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 Allen Vanderbilt.
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, Vanderbilt’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.
’Who’s disgusting now, me or you?’
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:
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.
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 first reincarnation."
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 near the beginning 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, which meant the rift ceremony and hunter association registration had already concluded.
Two weeks... no, a week at most.
That was how long I had before the entrance exam for Apex would begin.
Apex was the largest of the four academies in the world of Meltonia.
Only the best of the best from the four major continents and three minor ones could gain entry.
And since Allen hadn’t registered with the association, I would have to do far more than anyone else to get in.
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 pink eyes that seemed to pierce into my soul.
But what shocked me most was her face.
Not just the ordinary adorable type—she was intensely cute, even more so than a cat. The source of thɪs content is novelFɪre.net
Her chest wasn’t flat, but it wasn’t large either, and from her typical Japanese middle school uniform, now soaked, I could see her small, slender waist.
The little girl puffed her cheeks and, with almost blinding puppy eyes, asked:
"Do you have chocolate? Mikky Chocolate?"