Chapter 229: Photograph and Memories
\'Maybe I could use this to my advantage,\' I thought to myself. I had numerous questions for her—about the door, my mother, and that foundation.
"Why should I help you?" I asked, my voice firm and arrogant. I wanted to establish that I was in control of this conversation. That she needed me, but I didn\'t necessarily need her.
"What do you mean? OPPA, Alice is your …" She wanted to say something but ended up stopping midway.
"She\'s my what?"
"I can\'t tell you, but we really need to save her." She tried to explain herself.
"Then, I won\'t help her," I warned.
She was shocked by my words and paused for a moment.
"OPPA, if you don\'t save her now, then you will regret it after you unlock that door!" She started to walk closer to me.
"Stay back," I commanded, keeping her distance.
The air felt tense, and I remained vigilant, uncertain of her intentions.
\'I don\'t have plot armor like those naive MCs, so better be safe than sorry,\' I thought to myself, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of the situation.
She stopped and looked troubled by my words.
"OPPA, you\'re being mean to Sister Alice!" She pouted her cheek.
"Hey, I don\'t even know you, so stop acting like we are close," I reprimanded her.
"We are close! That\'s why you need to help me rescue her!" She exclaimed.
"Then tell me everything first. You can\'t expect me to just believe you? I\'m sorry, but I\'m not an idiot," I sneered at her with contempt. Did she really think that she could guilt-trip me into helping her? I was too petty to even consider that.
Now we were at a standstill. To be honest, I was curious about Alice as well, but this girl was withholding a lot of information, making it hard for me to trust her.
\'I will save herself alone then,\' She sighed and then turn her head away.
\'A chance!\' I took this opportunity to use my Mind Shock.
A powerful mental wavelength was unleashed from within me. It was so fast that I only blinked, and the energy was already close to hitting her.
SNAP!
I heard a snap sound, and suddenly I witnessed something that almost made me cursed out loud—the girl vanished and reappeared in front of me in a punching position.
"Stone Body! Aegis!" I activated my skills, and a blue armor instantly covered me, while I felt that my body became harder.
*BOOM!
A mini shockwave rippled through the air after her fist collided with my Aegis. I managed to withstand the attack, but it was no ordinary punch. It felt more like being struck by a speeding truck, racing at 70 km per hour.
"Stop moving," I commanded.
[Suggestion: Failed]
\'I knew it.\' Seeing that it did not work, I used Telekinesis to create a distance between us by pushing her away.
"I almost died from that punch," I shook my head, still trying to maintain a tough facade.
"Did you just tried to do something with my mind, OPPA? Don\'t bother. Aunt gave me immunity from your power," a smile formed on her face. "And you\'re the one who attacked me first!" she added.
"My mom gave you immunity?" I was shocked by her revelation. Could she really be telling the truth? This was really a problem. I\'m too used to controlling people, and now I\'m having a hard time trusting anyone I don\'t have control over.
"Prove it, and I will help you," I began to converse with her again.
I don\'t think I would lose to her if I get really serious. With Aegis and Telekinesis, the moment she attacks me, I would stop her movements momentarily and then crush her using the six hands of my projection.
But I\'m really curious to know if she was really telling the truth or not.
"I can\'t tell you much because I\'m under oath to Aunty. But if you want proof, then this is the only thing I could give you," she replied as she pulled out her wallet. Then she picked up a photo.
The photo suddenly vibrated and shot through the air, but I was able to stop it with Telekinesis.
"This…" I was stunned to see the picture.
It was me and six other girls. I could recognize three of them in the photo. Alice was there, and this violent girl, but the last one was someone I only recognized on TV. It was Sung Hei, AKA the Song Goddess of Asia.
I attempted to scrutinize the picture for any irregularities, I found none. Then, as I delicately flipped the photograph, my eyes caught a detail etched in my memory—my mother\'s unmistakable handwriting and signature.
\'Why can\'t I remember everything about all of this?\' I asked myself. After increasing my intelligence, I could recall everything that happened to me in the past in detail, but there were still some things that seemed to be blocked.
"Do you believe me now, OPPA?" she asked again, her voice now more calm.
[Ding]
[Save Alice from Cerebrum]
[Reward +15, 0000 EXP, +20 Attribute points. + 20 Skill Points + 5 Domination Points]
\'So, the system really wanted me to save Alice,\' I mused inwardly after seeing the mission again. Seeing this, now I was a bit more sure that this girl was telling me some truth, and was not that hostile.
If she was really after me, then her speed alone was enough to take me down if she tried to assassinate me. But she did not do it, meaning the chance of her going after my head was low.
"Alright, I will help you, but you at least need to tell me what you can say. I\'m not comfortable with working with someone I barely remember or know," I replied,
"Okay, OPPA!" She nodded, excitement lighting up her face after hearing me committing to save Alice.