Healing System

Today he was going on a date with Claire, and from the way he was laying on the bed, it almost seemed like he had forgotten.

But of course, that wasn't the case.

Michael swiftly stood up, got dressed, and practically sprinted toward the shop, buying himself a nice new pair of clothes.

Yet the moment he left the shop, he realized one crucial detail.

I can just make clothes, can't I? Michael sighed and decided to adorn himself with a golden scarf.

The casual clothes did suit him, so he wouldn't return them. It was still a waste though, even if he had all the money in the world.

Nonetheless, Michael proceeded to walk through the streets, until eventually, he reached the guards' post.

Claire was simply standing there, looking beautiful as always, so he silently approached and tapped her on the shoulder.

She turned around in an instant, spell ready. However, once she realized who was behind her, she swiftly dismissed that spell and pinched his cheek.

"Don't sneak up on me like that... I almost blasted your brains out," Claire said with a giggle. "My shift is almost over, so I'll be with you in just a few minutes, okay?"

"Yep, take your time," Michael replied with a smile and walked back into the crowd.

She was still a bit busy, which meant he came much earlier than he had to.

Though, I guess we didn't really exchange our contacts, so it's fine... probably, Michael thought with a chuckle.

He killed some time by circling the area, hands in his pockets, scarf fluttering every now and then as people brushed past.

Street vendors shouted. Kids ran between legs. A drunk guy tried to sell him a cursed necklace. Michael just stared at him until the guy wandered off.

After about ten minutes, he saw Claire approaching from the corner of his eye.

She waved, now out of uniform, dressed in something simple—clean, dark pants and a loose white shirt. Hair tied up. Sword still strapped to her back.

"Sorry," she said, catching up. "One of the rookies forgot to file a report. Had to fix it."

"Sounds like a you problem," Michael said casually.

Claire rolled her eyes. "It was. Let's go."

They started walking, no real destination mentioned, but she clearly had somewhere in mind.

Michael followed. The city was a bit calmer now. The festival hadn't ended, but the big rush was over. Just food, music, and a few people still pretending to dance in the background.

Claire eventually led him down a side road, then up a set of stairs that opened into a quiet rooftop terrace.

It was empty, save for a small table already set up near the edge.

Michael looked around.

"You bribed someone, didn't you."

Claire smirked. "Maybe."

They sat down. No servers. No menu. Just a packed meal already waiting in a small container on the table.

Michael raised a brow. "You brought food?"

"I wasn't sure you'd remember to eat."

He nodded slowly. "Fair."

Claire handed him one of the wrapped boxes. "I cooked this morning. Don't die."

Michael opened it. Rice, something grilled, something green. It smelled decent. He took a bite.

"Not bad."

"Don't sound so surprised."

They ate in comfortable silence for a few moments, and eventually, she leaned back in her chair.

"So. You enjoying yourself?"

Michael didn't answer right away.

Then he looked up from the food. "Yeah. I am."

She smiled. Not wide. Not smug. Just a small, content smile.

"Good," she said.

"Why the smug look?" Michael asked. "Did you secretly put something in the food?"

"I might've..." Claire trailed off sheepishly before letting out a giggle. "Just kidding. I didn't really cook that—I bought it from the supermarket down the street on my way here."

"Very original..." Michael said, and pulled out a necklace. "I made this on my way here. Take it."

Claire tilted her head knowingly. "Oh? You're a craftsman?"

"The best in the world," Michael replied confidently.

In fact, it wasn't blind confidence.

He could craft anything he wanted, and even add details to items however he pleased.

The only limitation he had at this moment was his imagination.

And unlike Claire, he really did make this, and not buy it from the store.

It was a diamond necklace, and from the way she was holding it, she probably thought it was fake.

However, Michael didn't clear up the doubt, as it didn't exactly matter in the end.

Or so he thought.

Claire held the necklace in her palm, turning it over a few times. The gem caught the light, throwing off tiny sparks of reflected color.

"This looks... expensive."

Michael shrugged. "Costs me about five seconds."

"You're really not gonna explain how you made it?"

"Nope."

Claire gave him a look, then slipped the necklace around her neck anyway. It fit perfectly.

"Well, I guess I should say thanks," she said, settling back into her chair. "Though now I look overdressed for the rest of this."

"You're fine," Michael replied. "No one's watching."

Claire leaned forward again, elbows on the table. "Still. You giving me jewelry feels like some kind of trap."

"I've never trapped anyone with a necklace before," Michael said. "I usually just throw people through walls."

"That's what I mean. This is new."

Michael didn't say anything to that. He just kept chewing his food. Claire watched him for a second, then let it go.

They finished eating not long after. Claire packed up the boxes, shoved them into a small bag, and stretched.

"Alright. You wanna walk a bit, or head straight back?"

Michael looked over the edge of the rooftop. "Let's walk. I feel like if I go back now, I'm just gonna end up punching something."

"Can't have that," Claire muttered. "Follow me."

They headed back down the stairs and onto the street, joining the slow trickle of people that hadn't fully disappeared from the area.

Michael walked with his hands in his pockets, golden scarf still shifting slightly in the breeze. Claire walked beside him, glancing up at the sky now and then.

The sun had dipped past the horizon. A few stars were visible. Lanterns had been lit along the road, casting soft glows across the stone pavement.

"So what now?" Claire asked.

Michael tilted his head. "No clue. You did tell me to follow you."

She ignored his comment.

"We could try one of the game stalls," she offered. "I hear the prizes are rigged."

"Sounds like a challenge."

They turned down one of the more crowded streets, where several booths were still open. One had some kind of magic ring toss setup, where you had to land a glowing ring onto a moving crystal pillar.

Michael watched a kid fail three times, then get handed a consolation sticker.

He stepped up.

The guy running the booth looked at him with a fake smile. "Five silver per try, friend."

Michael handed him the coin he had made, took one of the rings, and immediately tossed it onto the pillar without waiting.

It landed perfectly.

The booth owner blinked. "Uh... you get a prize."

Michael pointed to the stuffed lizard hanging at the top. "That one."

The man grumbled, reached up, and yanked it down. Claire snorted as he handed it to her.

"I'm surprised you didn't cheat," she said.

"I didn't need to," Michael replied. "I'm just built different."

Claire held the plush lizard in both hands. "You know this is kinda ugly, right?"

"I know."

She smiled anyway.

They continued walking, passing more vendors and performers. A juggler was trying—and failing—to balance on a crate while spinning knives. A bard with a cracked lute was playing the same song over and over again. The rhythm was decent, at least.

Eventually, Claire slowed down a little. Her smile had faded just a bit, eyes scanning the buildings around them.

Michael noticed. "What's up?"

"Nothing," she said. "Just thinking."

"About?"

Claire paused. "This is nice, you know. Just... being out here. No missions. No reports. No near-death experiences."

Michael nodded. "Yeah. It's weird."

"Weird good or weird bad?"

"I'll let you know in the morning."

Claire let out a quiet laugh. "Fair enough."

They reached a small bridge crossing over a shallow canal. The water below was calm, reflecting the lantern light above.

Claire leaned on the railing, looking down. "Hey, remember when we first met?"

Michael joined her. "You mean you told me to fuck off out of the clubroom? Yeah, it was pretty memorable."

"You were suspicious."

"I was trying to join."

"Didn't look like it."

Michael shrugged. "Believe what you want, I'm innocent."

Claire gave him a side-eye. "Very innocent..."

They stood there for a moment longer. The street behind them had thinned out even more now. Only a few people left, and none of them were paying attention.

Claire shifted her weight and turned to him fully. "You're still a mystery, you know that?"

"Takes one to know one. Miss 'I disappeared from my world and reappeared on some other planet far, far away.'"

"Well..." Claire scratched her cheek. "Since we're not doing anything, do you want to know how I ended up here?"

Michael halted, then slowly nodded with a smile.

"Of course."