[Confirmed: Their parents passed away in an accident.]
Baskara nodded, feeling a wave of relief. At least the original owners of these bodies didn't die because this "Little Monster" murdered them in their sleep.
"System, I'm starving. I think my brother is, too," Kara muttered, rubbing his flat, empty stomach. "Usually, in novels, the System provides insane rewards, right? Like a Black Card, a mansion, or—"
[Unfortunately, no. This System only provides basic rewards and advice because... well, this world's System is broke.]
"WTF! Broke?! You mean you're a hobo? What kind of System are you?!" Baskara hissed, offended. He had read enough novels to know he was being scammed by fate.
[It is what it is. You must survive on your own in this new world. Think of it as a game ￣へ￣. The only difference is, if you die here, you stay dead. Exciting, right?]
"Son of a... piece of...!" Baskara started reciting the entire dictionary of curses. This useless System wanted him to survive alone? In his past life, he was just a student! Now he had to work to feed someone else's kid?!
[Warning! The Primary Target is hungry! You must provide nutritious food immediately!]
Baskara glanced at Cruel. The boy was already staring at him, his eyes narrowing sharply. It was a sign. Kara sighed heavily.
"System... is there any job I can do to get food for us?"
[Please wait... Searching for quests... Quest found!! You must obtain food through 'Aesthetic Begging'.]
"Meaning? You want me to be a beggar?"
[Not a regular beggar. You must sing 'Little Lizard on the Wall' (Keroncong Version) in front of Mother Fatimah's Nasi Padang stall... Target: Leftover but edible rice.]
"Change it! Change the quest! I was a Student Council President in my past life! I have dignity, damn it!"
[If you refuse, a penalty will be issued! Penalty: Your stomach will make a 'Cock-a-doodle-doo' sound every time you see a pretty girl. Activating penalty in 3... 2...]
"FINE! I'll sing!! Dammit, are you a System or a comedy show producer?!" Kara snapped.
A few moments later, Baskara stood in front of a crowded Nasi Padang stall. His face was pale. From a distance, Cruel watched him while clutching an empty sauce bottle—ready to throw it if Kara failed to bring back food.
'I feel like a kidnap victim,' Kara thought miserably.
After gathering his courage, he began to sing with a trembling, embarrassed voice.
"Little lizard... on the wall... sliding quietly... here comes a mosquito... Hap! Then it's me who dies of hunger...!"
Cruel's face turned bright red. Argh! He wanted to cry from pure embarrassment.
Finally, a middle-aged woman stepped out of the stall. It was Mother Fatimah, the owner.
"Good grief, boy. You're so handsome, yet so out of your mind. Here, take the rice. But please, go far away. My customers are losing their appetite listening to your broken megaphone voice," Mother Fatimah said, handing him a plastic bag of rice wrapped in paper.
Kara accepted it with teary eyes.
"Thank you, Ma'am... My voice is actually very expensive, that's why you had to pay me with rice... If you have a job opening for a singer, call me, okay?"
Mother Fatimah could only shake her head in disbelief.
[Congratulations! Quest Success!! Reward: +2 Kindness Points, Dish Soap, and Passive Skill: 'Max Level Thick-Skin'. Note: Your brother, Cruel, is currently too ashamed to admit he knows you.]
Back at the shack, Cruel had already run ahead, unable to bear the shame.
"El! Look! Brother brought Nasi Padang! Your brother is amazing, right?" Baskara boasted, showing off his "earnings." Cruel just stared at him with a deadpan expression.
"Brother, I heard a rooster sound from your stomach earlier, then you sang like you were about to meet your maker. Next time we're starving, just tell me. I can rob the stall faster than you can sing," Cruel said intensely.
'System, seriously, can I put this kid back in his mom's womb? I think he's better at surviving than I am,' Kara cried internally.
[Advice: Do not give up! Remember, if he robs a stall today, he might burn the world tomorrow. Keep being a clown for the sake of the world's future.]
Baskara snorted. Having a broke System was exhausting. All it did was give quests, penalties, and daily quotes.
'I'm just an ordinary human,' Kara thought.
They began to eat the leftovers. Kara patiently fed his little "demon"—I mean, his little brother.
"Eat a lot so you can grow up fast."
"When I grow up, can I mince people, Brother?"
"Cough! Cough!!" Kara accidentally spat out his food. 'Damn, this kid is terrifying.'
"Hey... you know, there are many hobbies better than sinning and killing. Like me! I love helping people, I'm never toxic, I'm kind-hearted, and I love to share," Kara smiled proudly. Pure image branding.
[Badness Points -5. Reason: Lying.]
'This System yaps too much.' Kara continued eating, glancing at Cruel. The kid was cute, so why was his behavior so demonic?
After finishing, Kara stood up. "Finish your rice, okay? I'm going to wash my hands."
He went to the back, disposed of the trash, and washed his hands at the well.
"System, is my reward really just points, soap, and a passive skill? Nothing more expensive? Like money?"
[Huft, I told you, I'm broke. Where would I get money? I was created using my boss's minimum wage savings.]
"Damn, minimum wage..."
The System glared at him. [And if there were expensive rewards, what would you want?]
"Everything that can make me rich, obviously!"
[Fine, I'll add a bonus... Ting! Congratulations! You received an extra reward. Reward: 3-day supply of Instant Noodles!]
"Seriously? Just noodles?" Kara groaned. Why couldn't he get a private island or a Black Card like other MCs? All he got was "guidance and wisdom."
"Hi everyone! This is my first time writing a story like this. I hope you enjoy the chaos! Your support (comments and Power Stones) means everything to me and helps me update faster. Thank you for reading! ≥﹏≤"