The morning sun painted New Fornia in a warm gold, the kind that made the air smell faintly of baked bread and dust. Shunya rubbed his eyes as he stepped out of the dorm gates with Naomi and Vikoria at his side. The city felt alive in a way that almost made him forget he was trapped inside some cursed app system. Almost.
"Why are we even going shopping together?" Naomi folded her arms, her tone sharp but her steps steady next to him. "It is not like you can afford much anyway."
Shunya gasped as if struck. "Excuse me? I will have you know I am a proud cultivator with a very stable financial situation."
Naomi raised an eyebrow. "Stable? You literally borrowed two silver from Jean last week to pay for your exam snacks."
"That was an investment!" Shunya declared. "You see, the system rewards strategic resource usage." He puffed his chest, pretending he believed his own words.
