The scene that followed the meeting between Mo Fan and Damon went similarly to the original plot. The old professor introduced himself as a member of the teaching staff at Pearl Magic University, followed by Mo Fan's persistent yet fruitless attempts to learn more about the special recruitment.
"Hah... I'm tired! What a stubborn old man," Mo Fan muttered under his breath with a sigh before glancing at the boy beside him, who had been paying close attention to the entire event.
"Um... why do you look familiar?" Mo Fan asked, staring at Damon before suddenly hitting his fist into his palm. "I remember now! Damon, it's you, isn't it? Damn, how much have you changed!"
Mo Fan obviously knew Damon. They were in the same grade, though in different classes. Being the only foreigner in Bo City's high school, it was impossible for Mo Fan to have never heard of Damon.
Though they had never crossed paths or spoken before, both were well-known figures in school—Mo Fan for his behavior and top grades, and Damon for his nationality and appearance.
"H-hi," Damon greeted simply. Since the other party clearly recognized him, it would have been rude not to respond.
"You're also headed to Shanghai! Looks like we'll be neighbors there!" Mo Fan said enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear.
"Uh, no—I mean, yes, I'm moving to Shanghai too, but I'm not staying in the government-provided quarters," Damon replied. "I know someone there I'll be living with, so unfortunately, we won't be neighbors."
Damon clarified, inwardly cheering, grateful that he wouldn't have to live next to this walking calamity.
"Mo Fan, is he your friend? Hello, young man," Mo Jiaxing greeted Damon kindly.
"I'm Mo Jiaxing, Mo Fan's father," he introduced himself.
"I'm Ye Xinxia," Ye Xinxia also greeted, as the Mo family engaged Damon in small talk.
"Your Chinese is good. Were you born in China?" Mo Jiaxing asked curiously.
Damon smiled lightly before answering. "No. I was born in the USA, but due to various circumstances, I've been living in China for seven years now."
Just like that, Damon made his presence known to the main characters of this world.
***
As Damon talked with the Mo family, his eyes occasionally drifted toward Mo Fan, his mind wandering toward thoughts of magic.
'Natural Dual Awakener... two intermediate-level elements.'
The man before him—future Magic God, transmigrated from a world without magic, wielder of the Little Loach, and master of the Azure Dragon himself.
'Honestly, I'm stronger than him physically... but magically?' Physical prowess plays a vital role in this world, but in the end, what truly matters is magic.
Damon currently stood at the boundary between level two and level three of the novice rank, while the man before him had already advanced to the intermediate rank in two elements.
'How long would it take me?' Damon wondered silently. Looking down at his left hand, he knew he had the power to jump to the peak of the novice rank instantly if he could obtain the right energy.
His cheat—Beelzebub—could devour magical energy and feed it directly into Damon's own reserves, forcibly raising his cultivation to the peak of his rank. This was Beelzebub's power and the greatest advantage of wielding it in this world. Yet, even knowing this, one might ask—why hadn't Damon already devoured such energy?
The answer was simple—he couldn't. To devour energy, he needed something that contained it: magic crystals, treated like fossil fuels in this world; crystallizations of mana; remnants of totems brimming with power; or underground holy springs that functioned the same way.
Resources like these were essential for Damon's advancement. But Bo City, now destroyed, no longer held anything of value. Thus, Damon's progress had stalled. However, Shanghai was different—there, he might find resources and pay the price to devour them, or use his knowledge of the plot to gain what he needed.
The second route might interfere with the protagonist's progress, but it would also greatly accelerate Damon's own growth if used wisely.
'Huff... what to do?' The second option sounded tempting, but it also brought a dilemma. Not one of morality or guilt over changing the plot—but rather fear. Fear of the future he knew—of the Three Emperors, Dark Gods, and all that was to come. That very knowledge was Damon's greatest curse.
'Sigh... let's not think about it for now.' Turning off his thoughts, Damon decided to leave the future's burdens to his future self.
With that, the journey continued smoothly. Engaging in light conversations about magic and Bo City, Damon and the main cast finally arrived in Shanghai, bidding each other farewell after exchanging numbers.
'Keeping Mo Fan's contact info is actually a great thing,' Damon thought. Not this year, nor the next, but in a few years, Mo Fan would rise higher than even the Holy City and the entire magical civilization. Building a good relationship with him was certainly a wise move.
With that thought, Damon's mood brightened. True to his word, the first thing he did was buy himself a smartphone and connect to the internet. He then purchased new bags, some simple yet decent clothes, and a few accessories. Nothing fancy or branded—just practical and clean.
He had nothing of value left back in Bo City, so he carried almost nothing with him upon arriving in Shanghai. His documents and important belongings were safely stored inside Beelzebub. Everything else—clothes, accessories, and daily necessities—Damon decided to purchase once he arrived in the city.
Getting clothes, bags, a smartphone, and basic necessities took priority for Damon. He used the money withdrawn from the ATMs he had looted; after all, this world still operated largely on hard cash, unlike his previous one.
After that came a laptop, a wallet, and other essentials. In the evening, he visited several bookstores, buying everything he deemed necessary—ranging from basic introductions to advanced topics—before enjoying a proper dinner. Once done, he booked a hotel room for himself.
After two weeks of reincarnating into this world, finally being able to sleep in a proper bed, live in a comfortable room, and spend time in a modern city far away from the dead ruins of Bo City felt like pure bliss for Damon.