Lifeline

After receiving the recording of a lecture on his cloud account drive from Jake, he took a 2 days' suspension from the Glitch to go home by providing the reason as "An urgent issue regarding family".

Normally, the cadets could not go outside the Glitches to their home until they complete their training and opened the released from the one-year training program. But for genuine reasons and with proof, it was possible to take leave for urgent situations.

After teleporting back to his local station at his home planet 'Zerg', he took a ride back home to meet his mom and little sister. He reached home in 10 minutes because of efficient teleportation.

The condition of his home not very good. It was a normal two-story building, but the traces of an ongoing financial crisis and a lack of maintenances was fairly visible.

He opened the door and saw his mother sleeping. A faint sign of overwork was fairly visible on her face, along with obvious black circles. His mother was charming, but stress had made her sullen.

Creed's mother Anna Wilson was a reputed soldier of the glitch in the past.

Anna had opened her solar plexus chakra flow but then she fell in love and married her husband Hank Gryffon who was also an owner and an instructor of a training facility named 'Rudra Arsenal' on Planet Zerg. She gave birth to two children, Creed and Hannah.

They were a fortunate family in the past, but after the sudden death of her husband, Anna had to take over his job in the training facility as it was a stable source of income and safe as compared to being a soldier.

After some years of the grief of losing Hank, when Creed was 13-years-old and was about to complete high school. They found out that her 10-years-old Hannah has developed symptoms of a rare genetic disease known as Prion Disorder.

Hallucinations, dementia, and muscle stiffness were apparent, which needed the utmost priority and care. So Anna took charge of her daughter's care and medical treatment, which led to losing focus on her job as an instructor at the Training Facility, which ultimately led to their mediocre financial status.

Creed saw his mother's struggles. He left school forcefully for the Glitch entrance preparation. He wanted to earn money, so he applied for forces of Glitch and got accepted because he was physically qualified when he was 15.

He had already trained under his father and mother both, so he was a fighter with above-average strength. But after entering the world of the glitch, he realized that his chakra saturation ability was, by far, the worst.

It was too late now. After entering the glitch, his above-average strength was nothing compared to the strength of chakra manipulation of others, he wasn't even mediocre when compared with others.

While he was thinking about the past, his mom said.

"So how long are you going to stare at me with those dejected eyes?" Anna sensed his presence and uttered." Do I really look that miserable to you?"

"Actually the opposite, I think you are the strongest in the world."Creed as he sat near her mom."The only miserable person is me, couldn't even be a minor help to you!"

"Don't call yourself miserable, that's even a bigger insult to me," Anna put her hand on his head "Times are tough right now but you are my blood, you have what it takes. I know you, even better than you know yourself!"

"Yeah, Mom," Creed smiled forcefully." I'll keep working hard just like you."

"So... why did you come right now?" Anna asked candidly. "Don't tell me you got relieved from duties because of that stuck-on-the-root-chakra thing!"

"No Mom, I am just taking a 2-days leave to see Hannah. How is she now? Any further complications?" Asked Creed with a dull tone.

"She is fine. In fact, she is doing better these days. The frequency of the symptoms has reduced, and she is also awake most of the time of the day." Anna tried to put some relief on her son's face.

She also added."But the doctor says that disease still exists, so they had to keep her in the hospital for now," Anna smiled as she went on. "She might even be stronger than you in will power. Go and see her, she misses you often."

"Yeah, I will go to the hospital right now!"  Creed smiled lightly.

"And what about the training facility?" Creed halted and asked. "Will you continue to teach as an instructor?"

"Why not? Since her health is stable right now. But I am planning to sell some pieces of equipment which will keep us going for some time," said Anna after some thought. "The business is already down because I skipped too much. Their maintenance cost is a colossal headache since we don't have enough trainees."

"Nope! don't do that. Since her health is stable, try to gain more trainees to join the facility," said Creed while leaving the room."Selling the pieces of equipment is probably a dangerous move."

He added. "Just get back to the training sessions you were skipping. I have got some money on me which will help you with medical bills for two months. I'll wire it to you tomorrow."

"Two months of the medical bills," she asked with a minor surprise." you are stealing ... aren't you? "

"No mom, I just had a big harvest from the last expedition in the glitch."  Creed eyebrows twitched. " I'll sell it to a broker on the way back."

"Okay, if you say so. Just keep in mind to let me in, if something keeps bothering you." She looked at his son's back. "You can do your best, but you can't hide that frustration in your eyes."

"Okay mom, In fact, I do have something on my mind," Creed turned back to his mother. "Do you remember some of my childhood friends, maybe, A 7-8-year-old boy, and a 4-5-year-old girl, I often see this dream where a girl chases a rabbit, and a boy is also with her."

"A boy and girl, I don't think so. And how could you have made friends when you were always training in the facility?" Anna was aware of his son's past behavior. "It's just some random dream you mind cooked up!"

"Hmm, That's what I thought, okay mom I'll see you later." Creed then left home and went to Hospital.

After reaching the hospital, he went to the receptionist and asked for a room of Hannah's while registering himself as a family member.

He went straight to her unit and knocked at the door. Then a sweet voice came from behind.

"You can come in," Hannah said while she was resting on her bed, looking at a tablet screen in her hand. Her forehead was wrapped in bandages, while her eyes were filled with vigor.

"Mom told me you were missing me, so I came," Creed opened the door. "I heard you were a feeling a lot better now!"

"Yeah, I missed you, but only a little. You know those machines are scary, they just go inside my nose then I feel so much pain," Hannah replied. "But now I think I feel much better, I can stay awake for an entire day too!"

"That's... fantastic!" Creed said with a smile. "But if you have trouble with anything, don't be afraid to call for help. We want 100% recovery, don't we?"

"Doctor said although the disease was supposed to be long term, the treatment was successful. They are just keeping me here for some final checkups." Hannah replied with a smug grin. "If I keep recovering at this rate, I'll be better in no time. Am I amazing or what?"

"Yeah yeah, you are amazing, dealing with all these scary machines for 3 years, I would have mistaken you for the 'Super-Girl',"  replied Creed with pride.

"Don't tell mom okay, but I think I will come to glitch." Hannah with a stern tone. "After the treatment, I will complete studies, and I'll sign up for it."

"What? Why do you want to come to that place?" Creed became slightly warned. "It's very dangerous, you know!"

"Because I want to get stronger," Replied Hannah with no delay."I have read that chakra flow makes humans very strong, so I want to join too."

"I see..." said Creed after some thought."We'll tell this to mom, if she agrees, I agree. Okay?"

"You think I am dumb? You know she will never agree, that's why you are asking me to get permission from her," Hannah replied with a pout. "You better promise me you will support my decision even if mom denies it. Or I am not leaving this hospital ever!"

"You cheeky brat ..." Creed's eyebrows twitched. "Okay, sure, but I have a condition. If you can show a complete recovery in five months' time. Then I will ask mom myself." 

"You got yourself a deal, mister, Don't back off when you lose like a loser."

After some more casual chit-chat, he left the hospital. While going back home, away from the hospital, he dialed a number. A person picked up the phone.

...

"Hello Creed, how are you doing ?".

"Hi Uncle, it been a while, How are you?" said Creed.

"I am fine, how come you are calling me today?"

"Actually, I am in a bit of a bind with expenses for Hannah's treatment. Can you lend me some money?" Creed asked politely. "I have finally hit a rock bottom today so I was thinking if you can pay me with the tuition fee of Gordon's Entrance for Glitch?"

"Sorry Creed but I can't help you, I knew I promised you high fees because you were better than my Gordon back then," His Uncle replied a condescending tone. "But after I heard that you were still stuck on the root chakra for an entire year, I changed my mind." 

"You and your teaching have flaws, and that means your tuition was worthless." His uncle didn't go easy on him, turned rudely. " If I had hired a better teacher for my son, he would be in a better state right now."

"Uncle, what are you talking about?" Creed's frustration was fairly visible. " He crossed the bar after I taught him, and now he is already a level higher than me in the glitch. How can you call that a flaw in teaching?" 

"It was my own notes and all the research papers I read and accumulated with great difficulty and expense!" Creed explained with misty eyes, " Are you going to ignore all my efforts?"

"Creed, you said it yourself, it was your own notes." His uncle couldn't care less "If your notes and material were so great, then why are you stuck in the bottom, eh?"

"It means your teaching had flaws and my son must be a genius since he crossed the bar, even with your notes. My point is, He actually never needed your help, I just couldn't see his hidden potential."

"but.." Creed retaliated.

"Sorry Creed, but I can't help with anything." Then he dropped the call.

"!—"

"Dammit, that ungrateful bastard, genius Gordon, my ass! Me being stuck on the bottom has nothing to with my expertise on Glitch Entrance Exam."

Creed clenched his fist. "Everybody kicks you when you are down."

After the conversation to his ungrateful uncle and losing his last option, he went inside a nearby Electronic Vestibule and clicked a screen inside which stated "Login With Cloud (OR) Login Anonymously".

He Clicked on the second option and opened the Official website of "Brahma Groups". He selected the option beta-pills, and click on the 'Sell' option immediately, and registered the information of the bank account he needed money in.

"I wanted to save this beta-pill in case of emergency in glitch, but I guess I am truly out of options now."

Creed uttered as he glanced at his shivering palm. "This is the only way I can help mom right now!"

He then put the pill inside the newly appeared tray from the Vestibule Wall. The tray went back inside the cavity and a message flashed on the screen.

[Authenticity of the product verified]

[Transaction Successful]