Jin woke up the next day, changed into his clothes, fed his grandma breakfast and went back into his bedroom to do his daily task.

———

[Task Completed!]

[+5 Exp]

[Exp: 5 / 20 | Level 3]

Jin hadn't even broken much of a sweat doing the workout this morning. He had so much on his mind that it distracted him from the pain brought by doing the push-ups.

He stood up from the plank position, "Well that was easy…"

A corner of his lips then quirked up, "But I'm not complaining. Turns out I'm getting stronger … little by little."

[One of your active skills strengthens]

[+1 Exp]

[Exp: 6 / 20 | Exp: 20]

"This experience point must be from Grandma, and not Benjamin. Had to lock the thing in the empty room upstairs so that it stops eating just anything it sees…"

"That skill really is OP for a first skill. I honestly can't wait to see how powerful the other skills are."

"Wait a second," he put a hand on his chin, "To unlock the skill tab, I had to use a skill. Do I have to use one voluntarily? Because I'm not sure, and that's because my first skill just triggered itself. How's that even possible?"

Suddenly, a screen appeared before his eyes as if to answer his inquiry.

[Active Skills rely heavily on certain conditional actions for them to be activated]

[Passive Skills are only activated through the user's conscious volition]

"Well…that just makes this thing even more comparable to an actual game…"

Given that he knew active skills could be activated autonomously depending on certain conditions, he grew a bit apprehensive about this skill type.

He could not have his skills activating on their own, and affecting people he wouldn't want it to affect. But unbeknownst to him, the first skill only affected the people he himself deluded some form of predicament upon.

"Alright, I'll just check out the skill criterion now…"

He tapped a finger upon the text in the top right corner of the hovering translucent screen before him, and he was taken to yet another screen.

[Skills: 1]

[Active Skills In Use (1/5): Deceptive Delusion]

Jin then pressed on the text 'Deceptive Delusion' and more details came up accordingly.

[Deceptive Delusion (Active): Force a living being into a delusion that shall transition to reality if it is cromulent]

[More info: works on any living thing, and translates user's words]

Jin didn't understand the second part of the system message, but he understood the first part well.

"What if the person under the spell stops believing in the delusion? Will everything go back to normal for him?"

'I have to try it on grandma…if it's not too late…I hope it's not too late…'

Jin then closed the screen, ambled up to the bathroom, and entered it.

After taking a quick shower, he changed into long pants, a white shirt, and a hoodie covering most of this shirt.

"Flint will be here soon. In the meantime, I'll just chill with Ashton and Dobby," he started walking towards his bedroom door.

He left his bedroom, and sat next to Ashton on one of the couches.

"How are you guys doing?" he asked, giving them pleasant looks.

He already knew the answer to this question. They were worried about him.

Dobby looked at him with sagging shoulders, "So where're you going?"

"I don't really know," he sighed, "Flint said it's a job…"

Dobby scoffed. "You sure it isn't some Bank heist or something?"

"Ability Runners are no good," Ashton added.

"I'm pretty sure some teens won't try robbing a bloody bank," a wry painted Jin's face.

"They're teens with Abilities, Jin," Dobby's brows knotted, "I think you don't understand the possibilities brought by having powers!"

"Guys, I appreciate you sticking out your necks for me all the time," he smiled, "but I'm okay. No need to go overboard with it."

"Jin, you're gonna get yourself killed at this rate…" Dobby shook his head with glassy eyes.

"I don't think it's safe for you to be on the streets anymore—not with those other races," opined Ashton, peering at Jin who was sitting next to him.

"It's okay, guys. I'll come back home unharmed, I promise…"

Dobby raised a brow, "How can you be so sure?"

"I just know I'm not gonna get hurt," he faintly furrowed his brows, "I'm not gonna get hurt because Flint and the others would be there for me…"

Silence filled the room; as Dobby and Ashton turned their heads away from Jin, not speaking a word more to him. He would get himself in bad trouble at this rate, and they might not be able to save him.

They could only sit down and worry.

***

Jin sat there for a few minutes, when suddenly a portal took form in his living room and Flint walked right out of it with a smirk on his face.

"You ready, Jin?"

Jin stood, nodded his head, and replied, "Yeah!"

He looked at Dobby and Ashton who both had sour faces. "Guys, remember my promise, I'm gonna come back unharmed just as I promised. No need to worry about me so much."

Silence as he peered at him. They chose not to respond again.

Flint cleared his throat, getting Jin's attention. "Let's go," his head beckoned him to enter the portal.

"Okay," Jin gave his friends one last look, turned his head, and walked into the portal.

Flint looked at Ashton and Dobby, smirked, and shook his head. And finally, he entered the portal and it magically closed.

***

On the other side of the portal, Jin was in the shadows of the streets alongside Flint, Krod, Baron, Alura, and Sylvia. Everyone was wearing black including himself.

"Ohh, Jin," Alura smiled, "You're here…"

Leaning on a concrete wall, Sylvia gave him a half suppressed smile. "Took you long enough."

Krod looked at him, "Ohh it's you again…that weird mate…"

"Baron is ready for the mission…"

Alura walked up to him with a mask in her hand, "You might wanna take this…" she handed it to him.

Jin held it in his hands, "What's this?" he peered down at it. It was a completely white mask with laughing eyes and a wide grin.

"A mask?" he grimaced at her.

"Yeah…" she droned in a 'duh' tone.

"What am I gonna do with a mask?" he questioned, furrowing his brows a bit.

Baron stood next to Alura, "Baron thinks you have to wear the mask…"

"I know that already, Baron, but why?"

Alura then turned to face Flint. She slightly raised a brow in a bitter way, "You didn't tell

him?"

"Tell me what?"

Sylvia peered at him, "About the mission…"

Flint walked past Alura, and stopped in front of him."Jin, what we're gonna do is rob someone—I know, it's insane—but hear me out, okay?"

Jin knotted his brows, "What the fuck? No way, man." he took a step back.

Alura rolled her eyes. "Here we go again…"

Krod, leaning on the wall, bellowed "Y'fucked up real bad, Flint," in an incredibly deep tone. "Y'fucked up real bad."

Flint raised both his hands in an effort to calm Jin down, "I know it's insane. Try to keep quiet though, don't shout. We're near a police station."

"You're insane! We're gonna rob someone near a police station?!" he edged away.

Flint still had the never to manifest an arrogant smirk. "I know, I know," he inched closer, "I'm insane—I thought you already know I am. Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it, but if I didn't you wouldn't be here right now…"

He continued, "There's a lot in it for you, Jin. If we succeed, you won't even have to work for months and months to come. Just trust me on this one; everything will go smoothly…"

Jin edged away from him, "I'm out, no way I'm gonna risk things this big. It's a gamble even standing out here right now! Cameras could be detecting our faces for all we know!"

"Jin, calm down, man. You need to trust me again. What happened to your trust? Trust me. Trust us." a raised his brows.

"Why would I trust you when I know I'm gonna get in trouble!? How naive do you think I truly am?"

Flint pointedly peered at Alura; as if to command her silently. Immediately, she looked at Jin again, and started tossing her hips from side to side as she walked up to him.

He walked away from her, until his back was slumped to the mossy wall behind him. But she continued to inched closer.

"What are you doing?" he asked, brimming with apprehension.

She stopped in front of him, "I'm gonna make your balls grow…" her tone getting seductive.

"What do you mean?"

She inched closer, looking up at him as her breasts came into contact with his chest. She slowly carried her head closer to his.

Quickly, he turned his head away from her but just like last time; this did not stop her. She put her hands on his face and turned his head to allow him to look directly down at her face.

She then quickly pushed her head towards his; and started kissing him right then. Her sweet saliva entered his mouth as she slipped her tongue through his lips.

Jin was going to push her away; but having smelt her sweet perfume, and acknowledged her seducing presence, he relented. He closed his eyes and yielded. He felt compelled.

She dropped the last bomb when her opened eyes started to glow pink. There were gleaming, glimmering glitters surrounding their bodies as they kissed.

And as the glowing disappeared, she let go of him; and walked away.

[Spell Detected]

[+2 Resistance]

[You are bewitched]

Alura stood next to Flint.

"Are you ready to do the mission now, Jin?" asked Flint, smirking with his arms folded.

"No way," he shook his head, "It's too risky. I'm—"

"Are you," interjected Alura, "ready to do the mission now, Jin?" a smirk appeared on her face as well.

Jin's eyes immediately glowed pink. He quickly nodded his head, "Yes, Alura. I'm ready to do the mission!"