Stepping onto the cobblestone streets once more, Zi-Cheng felt like it’s been a lifetime since he was last here. As the fine drizzle fell from the gray skies above, cool droplets landing on his face, the sensation felt strangely reassuring, a quiet reminder that he had beaten the odds to remain alive.

Guuuu——

Yet, being alive came with its own struggles, his stomach’s grumble reminded him that the single loaf of bread wouldn’t be enough to get him through the day, especially in its current state.

Thinking back to how he’d been chased through the alleys earlier, a faint, bitter smile tugged at Zi-Cheng’s lips. He knew all too well that stealing bread wasn’t a solution he could rely on.

(I can’t go on like this. How am I supposed to complete the deal and get back to my own world?)

It was only early summer, but the wild berries near the riverbank had already been stripped bare. When autumn came and the chill of winter following, foraging food in the wild would only become more difficult and he would have to find shelter in the city. For now, stealing kept him fed, but it was only a matter of time before his luck ran out.

(There’s got to be something else I can do in the city… something besides stealing and fighting...)

While Zi-Cheng knew [Developer Mode] could be used outside the arena since it wasn’t a combat skill, the challenge was figuring out how to use it without drawing unwanted attention—or putting himself in even more danger.

As he wandered the streets in search for inspiration, his gaze fell on a walls plastered with bold banners.

“Follow the Hero’s glorious teachings! Raise high the banner of the Grandmaster’s ideals!”

“Stand united under the Hero’s leadership, march ever onward to secure victory for the Human Kingdom of Izanich!”

The declarations were everywhere, loud and unrelenting in their message.

(Secure victory? I’d be happy just securing dinner…)

Zi-Cheng stuffed the last piece of bread into his mouth, the warmth from [Developer Mode — Remake] doing little to satisfy his still half-empty stomach. To him, the lofty declarations on the walls were nothing more than hollow platitudes.

Just as he shifted his weight to keep moving, a burst of noise pierced through the drizzle — a rising commotion of voices from somewhere nearby. Then he saw her: a young girl standing at the center of the crowd, dressed in an immaculate white uniform, her beauty commanding attention like a beacon in the rain.

The umbrella in her hand swayed gently as her sharp, unwavering eyes scanned the gathered people. Her lips, delicate and soft as cherry blossoms, only enhanced the charm of her porcelain-like skin, smooth and flawless as freshly fallen snow.

Zi-Cheng had seen his fair share of beautiful women in his life, yet the sight of this girl in white still left him momentarily speechless.

“Move aside, street rat!”

(…!!)

Ever since the public beating by Karl, Zi-Cheng had made it a priority to tread carefully in Hazelton, avoiding unwanted attention. Yet, somehow, a stranger had managed to approach him from behind without a sound.

Shifting his eyes slightly, Zi-Cheng caught sight of a young man dressed in a spotless white uniform, almost identical to the girl's.

(Another one in white!?)

Before the young man could say more, a faint floral scent drifted through the air. The stunningly beautiful girl stepped gracefully to his side, her voice soft yet firm as she addressed him.

“Eric, you’re better than this. Don’t pick on the beggars.”

(Beggar…? Me…?!)

Zi-Cheng glanced down at himself. His clothes were smeared with mud and dirt from his earlier escape, his hair a mess and his face streaked with grime. Indeed, there was no better word to describe how he looked right now.

“Oh, come now, Sheryl. Surely you don’t think I’d stoop so low to bullying a beggar. That wouldn’t suit the heir of the Clifford family, would it?”

With a casual flick of his finger, Eric tossed a gold coin toward Zi-Cheng, the coin landing in the muck at his feet with a muted thud.

Sheryl, however, said nothing. She simply turned and walked away, her pristine white uniform untouched by the drizzle or the grime of the streets.

Not once did her gaze fall upon Zi-Cheng.

No, it wasn’t just that.

It was as if, in her eyes, he wasn’t even worth noticing.

(So...this is how it feels for those people handing out flyers at the subway station....)

Zi-Cheng picked up the gold coin, conflicting emotions churning inside him. Part of him wanted to hurl the coin back at the smug aristocrat’s face, clawing back what little pride he had left. Butthe more practical part reminded him: this single coin was worth ten times what Chris had given him when he first arrived in Hazelton.

(Are you really going to throw that away for the sake of pride?)

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Zi-Cheng’s attention snapped to the voice. Across the street stood a tan-skinned girl with lively twin tails, casually waving at him. She wore a uniform similar to Sheryl’s, but hers was an eye-catching navy blue. “I don’t know what pride means to you, but I do know a gold coin can buy you a week’s worth of food. Better stash it before someone snatches it.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Why the blank look?” The girl tilted her head, clearly curious at his lack of response, and after a moment, she started walking toward him. “Seriously, don’t tell me you’ve never heard of ‘White for the Privies, Blue for the Skinnies’?”

“Privy, like... private?” Zi-Cheng blurted out.

The girl froze for a moment, then doubled over laughing. “Privy as in ‘privileged,’ you know, the noble-borns! But honestly, I like your version better, like the private club of smugs they are.”

Zi-Cheng raised an eyebrow, shrugging slightly. “And I’m guessing ‘Skinnies’ are the scholarship students, hand picked from families that could hardly feed themselves, right? Chris mentioned something like that before.”

“Let’s just say we are the ones who actually earned our place,” she said with a cheeky grin. “But enough about that. What’s your deal? You don’t seem like the fighting type, so why’d Eric Clifford come after you?”

(Like I’d know the answer to that...)

“White or blue, we’re all students of the Ludis Academy of Valor,” she continued. “He wouldn’t pick a fight with someone who can’t even swing a sword to defend himself.”

(You’d be surprised how many people enjoy doing exactly that…)

Zi-Cheng let out a bitter chuckle under his breath and turned to leave. But the twin-tailed girl wasn’t done. She followed him persistently, finally slipping around to block his path entirely.

“You’re such a weirdo! A cute girl’s talking to you, and you’re just walking away?”

“Wouldn’t it be weirder for a girl to talk to a beggar on the street?” Zi-Cheng shot back.

“Okay, but are you actually a beggar?”

“Didn’t you hear what they called me?”

To Zi-Cheng’s surprise, the girl burst into laughter again. “You might fool them, but not me! I’ve seen you before, and back then, you didn’t look anything like this.”

Zi-Cheng stopped mid-step, and it all came back to him.

On his first day in Hazelton, after parting ways with Chris Coleman, there was a brief moment when he stood by the roadside, overwhelmed by everything happening around him. At the time, a girl in school uniform brushed past him and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

But… how? How did she picked him out from so many faces?

“What’s wrong? Cat caught your tongue, Mis · ter · Beg · gar?”

The girl’s laugh rang out like a wind charm. Though her looks didn’t rival the breathtaking elegance of Sheryl in her white uniformed, there was a mischievous charm to this girl in front of him that was hard to ignore.

In the end Zi-Cheng could only sigh in resignation and raised his hands in mock surrender.

“Ha! I knew it! You’re not just some ordinary guy!”

(Not...ordinary?)

Zi-Cheng pondered for a moment. To be honest, given everything that had happened to him recently, he wasn’t even sure what “ordinary” meant anymore. Still, learning more about the city from this girl seemed like a good enough reason to play along for now.

“For the last time, I’m not some master of disguise, and I’m not part of any cult!”

“Sure, sure, Mr. Beggar! Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me!”

(Sigh… Another one who doesn’t listen, huh?)

As they continued chatting, Zi-Cheng learned more about the Academy of Valor and the surrounding Academy District. He also quickly realized the girl before him was something of a dreamer, fascinated by urban legends and whispers of secret cults lurking in the city. In particular, she mentioned a group called Origami, and Crimson Plume, who he had run into earlier.

“I’ve heard of the Crimson Plume, but what’s this Origami group you’re talking about?”

Origami — a Japanese word for paper folding that shouldn’t exist in this world. Was it merely a coincidence, or did it somehow connect to that blood-soaked paper crane he had seen earlier?

Before Zi-Cheng could press for an answer, a sharp crack of thunder rolled through the air, and the light drizzle began to thicken into heavy rain.

“Oh no! I got so caught up I completely forgot I was supposed to bring Winnie her umbrella!”

The girl’s flustered expression was so comical that Zi-Cheng couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“Go on, then. Maybe we’ll….”

Before he could even finish, the girl was already sprinting away, her twin tails bouncing with each hurried step.

In truth, they were just two strangers crossing paths. The odds of meeting again in such a sprawling city seemed slim, so there wasn’t much point in saying, “we’ll meet again.”

Yet, just as Zi-Cheng turned to leave, the girl suddenly spun around in the middle of the street, shouting over the rain, “My name’s Candace Aldar! Mark my words, one day I’m gonna knock down that porcelain doll, Sheryl Heinz! You better be there to cheer me on, got it?”

Zi-Cheng chuckled at Candace’s bold declaration. He’d seen countless PvP players consumed by their obsession with winning, their intensity often crossing into toxic territory. Candace’s confident and cheerful energy, however, was a refreshing contrast, a rare kind of enthusiasm that wasn’t weighed down by malice.

Still, what she said was easier said than done. Defeating a noble who had inherited their family’s battle techniques was no small task.

(I have no intention to step into the ring, but perhaps as a spectator….)

As Candace’s figure faded from view, the rain intensified, thunder rumbling loudly above. What began as a gentle sprinkle had now escalated into a full-blown downpour, hammering against the cobblestones and forming puddles on the uneven streets.

With no intention to leave the city in such weather, Zi-Cheng resolved to put the gold coin he had received to good use. He paused at a nearby stall to buy some jerky and took cover under the awning of a shop, chewing on the dried meat as he waited for the storm to let up.

Just then, a booming voice echoed from across the street.

“Gather ‘round! Breaking news coming in! Beastmen scouts have been spotted outside Hazelton!”

(Beastmen?)

Decades ago, a brutal war raged between humans and beastmen, with Hazelton standing as a critical stronghold on the southern front of the Kingdom of Izanich. Now, after years of uneasy peace, the sudden reappearance of these furred assailants sent waves of anxiety rippling through the city.

Despite the heavy rain, people started to gather, their expressions tense with worry.

“The City Guard has confirmed that Julia Kingsley, the Golden Fox, is on her way to eliminate the beastmen outside the city!”

(Julia Kingsley!)

Zi-Cheng’s chest tightened at the mention of the vice-captain’s name. Of all the people to be sent, it had to be her.

But something didn’t add up. Zi-Cheng had been living outside the city walls for over two weeks and had never seen any beastmen.

“During the search, the City Guard advises all residents to avoid the riverbank area to ensure safety.”

(Hold on... What was that?)

Zi-Cheng froze, his mind racing.

(Did the guy just say “the riverbank?”)

“No... no way… This can’t be happening…”