Lord Of Ashes

After observing the Vitality Apple, John casually turned his attention to the female college student sitting on a bench across the road, idly picking at her feet. Under normal circumstances, he would have waited for the traffic light or crossed at a designated spot, but with time stopped, rules no longer applied. The city was frozen, leaving John free to move as he pleased.

As he approached the student, he noticed something familiar—her campus ID card sticking out slightly from her skirt pocket. It indicated that she probably attended the same university as him. You might wonder why John was focusing on her pocket, but to him, these small details always caught his attention in the frozen moments. Whether it was out of curiosity or just a habit, it wasn't something he dwelled on.

Now, let's address the foot-picking. For most people, whether it's considered disgusting depends entirely on the appearance of the person doing it. John's thoughts aligned with this common view. He took a moment to evaluate her, mentally rating her looks. In his mind, she ranked somewhere between an 80 and 90 out of 100.

Her skin was fair and unblemished, smooth under the midday sun. Her facial features were symmetrical and naturally pleasing, nothing overly striking but undeniably attractive. She wore her hair in a simple ponytail, her overall appearance neat and well-groomed. She was of average height, somewhere between 1.7 to 1.8 meters, with a well-proportioned figure that gave off an air of casual elegance.

Because of her beauty, John found it easy to overlook her somewhat unrefined habit of picking at her feet. Under normal circumstances, it might have been considered off-putting, but her appearance compensated for it.

However, the real issue was her lack of technique. She wasn't very skilled at foot-picking, a task made even more challenging by the flesh-colored pantyhose she wore. It was a futile endeavor, and John, with time frozen around them, found himself more amused than disgusted.

After watching her for a few moments, he decided to poke her out of curiosity. First, he poked her cheek, then her feet. Both felt unnaturally rigid, like hard plastic, due to the suspension of time. This was a phenomenon John had noticed before—whenever he paused time, everything around him felt solid, almost artificial, like the world had transformed into a static display.

This odd texture disrupted many of the more adventurous ideas that occasionally crossed his mind. On one hand, this restriction was frustrating, as it prevented him from interacting fully with his surroundings. But on the other hand, it spared him from making questionable decisions in these frozen moments.

"I've observed the last two options," John mused. "Do I really want to trek all the way back to Happiness Grove Apartments just to check out that wallet from the first option?"

He weighed the idea in his mind. Traveling a few kilometers, even with time stopped, was different from covering a few steps. The Vitality Apple and the female college student had been just a few steps away. To go all the way back to the apartment complex would take at least ten minutes of running. All for a wallet that contained maybe a hundred dollars.

John considered whether picking up the wallet might lead to something more interesting—like finding the wallet of a rich woman who could turn his life upside down, or perhaps it belonged to someone powerful who might offer him a unique opportunity. But those scenarios were pure fantasy.

If such benefits had existed, the option would have hinted at them. Since it hadn't, it was safe to assume the wallet contained nothing but money and an ID card. Not worth the hassle.

Satisfied that he had thoroughly examined his options, John was ready to make his decision. Despite his ability being named [Multiple Choice], there was an ironic limitation: he could only choose one option at a time. He suspected this restriction was tied to his current power level. As he grew stronger, he hoped he might one day be able to select multiple options simultaneously.

"I choose the second option: turn right and pick the Vitality Apple," John finally decided.

He returned to his original position from before the time pause, making sure to maintain the exact posture he had when the world froze. This was another strange feature of his ability. Once the time suspension ended, everything would return to its original state, as though nothing had happened—except for the consequences of whichever option he had chosen.

Before time resumed, there was one more task for John to handle: the mosquito. The tiny insect had been buzzing around, trying to bite him before time had frozen. If he didn't deal with it now, he would suffer the annoyance of an itchy bite for days. Sure, he could heal it with his spiritual power, but it was simpler to just swat the mosquito and be done with it.

After flicking the mosquito away, John turned and headed back to the apricot tree. The red apricot mentioned in the second option dangled from a branch about 2.5 meters off the ground, its earthy-yellow skin contrasting with the golden leaves around it.

John reached up, plucked the fruit, and examined it closely. It was small, barely the size of a thumb, but it carried an odd weight to it, as if there was more to it than its appearance suggested. He pulled a tissue from his pocket and wiped the fruit clean before popping it into his mouth. 

The Vitality Apple had a subtle, sweet flavor, but it wasn't particularly remarkable. John chewed it quickly and swallowed, feeling the fruit dissolve into a warm current that flowed through his body. For a moment, he anticipated something more—perhaps an immediate burst of strength or a sudden transformation. But... nothing happened.

That was it. The warmth lingered for a few seconds before dissipating, leaving him feeling just as he had before. No dramatic changes, no surge of power.