Chapter 63: Megan’s Secret. (2/2) (Updated)

IMPORTANT NOTICE — PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING:

An editor I hired through Discord suddenly passed away three days ago. I hadn’t planned on hiring anyone, but he was asking around the community and seemed to really need the work.

He asked for $2 per Chapter, and I explained that my book might not earn much, so I could offer $1 per Chapter. He agreed and was really grateful for the opportunity. We clicked, and over time, we built a bond. I upload two Chapters a day, so his editing would come to about $60 this month.

With the book expected to earn $60 and Webnovel adding another $140 in author benefits, I was planning to send him $70, including a tip. But when I sent him Chapters to edit three days ago, his sister contacted me to tell me he had passed away.

He was only 23, living in India with five family members to support. He’d told me that $70 for an hour of daily work would be perfect for him. It’s hard to take in that he’s gone. I only knew him by his Discord name. His family has agreed to accept the money but prefers not to share his real name, and I appreciate and respect their wish for privacy.

I won’t disclose his Discord name either. Now that he’s gone, I don’t feel I have the right to share it. I’m planning to send this month’s entire $200 to his family in his memory, and I’m really grateful this book is earning anything at all so I can give them something. I’m currently editing the Chapters myself, and I won’t be hiring another editor. Thank you for reading and for being patient with the gaps in my uploads.

.......................

Jim and the others finally turned around and started walking away. Only after they had put some distance between themselves and her did Liam notice Megan let out a long breath.

It wasn’t the kind of sigh that came from being physically tired. She just looked exhausted from having to deal with the Danuvan gang again and again, as if every conversation with them drained a little more patience out of her.

"Who were they?"

Liam asked quietly from behind her, and Megan nearly jumped out of her skin. Her shoulders jerked upward as she spun around, eyes wide for a second before she realized it was him. She was clearly on edge now, in the kind of tense state where even a small sound behind her was enough to make her react.

For a brief moment, the fear showed plainly on her face. Then Megan quickly covered it with a firmer expression, straightening herself and forcing the tension out of her features. She looked like she was trying very hard to act as though nothing had bothered her, even if Liam had already seen enough to know otherwise.

"No... no one. Just some friends."

"From Danuvan?"

Liam smiled after asking. He had already used Danuvan’s name back on the plane to scare off the two creeps who had been bothering Megan. At the time, he had pretended that he was connected to the gang just to make them back off, so Megan already knew that the name wasn’t unfamiliar to him.

Megan’s face turned red with embarrassment as the memory came back to her. She had completely forgotten that Liam already knew about Danuvan, which made her weak excuse sound even worse now. Still, one thing bothered her.

Knowing the gang’s name was one thing, but the way Liam had reacted just now made it sound like he recognized Jim and the others personally. Megan looked at him for a moment, clearly wondering how much he actually knew and why he seemed so familiar with people she had never introduced to him, even though she barely knew them herself.

"H... how do you know they were from Danuvan?"

"Well, the real question isn’t how I know Jim, Princeton’s infamous drug dealer. The real question is why you were talking to him. Don’t tell me you’re secretly doing drugs."

Liam turned the question back on her so casually that Megan’s expression froze for a second. She had been preparing herself to question him, not defend herself. Her eyebrows lifted, her lips parted, and whatever answer she had been about to give disappeared completely. For a moment, she just stared at him, visibly thrown off by how quickly the conversation had flipped around on her.

"N... no, I don’t take drugs. It’s a bit complicated... you wouldn’t understand."

Megan sighed and finally stopped trying to come up with excuses. Instead, she gave Liam a small smile, the kind that quietly said she was done explaining that part of her life for now. There was a trace of tiredness behind it, but also something calmer, almost like she had made peace with the fact that he had seen more than she wanted him to.

Without saying anything else, Megan turned and started walking toward the dorm building. Liam watched her for a moment as she moved farther away, her figure slowly blending into the morning crowd of students crossing the campus.

"Well, everyone has their secrets... but does she know hers?"

Show me her status.

Liam smiled faintly. He could tell Megan was clearly dealing with something serious, but he didn’t want to force her to talk before she was ready. Instead, another thought crossed his mind.

If he eventually introduced her to levels and the power hidden behind them, maybe she would understand that he could actually help her. More importantly, it might make her trust him enough to stop carrying everything by herself.

[Level: 6 (322/700)]

[Name: Megan Victoria Vox]

[Age: 18/700]

[Species: Low Tier Mortal]

[Health: 594%/600%] +

[Gender: Female]

[Strength: 128/600] +

[Agility: 230/600] +

[Charisma: 200/600] +

[Speech: 180/600] +

[Skill: Low Tier Singer, Master Tier Dancer, Master Tier Crowd Controller.]

[Item: Diamond Pendant.]

[Passives: Dance Dance (The more she dances, the more EXP she gains).]

[Modification: NULL]

[Divine Points: 5]

[Can’t use Divine Points yet. Host can use the + sign to edit and use them for her.]

Wow... is she also some kind of protagonist like Clara? Or is this because of me?

Liam was stunned for a moment. Clara had already made him suspicious that something unusual was happening around him, and now Megan’s current status only made that feeling stronger.

The first time he had checked her, she had only been Level 2 with 32 EXP, her Health had barely crossed 100, and most of her stats were still somewhere between 48 and 150. Now she was already Level 6, her Health had climbed all the way to 594, and even her weakest stats had increased by a ridiculous amount.

Her skills had improved as well. Her dancing had gone from High Tier to Master Tier, while Crowd Controller had remained at Master Tier, and most importantly, she had gained a passive she didn’t have before.

[Dance Dance (The more she dances, the more EXP she gains).]

Even Alexandra has a broken passive...

Liam narrowed his eyes slightly. Clara gained EXP simply by being with him, Megan gained EXP through dancing, and Alexandra had a passive that rewarded her with EXP and even filled her stomach whenever she repaired something with a semiconductor.

Liam didn’t follow Megan. He watched her leave for a moment, a small smile lingering on his face, before turning toward the building where his class would be held. She still needed to get back to her room and change out of her dance clothes, so there was a good chance she would be late.

He glanced at the time on his phone and slipped it into his pocket. There wasn’t much he could do about that now, and standing around would only make both of them late. Around him, students were beginning to hurry, their conversations breaking off as they checked their phones and headed toward different entrances. Liam tightened the strap of his backpack and joined them, picking up his pace as he crossed the sunlit walkway.

His long legs were finally being put to proper use. A few quick strides carried him past three students walking side by side, his shadow stretching across the pavement before disappearing beneath the shade of the building.

Someone ahead pushed open the entrance door, and Liam caught it before it closed. He quickly stepped inside, where students were rushing toward their classrooms and the sound of footsteps filled the hallway.

Liam walked past them and headed straight for the stairs. Taking two steps at a time, he quickly reached the next floor, his backpack bouncing against his shoulder.

Sunlight came through a tall window as he turned into the hallway. His classroom was just ahead, and the door was still open. Liam hurried over, only slowing down when he reached the entrance.

Seeing the whole classroom packed, Liam smiled. He had expected Introduction to Psychology to be popular, but almost every seat was already taken. Students were talking across the rows, some opening their laptops while others hurriedly moved their bags to make room for friends. Liam stopped near the entrance and looked around for an empty seat, his eyes moving toward the back as a few more students entered behind him.

Just then, he spotted Diane waving at him from the middle of the room. She had placed her bag on the empty chair beside her and was already lifting it away when their eyes met. Liam smiled and waved back, then walked down the aisle toward her. A student pulled his legs out of the way to let him pass, and Liam gave him a small nod before reaching Diane’s row and slipping his backpack off his shoulder.