I Got Your Back

Three days later, Micans situation finally turned better and his actions are no longer restricted. The gauze around his head is finally removed only leaving a bandage that could be removed after the wound healed and is no longer at risk of infection.

Mican told them he could change his clothes on his own before taking the clothes given to him with a smile.

The two women were hopeless as they listened to the doctor about what to look after with his development.

The initial diagnosis of Micans speech disability despite having functional vocal cords after a series of examinations is because of psychological trauma.

When Mican learned it, the System then said guiltily that they have to follow the natural process in order for him to be able to speak, right now, the new function is in control of his speaking ability. In accordance with how it should happen, Mican should have a positive trigger to get him to talk. As of what should be the trigger? Humans are very complex creatures. Fully grasping and understanding human emotions is impossible — so it will be hard to tell, what, when, and where it could happen and trigger that feeling. After all, if you are upset, disappointed, angry, frustrated, frightened, feeling down, or feeling dreadful— even when you force yourself to be happy, without uprooting the cause of your unhappiness, it is impossible to get rid of it completely, and it will just come back again in full force than the first time after temporarily forgetting it. Forgetting and moving on, after all, are two different things. One is simply dodging, and the other is facing the situation head-on and moving forward.

The original owner met this kind of situation after repeated verbal abuse since younger. He was forced to keep his mouth shut and pretend to be fine in front of others threatening his life over and over again, until he learned to keep his silence forever. When the original owners family realized something is wrong with the original Noah Cortez, they fake help him trying to make it look genuine on the surface. They force him into taking medicines that are harmful to his body and mental health— the original owners situation became more and more grave, but no one cared enough to ask, and so when the original owner was given the chance to flee, he did. His last remaining consciousness of the world is asking him to stay away as far as he can from his family of monsters who dressed themselves as humans in his eyes.

( ”So you mean, I cannot speak for the meantime and had to heal accordingly? ”) Unlike System 00s regretful voice, that time, when they discussed it, Mican was calm. He didn blame System 00 nor did he reprimand him. After all, for him, System 00 is not just his system, but his family.

[Yes, Host]

In accordance with the new function of the system having this assisting tool named: Give and Take— Body Function. After giving one part of the body a powerful ability (if the system upgraded to Level 3) or deficiency in accordance with the original bodys physical traits, it can also take it back, only— the process of taking it back after activating the process Take has to be gradual and should meet the right trigger for it to be taken back. It is equivalent to having Mican with a speech disability in accordance with the original owner as if it was natural.

System 00 who had also known of it just now after reading the function thoroughly was also very embarrassed to face its Host at that time when it inquired about it to its Host.

( ”Hmm, its better this way. The original Noah is gone but this is still his body, after all, we will use this opportunity to heal him. His soul might have been gone but if his body will be freed from the pain and suffering he experienced, his soul, wherever he is, will be at peace. ”)

[Host is still the best!] System 00 praised its Host and Mican just bashfully smiled at that time. He can just feel it because he is occupying the original owners body. And truthfully, the original owner is just a child, his wish is even more simple. Mican, who had been through multiple worlds, but who was originally just 15 years old, felt that he had matured already. Although his real body is still that of a 15-year-old, his soul is already that of an adult. Or at least, thats what he thinks he is.

Mican, although ignorant of a lot of things especially understanding emotions, didn need to understand human emotions to that extent to know how much the original owner have suffered, although without a visible wound, from these people. Subconsciously, he thought he should do something to these people for them to repent and apologize to the original owner, but he is also lost as to how is he going to do that. He doesn have the power to do something as grand as that. He can only do his best to satisfy the original owners wish. For Mican, who grew up and was raised in a simple world of animals, where in the face of a predator you can only escape if you can, fight if you can, and strive hard to survive in the end— there are no in-between options. Mican can only choose to retreat now even if he felt that he should do something. It was sad for him to think like that because he is after all a human and after multiple transmigrations, he slowly develop his human personality outside that of his original world.

For the original owner, he can only do as much as this.

Hearing how profoundly its Host had empathized with the original owner, System 00 felt both happy and sad for its Host. Happy for his emotional development but sad for his realization of the complexity of humans. As expected, having memories of the native people living in this world will really help them broaden their view, and understand the human world more and deeper. With its Host, System 00 is also learning and developing.

Back to the present, after Mican finished changing his clothes, Grace, the kind middle-aged woman is still talking with the doctor. She really did go back and like she said, will bring him to the Orphanage herself.

Seeing they were done talking, Mican who was accompanied by a younger woman named Shirley, went in Graces direction.

”Lets go, Noah? ” Grace told him, taking his hand.

Mican nodded.

Mican become was being led outside. The hospital is so busy with a lot of people going in and out and the room. Left and right, the whole place is hustled and bustled with both patients and medical personnel in all directions. Everything is white and the smell of antiseptics that Mican had gradually become familiar with is everywhere.

When they were outside already, he tugged the hem of Graces clothes a bit and gave her the paper he had written earlier.

It wrote: Can we pass by the place I have been staying the last time? I have to say goodbye and say thank you to the kind Uncle who help me and brought me to the Hospital. Thank you very much, Miss Grace.

Grace was surprised before she felt proud and smiled. This little kid is so kind. Remembering to thank those who have helped him in his own little way is a sign that he can gradually recover after being exposed to a positive environment.

”Of course Noah. Do you remember the way? You can just tell the driver. Lets go to the service car first. ”

[Host! Look to your left! Its the old uncle!] System 00s voice was excited and it turns out, the old uncle was just outside the Hospital. Because the old uncle is dirty and had a bad smell, he wasn allowed to enter the hospital so he stayed outside. Don know who or what exactly is he waiting for, but Mican felt that it should be related to him.

He softly tugged the young woman who is holding him. He then pointed to the left side in the corner where an old man with a rag-like appearance was standing and had his head hanging low eating what it looks like a left over probably thrown in the trash next to him.

”Miss Grace, ” The young woman named Shirley, look at Grace who also looked where Mican was pointing.

Grace recognize the old man as she always saw him outside during the times she visited Noah.

”Is he the kind uncle who brought you here? ”

Mican nodded and while Grace is okay with it, the younger woman with her felt that the old man doesn look like good news.

Mican didn know about that, he had already taken his hand back and went to the old uncle with determined steps.

”Miss Grace, it is not advisable to have the child— ”

”Shirley, let the child be. He still had the kindness in his heart to say thank you to the person who showed kindness to him. This is good news. We can only aid the child to lead a good life but we cannot be of any help to his psychological state aside from letting nature take its course and help him have a positive environment since we cannot afford that much except for offering counsel. This kind of opening up of his own volition is a good sign. Besides, the old man brought him to the Hospital, he should have a good character despite living in the streets. ”

Shirley didn say anything anymore and just watch Mican who had his back on them talking to the old uncle.

Mican cannot talk even if he wanted to. He wanted to say thank you but he cannot talk. In the end, he used his hand to point his mouth and then shook his head.

The old man who saw him come out looking clean and fresh almost didn recognize him, but with the familiar clear eyes and smile, he recognize him after a few seconds of looking.

”You can talk? ”

Mican nodded.

The old man was stunned, ”How can that be? Poor thing. In the end, I brought you to the Hospital too late. ”

Mican shook his head and smile wanting to take the old mans hand but the old man dodged, smiling wryly.

”You… You already look like this clean. Don dirty yourself. ”

Mican pursed his lips wanting to say something but in the end, he doesn have the ability. System 00 was teary-eyed. It was sad for the Uncle and for its Host. Aiya, the next time it used one of its functions, it should read the instructions carefully.

Mican then takes something out of his pocket. Those were the snacks given to him that he had kept. He gave them all to the old man.

The old man was stunned seeing him pull out a pack of snacks out of nowhere, it shouldn have fit in his pocket but somehow it did..? What sorcery.

System 00 and Mican mentally smiled, they kept it inside their storage space.

The old man refused the snacks and gave them back to him, saying in a dismissing tone, ”Take this back. You need it more than me. You are still growing. Seeing you are okay, its good now. ”Mican hurriedly took the prepared letter he had made and showed it to him.

Uncle, I am going to the orphanage. Theres a lot of food there, I don need these snacks anymore. I will have enough there. Please take them. Uncle, thank you for helping me. I wish you good life and luck. Until we meet in the future.

Seeing the old uncle read his letter and seems to have understood it, Mican was relieved.

”You
e going to the orphanage? Ah, I should have known this. You
e still young after all. ” He then kept the letter in his pocket, smiling as he did so. This kid really does have a mature mind. He wondered why he thought the child looked a little foolish when he saw him at first. But alas, maybe it is because the child hadn adapted yet.

Knowing that the old Uncle didn shy away anymore and took the pack of snacks, Micans smile is full of delight.

Mican then bow to the old man who said there was no need for him to do that, before telling him to always look out for himself, walking away.

Satisfied, Mican watch the old man go before he looked back and saw the two women approaching him.