Just then, a system notification triggered, jolting him out of his thoughts.
『Ding! A protagonist is detected under 1000 metres!』
Elise blinked. Then she leaned forward, her eyes widening in excitement.
"Ohohoho! It's real! It's real! I told you! I told you, see?"
'What? Protagonist?! They really exist!?!'
Reed was left flabbergasted by the prompt, but then felt overjoyed, the point here wasn't about the protagonists, it was about the system finally being of some use.
He quickly came out of his house, the system had indicated the protagonist's location that was near a dark alleyway.
Elise immediately zipped after him like an overly excited mosquito.
"Wait! Wait! Reed, I am coming too!"
Reed just shrugged it off and continued moving, earing a pout from the elf.
At the intersection ahead, people had gathered around a small commotion. Someone was yelling, and someone else was crying.
Reed quickly blended into the crowd, becoming a silent spectator as his eyes scanned the scene.
At the center stood a young man around twenty, tall, handsome and a sunny guy vibe.
He wore a clean hoodie, branded sneakers, and had a face that screamed for a beating.
Beside him stood a trembling girl, her eyes red as if she had been crying for a long time.
In front of them was a middle-aged man in a suit, holding the girl's wrist aggressively, the suited man's face was twisted in anger.
"You little brat! Don't you dare touch my business! This girl owes me money! She signed the contract!"
he shouted loudly, already agitated by his intervention.
The girl's lips trembled as she timidly slide behind the young man.
"I-i will pay it back, it had clearly stated two months time... Sob... Sob..."
The suited man laughed coldly.
"Will pay, two months time? Hah! You signed your life away and you're coming with me."
The crowd murmured. Some people looked uncomfortable, but no one stepped in.
Reed's expression turned blank, he knew this scene. a classic setup of a bullied heroine harrassed by an evil antagonist only to be rescued by the Protagonist who arrives like a righteous savior.
Sure enough, the handsome young man stepped forward, his voice calm yet firm.
"Let her go."
The suited man sneered.
"And who the hell are you?"
The young man's eyes sharpened.
"I'm someone you can't afford to offend."
The crowd gasped and Reed's mouth twitched slightly.
"…So f*cking cringe."
Elise floated beside Reed's ear, whispering excitedly.
"This is it! This is the plot! This is the plot! Look at him! He's definitely the Child of Heaven!"
Reed narrowed his eyes, staring at the young man as a system panel manifested in front of him.
___
『Ding, Child of heaven identified!』
『Name: Drake Willow (Blessed one)』
『Luck Value: 500』
『Strength: Mortal』
『Affection towards host: 0 (stranger)』
『Heaven's Artifact: Void Ring (Unawakened)』
___
Reed's eyes slightly widened, ignoring every else, he focused on the void ring.
By it's name, it's very likely a Spatial storage artifact, a space ring.
What else could be one of the most useful item in the apocalypse than a portable inventory.
If Reed could get that… He would be unstoppable.
But then he noticed that there's no ring in both of drake's fingers. Could it be that he wore it as a necklace?
While he was pondering that, the drama didn't stop. The suited man suddenly pushed Drake's chest.
"Get lost! I know what you are trying to do. Playing the hero to impress girls!"
Drake's expression remained calm. Just as he was about to reach out and grab the suited man's wrist, someone else beat him to it.
Reed quickly came between them, broke them apart, then threatened the suited man.
"You know what Mr.? Harrassing a girl like this is a punishable offence and to have the guts to do so in public is—asking for free shelter and food for a decade or two."
The suited man's face twisted.
"I-i am not harrassing her, i am just asking to pay back the money she owns me..."
"Getting legal, are we? Then, as the mediator here in the witness of the crowd, can i see the signatured loan documents? And why don't we call the cops while we are at it? To get justice for YOU Mr...."
Reed, grabbed his wrist and intoned heavily. The crowd, finally coming to their senses, burst forth, raining down all their anger towards the suited man.
"This guy's sus!"
"Bullying a little girl, don't you feel ashamed!!"
"I am calling the cops on you, you old d*ck?!"
The crowd, previously silent, now chose violence.
"Hey, wait, wai- Ahhh, agghhh!!"
Looks like someone's getting a broken waist tonight.
Reed slipped through the crowd, not bothering with the aftermath.
Emily came behind him and timidly said.
"Th-thank you v-very much!!"
Reed turned around, seeing her timidly nature reminded him of Guinea pigs. With a chuckle, he advised.
"Next time, better take the loan from the banks."
A smile also appeared on her face as she nodded seriously. She swore not to trust guys like that from now on.
Drake also joined them, commenting.
"You are a good guy, dude."
Reed nearly sighed aloud, not expecting getting a good guy card from him.
Shaking his head, he patted Drake on the shoulder then drifted away.
'What a weird guy.'
Drake thought while he inwardly questioned himself, did he say something wrong?
Drake turned slightly, leading Emily away from the crowd.
...
Meanwhile, at Reed's home.
Reed sat by the sofa and looked at the void Ring in his hand.
Where did he got that, the thing is—
The Void Ring wasn't with the hero, it was with the villain. The suited man had wore it in his hands.
There was a simple silver ring on his finger.
Looking plain, ordinary and almost invisible.
But when he grabbed the man's wrist, he got an indication from the system.
『An unowned Heaven's Artifact is detected. Does host wish to aquire it?』
And what did he do? Ofcourse he said—
"Aquire."