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 stench of sweat, smoke, and old fish wafted through the air, accompanied by the distant clamor of shouting voices, arguing vendors, and crying children.
Buildings leaned on each other like drunks, patched together with rotting wood and rusted tin sheets.
Some were nothing more than tents or shacks hammered together with stolen nails.
People moved with urgency but not purpose, their eyes sunken, clothes threadbare, faces hard and silent.
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 vehicle tire down the cracked street using a stick.
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.
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 surroundings. His head spiralled as if he was feeling dizzy but he held himself back.
'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 he decided to walk away to maybe look for an exit out of the town.
His head was held low as he tried to navigate out of the place. He didn't know, it felt like he was a natural at this place as his body naturally moved, taking him where he needed to be.
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.
"What gives?!" Max shouted as he turned towards the direction where the water had come from.
He could see a woman standing on the small stairs of one of the leaned together houses and she looked to be in her early thirties or so.
Just like the rest, she was disheveled and wearing worn out clothes. Her hands on her mouth in shock as her brown eyes dilated while staring at Max.
"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 and Max just sighed.
"It's fine." He muttered as he tried to keep on moving when the woman called out to him.
"Wait! Don't you need a change of clothes or something? I mean, you are dripping wet."
"I'm fine." Max simply said as he continued on his way.
His mind racing with different thoughts.
'And I thought that I had it rough back when I was earning ten thousand dollars. I didn't know I was living the life then. Now look at my life! Because of that damned Suz and her lover, I am in this situation.' Max clenched his hands as he kept on walking briskly that he didn't realize he had walked out of the slummy town.
His feet carried him wherever it did as his mind was still deep in thought when…
*VROOOM!*
*SCREECH!*
The sounds of tires screeching drew Max's attention as he quickly spun around to see a car inches away from hitting him, his hands quickly flared in front of him.
"Hey watch it! Do you have a death wish or something?" The driver barked as he swiveled around Max and kept on driving.
"Huh?" Max muttered as he looked around and he could see that he was on the streets that had several cars and taxis moving around.
"How did I get here?" Max murmured as he kept staring around in confusion when he sighed 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.
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 for? Thirty minutes or so? I think I should really be heading back now. Tomorrow, I will find a way to find out who the previous owner of this body was.
Because I felt strange just a few minutes ago. How could I navigate my way around that slummy town and get out here to the good parts that have cars moving around.
Funny enough, I already know a shortcut back to my crummy house that won't get me drenched again.' Max sighed as he turned back around and began walking away.
He turned several alleyways that he felt would take him back to the crummy town without encountering much people. His head was still racing with so many thoughts when he was about to pull up in the last alleyway.
This alleyway was a little bit dark and went deep inside that nobody walking around would be able to easily see who or what is going on inside. He was just about to step through when…
"Ahh! Help me! Please… please let me go. Don't… don't touch me." A feminine voice was heard pleading from the dark alleyway.
"What's going on?" Max whispered as he peeked at the alleyway and could see four bulky men surrounding a girl who looked quite frightened.
A camera was hung around her neck, a small backpack on her back which was pinned on the wall behind her as she peered around trying to look for a way to escape.
Max just sighed and turned around.
"It's not my business. I will 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 anger as he stared at the glowing screen hovering right in front of his face.