Glimpsing out the window that the mist had completely dissipated, Fuli stood up from the room, which now contained nothing but a secondhand laptop and a single-strap backpack.
The texture hadn't been particularly pleasant, and a faint sensation of fullness washed over him, making him realize that the digestive capabilities of the Human Immortal Dao had their limits.
Or rather, he, having just begun practicing the Human Immortal Dao, had limits.
Staring at the now utterly bare room, Prometheus said in a daze, [You actually ate everything...]
The Human Immortal Dao didn't come with a flavor enhancer; wood tasted like wood, and plastic tasted like plastic.
"I scavenged all the furniture from the secondhand market myself. I can't take it with me, so why not recycle the waste?"
Fuli held the laptop in his left hand while his other hand skillfully logged into the author's backend.
"By the way, I didn't eat my underwear since I still need to wear it. And I didn't eat the parts touching the floor—some things are just too gross to swallow."
After typing a few words on the keyboard, he suddenly remembered something. "Prometheus, when we're outside, can I chat with you just by 'thinking'?"
Talking to himself would look too stupid.
[Of course. The system inherently possesses such a function.]
"That's good."
Stowing his things into the canvas backpack stuffed with clothes, Fuli addressed the little AI floating around aimlessly. "Prep work is done. Time to get down to business."
[Where is the Host going?]
[I'll explain on the way.]
While 'thinking' his reply, he put on a dark coat that had been washed until it was slightly faded.
The average temperature in the Far East in March was around 10°C. Given Fuli's enhanced physique from the Human Immortal Dao, wearing less wouldn't cause him to catch a cold or fever, but standing out in the crowd as an eccentric wasn't ideal.
His chuunibyou phase was long over; there was no need to be an attention-seeking weirdo.
Glancing at Fuli as he shouldered his backpack, Prometheus looked regretful. [It is a pity the Host does not meet the conditions to use the Four-Dimensional Skirt.]
[Name: Four-Dimensional Skirt]
[Rank: D]
[Category: Item]
[Effect: A seemingly ordinary skirt that appears to match well with most tops.
When worn by a human female (strictly limited to bishoujo in the broad sense, excluding LGBT groups), the area between the thighs and the hem of the skirt transforms into a spherical extra-dimensional storage space with a radius of three meters. It also possesses the wondrous property of 'making people think they can see, but actually preventing them from seeing anything.']
[Note: The art of ambiguity!]
The little AI suggested unwillingly, [Why doesn't the Host try again? perhaps the System panel description is incorrect.]
"Wouldn't you know if it's incorrect?"
Fuli cast a side-eye at the mischievous little creature, then pressed down on the door handle.
With a creak, he stepped out of the room.
"Nice weather."
Using his hand to shield his eyes from the nine o'clock sun, Fuli squinted comfortably as he strolled past Room 201 next door.
The little AI teased, [Not going to say goodbye to the white-haired bishoujo next door before leaving?]
[An old veteran taught me something back when I was a mercenary: If a man wants to succeed, he must first kill his romantic brain, then kill his nostalgic brain. Cherish the present, cherish your family, and cherish the future.]
Carrying the baseball bat, Fuli walked slowly down the stairs, offering a harmless smile to a neighbor out for a stroll. He continued in his mind, [Fortunately, I don't have a family, so I only need to cherish the present and the future.]
His answer was ambiguous, yet it fully explained his attitude.
Though, saying he had no family wasn't entirely accurate.
At least in the WeChat group on his phone named "Old Fu Family: Happy Ever After," there were dozens of people who shared the surname Fu.
It was just a pity that those distant relatives were quite indifferent toward Fuli, basically treating him like air.
It wasn't necessarily that they were heartless. First, many extended families in modern society were like this—having not visited each other for years, they wouldn't even recognize each other's faces.
Second, his parents, who had died young, had done some rebellious, shocking things—even changing their surname to 'Fu' (floating) which sounded like the original 'Fu'. It was a case of guilt by association; hating the crow on the infected roof.
[What about the mysterious entity that released the mist?] Seeing her host didn't want to elaborate on that topic, Prometheus considerately changed the subject. [That mist this morning... no matter how I looked at it, it didn't seem naturally generated.]
[That's why I specifically waited until the mist dispersed before coming out. Someone will take care of that thing.]
Fuli walked further and further away during their telepathic conversation, eventually disappearing amidst the rows of tall and short buildings.
A few minutes later, from the direction opposite to where he had left, a white silhouette jogged over from the distance.
Her silver-white hair, cascading like a waterfall, was tied into twin braids with orange ribbons at her shoulders for ease of movement.
Her sailor uniform—white with black trim—clung to her body, showcasing her figure and vitality while giving off an impression of pure flawlessness.
Her bright eyes were dazzling, and her fine skin had a lustrous sheen.
Although her smile was silly and goofy, and her exquisite face was smudged with a bit of dust, nothing could hide her breathtaking beauty, like a lotus flower shaming the jade.
"Morning, Landlady!"
The girl raised her hand, greeting the acquaintance strolling downstairs with a lively and cheerful demeanor.
The landlady, who had just thought Fuli was coming out with a baseball bat to beat her up, replied stiffly, "M-Morning, Miss Kiana."
The girl had a noble aura that easily engendered goodwill. However, for someone with a filthy mind like the landlady, that radiant, morning-sun smile only made the ugliness in her own heart feel exposed.
Especially since she had just driven away Fuli, who was acquainted with this girl.
Wait, does a simp count as an acquaintance? I guess so.
The woman slandered inwardly with malice, but outwardly asked with concern, "You look dusty so early in the morning. What were you up to?"
She knew Kiana hadn't been home; otherwise, she wouldn't have had the guts to bang on Fuli's door so early.
This little girl loved meddling in other people's business.
"Ahaha~"
Kiana rubbed her flat tummy and laughed sheepishly. "A junior from the middle school section invited me out for breakfast! You know my appetite, Landlady. If someone's treating, I'm gonna eat for my life!"
"Then that junior of yours must be really unlucky!"
Like a fly drawn to the scent of blood on a hero's wound, the landlady started her tirade with gusto:
"I'm not trying to lecture you, Kiana, but if you know you eat a lot, don't go ruining people! That kid's family probably has it tough too. Making money is hard, and you just ate so much in one meal!"
The girl's smile remained pure. "That's why I went to reject her."
"Gah!"
The endlessly buzzing insect choked instantly.