One Percent Too Late

Simon took three painkillers, but he was still trembling from the pain.

He curled up in the corner until he passed out completely.

I watched his life value keep dropping and felt deep regret.

All I could do was use the little energy I had left to keep him alive until the ambulance arrived.

At the hospital, Simon was wheeled into the operating room.

I saw his doctor friend.

He had rushed over the moment he heard Simon had been sent in for emergency treatment.

At the corner, he ran into Adrian Lane.

Vivian's ex-husband.

Adrian's eyes lit up the moment he saw the doctor.

"Dr. Cross, I have been trying to book you for days. You are finally on shift today.

"My son has had a high fever for days. I do not know if it is the flu or something else. Could you help me..."

Nolan Cross clearly did not have a good impression of Adrian.

He brushed Adrian away and said calmly,

"I am not a pediatrician. There are so many doctors in this hospital. Why do you have to find me?"

Adrian's mouth twitched, embarrassed.

"Nolan, did Simon say something about me to you?"

Vivian hurried over with the child in her arms.

I could see that the child was indeed sick.

But compared to Simon, it was only a minor problem.

Nolan laughed out of anger.

I knew he was Simon's best friend, and aside from me, the only person who knew about Simon's condition.

"Simon is in emergency surgery right now.

"Vivian, do you know what happened to him? Have you ever cared about him?"

He glanced at the child in Vivian's arms and smiled mockingly.

"Aside from your ex-husband and your child, does Simon have any place in your heart at all?"

After leaving those words behind, Nolan ignored them and walked away.

Through the system screen, I watched Vivian's face shift between pale and livid.

To me, they were only data.

But I had seen how much Simon had given over these twenty years.

Vivian stood frozen for a long time before instinctively taking out her phone to contact Simon.

But the child in her arms was restless. Crying, he raised his hand and knocked her phone down.

Adrian bent down and picked it up.

"All right. If you are really worried, go and see him. After all, custody of our son was awarded to me. If you want to find Simon, go."

His words were light, but they stabilized Vivian's wavering heart.

I watched her affection score drop and rise again.

In the end, it stopped at ninety-nine.

"My son is more important."

She still left.

I sighed, feeling for the first time that my host had not been worth it.

I did not know how long passed before Simon was finally pushed out of the operating room.

By the time he was sent to the ward, he had already regained consciousness.

His face was pale, his cheekbones sharply raised.

Nolan stood beside him, staring at the chart in his hand with a complicated expression.

"Simon Mercer, I will find a special medication for you."

Simon shook his head.

"No need."

His body was not suffering from a natural illness.

If we were talking about better medicine, I had plenty.

But Simon could not use any of it.

Except for a successful mission, nothing could save him.

Nolan opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

Then footsteps in the hallway suddenly stopped.

Vivian pushed open the half-closed door. When she saw Simon, her expression turned ugly.

"Are you sick?"

There was a prescription in Vivian's hand. She must have been on her way to the pharmacy for her son.

"Just the flu. It is nothing."

After hearing Simon's answer, Vivian's shoulders relaxed.

"Oh. Then rest well. I will come see you later."

After saying that, she left.

It was as if she had only happened to see Simon on the way and stopped by to greet him.

There was not the slightest trace of real concern.

Nolan was furious. He looked at Simon with frustration.

"Why did you not tell her?"

"Would it help?"

Would telling her help?

I was silent for a while. If it had helped, my host would not have endured ten years with the mission score stuck at ninety-nine.

In the end, Nolan sighed and left.

Only Simon remained in the ward.

He asked me,

"How long until I leave this world?"

I answered,

"The approval process should take about another week..."

I did not finish the rest.

Simon's body was deteriorating too fast. I did not know whether he could hold on until then.