Cyrus maintained her composure and retorted swiftly, "I'm flat broke, drowning in thirty thousand of debt. Do you honestly think I have anything of value on me?"

The would-be muggers were taken aback, exchanging puzzled glances.

"If you're looking to rob someone, aim for the wealthy districts. What kind of loot do you expect to find in a place like Serenity Street?" Cyrus implored with a mix of earnestness and frustration. "Listen to me, there's no future in mugging here. Target the rich and you could be set for years after just one score!"

One of the muggers hesitated, "But the rich areas are crawling with surveillance..."

The other mugger cautioned his partner, "This one's trying to trick us! Don't fall for it!"

"Why would I lie to you?" Cyrus dropped her umbrella, spreading her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I've got nothing, not even a dime to my name. I live in a leaky dump. What good would robbing me do you?"

"Hold on!" The second mugger's eyes lit up as he noticed Cyrus's silver bracelet. "What's that on your wrist?"

"Oh, this?" Cyrus extended her hand, offering the bracelet. "If you want it, it's yours."

The second mugger remained still, but his accomplice, unable to resist the temptation, stepped forward.

The moment he reached Cyrus, her outstretched hand clenched into a fist, and she struck him precisely on the temple.

"Crack—"

The mugger's temple crunched under the impact, his face contorting as he collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Cyrus was stunned by her own strength.

She had intended only to disorient him, not to cause serious harm.

Slowly, Cyrus realized her physical abilities were beyond what they once were. Back in the first world, her scuffles with street thugs left them with scratches while her knuckles swelled for weeks. Now, her punch had shattered a human skull as if it were papier-mâché.

The remaining mugger roared in anger, lunging at Cyrus with his knife.

Before the blade could pierce her abdomen, Cyrus sidestepped with an almost reflexive speed, dodging the attack.

The mugger's movements seemed to slow in her perception, her body reacting instinctively before her mind could even process the threat.

Cyrus's fingers closed around the knife, and with a fluid motion, she plunged it into the mugger's chest, the blade sliding between ribs and into his heart with surgical precision.

She even let go of the handle in time, stepping back to avoid the spatter of blood.

Her actions were fluid, natural. In less than five seconds, she had neutralized the threat without conscious thought—her body had taken over, driven by something primal.

Cyrus stood there, her expression blank, as rain soaked her clothes. Her fallen umbrella rolled on the wet ground, but at her feet lay two lifeless bodies.

She crouched to check their breathing, then rose, shaking.

They were dead, their blood mixing with the rainwater, staining the puddles crimson.

"What... happened?" Her chest heaved with rapid breaths.

The game system's screen appeared.

"You have unlocked your inherent talent: 【Combat Instinct】."

"【Combat Instinct】: Predators possess an innate hunting instinct which, when honed through training, can be perfected. This is the muscle memory formed by relentless practice, the reflexes sharpened by countless rigorous drills. Even in states of confusion or extreme fatigue, you can rely on instinct to fight."

Cyrus let out a hiss.

This talent wasn't her own; it was embedded in the body she now inhabited. As a key operative of the Resistance, it was only natural she'd possess a sharp intellect, keen intuition, and superior combat skills.

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These skills had become second nature, etched into her muscles, compelling her to respond to threats with extreme prejudice.

Suddenly, a clatter echoed from the end of the alley.

The hoodie-wearing guy, Chill, had returned, his face a mask of horror. He stared at the bodies on the ground, his metal bat clanging to the ground as his hands trembled uncontrollably.

"Kind sir," Cyrus wiped the rain from her face and offered Chill a rigid smile, "could you call the police for me? I'm innocent, as you heard. They tried to rob me."

"Sure, no problem." Chill fumbled with his communicator, dialing several times before successfully placing the call.

A sweet voice answered, "Hello, this is the City Security Hotline. How may I assist you?"

"There's been a robbery, the address is..." Chill paused, looking to Cyrus for help.

"Portside District, Serenity Street, somewhere in the middle," Cyrus filled in.

After Chill reported the address, he murmured, "Should I call an ambulance too..."

"No need, they're already dead," Cyrus interjected.

Chill's already pale face turned ghostly. He stammered, "Did... did you do this?"

"Self-defense," Cyrus stated plainly, avoiding a glance at the bodies. "Could I ask you to be my witness? To confirm they had the intent to rob with knives. There doesn't seem to be any surveillance around here, and you're the only witness."

Chill hesitated for less than a second before nodding, "Sure, if you need me to."

Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief, picking up her umbrella and shaking off the rain as she approached Chill.

Chill chuckled nervously, "It's nothing, just doing a good deed... even though you don't seem to need my help. My parents' convenience store is just up ahead. I got scared when I heard 'robbery,' so I ran back to grab this bat. I guess we might have to give statements later, so I'll go let my parents know I'm okay. Wait here for me, will you?"

Cyrus nodded slowly, watching as Chill dashed into the rain, disappearing around the corner of the street.

She pondered for a moment before activating the bracelet and searching for the keyword "Lei Feng."

The search yielded no matches—zero.

In this second world, there was no tale of Lei Feng's good deeds, nor was there a concept of the "Spirit of Lei Feng."

"Just as I thought," Cyrus mused to herself.

Chill, the hoodie-wearing guy, was a player from the first world.

Likely he had just arrived in this world and was still unfamiliar with it, which explained his clumsy attempts to dial for help. He struggled with the high-tech gadgets of this cyberpunk world, much like Cyrus. He didn't pay close attention to his surroundings or gather intelligence; perhaps he had memorized the location but was too panicked to recall it, hence his uncertainty when calling the police.

Chill hadn't been in this world long enough to learn its history. That's why he mentioned "doing a good deed like Lei Feng," a phrase well-understood in the first world but unknown in the second.

An old proverb from another world meeting a fellow countryman—a delightful encounter.

But, the six pieces of advice for players included: "Never reveal your player identity to anyone."

Anyone!

After much deliberation, Cyrus decided to abide by the rule.

She would not reveal her player identity to the people of the second world, nor to fellow players. She would treat this as a role-playing game, playing her part as a "player" to the best of her ability.

Cyrus waited under the umbrella for ten minutes until Chill returned, soaked from the rain.

This surprised Cyrus; she had expected Chill to use the excuse to escape. After all, getting entangled in a lethal case right after arriving in a new world was hardly a wise choice.

"My God, this rain is intense. No idea when it'll let up," Chill said, now holding an umbrella he had grabbed from the store. "I've let my parents know. Now we just wait for the authorities."

Five minutes later, a hover police car stopped above Cyrus and Chill, its loudspeaker announcing, "Please drop any weapons and put your hands on your head."

They complied, and the police car landed in the street. Two officers descended from the vehicle, their weapons trained on Cyrus, the red laser dots from their sights dancing on her body.

"I'm Cyrus, a trainee patrol security officer from the Enforcement Department's Field Team Seven," Cyrus declared quickly. "I was attacked on my way home and defended myself against the assailants."

One of the officers, a woman, focused on Cyrus and said, "Adam, scan."

"Scanning complete, facial match," came the mechanical voice of Adam. "Her statement is verified. Greetings, Trainee Patrol Security Officer Cyrus."

Adam continued, "Chill, a level-four citizen, student of the Blackwater College Mechanical Engineering Department, no criminal record, non-threatening."

"Liu Gaoyang, a level-five citizen, unemployed, with a record of robbery and theft, deceased, beyond rescue."

"Song Yuan, a level-five citizen, unemployed, with a record of theft and vandalism, deceased, beyond rescue."

The two officers holstered their weapons and nodded at Cyrus, "We have to follow protocol and take your statement. Please come with us for an investigation."

"No problem," Cyrus glanced at the bewildered Chill, "He's a witness."

"Alright, no worries," the female officer patted Cyrus on the shoulder. "Once the statement is done, you're free to go. It's just a formality."

Cyrus sensed something amiss. Though she was a mere trainee and the deceased were criminals, the officers' nonchalant attitudes were unsettling. It was as if taking two lives was no big deal, as if a simple procedure would absolve her of any legal responsibility, not even a disciplinary action... Why was that?

Sitting in the back of the police car, with Chill beside her, they took off towards the Enforcement Building.

Chill's gaze was complex, "So you have connections on the inside... You should have told me, saved me from all that worrying."

"I have no such connections; I'm just a trainee officer in debt for thirty thousand," Cyrus leaned back in her seat, exhausted. "I just finished my shift, and before I could even reach home, I'm heading back..."

The police car ascended, carrying them away into the night sky above Blackwater City.