Texas was soaking in the bathtub.
The bathroom in the rental apartment wasn’t large, so she had to curl up inside.
The warm water enveloped her body, giving her a full sense of security.
Her eyes couldn’t stop fluttering.
The sword she had wrapped up leaned against the edge of the tub; if there was any movement, she would draw it immediately.
Even if the blade was chipped, that sword was still dangerous enough to easily kill a person.
But until she finished her bath, dried her body, blow-dried her hair and Tail, and completed her grooming, nothing happened.
Changing into her newly bought clothes and stepping out of the bathroom, the smell of chemical residue on the new clothes made her frown slightly.
As a Luper with a keen sense of smell, the scent was somewhat pungent to her.
But she could only endure it for now.
It was much better than her wretched escape from Columbia and wandering in the wilderness.
The living room was filled with various snacks, mostly sweets, which seemed to make Frez feel more cheerful.
“I quite like sweets, but I don’t like things that are overly sweet.
Want some?” Frez handed over a box of Pocky.
Texas waved her hand to decline and pulled out a cigarette from her dirty clothes.
She had scavenged it from a group of people who attacked her in the wilderness; it wasn’t a good brand, nor was it what she usually smoked.
“Want one?” “Never smoked.
My lungs would probably hurt.” “That’s just your lungs growing muscle.” Texas made a rare joke.
After her bath, she felt much more relaxed.
However, she tossed the cigarette pack into the trash, losing the urge to smoke.
“Never mind, I’ll quit.” Cut off everything from the past, along with the old bad habits.
She picked up the Chocolate stick Frez handed her, opened it, and held it in her mouth.
Habitually, she reached for her pocket to find a lighter, then remembered she was eating a Chocolate stick and shook her head helplessly.
The taste…
was alright.
Gripping the Chocolate stick between her thumb and middle finger, she tapped it with her index finger as if flicking cigarette ash and asked, “Are there any decent jobs in Lungmen?” “Not here.
This is Lungmen’s Lower City, but more people prefer to call it the slums.
Aside from gangs, there aren’t many proper jobs.
This place rejects Lungmen’s Infected and the poor; it’s a real mixed bag.
I’m working here as an undercover agent, infiltrating gangs and then reporting them to earn reward money.
Of course, I’ll be moving out in a while.” “Moving out?
Afraid of retaliation?” It was a miracle that Frez could survive with this way of working.
Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out that he was actually a very good fighter.
“Not really.
I just want to leave Lungmen and venture out into the world.” He joked, “Maybe one day, I’ll return in triumph with a different look.” “Then good luck to you.
As for me, I’ll probably just settle down in Lungmen.” Until her past caught up with her, she would live here like an ordinary person.
She needed to find a proper job tomorrow.
The slums were probably out of the question.
As for the gangs?
Having come from an old-money Siracusan family and grown up in Columbia, Texas looked down on those small-time squabbles.
Besides, she was a newcomer, and the local gangs weren’t very polite.
“Oh, right.
Time for you to work.” Frez urged her.
Texas nodded, picked up a broom, and began to clean.
Her movements were a bit clumsy.
Although she came from a gang background, she was still a Demoiselle after all; she usually had everything done for her, so such tasks were naturally left to the servants.
“After sweeping, mop it once.
Also, I’ll wash my own clothes, so don’t worry about those.
Then change the bedsheets and pillowcases, and your task for tonight will be finished.” “I understand.” Texas had no complaints.
Frez had not only given her a meal and a place to stay but also lent her money.
As long as he didn’t cross any lines, he was her benefactor.
Repay kindness, avenge wrongs.
That was Texas’s principle in life.
After working for a long time with the TV as background noise, she finished all the tasks.
Looking at the clean living room and bedroom, a sense of achievement welled up in Texas.
Living alone wasn’t impossible.
She turned to look at Frez in the living room.
He still hadn’t taken off his sunglasses.
He was drinking a beverage and eating snacks while watching a movie starring a black-and-white Ursus.
The Yan kung fu in it was superb, and even Texas couldn’t help but be drawn in.
By the time the movie ended, it was late at night.
Yawning, Texas finally said goodnight to Frez and went to the room to rest.
Lying on a strange bed in total darkness, with the faint sound of the TV coming from outside the door and the occasional sound of a child crying or people swearing outside the window, Texas closed her eyes.
She slept soundly; it had been a long time since she had slept like this.
In the wilderness, she never dared to sleep deeply, always having to be alert for all sorts of things.
In cities, she would always have nightmares when she closed her eyes, recalling the last night before leaving Columbia: the Burning family, her dead father, herself covered in blood, and that existence calling itself the Wolf Lord.
When she woke up, there was a constant knocking at the door.
She put on a coat and walked out of the room.
Frez was already gone, and the trash in the bin had disappeared.
The coat he wore yesterday was left messily on the sofa.
“Did he forget his keys while taking out the trash?” She drew her sword and opened the door a crack.
Standing at the entrance was a Liberi…
quite hip-hop?
“You are?
Emperor?” Although she didn’t listen to rap, she had heard of Emperor, the hip-hop Elite who had been popular in Columbia for the past few years.
Some of the underlings in her family liked his style too.
“Little girl, I’ve been looking for you for a long time.” The sunglasses on the penguin’s beak slid down slightly, revealing a pair of bead-like eyes full of interest.
“I’m planning to start a logistics company in Lungmen and I’m looking for recruits.
Are you interested?” “No.” Texas was about to close the door, but a shoeless foot blocked it.
“Don’t be in such a hurry, little girl.
I appreciate you.
We can talk about the benefits.” “I’m not interested.
Please leave.
If you don’t, I won’t be polite.” Emperor let out a series of quacks and laughed.
“Not polite?
How so?
Can you kill me?
If you have the guts, draw your sword and stab me to death right here!” As an immortal Beast Lord, death was the last thing he feared.
Sometimes he’d jump off buildings or play Russian roulette out of boredom; it was all part of his daily routine.
“Killing you would be too much trouble to clean up.” Texas didn’t want to resort to killing for now.
Frez walked up the stairs carrying a bag of breakfast and saw this scene.
“What are you two doing?” “You’re the kid who snatched away the girl I was interested in?
Hiss, are you an Agor?
You don’t look like one.” “I’m a human.
Can’t you recognize that, you penguin?” “Holy crap, a human?!” Emperor slid across the floor, his flippers tightly gripping Frez’s hand, shaking it up and down.
“Please, you must join my team.”
Maybe it’s not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”