“This is the fate of those who refuse to surrender. The Empire gave your country a chance, and it chose humiliation.”

  She sounded like a second-rate villain. I didn’t care about my country. But I did feel humiliated. Humiliated that I was powerless. That I couldn’t do anything.

  A few seconds later, a system announcement echoed across the battlefield.

  “Kalazh has surrendered. Victory goes to the Empire. Further combat is now prohibited. Exiting battle in 30… 29… 28…”

  Guess our side finally realized the strategy had failed. That this whole thing was hopeless.

  I felt a small wave of relief. At least I wouldn’t have to feel “death” today.

  But the girl in front of me, like she could hear my thoughts, kept going. Her voice calm, sharp, like she enjoyed cutting deep.

  “You know, I really hate cowards. Especially the ones who are satisfied with just surviving.”

  I clenched my teeth.

  “…Then why didn’t you kill me? What do you want from me?”

  “Nothing,” she said. “Just voicing my thoughts.”

  Then she turned away, silver hair catching in the wind, the insignia of the Empire glinting on her back like a quiet insult. She didn’t even look at me when she spoke next.

  “Next time I see you,” she said, almost casually, “I’ll kill you. Slowly. As painfully as the simulation allows.”

  Scary! Seriously, what is with her?

  Since this virtual reality space has 100% pain sensitivity, those words actually felt like a real threat. Not just some edgy line from a movie, she meant it. I could still feel my arms shaking. My body knew I’d just barely escaped something awful.

  But… why did she look a little sad when she said it?

  That part didn’t make any sense. I couldn’t figure her out. And I really didn’t want to try.

  Then the battlefield began to break apart.

  Her figure was stuck in my head as the world flickered around me and the battlefield dissolved into the reward screen.

  ***

  Don’t forget to check your chip for your next deployment.

  Would you like to convert points to 115 Letas?

  I slammed ‘yes’ so fast even I was surprised.

  Letas was the main currency here. And I’d gone a full week without a real meal, just crusty crackers and some weird nutrient paste that smelled like wet dog. My wallet had been empty, a black hole.

  But now, one hundred and fifteen Letas!That’s enough for real food. Hot meals. Something with flavor. Or twenty-three whole instant noodles, if I rationed right.

  I actually felt my eyes water.

  I mean, yeah, I just got humiliated and nearly stabbed to death by a scary-hot enemy captain, but... this? This was still a win.

  For once, I wouldn’t go to bed hungry.

  I pulled off the headset and let out a quiet “Yes” under my breath. My limbs felt like jelly, but my brain was already sprinting to the market. I hadn’t even stood up yet and I was already dreaming of eating fried tofu and hot soup.

  I slipped on my underwear, then fumbled into a pair of worn-out shoes way too big for my feet. They made a sad flapping noise with every step.

  Next came the baggy gray jogging pants, then a light blue shirt that hung off my shoulders like it was made for someone twice my size. The collar was stretched and the fabric smelled like someone else’s soap. Not awful, but definitely not mine.

  “Cough, cough…”

  It’s been a week, and I still couldn’t get used to this body. Too soft, too light. Kind of unfairly cute, honestly, but it always felt one bad day away from collapsing. Like a display doll someone dropped into a war zone.

  Back on Earth, I was 172 centimeters tall. Not exactly towering, but tall enough to be smug about it. Now? I look like I’d lose a fight with a kitchen counter. I don’t even think I hit 150. Forget top shelves, just opening a cabinet feels like a boss battle.

  Nia didn’t have any real clothes. I had to ask the neighbors for hand-me-downs like a stray cat or else I would freeze to death. One lady gave me this shirt with a half-smile and a pat on the head. I wanted to disappear from embarrassment.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Food here also isn’t all rationed, most people just buy what they need, but that doesn’t help when you’ve got no money. I was living off whatever scraps I could scrounge up. Instant noodles if I got lucky. Sometimes I just went to bed hungry and hoped the next day they would give rations.

  And water? That’s limited. I almost got thrown out by the landlord last time I ran the faucet too long. Since arriving here, I’ve only bathed once.

  I miss warm showers more than I miss home.

  I know, I know… it’s totally my fault for getting scammed by that cube. But come on, how could I not get excited? A chance to enter another world? I didn’t ask questions, just nodded like an idiot. And now… yeah. Look where that got me.

  “Sigh...”

  Still… I was kind of happy. At least I could eat something warm today.

  I opened the creaky wooden door and stepped out of the apartment. The hallway light above flickered, gave up, and died. I trudged down cracked concrete stairs, past tangled cables and walls covered in graffiti. Laundry flapped between rusted railings like faded flags in a dead city.

  Outside, the air buzzed with that tired city hum, broken machines and broken people. It smelled like engine oil, rust, and cheap fried tofu.

  The buildings around me were patched together with scrap. Plastic sheets, steel beams, bricks that didn’t match. Some had LED strips running along the frames, flickering glitchy ads in three languages.

  Paint peeled in patches. Most of the signs were missing letters.

  Vehicles sputtered by, three-wheeled things that looked like two cars got mashed together in a scrapyard. One beeped weakly as it rolled past, coughing smoke like a dying smoker.

  People were bundled in old military coats and thermal blankets. Homeless huddled around rusted buckets full of burning trash. A few wore cheap visors, zoning out to old VR dramas. Kids laughed while digging through garbage, like it was a game.

  Above it all, hologram billboards flickered across the skyline. Recruitment ads. Propaganda. Corporate news. One displayed a soldier in bright white armor and the words:

  "Honor in Unity. Safety through Strength."

  I pulled my shirt tighter and kept walking. The market wasn’t far.

  The market was chaos. Shouting, bartering, threats, everyone scrambling to survive. Stalls sold whatever they could find: broken tools, spare parts, spoiled vegetables. Useless junk, mostly.

  Since I had no kitchen, I skipped the ingredients and headed straight for the food stalls.

  “Old man Ralph! Three stinky fried tofu sticks and one soup, please!”

  The old man turned, smiled.

  “Don’t call them stinky! But you look happy today. Got your paycheck?”

  “Yep! Yep!”

  I nodded excitedly and grabbed my food. These tofu sticks were a local favorite. Cheap, filling, and, yeah, kinda smelly. But Ralph was generous with the portions, so people lined up.

  He also knew the original Nia.

  Back when I first arrived, lost and panicking, I stumbled through this market and met him. He gave me some tofu and said, “For helping carry supplies last time.”

  After talking to him for a few days I learned some things about Nia.

  She used to scavenge the junkyard, looking for salvage from the upper sectors. One time, she found a gold-plated module and sold it for enough money to get a small apartment. But then the junkyard exploded, and the city declared it off-limits. She lost her source of income and started scraping by on small commissions.

  “I’m really sorry, Nia,” Ralph said, handing me another tofu stick. “I wish I could hire you, but I’d starve if I took on help.”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “This is my problem, not yours. But thank you.”

  Even saying that, I felt my throat tighten.

  Why did I have to be broke in another world too? What did I do in my past life? How is this fair!

  I muttered curses at the cube as I walked home.

  ***

  Knock knock.

  I knocked softly. The door creaked open.

  A pretty woman appeared, golden blonde hair, blue eyes like polished glass, and that same gentle presence that always made the hallway feel less miserable. But even though I’d seen her a few times already, my eyes still wandered.

  …They’re so huge.

  I forced myself to look away before my brain short-circuited. I wasn’t even trying to look this time, I swear. It’s just, they’re right there!

  “Oh, hello little Nia! You look adorable in those clothes.”

  I looked down, flustered.

  “Um… this is to say thanks. For the clothes…”

  I held out a paper bag with three tofu sticks inside. One and some soup was more than enough for me. The rest, I wanted to give back.

  Pretty girls always made me nervous. Back on Earth, I’d had… bad experiences. So I forced myself to meet her eyes. She looked genuinely happy, which only made my heart skip faster.

  “I told you to call me big sis! And my name is Elena, remember? Thank you! Next time, I’ll find you something that actually fits, okay~?”

  “No! You really don’t have to! Thanks anyway-!”

  I turned and ran off before she could say more.

  So pretty. Like she walked out of a dream. The kind of woman who should’ve lived in a palace, not a slum.

  Why is someone like her living here? That thought stuck in my head as I shuffled back into my apartment, still hugging the warm bag of food.

  The door let out a tired creak when I closed it, and the old lock barely clicked into place. The whole room was tiny, just a few steps across, and every step made the wooden floor whine under my weight. It felt more like a storage closet than a home, but I was starting to get used to it.

  I set the plastic bag down on the wobbly table, poured the soup into a chipped bowl, and took out the fried tofu. Without even sitting down, I bit into one and immediately melted a little inside.

  So good... this is happiness. Even if it smelled a little stinky…I plopped down cross-legged on the floor and devoured the rest with both hands like some hungry squirrel. When I finished, I tossed the wrappers into the corner bin and sipped a bit of water from the bottle I kept tucked near my bed.

  With my stomach finally full, a soft sigh escaped me.

  “So… what now?”

  I hugged my knees and rested my chin on them, staring at nothing in particular.

  I’d been trying to get a job all week, but no one trusted a random kid from who-knows-where, and most of the work was too tough anyway. Heavy lifting, machine repairs, scavenging runs… not exactly things this tiny body could handle. I was way too soft for that. Just carrying groceries made my arms ache.

  No skills, and barely any muscle.I really wasn’t built for this world.

  Then, just as I was about to spiral deeper into worry,

  Knock knock.

  “Ah, coming!”

  I scrambled to my feet and padded over to the door, half-hoping it was Elena. Maybe she was here to chat, or brought something sweet?

  I opened it with a tiny smile,

  And instantly froze.

  A sharp-faced woman stood outside, arms planted on her hips, eyes locked straight on mine. Her expression said “I’ve had enough of your nonsense” without her even saying a word.

  I shrank back a little. When landlords show up like this, it’s never good.

  “U-um… do you need something…?” I tried to sound polite. Hopefully not too squeaky.

  She clicked her tongue. “I reminded you two weeks ago, didn’t I? Your deposit’s almost used up, and rent’s due. I need 800 Letas within three days, or you’ll have to leave. Got it?”

  “…!”

  My heart dropped. My ears were still warm from the tofu and soup. Now my whole body felt cold.

  I’m doomed. Actually doomed.