"Mom, come on, hurry up! Danny's here, honking his horn outside." Ace, his eyes glued to his phone, tapped his foot impatiently, the sharp rhythm filling the room with a growing tension.
"A minute!" his mom replied, hurriedly reaching for the saran wrap to pack his lunch. Her hands moved with practiced efficiency until she noticed her husband hand their son a twenty-dollar bill. "Here's a twenty, kiddo. Grab lunch at the cafeteria. Have a great first day at your new school!" he said, beaming, his voice full of pride.
Mary's brow furrowed. "Al, I'm almost done," she protested, the hint of frustration in her voice underscored by the way she clutched the saran wrap tighter.
"I'll eat it," Alwin insisted, rolling his eyes in exasperation, his lips twitching with a playful smirk. "Let's make sure the boy gets to new school on time, especially on his first day."
"Thanks, Dad," Ace said, grabbing the bill and rushing out the door, his sneakers squeaking slightly on the floor. He hopped into his cousin Danny's Buick Regal Turbo T and threw his backpack in the back seat with a grin spreading across his face as he felt the crumple of the bill in his hand. His dad had been in a generous mood lately, handing him twenties like they were candy.
"Ace, you're a millionaire now. Can't you just ask your parents for a car already?" Danny teased, a mischievous glint in his eye as he revved the engine, the low hum of the car vibrating through their seats.
"And give my mom a heart attack? Moving from the city to this small town was already a big shock for her. We haven't even unpacked yet. Besides, I've got you, the car can wait," Ace replied, leaning back in his seat, his eyes fluttering shut as he let out a sigh of relief and breathed in the fresh country air.
Danny glanced sideways at Ace, his voice turning more serious. "Speaking of which, how's your trading coming? Don't tell me you haven't started yet. My dad asked for the receipt in the driveway, and I don't know how much longer I can keep him off your back."
Ace opened one eye, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Danny, that's the stock market, not some magic lamp. Things take time. $40,500 is a lot of money, and I can't be careless." His voice was calm but firm, the weight of responsibility heavy in his tone.
Danny sighed, slumping in his seat. "If only I'd followed you on that treasure hunt, I wouldn't be worrying about this measly $10,000," he said dejectedly, before his face brightened with excitement. "Oh! My dad had the principal put you in my class. I get to be friends with this year's homecoming king. Let your good luck and charm rub off on me."
Ace chuckled softly. "I wish. But it's great that we are in the same class." He glanced out the window, a flicker of concern in his eyes. Danny's lack of confidence stung a little, but he didn't let it show.
Now that his family had moved to the country, Ace was ready to focus on the real reason he had chosen Emi as his third toy summon: to help with his family's health like the Apex earring did with his. Danny's weight has been a concern especially since it was the source of his lack of confidence, but it's a long-term project.
It had been two days since they returned from the resort. In that time, thanks to Mandy, Ace had become the proud owner of 135 acres of farmland, just as she had promised. He had even leased it to his father for 20% of the annual profits, with the earnings placed in a trust under Ace's name until he turned 21. They would renegotiate the lease terms then, depending on whether he chose to pursue a career or stick with farming.
Mandy had also arranged for the Lanskys to vacate the house within a day, and by the next, she had helped the Landers move into the Lansky—or now the new Lander—house. She even had the Danny's high school accept him mid semester. Her efficiency was almost unsettling, moving them from city and settling them into the town in under forty-eight hours. Her network of contacts was vast, and Ace was convinced that if she ran for town mayor, she would win easily. Even Mary's opinion of Mandy had softened, impressed by the incredible help she had provided in such a short time.
Meanwhile, Ace hadn't been slacking either. Knowing that the 'World of Curse' could spring up him anytime, anywhere and in any form, he had been practicing both 'Curse Concealment' and 'Body Reinforcement' curse arts with extra intensity. He had made significant progress in mastering both arts—so much so that his cursed toy box gained an additional toy space purely from the stats he earned through practice, without even him having to enhance his curse core.
He now understood why he only gained one toy space during the last enhancement of his curse core, despite the significant growth in his stats. While the growth was substantial, it wasn't enough to earn two toy spaces. However, the stats he earned in the past two days made up for it. Also, he had even reached a major milestone in the Body Reinforcement curse art, increasing his lifespan from 98 years to 150 years.
Curse Energy: (411/411)
Skills: Cursed toybox(3/5), Status screen.
Arts: Body Reinforcement, Curse Concealment.]
"Lucky, an unmarked parking spot close to the entrance opened," Danny said as slowed the car to a stop in the school parking lot, and Danny pointed toward the clock on the dashboard. "Let's hurry. You don't want to be late to Ms. Matthew's class." He gave Ace a playful nudge as they both reached for their backpacks at the back seat.
AN: Sorry for the delay. 2nd chapter of day will take a little longer to be posted.