Meanwhile, in a basement of a home somewhere in Freisa City, a pitiful young man lay still on a bed that had not been washed for several months.
His face was dry and pallid, as if he hadn't bathed in a long time, and his body was filled with bruises and wounds that should've easily healed, yet somehow persisted and festered.
If let be for a few more days, perhaps maggots would appear.
The young man's eyebrows were furrowed, jaw clenched so tightly that one could hear his teeth gritting. His body was drenched in sweat, and his thin fingers desperately clenched the fabric under him in a vain attempt to reduce the agony.
The door to the basement was slightly open, and it was the only source of light in that dreary room oozing with stench.
The three people entered scoffing in annoyance, but they still entered, just to stare at the young man with eyes filled with disgust.
The three voices discussed the situation of his future death with such casualness that one would wonder if they were normal.
To think these three were his blood relatives.
This was his paternal uncle, his wife, and his 17-year-old cousin.
"He's still alive like a cockroach. I don't know whether to be impressed or annoyed."
"Well, not for long. Soon, we can finally get rid of him."
"He's about to die soon! Look, even his hair was turning whiter," his cousin, Fugler, said with excitement. It was like he was already seeing his new PlayStation.
"We've been waiting for so many years," the middle-aged man said, tone calm but eerie with satisfaction. "Fortunately, this cockroach will be 21 soon, and my brother's will will finally take effect."
"Your damned brother really dared to give all the patent royalties to this brat, released only so many years after they died!" the middle-aged woman sneered. "That ungrateful bastard!"
She acted as if they had been betrayed or something.
The man calmed down his hot-headed wife. "Well, aren't we getting it soon? We have access to this brat's account, and we can transfer it to us before he completely dies."
Hearing this, Fugler couldn't help but be irritated again. "Who requires so many biometric requirements nowadays? So annoying! I've been waiting since I was a kid!"
For a teenager, waiting a few years definitely felt forever. It was why he vented a lot by wounding his unconscious cousin every few days.
If there were not so many conditions to get the money—one of which was that the kid had to be alive to take it—would this cockroach still be alive?
Fortunately, their hard work was about to be rewarded!
"A hundred million! A hundred million will be in our hands soon! And this was the amount five years ago! It should be even more now. Just think about that!" Uncle said, voice dripping in greed. "How many things we can buy!"
The teenager was the first to jump in. "I'll finally get the new VR console! I'll buy 1000 games in one go!"
"I'll get a car," the uncle said, narrowing his eyes in satisfaction. "There's a model abroad I've been eyeing for a while now."
"Let's get a better house. This place is so disgusting now," the aunt said, eyes landing on the young man they called cockroach. "No, cursed."
Shameless.
Kael listened to the disgusting words of the family of three. His stomach was burning in anger and hunger, but he was too weak to do much about it. It was better to preserve his strength so he could make a move when he got the chance.
The body he now occupied was that of a young man named Cale, and he lived quite an unfortunate life.
Five years ago, Cale and his parents got into an unfortunate accident that killed the parents and put the boy in a coma. The uncle took him in, in alleged good will, volunteering amongst relatives who did not want to hold this burden.
Who'd have thought he was actually the greatest devil?
When he was being praised as a kind man who did not forget his family, he was actually hatching a sinister plot five years in the making.
Cale's parents were both scientists, relatively unknown, and had a few patents in their name.
Their will stated that, if they died before Cale was an adult, the young man would get access to most of the accumulated funds and the future royalties when he turned 21.
They also planned for his growth without them. About 10% of the yearly earnings would go to the family who took care of him, funding his basic needs while he stayed there, and the amount was calculated from their deaths to Cale's adulthood.
It was also how the family could make an estimate about how much money Cale would receive when he came of age.
Only the Frogo, as someone Cale's father trusted the most, was privy to this will.
He really fooled everyone.
He did not want to carry too much burden while wanting to get all the wealth himself, so he went on the route of minimizing the costs of his maintenance.
Considering the large amount of money that went into his account for becoming Cale's guardian, the shamelessness was truly unparalleled.
As such, the boy Cale was placed in the basement and kept there until he came of age.
When he got into an accident, he was indeed bedridden for a few weeks; he could've recovered. This was why the hospital let the family take him home, knowing he'd wake up on his own.
Except even that was a struggle.
The woman, Pani, this body's aunt, was a nurse. She knew how to keep him unconscious and alive until he came of age.
The damned family waited for the blessed day of his 21st birthday together, while every year was like an extra knife hanging over Cale's bed.
The consciousness weakened through the years until it finally gave way.
The Kael from the apocalypse arrived about a day prior, but he focused on spending this time on recovery.
The atrophy this body suffered after years of being bedridden would make it impossible to receover in short term.
However, the person inside this body was now an awakened, and he had somehow retained a portion of his ability.
He might not have abnormal regeneration like Naia, but it was still excellent. His body was still intact, there were no deep wounds, and the muscles just had to be repaired from the inside.
It would take a while to gain decent movement, but he should be able to move soon, even for just a bit.
For someone like Kael, 'just a bit' was enough.
He slightly opened his eyes, looking at the disgusting family of three standing next to his bedside, busy fantasizing about what to do with his money.
He watched the uncle's hand, which held the phone as he messaged people he'd buy things from. Soon, the woman and her son left, after getting bored, especially with the room's smell, while Uncle was left behind.
He always did this. While Cale was unconscious, Frogo would whisper taunts and mockery. Obviously, despite his father's good treatment of his brother, that brother had always been jealous of him.
When Cale's father died, the first one who celebrated was the brother he loved the most.
"Advanced happy birthday, nephew, we are very, very happy for you! AHHAHHAHA!" he laughed in glee, splattering spit on Kael's face as he did so.
Kael did not make any unnecessary movements, focusing his mind on his limbs.
He still wasn't able to stand up properly, and probably wouldn't be able to do so for at least a week, but he should be able to get a burst of energy to handle things.
Frogo had no idea what was about to descend on him.
While Frogo was cackling to death in excitement, the body on the bed suddenly disappeared, appearing above him. The sudden weight pushed him down, muffling his face on the dirty pillow underneath.
"AHHH!" he screamed in shock, but it was dampened by the pillow.
He felt the phone in his hand forcefully taken away, but his head was held down by a strong grip, making him unable to move his head. The awkward angle also prevented him from using his hands to struggle.
His face was continuously pushed on the pillow, so he was unable to understand what exactly was happening.
Until he heard the voice—a voice he didn't think he'd ever hear again.
"Hello, 666?" the lad said, voice croaking like a frog. "I'd like to report a premeditated murder."