Iske decided to head back to his apartment, knowing he'd find a knife there.. He was certain there was at least one stashed somewhere in his place.

By the time he reached there, it was already night.

The first thing Iske noticed was the brilliant glow of the moon, its light illuminating the night sky. Yet, it wasn’t the moon that captured his attention most.

The moon was a familiar sight from his previous world, no longer impressive. What caught Iske's attention was the vast, nearly invisible veil covering the entire sky. To an untrained eye, it seemed like a faint yellowish glow above the clouds.

Through the memories he gained, Iske knew what that was.

‘The World Barrier’

The World Barrier is a protective shield that has encircled the continent of Marecia for thousands of years, safeguarding the continent from external threats, mainly from the neighboring Nasceria.

‘Of all magic that exist, barriers are one of the most easiest to learn, yet the most difficult to master, Saint Pricilla must have been an incredible mage to create such a barrier’

Looking at the sky, Iske smiled as he thought, ‘Looking from here, the barrier seems like stars, even though there are none in the sky’

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted when he heard his stomach growling in hunger.

‘Yeah, I haven’t eaten anything all day...’

Without wasting a moment, Iske sprinted back to his apartment. He reached the door, threw it open, and rushed straight to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he scanned its contents, then crouched down to check the cabinet beneath the sink, hoping to find something quick to eat as dinner time had already arrived.

However, he found nothing in the kitchen except instant noodles and water.

‘I know that Iske was trained to not be able to live for days without eating, but isn’t this too much?’

‘Not having anything to eat is disturbing, life should be lived.’

Iske slipped his hand into his pocket, fingers brushing against his wallet. He pulled it out, only to find it completely empty. The doll and the ring had taken all his funds, leaving him with nothing but a few pennies.

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He cast a glance back at the instant noodles and let out a defeated sigh as he moved to prepare the meal.

Iske stood up and glanced at the sink, where a kitchen knife sat, waiting to be cleaned. He picked it up and examined its blade.

‘This will do,’ he thought, then paused, eyeing the empty fridge. ‘At least I found a decent knife.’

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Just then, a series of knocks echoed through the apartment, halting him in his tracks

‘Is not Mark, if it was he would be banging like crazy’ Iske immediately concluded as he walked to the door.

He opened it, revealing a woman standing there.

She was shorter than Iske but taller than the average woman, her long hair tied back in a messy ponytail that spilled over her shoulder. Her piercing crimson eyes, framed by deep circles, seemed to scrutinize everything around her.

She wore a fitted executive suit, consisting of a crisp white shirt and a dark gray jacket paired with tailored trousers, On her feet were comfortable sandals that didn’t match her formal attire at all.

Iske recognized her, Felix’s mother, and his neighbor.

“Hello, Kyle” Iske greeted politely.

“Hi, Iske, how have you been?” she greeted, her politeness undercut by an undeniable weariness.

Not wanting to waste her time, he replied bluntly, “What do you want?”

She didn’t take offense at his brusque demeanor. Instead, a smile broke through her tired expression as she handed him a small box, revealing a meal inside.

Iske received the box with a frown. “What’s this for?”

“Felix told me you helped him with the landlord earlier. This is my way of saying thanks.”

In a dismissive tone, Iske replied, “It was nothing. I just told him to leave.”

She shook her head. “We both know Mark. If he got impatient, he would have broken into the apartment, and I can’t even imagine what he would have done to my son. So, really, thank you.”

His stomach growled once more, which embarrassed him a bit, and any thoughts of refusing it left him.

“Thanks,” Iske said, opening the box to reveal a well-prepared meal: a juicy steak paired with crispy French fries and a portion of rice.

Iske let out a self-deprecating scoff. “I’m not worth that much. Next time, just get me a piece of strawberry cake, strawberry juice, or strawberry candy.”

Kyle chuckled. “Noted.”

Iske closed the box and turned to her with a serious expression. “You need to pay the rent. Or else that guy will bring you trouble”

She nodded heavily, “I know, I’m working on it, it’s just...” She trailed off, searching for the right words, but eventually sighed, defeated. “Forget it. I’ll pay tomorrow.”

A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she added, “Anyway, that’s all. Thanks again for helping Felix. I need to get going now.”

Iske simply nodded, watching her retreat down the hall and disappear into her apartment. Once she was out of sight, he quietly shut his door and made his way back to the kitchen.

He picked up the cutlery and began eating the meal Kyle had prepared.

‘It is good.’ Iske thought as he tasted Kyle’s cooking.

The taste was surprisingly good, far better than anything Iske had eaten in the past few years. He paused for a moment, savoring the flavor, something he hadn't done in a long time.

He ate in silence, his thoughts drifting back to the landlord and a flicker of concern for the family next door. Though he didn’t know them well, he had grown accustomed to their presence just beyond his door.

Still, he quickly brushed the thoughts aside with a sigh. ‘She said she'll pay, there won’t be any problems, and if I manage to form a friendship with Jasper, I can deal with that landlord anytime’

Forgetting that subject, Iske said, “Anyway, tomorrow morning I’ll talk with Jasper, I need to get my hands on those crystals as soon as possible”

‘But first let me use that ring and paper, with those two together I’ll deceive Jasper’