The moment I stepped onto the stairs, I heard loud, slightly irritated footsteps approaching.
Pausing to scan my surroundings, my gaze landed on a young woman with pale skin, black hair, and dark eyes.
Her eyes met mine, and I could sense the disdain radiating off her… or maybe it was reserved for the other Allen Park.
Stop glaring at me.
That's what I wanted to say.
But I knew when to hold back.
This was only my first day in this world, and I was weak as hell.
One wrong move, and I could end up dead again.
I exhaled and lowered my gaze as I passed the girl, who immediately pinched her nose.
Sure, the other Allen's room was a mess, but in no universe did I smell that bad.
'I guess bitches will always be bitches, no matter the world.'
After I passed, she lingered for a moment, then waved her hand like a fan over the part of the stairs I'd crossed.
She leaned against the wall opposite the railing I had been holding and began ascending slowly.
I clicked my tongue. "It's not even like you're pretty."
Shaking my head, I redirected my focus from the building to the buzzing street and slipped into the crowd.
Quincy had told me to go left, though she hadn't given exact coordinates.
Not that it would be that difficult to find.
I passed another group of people, keeping my expression hidden as best I could.
After a long five-minute walk, I finally reached the next street.
A signboard at the entrance read:
"18+"
I was definitely not 18+, but who cared?
Right now, I needed a mana stone more than anything.
Taking a step forward, I entered the street that reeked of alcohol and something musty.
Blegh…
To my left, a grown woman was vomiting on the side of the street, with two large men holding her up and grinning.
She vaguely reminded me of my Noona from my past life.
As long as there was booze and chicken, she was there.
Well, she was willing to eat anything. And she especially loved preying on young boys.
I shivered and continued searching from lane to lane, keeping my head low.
An hour passed just like that, and still nothing.
I had expected this, but I had kept it in mind as the worst-case scenario.
…Quincy had no clue where she was.
Why else would it have taken her over five minutes just to reply, "To the left"?
If I had to guess, she probably asked someone nearby during that time.
I now stood at the side of the street.
I couldn't cross the road. Too many intimidating men were loitering.
I couldn't walk ahead either, since several drunk girls were blocking the way, though I doubted any would target Allen.
"Such a shitty transmigration."
I sighed as the rain began falling again, darkening the sky.
I let it pour over me.
Not because I was depressed, but because finding a new shelter would be a drag.
Should I look for another way to get mana stones?
Judging by the situation, I was probably at the start of the story.
I wasn't sure of the exact time, but seeing that Allen hadn't left his room for a while, and Quincy kept asking after him, it meant only that the mana compression ceremony was over.
A month… no, two weeks at most since the main plotline began, and about six months until the academy arc, which is the central arc, begins.
Apex, the academy where most of the story took place, was the largest of the four academies in the world of Meltonia.
Only the best of the best from the five continents could gain entry.
And since Allen didn't awaken initially and the association couldn't record him, it would be much harder to get into the academy.
And I couldn't decide to simply not go, since if I was found using my ability without formal education, I would be arrested, and doing the one-year hunter course would surely limit my future opportunities in guilds and how much I could grow.
A soft sigh escaped me as the rain ceased.
Almost immediately, as if waiting for it to stop, someone tugged at the hem of my shirt.
My head snapped to the side, and my eyes met those of a young girl.
She had very long, neat pink hair that reached her knees and big green eyes that seemed to pierce into my soul.
But what shocked me most was her face.
She was cute.
Not just the ordinary adorable type—she was intensely cute, even more so than a cat.
Her chest wasn't flat, but it wasn't large either, and from her plain white gown, now soaked, I could see her small, slender waist.
The cute girl puffed her cheeks and, with almost blinding puppy eyes, asked:
"Do you have chocolate? Mikky Chocolate?"