Chapter 3

3

The system's mechanical voice chimed in my head. "The dimensional return portal is ready. You may jump now, Host."

I closed my eyes, leaning forward to let gravity take me, when loud noises echoed from the floor below.

A group of street thugs was shoving and dragging a young man up the concrete stairs. Thanks to the system's enhanced vision, I saw the boy's face covered in deep bruises, his body battered and bloody.

Seeing them storm onto the rooftop terrace, I instinctively stepped back into the shadows behind a pillar.

The boy was shoved hard onto the dusty concrete, gasping for air like a fish out of water. The thugs rained brutal punches and kicks onto his ribs, the dull thuds echoing sickeningly in my ears.

Just as I was wondering what to do, the boy blindly felt around the debris, gripped a piece of rusted rebar, and struck one of the attackers with everything he had left.

Yet no matter how fiercely he fought, one pair of fists could not overcome half a dozen men.

Seeing him pinned down and about to take a fatal beating, I gritted my teeth, stepped out into the open, and screamed at the top of my lungs, "Stop! I called the cops!"

In the far distance, the loud wail of police sirens suddenly echoed through the air. The thugs exchanged panicked glances, spat on the ground, and glared viciously at the boy. "Consider yourself lucky today, punk. Watch your back."

The moment the gang scurried down the stairwell, I exhaled a shaky breath.

"Thank you," I whispered to the system.

I had already thrown my phone off the ledge. I had not called anyone; the sirens were an audio simulation created by the system.

Looking down at the bloodied boy on the ground, I decided to find another building for my final leap. Dying right beside him would only bring unwanted trouble to a stranger who was already hanging on by a thread.

Just as I gathered my long white skirt to walk past him, a bruised hand suddenly grabbed the hem of my dress.

The boy looked up at me with a swollen grin. "Hey, miss... you didn't really call the cops, did you? Let me take you to my secret hideout."

His grin was so wide that it ripped the cut on his split lip.

Watching him hiss in pain, I nodded as if under a spell, lifting the hem of my gown to follow him down the dusty skeleton of the unfinished tower.

He never questioned why I was wearing an evening gown on a construction site, and I never asked why he had been beaten half to death. Passing the shattered remnants of my phone on the ground floor, I paused and picked up the broken plastic pieces.

Seeing this, the boy pulled an extra phone from his worn leather jacket and handed it to me.

Noticing my surprise, he scratched his messy hair and gave an awkward chuckle. "It's my spare. Take it for now. What if someone's trying to reach you?"

A bitter, silent smile touched my lips at his words.

My mother had always loathed me. She saw me as living proof of her disgraceful, impoverished past and wished I would vanish from the earth.

As for my half-sister Chelsea, though she always put on a sweet, caring facade in front of others, I could clearly see the hidden malice in her eyes. She hated me just as much.

And Bennett...

His entire world revolved around Chelsea. Today was their grand wedding. How could he possibly spare a single thought for me?

For the past ten years, I had revolved my entire life around Bennett Sterling, leaving myself with zero real friends.

Nobody in this city was looking for me.

I said nothing, and the boy did not pry.

He led me through several alleyways to a secluded, vintage brick warehouse. The perimeter was densely lined with vibrant flowerbeds. Seeing the blossoms, I froze in my tracks.

Walking into a dense flowerbed like that would trigger fatal respiratory failure within minutes.

Noticing my hesitation, a flash of understanding crossed the boy's dark eyes. "You're allergic to pollen too, aren't you? Same here."

Under my bewildered gaze, he flashed a cheeky grin. "They're all high-end dried florals. Zero pollen. You're completely safe, trust me."

Suddenly, the system's alert chimed in my mind. "Host, a hidden side quest has been triggered: Tend to Leo Hayes's injuries. Reward: One million dollars in your original bank account."

The battered young man standing before me was Leo Hayes.

After a brief pause, I spoke softly to him. "Let me help you clean up those cuts."

Leo blinked in surprise, then nodded eagerly. He quickly dragged out a battered metal first-aid kit. I opened it and picked up the bottles, inspecting the labels.

Every single ointment and pill inside had expired months ago. I shook my head in exasperation. "All of this medicine is expired."

Leo shrugged with careless defiance. "Doesn't matter! I've been taking this stuff forever. As long as it doesn't kill me, it works."