Chapter Three: Hao Yun Persuaded

It wasn’t until Angel finally paused to fetch some water, complaining that she was parched, that Hao Yun found his chance to speak.

“Mommy, did you agree to my suggestion from earlier?”

“What did you say?”

Clearly, Angel, wholly absorbed in berating Tony, had completely forgotten her beloved son’s proposal about not attending college.

“Not going to college! Mommy, think about it—the future Earth is so dangerous. There’s really no need for us to stay in New York... No, not even in America. We could just immigrate to a safer country. For example, the Land of Flowers. In my dream, it seemed so mysterious, never once invaded by aliens...”

Hao Yun went on at length, laying out his plan. In his view, with a system at his disposal, he could gradually grow stronger day by day.

With such power, wouldn’t it make more sense to find a safe place and lay low for a decade before saving the world? By the time Thanos showed up, maybe he’d be strong enough to rain down a meteor shower and crush him outright.

As for checking in at key sites, he could always visit the battlefields after the events. These days, safety was everything!

“Stop!”

Listening to Hao Yun’s endless reasoning, Angel’s expression grew stranger and stranger, until she couldn’t take it any longer and cut him off.

“What is it, Mommy?”

Hao Yun looked at his mother in confusion. In his mind, his arguments were watertight, flawless!

“First of all, whether your dream is accurate is a huge question.”

Angel raised one finger, her demeanor shifting into that of a top-tier courtroom lawyer. “Even if everything you said comes true, what does that have to do with you going to college or not? According to your timeline, the first alien invasion in New York isn’t until 2012. It’s only 2008 now. Four years is plenty of time for you to graduate! With your abilities, maybe you could finish in two years—or even one?”

“Uh...”

Hao Yun was speechless. After last night’s refinement, he could feel his intelligence surging. After listening to Angel’s hour-long tirade, he could recall every detail with perfect clarity.

With his current intellect, he might be able to graduate in just half a year.

Seeing Hao Yun at a loss for words, Angel pressed her advantage. “Second, what do heroic battles have to do with you? If you really want to protect yourself, all the more reason to study—make yourself a super suit like Tony Stark, to protect both yourself and me. If you became a superhero, maybe you’d be called Titanium Man?”

Hao Yun rolled his eyes at his mother. Titanium Man, seriously... If not for the expensive solid wood furniture, he’d show her just how destructive he could be, like a husky on a rampage.

“Third, if you’re giving up school to study magic at Kamar-Taj, then I suggest you first find the New York Sanctum. Didn’t you say sorcerers never reveal their identities? If you can’t even find the New York Sanctum, what’s the point of going all the way to Kathmandu?”

“Fourth, if the whole world is being invaded, do you really think the Land of Flowers will be spared? To me, just like SHIELD, there are probably hidden truths you know nothing about.”

“So, in summary, my dear, you should obediently choose a university and study hard. When 2012—no, 2011—comes, I promise we’ll move the firm. And can you really bear to see your Aunt Pepper in danger? She’s my only family, you know.”

Angel looked at Hao Yun with hopeful eyes, waiting for his response.

Seeing the concern in his hard-working mother’s gaze, Hao Yun found himself unable to utter a word of refusal. No wonder so many protagonists in transmigration novels are orphans; with family ties, you can’t—and don’t dare to—act on impulse.

If he’d been an orphan right now, he would’ve already sorted out immigration papers, or even smuggled himself to the Land of Flowers.

“All right... But Mom, before 2011, we absolutely have to leave New York!”

Hao Yun reluctantly agreed to Angel’s decision, but his determination to move away before the Battle of New York was unshakable.

“No problem, we’ll bring your Aunt Pepper along too!”

Angel agreed immediately, then looked at her son with curiosity. “So, which university are you thinking of? What will you study—physics or engineering? If you want to build a battle suit, I’d recommend engineering...”

“Wait, Mom, who said I was going to build a suit?”

The more Hao Yun listened, the more wrong it felt. Why was his mother getting more excited? Did she think he’d become another Tony, building suits to avenge her old court losses?

“What? You’re not building a suit? Are you planning to leave me and study magic?”

Angel’s beautiful eyes widened, her excitement growing.

“Well... it is magic, but I don’t have to leave home. After I had that dream, someone left me a method for learning magic in my mind. That’s why I wanted to move and skip college.”

It was impossible to explain the system in his mind, so to avoid complications with future check-ins, Hao Yun simply blamed it all on his dream.

And really, what’s more versatile than magic as an explanation? Just look at Doctor Strange—he pulled off so many feats that science couldn’t explain. Time, space, all playthings in his hands. Magic was the perfect excuse!

Most importantly, he’d surely acquire magic or magical items in the future, so he was just planning ahead.

“You can study at home? Then you should definitely go to college! Technology leads to theology, and more knowledge might help you master magic even faster... No, this house is too small, not private enough. I need to see if we can buy a place in the suburbs...”

Hearing he wouldn’t have to leave, Angel was overjoyed. She didn’t doubt him at all, instead starting to consider moving house for secrecy. Or maybe she did doubt him, but because he was her son, she chose to believe him. After all, in every nation, a mother’s love is great.

Hao Yun touched his nose. Angel truly was an exceptional mother.

To protect her, he had to work even harder at checking in.

As Angel muttered about moving, leaving to contact a real estate agent, Hao Yun lay on the sofa and opened his system once again.

“System, display personal panel!”

“Host: Hao Yun
Physique: Peak Human
Skills: None
Items: One unlimited lottery wheel”

Ignoring the check-in for now, Hao Yun focused his thoughts on the lottery wheel.

“Hmm... Luck seems pretty good today. Should I give it a try?”