Have you ever felt disillusioned by your surroundings?

  An uncomfortable sensation that choked your chest with a suffocating feeling.

  Insects that didn’t exist, crazy monsters, and living humanoids beyond the endless walls.

  In some areas, butterflies ready to burn anyone who came too close were common and feared for their beauty.

  Standing near the window, he often wondered if he truly belonged to this world unknown to modern humans.

  Su Bei felt a certain… confusion.

  Through the open window, he saw strange hybrids walking along the road, carrying people on their backs, radiant mages loading boxes onto a cart tied to a giant’s head, people with long ears, and others resembling humanoid cats.

  Zhh... Zhh...

  Sometimes the sky was covered in a cyan blue like that of a vast ocean; otherwise, it was filled with thick airships, escorted by elites and surrounded by dragons and other winged beasts.

  Su Bei could even recognize some types of monsters he thought were descendants of griffins and wyverns, ridden by intimidating humans clad in shimmering armor.

  He looked on silently.

  "I’ll never get used to this."

  Su Bei clenched his fists repeatedly.

  The numbing sensation, the heating warmth, and the muscular tension confirmed that he had truly fallen into another world. That it wasn’t a dream.

  It had now been three years since he arrived in this magical and fantastical world.

  He was just a regular student living next to the university, trying to get a degree for his career, but everything changed when a man appeared out of nowhere and kidnapped him.

  'Kidnapped' was a big word.

  The man had "accidentally" killed him by summoning Truck-kun, who had just returned from a break.

  Recalling his past life, he started putting on clothes that looked more like trash than garments.

  An oversized sweater that didn’t fit, pants too short and stretched thin from wear. Still, he wore them because they were cheap. He was poor.

  "I’ll have to find something else soon."

  Su Bei looked at his arm.

  Some holes were visible through his long sleeves. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could fix them.

  He planned to ask Aunt Hung Li for sewing tips the next time he visited her.

  "Brother! Come to the kitchen! Mom and Dad have a surprise for you! A gift! I mean… it’s a surprise!"

  A beautiful young girl entered the room without knocking, wearing a wide smile. Su Bei called her Hua Yi, his little sister.

  She jumped on him, rubbing herself against his warm chest. A familiar scent tickled his nose.

  "You seem excited, Hua Yi?"

  "Of course! I’m happy for you, brother!"

  Su Bei patted her head.

  His father had remarried after their old city had fallen to nightmare beasts.

  At that time, they had lost everything and crossed paths with the Hua family, who were in a similar situation. In a strange twist of romance, Hua’s mother and his father got together.

  As Hua Yi was only three years old back then, she would often cry, while Su Bei accepted the marriage. A contact of his father’s found new coordinates, and they arrived on Varian, a planet with an emerging economy in the star system.

  Due to the constant beast attacks, administration services were overwhelmed. They lived on the streets for several months before being contacted and granted new identities.

  They rejoiced, then found an abandoned house on the city’s outskirts and settled in.

  He also remembered that he had a sister in his previous life. She looked just like Hua Yi, whether it was coincidence or fate.

  I wonder if she’s still crying over my death?

  Sibling relationships were always complicated.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  After all, they would bicker every time they saw each other like a cat and a dog. He couldn’t count how many times his sister had bitten his arm since they were born.

  Su Bei thoughtfully patted Hua Yi’s head, inadvertently messing up her greasy hair. She didn’t appreciate that and jumped out of his arms.

  "Let’s go already!"

  She grabbed Su Bei with surprising strength and dragged him like a ragdoll to the kitchen. He couldn’t tell if she was getting revenge or just excited. She charged down the stairs like a bull.

  Bam! He hit a box with his head.

  Su Bei looked at the boxes in the hallway while being pulled forward. He tried to dodge the obstacles that looked like banana peels from Mario Kart.

  The house was messy and old from lack of renovations. His parents tried to earn a bit of money, but income was scarce for immigrants like them.

  Boxes of civil rations lay on the floor. Most were non-perishable food like amber jelly or bahamut peanuts.

  Some were full, others empty. Probably rats or snakes sneaking in through cracks at night.

  Amber jelly was known to attract slum rats. Its unique texture was beloved by critters, while bahamut peanuts were prized for their nutrients.

  Hmm. This could get annoying if it keeps happening.

  Rats tend to gather quickly.

  Today it’d be ten, tomorrow thirty, then a hundred. They reproduced endlessly. Unless exterminated, they multiplied like cockroaches.

  "Hua Yi, do you prefer rats or snakes?"

  "Aren’t they the same, brother?"

  He nodded.

  Ordinary people would recoil in disgust, but Su Bei and Hua Yi had always been poor they were used to this lifestyle.

  Snakes? Their skin was inedible, but the meat was delicious when cooked. Even rat meat could taste good with enough spice.

  Alright. Should he cook rats or snakes for tomorrow’s stew? He’d also need to buy some rat traps with cheese.

  As he pondered, he was brought back to reality by the throbbing pain in his hand.

  "Why is my hand purple?"

  Hua Yi was crushing it.

  Su Bei felt a bad premonition.

  "Get ready, brother! We’re gonna leap to the kitchen! Woo!"

  "Slow down! I’m gonna puke! Ugh! I’m seriously gonna die if you keep this up! Ugh! Not again!"

  Although he was the older sibling, his sister was way too strong for a man. He lacked the brute strength or speed to match his little sister.

  Not that she was a gorilla or a buff woman.

  Su Bei simply had the physique of a 21st-century man. People in this world were just superhuman.

  He was ashamed of his body.

  Too weak to resist a nine-year-old. If a baby grabbed his hand, would he have to beg for mercy?

  Just thinking about it gave him chills.

  He promised himself never to hold a baby’s hand not until he improved his strength. Otherwise, he’d be the laughingstock of the world.

  "Hehehe…"

  Meanwhile, she enjoyed her advantage. Just wait until your big brother gets stronger! He’d surely get revenge for this humiliation!

  Although she’d said that, she slowed down and cushioned his fall, catching him in her chubby arms. For a second, he felt like a Disney princess.

  Is this how Snow White felt in the prince’s arms?

  Sighing, he slipped from his sister’s arms and stood before the room where the aroma of food contrasted with the state of the house.

  Su Bei couldn’t resist his hunger and walked into the room. A simple table in the middle, a trapdoor to the basement, and shelves on the wall were the only furnishings in the kitchen.

  "Mom! I brought big brother Su Bei to the kitchen like you asked!"

  Hua Yi bounced cheerfully.

  "Good girl, here’s your meat~"

  She patted Hua Yi’s head.

  "Hello, stepmother."

  Su Bei coughed as he approached.

  "Oh my son, don’t be shy. You can call me Hua Ya like usual, can’t you?"

  "Ah, sorry, I forgot for a second."

  Hua Ya smiled gently.

  "Sit now, I’ll prepare your plate."

  She went into the cellar beneath the kitchen and pulled out several heavy crates, each weighing nearly 200 kilograms.

  He couldn’t even offer help. His arms would break from the weight. Yet his sister walked up and held a crate like it was nothing.

  Coughing, Su Bei turned toward a crate that stood out.

  It looked special.

  Ordinary crates were for food, daily needs, or clothes, but this one felt different.

  Su Bei’s mouth fell open in surprise.

  A pig surrounded by knives!

  Wasn’t that the logo of a famous butcher on the city’s outskirts? Though far from downtown, it was renowned for sourcing high-quality meat.

  Hua Ya brought out more crates.

  "Aren’t these ceremonial crates?!"

  Su Bei jumped up from his chair.

  Ceremonial crates were, as the name implied, for official ceremonies. He opened them one by one and found books.

  "They brought this to me this morning. Well… Looks like my child won the literature contest."

  Clack! Clunk!

  "Damn it, I’ll have to shower because of the trash that bastard Claude left behind."

  "Perfect timing, honey!"

  Hua Ya jumped with joy.

  His father, with gray mustache, pointy nose, and glasses, put on his shirt and joined the family.

  He glanced around, alternating between the ceremonial crates and Su Bei awkwardly opening the books.

  "Well, well. What do we have here?"

  Su Guang smiled, pulling out a small white letter stamped with a red seal marked "DV."

  Su Bei turned his head.

  "Is that a letter?"

  He nodded.

  "I’ve been saving every bit since we settled here."

  Su Guang handed him the letter.

  Su Bei looked his father in the eye.

  "I converted all my savings to give you this gift today. Check it out. You’ll be pleasantly surprised."

  With impatience and curiosity, Su Bei tore the letter open and read the contents, eyes widening.

  ===

  Letter from the Hun Prefecture

  Hello Su Guang,

  As expected, considering your achievements and exemplary work in our society these past years, we have responded to your sincere and exceptional request.

  Skill Book (E)

  200,000 C

  May the Emperor bless our society.

  ===

  A skill book and 200,000 credits?

  Su Bei swallowed hard and looked up at his father, now munching on meat at the table.

  "You’re really giving this to me?"

  Based on what he knew, this was nearly everything his father had saved since they got here.

  A skill book typically cost 500,000 credits (D), 400,000 (E), 300,000 (F), then 700,000 (C), 900,000 (B), 1,200,000 (A), with the rest exceeding 2,000,000.

  The E-rank book at 400,000 plus the 200,000 credits made a total of 600,000 the savings of six years.

  600,000 credits could buy a small house near downtown, a large house on the outskirts, or land in the slums.

  A massive amount, even for a wealthy household.

  "Who else would I give a part of my life to for free? Just take it already!"

  "Thank you, Father!"

  Su Bei tore the letter open, and a dusty book along with a pouch fell into his hand.

  It was a support-type skill book. On it was written: Cloning a cheap ability commonly found on the superhuman market.

  Then the pouch in his hand, about the size of an apple, had a space-time interior to store large amounts of goods.

  The credits, made of zilinium coins, were inside.

  Zilinium was a rare material, even for the Blackthorn Empire. Only the national bank and the Universe Bank had decent supplies.

  Su Bei was excited.

  Nano, scan the book in my hand!