Since the Investigation Corps had to report on their mission, Su Xiaona couldn't accompany Ruan Xing. Before parting, she slipped him a small note and whispered with a playful tug, “The Investigation Corps is always recruiting. If you really can’t take your eyes off the captain, you might as well give it a try.”

Ruan Xing forced a smile.

He knew that whatever had just happened at the testing center had likely been twisted into all sorts of strange rumors.

But that wasn’t his fault.

If a stranger was holding the key to your house, wouldn’t you grab them by the collar and demand to know where they got it?

He hadn’t grabbed anyone by the collar. He had simply gone in to ask questions and retrieve the key. That was all. And given that there was no sign of the Mage Tower anywhere, it was perfectly reasonable for him to be a little worked up, right?

Yet somehow, he’d ended up being thrown out like some kind of troublemaker.

The look on the researcher’s face, like he’d just witnessed something he definitely shouldn’t have, was still fresh in his mind.

But Ruan Xing wasn’t discouraged.

The key and the tower’s core would naturally be drawn to each other. As long as he had the key, he could use their resonance to find the Mage Tower faster.

Maybe the Investigation Corps already knew where the Mage Tower was. They had been operating beyond the walls for decades, so there was a good chance they had records about the tower. After all, a building that massive wouldn’t just vanish without a trace.

Or maybe someone had already claimed it as their own. If they had the key, then illegally occupying an abandoned building was just a matter of time.

All these thoughts flashed through his mind, and his earlier determination to stay away from the Investigation Corps started to waver.

Carrying his cage, Ruan Xing exited through the side door of the testing center.

He found himself on a dilapidated road, facing a towering wall dozens of meters high. On either side of the street, buildings were stacked haphazardly like a precarious game of Jenga, leaning at odd angles as if they might collapse at any moment.

Electrical wires crisscrossed overhead in a chaotic mess, some sparking visibly. Around him, battered vehicles rumbled by.

As Ruan Xing walked along the narrow street, he saw people dressed in worn, mismatched clothes, selling various odds and ends from makeshift stalls.

Household supplies, grains, meat, animal pelts…

Some vendors were meticulous, neatly categorizing their goods. Others simply dumped everything together, leaving it unclear whether they were selling a cup or a skull.

Ruan Xing had no idea where the original owner of this body lived, so he wandered aimlessly.

After weaving through several alleys, he emerged onto a wider main road. The buildings here were noticeably more refined, towering over a dozen stories high with their walls gleaming under the light.

But strangely, there were hardly any people around. The few pedestrians he saw were hurrying away.

“Caw! This is the Quarantine Center,” the crow muttered, covering its beak with a wing. “Stay away from here. This is where people with pollution levels at the danger threshold are isolated! Pollution leaks happen all the time here!”

Ruan Xing glanced at the crow. It was unusually knowledgeable about the human base.

“When do they get to leave the Quarantine Center?”

"Only when their pollution levels drop below the danger threshold. Most people in the Quarantine Zone fall into that category."

"Quarantine Zone?"

"The Quarantine Zone is what people now call the Outer City."

A pollution level of 60% was a critical threshold, also known as the point of no return.

Anyone below that level was allowed to return to the base, but they had to undergo inspections to ensure their contamination levels were within a safe range. From there, they would be assigned to different areas of the Quarantine Center for observation and treatment.

There were two Quarantine Zones, one in the far south and one in the far north of the city. Both were located outside the Inner City and protected by walls.

In recent years, more and more people have settled in these Quarantine Zones, gradually developing them into residential areas. Because of this, many Inner City residents simply referred to them as the "Outer City."

Once a person’s pollution level dropped below 40%, they were allowed to leave the Quarantine Center, but they still couldn't enter the Inner City.

Unless they were part of the Enforcement Division, they had to get their pollution level down to 20% before they were granted entry.

Many people have spent over a decade in Outer City, unable to lower their pollution levels any further.

"Leaving the Quarantine Center only means you're temporarily safe. Some pollutants have incubation periods that last for months. If they go straight into the city, it could trigger a pollution outbreak, killing hundreds or even thousands of people. This isn’t something to take lightly!"

"I’m only at 7%. I should be able to go in," Ruan Xing remarked, recalling how his pollution level had been decreasing steadily.

"You’ve been to a C-class contamination zone, so you’ll need to stay in the Outer City for at least half a month first."

This was called the Quarantine Period.

Ruan Xing absentmindedly touched his left arm, where a faint white scar marked the spot where a chip had been implanted. That chip recorded every major event in his life from birth until now. The Investigation Corps had identified him by scanning it.

He hadn’t expected it to track his movements as well.

The crow gave him a suspicious look. "You seriously don’t know any of this? You’re not some rich young master from a noble family, are you?"

Ruan Xing shook his cage and countered, "And you, someone who supposedly came from outside the city, why do you know so much about what happens inside? Are you a spy sent by the polluted creatures?"

The crow squawked loudly. "What nonsense?! I’m just naturally brilliant!"

Both had their own secrets, so neither pressed the matter further.

Ruan Xing registered his status as an Awakened at the registration center and was issued a black identification tag.

This was essentially just a formality. True privileges would depend on his own efforts later on.

"I’d suggest getting yourself a decent weapon. Whether it’s for self-defense or for missions, you’ll need it," the crow advised.

Ruan Xing agreed. He stopped by a nearby shop and purchased a gun, supposedly the most powerful model available.

After using it just once, he was hooked. How could a long-range mage like him not love a small device with such destructive power?

“What are you buying? What’s that thing even for?” The crow tilted its head as it watched Ruan Xing linger at a small roadside stall, purchasing an assortment of odd items.

Ruan Xing didn’t answer and only looked for a place to stay as night approached.

After taking a bath and changing into clean, fresh clothes, Ruan Xing started working with the materials he had bought.

Lizard eyes, octopus blood, hemlock juice, sapphire powder… one by one, he carefully measured each ingredient and placed them into a small pot.

Before long, the mixture began to boil and bubble, turning a deep, inky blue with an eerie glow.

The crow stared, dumbfounded. “What are you doing?”

Ruan Xing glanced at it. “You’ll know later.”

After simmering the concoction for over two hours, he poured it into a narrow-mouthed bottle. Then, he pulled out another vial of red liquid and began drawing intricate patterns on the floor, placing a silver pendant with a red string in the center.

Another half-hour passed.

The crow shrank into a corner, feeling an ominous premonition. “You better not be messing around.”

Ruan Xing smiled kindly. “Don’t worry. It’s a good thing.”

He opened the cage, grabbed the crow with one hand, and shoved the tip of the bottle into its beak.

A soul-stirring, transcendental taste surged straight to the top of its head. The crow almost blacked out, flapping its wings wildly in protest.

“Be good. It’ll be over soon.”

The crow’s vision blurred.

A radiant light emerged, and in that moment, it felt as if it had ascended to heaven.

An angel’s voice whispered in its ear: "From now on, you are my servant."

Its mind instantly cleared.

Turning its head, it realized... What angel?! That was clearly a devil!

[GAAH! What the hell did you do to me?!]

Ruan Xing smiled pleasantly. “Ever heard of a master-servant contract?”

That’s when the crow realized. It hadn’t actually spoken. But somehow, Ruan Xing understood every word it was thinking.

Crow: WTF?!

What kind of magical girl nonsense is this?!

It flapped its wings and took off, trying to escape through the window.

[Come back.]

The crow’s body stopped listening to itself. Its wings flailed uselessly before it made a smooth U-turn and landed right on Ruan Xing’s shoulder.

Ruan Xing patted its head. “Good crow.”

Crow: Screw you.

“Do you have a name?”

The crow perked up, its dark green bead-like eyes blinking. “Call me Your Majesty the King!”

Ruan Xing sneered. “I think ‘Little Trash’ suits you better.”

The crow: “Master, I was wrong!”

After some negotiation, they settled on the name Fu Gui (富贵 'Fù Guì,' =‘prosperity and wealth’).

Fu Gui immediately suggested buying a smart brain.

Fu Gui: “It scans your chip and pulls up your personal info: home address, records, everything. You can also handle all sorts of official paperwork online, which saves you the trouble of running around. Plus, you can shop online and get things delivered straight to your door—”

“…It'll be best if you buy two.” Fu Gui puffed up its feathers righteously. “I must also dedicate myself fully to my master’s grand ambitions.”

...An excuse to surf the internet.

After passing a facial recognition scan, Ruan Xing gained access to all of the original host’s accounts, finally obtaining a full picture of his identity.

The original Ruan Xing shared his name. Born in the Inner City, he had lost his mother early. His father had been a member of the Investigation Corps and was killed in action just a month ago.

The original Ruan Xing had been timid, socially withdrawn, and a poor student, consistently ranking last in his class. His father had never pressured him, only wishing for him to live a safe and happy life.

He had been sheltered. So much so that he had never even left the Inner City.

Thus, when Fu Gui called him a pampered young master, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

But if that was the case… Why had Ruan Xing woken up outside the walls?

The personal chip didn’t store highly detailed information. Only timestamps of when someone entered or exited the city and the general locations they visited.

According to the data, the original Ruan Xing had never left the Inner City before. Yet ten days ago, he had suddenly left the base entirely.

Ruan Xing narrowed his eyes.

Something wasn’t right. But without more leads, he had no choice but to set it aside for now.

He opened the search function again and typed in a name—

Fu Zhi.

Instantly, a flood of information popped up.

The Investigation Corps was a subdivision under the Enforcement Division. 80% of its members were Awakened individuals, and their recruitment process was strict.

Su Xiaona belonged to the First Squad, the elite of the elites within the Investigation Corps.

And Fu Zhi?

First Squad Captain.

Rank: Major General.

Ruan Xing’s pupils reflected the scrolling text on the screen.

Most of the information was highly official, detailing Fu Zhi’s completion of numerous high-difficulty missions. But there was very little about the man himself.

Ruan Xing was just a rogue Awakened with no official recommendation. It would be nearly impossible if he wanted to approach Fu Zhi through proper channels.

Was there a shortcut?

Fu Gui closed its game and poked its head over. “I have a great idea.”

Ruan Xing looked at it. “What idea?”

Fu Gui gave him a once-over before suggesting:

“You stand in front of the Investigation Corps’s headquarters and throw a huge fit! Cry, scream, then threaten to jump off a building. Tell everyone Fu Zhi slept with you and refuses to take responsibility. Oh, and bring a banner! Those high-ranking officials care a lot about their reputations. No way he won’t, I mean, no way they won’t meet your demands.”

Ruan Xing: “……”