The bald man paused, giving Ace a once-over from head to toe before letting out a mocking scoff. Without a word, he resumed knocking on the door, completely disregarding Ace’s presence, his fist pounding against the wood with the same relentless rhythm as before.
Seeing the scene in the corridor, Ace let out a weary sigh, thinking to himself, ‘Ugh, this guy again.’
The man was the owner of the apartment complex where Iske Grace was currently living. His name is Mark.
Ace immediately recognized him through the memories he inherited from Iske. From those memories, Ace learned plenty about the landlord—his annoying habits, his constant nagging, and the outrageous rent he demanded from his tenants.
‘As well the fact that he fears Iske Grace’
Leaning against the doorframe, Ace spoke in a sharp, demanding tone, “Hey, stop it now. I’m dealing with a headache here.”
The landlord, Mark, paused, his eyes locking onto Ace in the corridor. Leaning his hammer on his shoulder, he spoke with a feigned bravado, “Shut it, you damn mutt. I’m just doing my job.”
With an annoyed glare, Ace shot back, “And I’m telling you to stop.”
Mark momentarily hesitated before saying, “This woman owes me money; I’m the owner, and she’s living in my building.”
Ace simply shrugged, “I don’t care, come back another day”
The man huffed in frustration, glancing from the door to Ace, who met his gaze with sharp eyes, showing no fear of the larger man wielding a hammer. After a tense moment, the landlord retreated.
He clicked his tongue and brushed past Ace. As he did, Ace caught a whiff of the man’s deep, rancid scent of alcohol, making him feel a wave of nausea, and in just a few seconds, Mark left without uttering a single word.
‘As expected, he’s afraid of Iske’
In the past, there had been an incident where Mark had the unfortunate idea of trying to collect money from Iske. After a few well-placed punches, Iske had taught the landlord a valuable lesson: never mess with him.
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‘Though that’s entirely Mark’s fault. This building is falling apart, and he’s charging fourteen hundred Gemmas. He deserved those punches.’
‘With that amount of money, I could rent a good place at the center of the city’
After waiting for Mark to fully exit the building, Iske finally moved from his spot and walked slowly toward his neighbor’s door. He knocked three times and said, “It’s me.”
A moment of silence hung in the air before Iske heard light footsteps, followed by the sound of a key sliding into the lock and turning. The door creaked open to reveal a child standing there.
The kid looked about twelve, with messy dark hair and round eyes that sparkled with innocence. His crimson eyes, framed by white pupils, stood out vividly against his school uniform.
Seeing the kid, Ace sighed, “Shouldn’t you be at school, Felix?”
Iske’s neighbors were a small family made up of a single mother and her two children, Felix and Theo. He had encountered them in the corridor a few times and had even helped them on one occasion.
“School was suspended…” Felix replied, his voice tinged with disappointment.
Not particularly interested in Felix’s school troubles, Ace asked, “Where’s your mother? She’s usually here.”
“She had to take another job,” Felix replied, his voice filled with frustration as he looked down. “We’re short on money.”
With an understanding expression, Ace thought, ‘Everyone around here is.’
“Tell your mother to pay the rent. That guy is crazy, he wouldn’t care about beating up a woman and a kid.”
Felix nodded weakly. “I’ll tell her.”
“Good. Now lock your door, and don’t open it for anyone except your brother or mother,” Ace said before heading back to his own apartment.
Shaking his head, Ace closed the door and let out a sigh.
‘That landlord, he’ll probably come back, and maybe he has a boss behind him. If he does, things will get bad for Felix and his family’
The area they were in, known as Crime Alley, was a district within Topaz City where criminals and the police held a fragile and complex relationship, overshadowing the government’s authority.
Crime bosses from various gangs dominate this district, plagued by poverty and lawlessness. These leaders frequently change, as few manage to maintain their positions for long.
‘They tend to die off quickly. Since it’s a highly coveted position, people don’t care to kill for it. But I think I know who the current boss is,’
‘We’re at the start of the novel. Iske’s only nineteen, and by now, that guy must have already climbed the ranks. I could use my knowledge to gain a few things. Mana crystals would be very good, and that guy must have plenty’
Ace’s thoughts came to an abrupt halt when he realized something. ‘I’m already thinking like someone from this world, as if I belong here…’
‘I’m just a parasite that took over Iske’s body, nothing more, nothing less, and I’ll live like that. I’m in this world only to look for Marcus and to bring him back. Once I’m done, I’ll simply leave’
Ace nodded slowly as walked slowly toward the tiny balcony, its door left open, where a clothesline stretched across, holding a few clothes left to dry.
The balcony itself had nothing amazing about it, however, the view was a different story.
The view was stunning yet melancholy. Houses of rough brick painted in vivid reds, greens, yellows, and blues cascaded down the mountainside, each one adding to the colorful patchwork that defined Topaz. Magical vines glowed faintly along the narrow paths, lighting the way in place of streetlamps.
Local music and laughter filled the air, and in the distance, children played football on a dusty field, their goalposts made of boxes bound by shimmering threads. Luminescent trees lined the streets, casting a gentle, enchanted glow, while the salty scent of the ocean drifted up from the sparkling, magical waves below.
The scene mesmerized Ace. Though he’d glimpsed it before through Iske’s memories, seeing it himself for the first time felt different.
‘This is my life now,’ he thought. ‘Until I find that old man, I’ll live here—as Iske Grace.’