Anthony took a deep breath before turning to his friends. Zhao Chun had gone to the bathroom to empty her stomach. The gore had been too much for her tastes. Kun Kim and Ba Gao had horrified expressions on their face and started searching for the nearest trash can. Anthony had a complex expression on his face as he reflected on what he had just seen.
Despite being shown a piece of the horrors that one would see on the path of Demon Hunter, Anthony was still confident in his decision to become one. A few minutes later, the friends gathered after finishing their business. They conversed about the research.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
Ba Gao stated meekly. He looked at Anthony, an unsure expression on his face. After witnessing the live stream, he was exposed to the horrors of reality. Everything seemed to be a distant and fanciful dream. One that would never be fulfilled.
Anthony looked around to see discouraged expressions on the face of his friends. They had come into this problem brimming with energy, fueled by their thirst for revenge. Now, less than 6 hours later, they were on the brink of giving up.
"We can't give up! We have to reach the top and give that so-called god a piece of our minds! We can be like the protagonists of practically every fantasy and Xianxia! They all suffered as they made their way to the top."
Anthony tried to cheer them up with an attempt at an inspiration speech.
"Yeah, but don't they have something called plot armor?"
Kun Kim asked casually.
Crap! My argument's flaw has been exploited!
Anthony wracked his brain for ways to effectively counter Kun Kim's argument. He couldn't let them down!
Meanwhile, a big man, amplified by the big suit he wore, sat in a leather business chair on the top floor of Abide Corp. A B-ranked Demon Hunter stood in front of him. After a few moments of silence, the Demon Hunter spoke up.
"Father, my brother, Anthony, hasn't accomplished much. I've heard that he got drunk in the bar and died last night."
Anthony's brother spoke up. He then sat back waiting expectantly. Anthony's father sighed.
"What are you implying here Peter?"
Anthony's father asked, fully aware of his younger son's intentions.
"I want you to give your inheritance to me. With my brother dead, there is no other person qualified to inherit your fortune. Besides, you know how much I've done for the company while my brother squanders it on drinks and drugs."
Peter Nguyen scowled as if the memory of his brother insulted his very existence.
His father's brows wrinkled in slight disappointment but found reason with this argument. He sighed beside himself. If the news about Anthony's death was credible, he would have to transfer Anthony's portion of the inheritance to Peter.
"I have to think about this first Peter. You still have your sister and mother to consider. I will call you when I have made my decision."
Peter's expression turned dark.
"Yes, Father."
Peter stood up from his chair and left through the double doors of the office. Peter's father turned his chair around to look at the view of the city, trying to calm himself down.
"Where have I gone wrong with you, Anthony?"
He sighed and turned back around, determined to continue with his work.
"Damn it!"
Peter kicked the trashcan in the room when he had made it to his home. It flew across the room, scattering scrap paper everywhere.
"Why does father value that useless trash so much?!! I'm the one who has helped him with everything! I've dedicated my life to helping this corporation grow! And he still won't acknowledge me with Anthony's death!"
He slammed his fists on the desk, but withheld his strength in time, to avoid breaking it in half. As a result, it only left a small dent in the metal.
"Anthony, even in death you plague me."
Meanwhile, Anthony had found a way to calm his friends down and they decided on a stroll through the streets of San Francisco. They took the bus to the open air market. When Anthony stepped out of the bus, he could hear the bustling sounds of people moving about. It was great to hear the familiar sounds of a large busy city after dying and getting reincarnated. It felt calming and brought his state of mind to a more optimal level.
He inhaled and slowly exhaled, enjoying every bit of the city air.
"Ah, fresh air."
In the 27th Century of Anthony's world, the pollution had reached dangerously high levels, but with genetic mutations performed through newly invented technologies, science allowed the lungs to mutate and filter the pollution. Many of the old generations died from overexposure to high levels of pollution, but the new generation continued to live healthy lives.
Anthony and his friends wandered from stand to stand, on an adventure of tasting foods. They got meat skewers, fried dumplings, and all the works. The four friends sat down at a nearby table and continued to much on their newly acquired goods.
Anthony and the other two chose meat skewers while Zhao Chun grabbed a fried dumpling. Kun Kim and Ba Gao ripped at the meat skewers, all the hours they had spent researching had really caused their appetites to increase.
Zhao Chun slowly nibbled on the dumpling. Every so often, she would get a little bit of meat sauce stuck on her face.
"Here let me get that off."
Anthony picked up a napkin and gently wiped the sauce off of Zhao Chun's face. Zhao Chun flushed a deep red and nodded her head in thanks.
Kun Kim and Ba Gao stared at Anthony with piercing eyes. They would need to step up their competition before Zhao Chun was stolen by Anthony!
"Zhao Chun, do you need any help carrying that?"
"Zhao Chun! That food stall smells really good would you like to have some?"
They started literally butting heads when as they got closer to Zhao Chun. Their angry faces coupled with their attempt at a gentle smiled started to slightly scare the other two. Zhao Chun unconsciously inched closer to Anthony. Eventually, she got close enough that both of their clothing started to touch. When she realized what she had done, Zhao Chun started to become flustered, her deep red became a bright scarlet.
Kun Kim and Ba Gao were too distracted with their competition to notice that their third rival had already made it to second base while they were stuck in first.