Chapter 3: Upgrade Unlock

Day 2 of Cleaning

Selassie took the top floor.

Collins was assigned to the ground level, because the stairs looked ready to collapse the moment he set foot on them. With a wet rag clenched in hand, he crawled under a rickety table, only to promptly get stuck. His hips jammed tightly between two broken legs, leaving him wedged and struggling to free himself.

"Selassie!" Collins called. His face flushed with embarrassment.

She peeked from above. "...Are you actually stuck or are you just resting like a slug?"

"Get. Me. Out."

They eventually pried the table apart. Collins swore vengeance.

Meanwhile, the kitchen was a complete biohazard. Rotten food lay rotting in every corner, spoiled milk had curdled into something that looked like it might crawl away, and a colony of mice that eyed Collins like territorial gangsters ready to defend their turf.

One particularly bold mouse scurried up and tried to nip at his shoe. Startled, Collins let out a sharp scream and swung a nearby frying pan in a desperate attempt to scare it off. The pan, however, missed wildly and sailed through the air, smashing a nearby window into a shower of glittering shards.

Selassie burst in. "What was that noise!?"

Unfortunately, he has started to get use to this humiliation... slightly.

His inability to use magic only made things worse. He couldn't cleanse mold with fire magic. He couldn't even levitate objects. So he had to clean the sink by reaching in elbow-deep into slime, gagging the whole time.

Selassie called it his "humbling arc."

By evening, the kitchen finally sparkled, after five buckets of soapy water, a few bruises, and a fair share of trauma. Collins collapsed onto a semi-dry bench, his clothes drenched in sweat, every muscle aching.

Damnation!

He had burned more calories today than he probably had in years, yet even now, he was only three heavy breaths away from a full-blown cardiac arrest. The weight of the day pressed down on him, but there was no time to rest, this was only the beginning.

Day 3 of Cleaning

Collins tried something new today: using momentum.

Instead of scrubbing the floor the usual way, Collins simply lay down on an old rug and rolled across the hallway, using his own body weight to wipe away the grime. Humiliation? To him, this wasn't defeat, it was pure innovation! Sometimes you have to get creative when the body won't cooperate.

Selassie walked in and stared. "...What in the name of Heaven are you doing?"

"This is innovation."

To be fair, it kind of worked.

In the courtyard, they tackled the tangled mess of vines and weeds. Collins almost fainted after yanking on a particularly stubborn root, only to realize it was actually part of a tree.

Then they moved on to the attic, filled with ancient cobwebs and creepy, dust-covered dolls. Selassie climbed up cautiously while Collins stood below, steadying the ladder.

For once, Collins felt useful, until a sudden, violent sneeze caused Selassie to wobble precariously. Both of them tumbled awkwardly, landing with bruises and groans. Afterward, they exchanged a weary look and silently agreed never to mention the incident again.

Hours later...

Ding!

[ System: Congratulations! ]

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Task: Clean the Orphanage (Newbie Quest!)• As the Director, you find the orphanage dirty — unhygienic for kids to live in. With the help of your Assistant, clean the manor to possibly live on.Completion: 100%Reward: x1 Director Skill Roulette Ticket(Bronze), 100 Upgrade Points.

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Exhausted, bruised, and dust-coated from head to toe, they stood side by side at the front of the orphanage.

It was... presentable?

The floors were spotless, gleaming faintly under the soft glow of the lanterns. The kitchen was finally functional, no more rancid smells or lurking pests, just the clean scent of soap and fresh air. The beds, once old and creaky like dying animals, now stood sturdy and inviting, promising a good night's rest.

It was still humble, far from luxurious.

Collins collapsed onto a rickety chair with a grunt. Sweat clung to every inch of his body like a second skin, making his clothes stick uncomfortably. "Three days... of hell..." he panted.

Selassie slumped on the floor nearby, her once-pristine nun robes now coated in layers of dust and grime. "I think... I now have dust permanently embedded in my soul," she wheezed.

They looked around. The manor was no palace, but it was no longer a death trap. At least now it looked like a place humans could surviv—

Ding!

[ System: Upgrade Unlock ]

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Available Orphanage Upgrades:

Lvl.1 Bathrooms — 30 Upgrade Points

Lvl.1 Main Hall — 35 Upgrade Points

Lvl.1 Kitchen — 25 Upgrade Points

Lvl.1 Dorms — 35 Upgrade Points

Lvl.1 Training Hall — 135 Upgrade Points

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A long silence passed.

Collins turned his head, ever so slowly, to Selassie. Containing his rage he ask, "...We could've just... upgraded the orphanage?!"

Even Selassie, who was staff from Heaven, clench her teeth in annoyance."Yes. Seems like it."

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

Upgrade Applied: Kitchen, Dorms, Hall

The moment he confirmed the selections, the orphange trembled faintly, and shimmering golden light danced through the walls. The smell of mold vanished. Floors gleamed. Water run clearer in the bathrooms. The beds upgraded themselves. The kitchen now had real counters and a stove.

"I can live with this," Selassie said, amazed.

Collins leaned back, hands resting heavily on his bloated belly, his eyes sharp with disdain.

He muttered, voice low and venom-laced. "We bled, choked on dust, I nearly got entombed under a rotting table, only for this insufferable system to casually toss out an 'instant renovation' like a party trick."

Selassie looked amused. "Maybe there's a lesson in that."

"Lesson? The only lesson I learned is that Heaven's System is petty and sadistic." he said in a icy tone.

She stifled a laugh. "Well, look on the bright side. You probably lost at least three pounds."

"That's not bright. That's tragic. I lost three pounds and gained nothing but trauma." He stared at the wall, seething quietly, before grumbling under his breath. "Should've just invested all points into a training hall. At least then I could punch something."

That evening, after a warm meal (thanks to Selassie's surprisingly good soup-making skills), they both sat by the hall's window.

"I never thought I'd end up like this," Collins admitted, looking out into the twilight fields. "Managing an orphanage, in someone else's body... with my magic sealed."

Selassie looked at him, her eyes soft. "Maybe that's why you're here. To become someone else."

He didn't answer.

Eventually, they turned in for the night. Collins' room was small but had a clean bed. He finally let himself relax, sinking into the mattress with a loud sigh.

Alert!

[ System: Intruders Detected. ]

Alert!

[ System: Intruders Detected. ]

+2

Ding!

[ System: Unique Child Appeared ]

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Task: Save a Child in distress (Important!)• A young girl snuck into the orphanage, seeking refuge. Followed by 4 burly men who wants to sell the girl. Kick the men and rescue the child.• Time Limit: 20 minutes• FAILURE: -downgrade the orphanageCompletion:• Find the Girl (0/1)• Kick the Men out of the orphanage (0/3)