Chapter 72: Arisol Cortez
The offer was very tempting... to some.
But for Desther, the general was basically saying that he can join them all day long in the front line, and in exchange he will receive anything he wants.
What he wanted was to stay home and read novels. If he accepted the offer, wouldn’t that literally mean that his wish would not be fulfilled at all?
"I apologize, but I don’t want to join the army," he said bluntly.
For a person of this caliber, it was better to be brutally honest than to lead them with swords.
Unlike other people he dealt with, Major General Cortez was the real deal.
He actually tried to use Theft Mark toward him, but there was basically no response.
Whether it was due to a level gap or just the major general owning something that could negate his Ultimate Thief talent, the Theft Mark not working was still a new thing to Desther.
However, Desther was more keen to believe that it was the former and not the latter.
This was because when he tried using the Theft Mark toward people whose level was way ahead of him, the amount of Theft Mark used would also increase.
Fortunately, as the Theft Mark description stated, it could not be detected by any entity, no matter what.
The Major General did not seem to notice anything strange but was seemingly disappointed when Desther refused his offer.
This was truly the first time that someone refused his recruitment. It must be noted that he was a famous person in the whole Philippines and even in the surviving countries abroad.
If he saw someone with potential, he would do his utmost best to recruit them and let them join his army.
"Well... no matter. I am not someone that forces people to do things. Anyway, if you happen to have a change of heart in the future, you are free to contact me using this information," he said while handing Desther a white card with his own information on it.
He does not want to force Desther into anything.
His level was already way above Desther. However, the old man realized earlier that the young man seemed to be pretty strong among those his age. Even the monstrous teenagers he had seen recently could not compare to Desther in front of him.
He may look relaxed and not strong, but the Major General could feel the hidden beast within. Although not a threat to him, the Major General still found it appalling that such a young man existed.
Well, considering what he had done in Metro Hell of Cebu, it would be strange if he did not develop some sort of mentality or will.
"You know what, cross out the last part. If you need anything, and I mean anything at all, the first number you should call is that number on the card. Are we clear?" Arisol Cortez stood up from his seat with a laugh as he waved his hand to Desther.
"That would be all for today. If you have the time in the future, feel free to drop by my home. The location is in that card I give you."
"Hahaha. I’m not gonna take too much of your time."
"Let’s meet again, Redemption!"
His body faded out of Desther’s view. As if he were erased out of existence.
When Desther came to himself, Arisol Cortez was no longer in front of him.
The only proof that he was indeed here just a moment earlier was the white card in Desther’s hand.
’That was exhausting...’ he thought as he stared at the card.
Being in close proximity to strong individuals naturally makes one a little restless. The sheer pressure they emitted almost suffocated those around them.
Fortunately, Desther was not that fragile, so he was able to endure it in the end.
It also seemed like Arisol Cortez was also in a hurry. Coming to him was probably just a last-second idea, and he actually had something else to do other than deliver that message to him.
No matter how Desther tried to analyze it, that was the only thing that he could think of.
Taking note and memorizing the details, Desther put the card inside his pocket as he made his way home.
The people around had only started to get crowded. Although the dungeon had already collapsed and faded out of existence, the aftermath and the cleanup process were not so easy to accomplish.
He arrived inside his room a few minutes later.
Now that he was here, he finally had the time to check on his phone.
"It is indeed here..." Desther muttered as he saw the new balance of his banking app.
Just like what the mission stated, the reward was indeed deposited directly to his bank account.
Now, his Awakened Credit balance was at its all-time high, amounting to over 2600 in total.
With this amount of money, Desther knew for himself that he would be able to live a peaceful life in the months to come.
However, deep inside he also knew that it would not be a good idea.
Although he would earn some relaxation time, it also meant that it would only be for a short period.
’Work hard now, rest tomorrow, I guess...’ he thought to himself, planning to grind in the following days.
He set a minor goal of saving 500,000 Awakened Credits before going into full rest mode in the future. With his strength, this should be achievable in two or three months.
With that being said, this 2500 he received from the Title was indeed too spooky.
It did not have any sender address, and there was no time stamp on the app on when it was received.
It was to the point that Desther thought that the banking application had bugged.
He was also worried that this might not be clean money and was afraid that the IRS might have already locked in on him.
Anyway, behind these random speculations and food for thought he had, Desther would still use the money without hesitation.
He will deal with what is coming when that time comes. No need to dwell on something that had not happened yet.
The 2500 was the real deal.
It seemed like he could upgrade his options in regards to his living space as well.