an alliance. Me and you."