Jiang Mo walked through the gray streets of the Underworld. Go to the Overworld. Once the thought took root, it was impossible to ignore. But how? He was a six-year-old orphan with nothing to his name. The few coins he had were a joke.
As a transmigrator, he remembered some of the game's plot, but none of it was helpful right now. The Underworld offered few opportunities. But if there was one shortcut, one chance… he thought of a place.
He quickened his pace, heading towards Rivet Town. The road was rough, littered with rubble. He walked for about half an hour before the silhouette of Rivet Town appeared. It was poorer and more dilapidated than Boulder Town. He walked straight through the town towards a place he remembered, but first, he needed to buy something.
He found a relatively busy area with a few stalls. His eyes landed on a small drink stand. It was cleaner than its surroundings. "Boss, that looks delicious… can I have one for free?" he asked, pointing at a drink on the sign.
The vendor, a thin middle-aged man, sneered. "Get lost, kid. No money, no drink."
Seeing that [Silver-Tongued] wasn't working, Jiang Mo changed his tactic. He pulled out the fifty-Winter-City-Coin piece and waved it. The vendor's eyes lit up. "Well now, little brother! What can I get for you?"
"That one," Jiang Mo said, pointing at the sign again.
"The Black-Bread Soda Slushy? An excellent choice! Our specialty!" the vendor beamed, quickly chipping some ice into a glass and pouring a liquid over it. Jiang Mo paid the fifty coins, and the vendor gave no change. It was an exorbitant price, equivalent to a full day's meal for a resident.
Onlookers stared, not with envy, but with shock. A small, ragged child buying such a luxury? It was unheard of. Jiang Mo ignored them, took the cold cup, and walked towards the highest point in Rivet Town.
There stood a dilapidated but conspicuous building—the orphanage.
As he got closer, the sound of children playing grew louder. He had mixed feelings about this place. He hated it. It was like a junkyard, but for living children. He stood outside the gate, looking in. The yard was simple, with a few broken-down pieces of play equipment. Children in patched clothes ran around, their eyes constantly darting towards the gate. Whenever an outsider appeared, they would swarm them like puppies, their eyes begging to be held, to be taken away. They were starved for affection.
He thought of the director, Natasha. She did her best, but she couldn't give them the love they craved. He remembered how the kids would cling to him whenever he visited, their hopeful eyes suffocating him. He hated that look, the look of a pet waiting to be chosen. He would rather struggle in a trash heap than become one of them.
Steeling himself, he began to search for his target among the playing children.
Finally, he found her by the swings in the corner of the yard. A tiny figure with striking silver hair. She wasn't playing, just sitting quietly, gently scuffing the ground with her feet as she stared at the sky.
Her eyes. They were different. They held a calmness and thoughtfulness far beyond her years. This child was special. It was why he had been willing to talk to her before. She never looked at him with that suffocating gaze.
He walked over and sat on the swing next to her. She jumped, startled, but her wariness vanished when she saw it was him, replaced by surprise and delight. Her small face lit up with a rare, vivid expression.
"Jiang Mo-gege? What are you doing here?!"
He smiled gently at her. "Long time no see, Bronya."
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