As soon as he got home, Clayton carefully tried to recall every detail, afraid he might have missed something. Slowly, he became familiar with his surroundings and started mimicking the original owner's appearance and posture as closely as possible.
Whether because two souls had merged or due to some kind of muscle memory, Clayton's assimilation went surprisingly smoothly.
Just as he felt somewhat satisfied and was about to rest, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside.
Clayton frowned, immediately suspecting the group from earlier had returned to bother him.
Still in a bad mood, a young woman entered the house. Seeing her, Clayton's irritation quickly turned to anger.
However, she seemed oblivious to his expression. Instead, she spoke with a concerned tone, "Little Clay, are you alright? I'm so sorry for your loss. Your life is still long—you have so much ahead of you. I hope you stay strong, okay?"
Hearing those kind words, Clayton's anger softened. A touch of emotion stirred within him—someone still cared. The more he thought about it, the more he felt touched... and guilty.
But before the tears could fall, the woman's next words silenced him.
"I know your situation is tough. How about selling this house? I can help find the right buyer, someone who won't take advantage of you. Though I don't know much, I have plenty of acquaintances. Surely one of them would be interested."
"And since I consider you like a little brother, I won't take a high commission. Just 10% of the selling price."
Hearing that, Clayton couldn't stop a curse from forming in his mind. A "good friend," huh? So this woman was after his house too. Even if her commission was zero, he still wouldn't sell it!
After all, shelter, clothes, and food were basic needs—whether in the ordinary world or a magical one. Besides, the house his father left was in the outer ring closest to the inner city ring, making it a naturally strategic location. On top of that, the concentration of magical energy there was higher than in surrounding areas, making it highly sought after by apprentice wizards.
Annoyed by her attitude, Clayton studied her more carefully, trying to recall who she really was.
Finally, it came back to him. She was Isadora—another magical farmer. Her face was plain, but she always dressed neatly and looked refreshing.
To Clayton, Isadora often pretended to be the caring neighborly sister. But in truth, she had tried several times to take advantage of him. Worse, Clayton had once thanked her for it.
Funny, isn't it?
Clayton's father had been suspicious of Isadora from the start and had even warned him. But somehow, Isadora still managed to exploit his son. Eventually, his father gave up and let Isadora be a "whetstone" for Clayton to grow more mature and understand the world.
The more Clayton remembered Isadora's past behavior, the stronger his urge to choke this vampire woman grew. But just as his anger peaked, an idea struck him.
"Uwuwu… Sister Isadora, you're truly the best person in the world. You're the only one still kind to me. Everyone was polite when Dad was alive. But now… they just mock me…"
"Uwuwu… Sister, am I wrong? Have I ever hurt anyone? Why are they so cruel to me? Only you, Sister Isadora, care about me…"
Clayton cried sadly. His sobs were so convincing even he wasn't sure if they were acting or genuine.
And in truth, he was truly sad—not just because he was trapped in a dangerous foreign world, but also because he had to bear the burdens left by his father and the original body's owner.
Isadora began to feel uncomfortable watching him. At first, she didn't care, but now a little guilt crept in. Maybe she had taken advantage of a teenager too far for her own gain.
"Sister Isadora… earlier Brother Tiger and Manager Belly came by. They demanded tax money. Don't they know I'm struggling? They even told me to sell the house, just like you suggested... But how can I sell a house that's no longer mine?"
Isadora frowned, then quickly became alert.
"Little brother... What do you mean, the house isn't yours?"
Clayton looked down, feigning sadness, "Wasn't Dad and I sick before? We spent so much money on treatment and had to borrow against the house. So… even if the house is under my name, sooner or later it'll change hands because I can't pay the debts…"
Isadora grew irritated. Her plan to get a commission from selling the house—and then squeeze money from this foolish youth afterward—had collapsed before it even began.
Her pity vanished, replaced by disgust.
As a neighbor, Isadora had always been jealous of Clayton for receiving their father's affection. She even wished to replace his place in the family.
But now, Clayton's father was gone, and the boy didn't know who to rely on.
This moment was perfect for Clayton to reveal her true face.
"Sister Isadora, I really have no money... Food is almost gone too. Can you lend me some magic crystals? After the harvest, I promise to pay back double..."
Isadora sneered. This kid? Farming? His skin was even smoother than a baby's bottom! Don't expect a profit—just breaking even would be great!
Her belief that Clayton would be kicked out of town soon only grew stronger. She turned to leave without another word.
Clayton watched her walk away and called out,
"Thanks, Sister Isadora! You must be in a hurry to get those magic crystals for me, right? Thank you so much, you're truly the best person in the world!"
Isadora stopped immediately and turned back angrily.
"Clayton, what do you mean?! Who said I wanted to lend you magic crystals? Don't talk nonsense!"
"Eh? Then why were you in such a hurry?"
Isadora's face flushed with anger.
"What? Of course I want to get away from you as fast as possible!"
"Why…?"
"Because you're useless! Do you really think I consider you a brother? The world isn't that kind!"
Clayton was stunned.
"All this time… why did you—"
"For the magic crystals, obviously! Your father was kind, so I got close to you! But now, can you even produce magic crystals? You might not even last in this town till the end of the year!"
With that, Isadora dropped all pretense and strode away arrogantly.
Clayton watched her leave in silence. He had never seen Isadora so arrogant before. He only knew her as a sweet, caring neighbor.
But now he realized: Isadora was gentle only to "rich kids" like him. With others, she was always arrogant.
After Isadora was truly gone, Clayton laughed out loud. His plan to get away from the source of trouble was working perfectly. With the loud quarrel earlier, the neighbors must have heard parts of the conversation and would morally side with him as the victim.
If Isadora tried to get close again after Clayton's success, she wouldn't be so easily accepted.
In a better mood, Clayton went to his three-hectare farmland.
But when he arrived, his smile vanished. Instead of lush crops, he faced withered, nearly dead wheat fields.
He had expected this. Lately, he had neglected the fields for various reasons. But he didn't expect it to be this bad.
He walked around the field to inspect, when a skinny golden dog approached him—its ribs clearly visible, obviously starving.
Clayton felt sad. This was his dog, Dingo. Clearly, Dingo was suffering due to his negligence. Still, the dog writhed affectionately at his feet and licked him lovingly.
Clayton stroked Dingo's head, filled with guilt. He began to think about how to feed Dingo and properly care for his farm.
Suddenly, a buzzing sound caught his attention. A sharp-furred green grasshopper flew nearby and began damaging the wheat plants.
Clayton's mood immediately worsened. Almost automatically, he formed his index finger like a pistol and aimed at the grasshopper.
Snap!
A water projectile shot out and hit the insect, which instantly fell dead.
Clayton felt a moment of relief. But his smile disappeared when a digital text floated before his eyes—a sight utterly foreign in this world:
[Water Gun Skill +1]