"He's... dead!"
The old man's grief-stricken cry echoed through the narrow alley, shattering the heavy silence left behind by the departing "Mafia" shadows.
The old man threw himself over Sushi's limp body, wailing bitterly while slapping his own cheeks. "Oh, the misery! My guard is dead, and my land is lost! Everything I own will be crushed under their boots in three days! Woe is me!"
"Pssst... Old man, shut your damn mouth!"
The tears froze in the old man's eyes. He stopped mid-wail, glancing around in terror. "W-who's there? Am I hearing the voices of the dead now?"
"Down here, you blockhead!" Sushi whispered sharply, opening one eye cautiously. "Are those bastards in the black sunglasses gone?"
The old man jumped back as if he'd stepped on a hot coal, screaming in fright, "Waaaah! He's back from the grave! A zombie! I've officially lost it... my mind can't take any more!" He began clutching his hair, pacing in circles like a madman.
Sushi stood up coldly, leisurely brushing the dust off his new shirt as if that brutal kick—the one that had sent him flying meters away—had been nothing more than a gentle caress. He hissed at the old man, "Shut up, you fool! Your screaming is going to lure every guard in the city to us!"
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The old man stammered, staring at Sushi's unscathed body. "B-but I saw you fly... I thought you were a memory..."
Sushi cut him off, wiping a smudge from his lip. "I wasn't dead; I was just acting! You're the one who assumed I was a corpse without even bothering to check my pulse. Acting is a survival skill, old man, and the audience this time was far too dangerous."
Despite his outward calm, a cold bead of sweat trickled down Sushi's forehead as he recalled the moment. The truth was, his "acting talent" wouldn't have saved him if the **Blue System Window** hadn't flickered to life a split second before impact, absorbing the physical damage entirely. His flight through the air had been nothing more than the result of the sheer kinetic force.
Sushi glanced at the blue window floating in his peripheral vision; it had turned a sickly pale green and was vibrating as if suffering from severe motion sickness.
*?What's wrong with this damn system??* Sushi thought bitterly. *?It's only appeared twice since I arrived, and both times it looks like it's running on a dying battery. I need to learn how to tame this code, or I'll be minced meat next time.?*
He turned back to the old man. "Anyway, our deal still stands. I'll be gone for a bit—don't go selling the land while I'm out!"
---
At "The Flower Library"
Sushi headed straight to the largest bastion of knowledge in the city. He was greeted by the scent of old paper and a woman in her twenties wearing elegant glasses, her purple hair styled with sophisticated precision.
"Welcome to the Flower Library, sir. How may I assist you?" the librarian asked with a professional smile.
Sushi didn't waste time on pleasantries. "I need books on basic combat training... and volumes on tax laws and real estate."
The girl raised an eyebrow in surprise. "An unusual combination... It seems this is your first visit. Would you like to hear about our special services?"
Minutes later, Sushi was led to a private area known as the **"Temporal Reading Rooms."** These were magical chambers where one hour inside equaled only one minute in the outside world.
Sushi entered the room carrying a mountain of books. Hours upon hours passed as he devoured information like a madman, analyzing legal loopholes even before combat techniques. When he finally emerged, only thirty minutes had passed in the outside world.
Sushi took a long, deep breath, then let out a muffled scream: "DAMN IT AAAAALL!"
He punched the wall, cursing under his breath. *?To beat those monsters, I need ten years of grueling training?! That's impossible! I'm basically a dead man walking! To hell with the old man, to hell with this alley, and to hell with this unfair world... I'm packing my bags and fleeing this city before dawn!?*
