Chapter 4
"Well, since I'm not getting anywhere with that, let me go and explore this new place."
As Max pushed the creaky wooden door open, a blast of dry, dusty air greeted him. The door let out a groan, much like the rest of the house that looked like it had fought and lost a war with time.
Cracked stone paths snaked through the town like a half-forgotten memory, the ground littered with trash, broken crates, and the occasional rat scurrying into shadows.
The sky was a hazy yellow, choked by the smoke of chimneys from poorly maintained forges and makeshift kitchens. The air was thick, almost tangible, as if the smoke and stench were clinging to his skin.
The stench of sweat, smoke, and old fish wafted through the air, accompanied by the distant clamor of shouting voices, arguing vendors, and crying children. A baby screamed somewhere in the distance while a vendor slammed a fist on his rickety cart in frustration.
Buildings leaned on each other like drunks, patched together with rotting wood and rusted tin sheets. Some looked like they might collapse with the next strong breeze. Others were nothing more than tents or shacks hammered together with stolen nails and desperation.
People moved with urgency but not purpose, their eyes sunken, clothes threadbare, faces hard and silent. Each person looked like they were fighting a battle no one else could see.
This was no paradise. This was survival.
Max narrowed his eyes as he took in the scene. So… this is where I've ended up?
A group of children ran past him barefoot, laughing as they chased a stick down the cracked street. Their laughter echoed strangely, almost out of place in such a setting.
In contrast, a gruff man spat on the ground and glared at Max, eyeing him up like fresh meat. Across the street, women stood at a makeshift stall, peddling overripe fruit and half-cooked meat that buzzed with flies.
Max didn't know how he was supposed to react, seeing the dirty, slummy town. His nose felt violated by the stench from his surroundings.
He nearly emptied his guts just by looking and smelling the area. His head spiraled as if he were feeling dizzy, but he held himself back with sheer willpower.
'What is this? Where the fuck am I? Th… this place is too dirty for my liking. I feel like throwing up. Shit!' Max screamed inwardly as he scanned the small town and then decided to walk away to maybe look for an exit out of the place.
His head was held low as he tried to navigate out of the area. He didn't know why, but it felt like he was a natural here, as if his body instinctively knew how to move through the chaos. His feet carried him on, weaving through the worn streets like he belonged.
He was seen passing by an alleyway that had multiple small houses leaned against one another. While walking on the cracked ground, he passed by a small house when—
SPLASH!
A small bucket of water was emptied on his body, causing his clothes to get drenched from head to toe.
"What gives?!" Max shouted as he turned towards the direction where the water had come from, his eyes blazing with irritation.
He could see a woman standing on the small stairs of one of the leaned-together houses. She looked to be in her mid twenties or so. Just like the rest, she was disheveled and wearing worn-out clothes. Her hands flew to her mouth in shock, her brown eyes dilated while staring at Max like she had just thrown water on a ghost.
"I'm… I'm so sorry. I had made sure to look properly before emptying the bucket. I didn't know you were passing by. I'm deeply sorry," the woman apologized sincerely, her voice trembling.
Max just sighed, brushing the water off his arms. "It's fine," he muttered, trying to suppress his annoyance as he turned to keep moving.
"Wait! Don't you need a change of clothes or something? I mean, you are dripping wet."
"I'm fine," Max simply said, his tone firm as he continued on his way.
His mind was racing with different thoughts, each one more confusing than the last. Something about this place gnawed at him, like a puzzle he didn't know he was supposed to solve. But one thing was clear — wherever this was, it wasn't home.
'And I thought I had it rough back when I was earning ten thousand dollars. I didn't know I was living the life back then. Now look at my life. Because of that damned Suz and her lover, I'm in this situation.'
Max clenched his hands as he kept walking briskly, so lost in his spiraling thoughts that he didn't even realize he had already walked out of the slummy town.
His feet carried him wherever they pleased while his mind remained buried deep in thought when—
VROOOM!
SCREECH!
The screeching tires jolted Max out of his daze. He spun around just in time to see a car mere inches from him. His hands flared up defensively on instinct.
"Hey, watch it! Do you have a death wish or something?" the driver barked, swerving around Max and speeding off without another word.
"Huh?" Max muttered, blinking in surprise as he looked around. He was now standing in the middle of a busy street filled with cars and taxis zipping past him.
"How did I get here?" he murmured, still dazed, spinning slowly to take in his surroundings. His shoulders slumped as he sighed once again. "I guess I was too deep in thought to realize where I was headed. For the second time today, Suz nearly caused my death."
He lowered his gaze, eyes narrowed in quiet resolve.
"I wonder if I can use the power I wield to take revenge. How can I even gain more strength? This damned system only explained the smut side of it and not the power side."
'Besides, how long have I been walking? Thirty minutes or so?' Max sighed inwardly. 'I think I should really be heading back now. Tomorrow, I'll find a way to learn more about the previous owner of this body.'
He paused briefly as an unsettling thought passed through his mind.
'Because I felt strange just a few minutes ago. How could I navigate my way through that slummy town and somehow end up here, in the nicer parts of the city where actual cars move around? Funny enough… I already know a shortcut back to that crummy house. One that won't get me drenched again.'
Max sighed again and turned around, beginning his walk back.
He took several alleyways that he instinctively felt would lead him back to the rundown town, avoiding as many people as possible. His head was still racing with thoughts when he reached the final alleyway.
It was narrow, dimly lit, and led deep into darkness—hidden enough that anyone walking past wouldn't easily see what was happening inside. Max was just about to step through when—
"Ahh! Help me! Please… please let me go. Don't… don't touch me."
A desperate, feminine voice echoed from the alley.
Max froze. His eyes widened as he carefully peeked around the corner.
Four bulky men loomed over a frightened girl who was backed up against the wall. A camera hung around her neck, and a small backpack was pinned against the bricks behind her. Her eyes darted around frantically, searching for an escape route.
Max sighed.
He turned around, shaking his head. "It's not my business. I'll just have to take—"
Tring!
{Quest alert!}
{The system wants you to save the girl in danger.}
{Rewards: +50 XP, +2 skills.}
"What the hell?" Max muttered in frustration as he stared at the glowing screen now hovering right in front of his face.