The morning light streamed weakly through the cracked window, painting lines across Nash's face. He blinked, groaned, and sat up on the bed. His body felt heavy, but compared to yesterday, he was rested. A roof, a bed, and food in his stomach had been enough to remind him that he was, in fact, still alive in this second life.
"Morning already," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Guess I should see what the world looks like when it's not just alleys and benches."
He looked toward Hina. She was still sitting cross-legged on the floor, her posture perfectly straight, her head slightly bowed. Motionless, lifeless, until he stepped inside her again. Nash shivered a little at the sight. Sometimes she reminded him of a mannequin abandoned in a shop window, waiting to terrify someone who walked by at the wrong time.
"Stay put, yeah?" he said softly. "I'll bring you something later."
He pulled himself together, fixed the jacket he had stolen, and combed his hair with his fingers until it looked passable. After locking the door, he descended the creaking stairs of the apartment and stepped out into the streets.
The city in daylight was different. No longer a dim sprawl of flickering lights and suspicious shadows, but a bustling, noisy mess. Street vendors lined the sidewalks, kids darted between the crowds, and shopkeepers shouted out their wares.
Nash's stomach growled again. "Alright, food first. Thinking later."
He followed the scent of something fried and savory until he found a small corner shop where an old man sat behind a counter. The man had gray hair, a thin beard, and a bent back. His eyes, however, were sharp. He watched Nash approach with the calm patience of someone who had seen too many faces pass by his stall.
"What will it be, young man?" the old man asked in a raspy voice.
"Something cheap," Nash replied, pulling out a few bills from his stolen stash. "And filling."
The old man chuckled. "A man with a hungry belly always wants the same thing. Sit, sit."
Nash dropped into the rickety chair at the side of the stall while the old man served him a steaming bowl of noodles with strips of meat floating on top. The first bite was heavenly.
"Oh god, this is… perfect," Nash said between mouthfuls. "I could cry right now."
"You eat like you haven't touched food in days," the old man said, pouring him some hot tea.
"Feels like longer than that," Nash admitted. "Been rough since I got here."
The old man's eyes flickered with curiosity. "You sound like a drifter. You from one of the outer districts?"
Nash hesitated. He didn't want to explain that he was from a completely different world. "Something like that. I don't know much about this place. Guess you could say I'm new."
"Ah." The old man sipped his own tea. "Then let me tell you something. This city, like all the others, is run by one thing. Not politicians, not money, not soldiers. It is run by the transcenders."
"Transcenders?" Nash raised a brow.
"Yes. Those who capture supernaturals," the old man said, his tone heavy with reverence and a hint of fear. "They are the chosen ones of this world. The rest of us? We're ants compared to them."
Nash leaned forward. "Wait. Back up. Supernaturals? You mean monsters? Like ghosts or demons or something?"
The old man chuckled. "Supernatural beings. Rare, dangerous, and nearly impossible to catch. When one appears, entire departments scramble to claim it. But if you're lucky enough to capture one and bind it into a rune artifact, you become something greater. You gain its power. That is a transcender."
Nash stopped eating, his chopsticks hanging in the air. "So people… steal their powers? And that makes them gods walking among mortals?"
"Precisely," the old man said. His eyes softened. "It has always been this way. The city or province looks normal at first glance, just like the one you probably came from. But beneath it, power belongs to those who control the supernaturals. You can't climb high without becoming a transcender. Not in this age."
Nash's mind raced. He thought of Hina, her indestructible body, her terrifying strength. Was she… one of them?
"Tell me something," Nash said carefully. "If someone just… appeared with a supernatural by their side, but didn't exactly capture it the way everyone else does… would that person still be considered a transcender?"
The old man frowned. "Strange question. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious." Nash forced a laugh. "Hypothetical."
"Well, the rules are set," the old man said. "Supernaturals must be bound through rune artifacts. That connection between soul and artifact is what makes you a transcender and not be considered as a supernatural in one of those supernatural detecting device of theirs. Without it, you are just a man standing beside a beast you do not understand. And if the authorities catch you with such a creature, they will not be kind."
Nash's chopsticks clattered into the bowl. His palms felt sweaty. If Hina was seen for what she was, would the authorities come for him? Or worse, would they try to dissect her, and him with her?
He quickly finished the meal, thanked the old man, and returned to the apartment with his thoughts spinning.
Back in his room, Nash slumped into the chair. He stared at Hina's still body.
"Supernaturals, huh?" he murmured. "If that's what you are, then I guess I've already hit the jackpot."
He summoned his system screen with a thought. The familiar UI blinked into existence, floating in the air like a hologram only he could see. He scrolled through menus, checking for anything that mentioned supernaturals. Nothing concrete. Only vague system functions he hadn't unlocked yet.
"So if I want to survive here, I need to get stronger," Nash muttered. "That means either catching one of these things myself… or making sure nobody finds out about you, Hina."
The more he thought about it, the worse it seemed. He had no record in this world. No identity. For all he knew, he could be arrested just for existing without papers. And if they labeled him an illegal immigrant, they'd throw him in some cell before he even explained his story.
He sighed. "Alright. For now, we stick to Plan A. Use Hina. Don't attract attention. Try not to get killed."
Nash adjusted himself in the chair, leaning back until he found a comfortable position. He let his consciousness slide into Hina again.
Her eyes flickered open.
Nash stood her up and stretched her limbs. He checked the joints of her arms and legs, rotating them carefully. They looked fine in the dim apartment light. But as soon as he opened the curtains and let the sunlight spill in, the truth was obvious. The joints looked too clean, too artificial, like the hinges of a perfect doll.
"Crap," Nash muttered. "Anyone who gets too close is gonna notice."
Still, he needed to test. He walked Hina out into the streets. The moment her figure appeared, people turned their heads. Men stared openly. Women whispered behind hands.
Nash felt awkward inside her. "This feels weird as hell. I guess she looks like one of those anime characters someone made too realistic."
He crossed his arms and tried to keep her pace steady, pretending not to notice the stares.
At the same time, further down the street, two figures walked side by side.
A tall man with a short beard and a compact device in his hand frowned as he studied the screen. Beside him, a woman with tied-back hair and sharp eyes scanned the crowd.
"Are you sure about this, Sophia?" the man asked. "Our department has been chasing rumors for weeks. Another false alarm and we'll get chewed out again."
Sophia's lips pressed into a thin line. "The reports said there was a grade E supernatural sighting in this area, Liam. We can't ignore it. Better we check ourselves before someone else swoops in."
Liam sighed, tapping the side of the device. "I hope we pick up something. Our department hasn't even captured an F-grade in months. If we go back empty-handed again…"
"Just focus," Sophia cut him off.
The device beeped suddenly, the faint green line on its screen spiking. Liam's eyes widened. "Wait, It's reacting. Grade F… right here on this street."
Sophia stopped walking, her gaze sweeping the passersby. "Which one?"
The device flickered, beeped twice more, then went silent. The signal died instantly.
"What the hell? It was right here, maybe under us?" Liam said, shaking the device.
Sophia's eyes narrowed. She followed the line of the streets full of people, her attention drawn to many people then toward a tall, statuesque woman walking with unnatural poise.
"Or maybe," Sophia murmured, "it was right in front of us."