Stepping outside the grand terminal of the interstellar transit station, the four siblings were instantly overwhelmed by the breathtaking, suffocating luxury and bustling scale of Shin-Jinrui Chūsū (New Humanity Core).
The metropolis resembled a colossal, never-sleeping beehive, with tides of people surging through the streets like a massive, endless current.
An array of state-of-the-art transit vehicles dominated their vision.
High above, sleek space shuttles glided along brilliant rails of pure light.
Down on the asphalt, however, the absolute center of attention belonged to four-wheeled mechanical beasts that were highly sought after.
These were “ancient legendary” supercars from Earth’s past, meticulously restored and retrofitted with advanced Sophion combustion engines by elite syndicates: from gleaming chrome Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ models and aggressive McLaren Sennas to proud, fiery red Ferrari F80s, wind-slicing Koenigsegg Jesko Absoluts, and ultra-luxurious Rolls-Royce Droptails.
Shin’s eyes widened like headlights, his jaw dropping in sheer disbelief:
— “What in the world is this?!
Those are ultra-rare vintage vehicles from the previous era.
Whoa…
look at that Jesko over there, that is insanely gorgeous!”
Heaving her heavy tactical backpack, Loona offered a highly analytical observation:
— “In the cosmic era, anti-gravity propulsion is the norm, so vehicles utilizing traditional wheels are incredibly rare and outrageously expensive, Brother Shin.
It’s safe to say…
the hyper-wealthy excavating these ‘fossils’ to cruise around are playing at a completely different level!”
A Diverse Melting Pot
They continued their walk through streets saturated with multicolored neon light.
The crowds passing by wore everything from elegant, tailored suits of the high elite to the coarse, simple garments of the working class.
Yet, what astonished Shin the most was the sheer biodiversity of the populace.
He patted Kento and Ling Mo on their shoulders, pointing forward:
— “Kento, Loona, Ling Mo!
Look over there!
That guy…
he’s a Beastman, right?
What breed of canine does he look like to you?”
Loona rapidly pulled out her mini digital tablet, scrolling through data with excitement:
— “Yes, Brother!
He belongs to the Beastman race.
The classified archives back at the convent mentioned they possess extraordinary physical conditioning and an exceptionally keen sense of smell!
Look over there, there are also individuals with elongated ears but only four fingers, and others with animal ears and long tails…
they are hybrids!”
— “Look…
there are even beasts from other planets.” Kento narrowed his eyes, gesturing toward a massive creature hauling a heavy freight container.
“It looks like a colossal bull, but why does it have wings on its back?”
— “There’s more, brothers!” Loona tugged at Shin’s sleeve, pointing up at the sky.
“Up there, some people are flying freely without any shuttle craft.
Are they controlling their Sophion to defy gravity?”
Shin draped an arm over Ling Mo’s shoulder, nodding in quiet appreciation:
— “Exactly, Loona.
In this capital, masters of Sophion control are as common as autumn leaves.”
Ling Mo maintained his trademark silence, his dead-fish eyes scanning their surroundings with a subtle glint of caution:
— “…”
— “This place has absolutely everything!
Eateries, shopping malls, and luxury boutiques lined up side-by-side…
it’s completely dizzying!” Loona cheered.
While the other three were thoroughly absorbed in the urban landscape, Kento’s attention was drawn to the signs of various dojos teaching martial arts and close-quarters Sophion combat.
He was so busy scanning his surroundings that he failed to notice what was directly in front of him.
THUD!
A fairly heavy collision occurred.
Kento stood as solid as a mountain of granite.
Conversely, three or four young men wearing the matching uniforms of some prestigious academy in the city center bounced backward from the impact.
The leader of the group—a youth with meticulously styled hair and an incredibly arrogant face—instantly lost his temper.
He pointed directly at Kento’s face and barked:
— “Hey!
You blind dog, you ran right into me!
Are you blind?!”
Kento stood perfectly straight, his dark eyes locking onto the youth, his voice devoid of any emotion:
— “My apologies.
But it was quite clear that you were walking carelessly and ran into me first.”
— “You dare talk back?!
You just ruined my designer shirt, pay up!” The leader glared, stepping forward to grab Kento’s collar.
“And look at your face…
you look completely unfamiliar.
You hicks just arrived in the city, didn’t you?”
Seeing the situation escalate, Shin rapidly stepped in, placing himself directly between Kento and the hostile students:
— “Whoa, what’s the issue here, my young friends?
Let’s talk this out calmly.”
Standing behind Shin, Kento briefly and flatly relayed the sequence of events to his brother.
Hearing this, Shin offered a placating smile, raising both hands in a gesture of peace:
— “Ah, it seems we have a small misunderstanding here.
Calm down, everyone.
If we have offended you in any way, please forgive us.
We are new here and have no intention of causing trouble.
Let’s call it even, shall we?”
Seeing Shin back down, the leader scoffed with open disdain, brushing off his shoulder:
— “Hmph!
The compensation for my shirt is something trash like you couldn’t afford even if you sold your lives.
Consider yourselves lucky that I am feeling exceptionally generous today and won’t bother with nameless, pathetic beggars.
Get out of my sight!”
With that, the group of students strutted off.
Behind Shin, the pure white Sophion current within Kento began to ripple, his dark eyes flashing with the unmistakable killing intent of a true Oni. Get faster updates on g.com.
He looked at Shin, asking in a low tone:
— “Brother Shin…
why did you feel the need to tolerate those pieces of garbage?”
Shin turned around, playfully flicking Kento’s forehead, answering with a completely straight face:
— “You idiot, that wasn’t tolerance.
I was saving those flat-brained kids’ lives from you.
We just set foot in this city; if you beat them to death on day one, the police will lock us all up.”
Loona let out a sigh of relief, tugging at both of her brothers’ jackets:
— “Let’s not argue.
Dusk is falling, and we need to secure a room quickly.
Wandering around carrying all this heavy luggage indefinitely is a terrible idea!”
Ling Mo raised a hand, pointing toward an older district tucked away behind the towering skyscrapers—a sector lined with signs advertising cheap room rentals.
However, reality proved to be far from ideal.
The four siblings knocked on doors and inquired at every old apartment complex, only to receive the same responses: “No vacancy!” or prices that were outrageously extortionate.
With the city heavily congested by off-world migrants, finding a foothold was no simple task.
Nightfall and Hungry Stomachs
Wandering until the late evening without any success, Shin slumped wearily onto a public bench, groaning:
— “Sigh…
What is going on?
A metropolis this colossal and magnificent, and we can’t even find a single vacant room for four people to rent?”
Loona, still curious, scanned their surroundings.
In this particular district, she noticed several creatures of extraordinary height—towering up to three meters with muscular, sea-blue skin—performing heavy lifting and manual labor.
She wondered:
— “They are so tall, easily over three meters…
and why is their skin as blue as the ocean?
The universe truly is boundless; everything exists out here.”
Clutching his loudly rumbling stomach, Shin stood up sluggishly:
— “Alright, finding a room can wait.
Let’s get some food first; I’m absolutely starving.
Loona, Kento, do you two want to grab something to eat?”
Loona shook her head, offering a gentle smile:
— “No thank you, Brother.
Kento and I had those two massive bowls of pho at the transit hub earlier.
We’re still completely full.”
Kento agreed:
— “Same here.
You and Brother Mo go ahead and eat.
I’ll stay here to watch the luggage and protect Loona.”
— “Alright, wait here then.
Ling Mo and I will be right back!” Shin waved, merging into the crowd alongside Ling Mo to search for an eatery.
The two turned down a narrow alleyway, locating a quaint restaurant radiating traditional Japanese charm.
They ordered two bowls of steaming, fragrant ramen.
— “I’m starving!
I need to demolish this hot bowl of noodles to recharge my batteries!” Shin declared, plunging his chopsticks into the bowl and eating ravenously.
Ling Mo silently nodded, snapping his chopsticks to systematically dismantle his portion:
— “…”
A bowl of ramen in the federation’s capital was far from cheap, costing a hefty 50 Sophion Coins each.
But in return, the rich broth rapidly restored their physical energy.
The Rule of the Fist
Meanwhile, back at the public bench where Kento and Loona were waiting, trouble once again found them.
TAP…
TAP…
The sound of mocking footsteps echoed nearby.
Unluckily, the arrogant academy students from earlier happened to be passing through the sector and spotted the siblings.
Seeing that Shin and Ling Mo were absent, the leader’s face twisted into a sinister grin.
He gestured to his three lackeys, surrounding the bench.
— “Oh, look who we have here?
Isn’t it the two country bumpkins from this morning?” The leader leaned down, staring intently at Loona’s pretty face, before extending a hand to stroke her cheek.
“Where did your brother run off to?
Leaving such a sweet little sister all alone here…
Why don’t you come spend the night with me—”
CRASH!!!
BANG!!!
Before he could finish his sentence, a terrifying explosion of force erupted.
No one saw Kento move.
In a single fraction of a second, Kento’s hand—rigid as a steel vice—clamped violently over the leader’s entire face, slamming his head directly into the asphalt.
CRACK…
CRACK…
SHATTER!
The crushing downward force was so immense that the thick layer of asphalt instantly fractured, shattering into a hundred pieces.
The leader’s head was driven deep into the crater, blood spraying violently from his nose and mouth.
Kento stood tall, looking down with dark, lifeless eyes, radiating a bone-chilling white aura:
— “You absolute garbage…
Did you honestly believe your status gave you some kind of supreme authority over us?”
The three lackeys were utterly horrified, but relying on their local backing, one of them shrieked:
— “You bastard!
How dare you strike our boss!
I’ll kill—”
Kento didn’t bother letting him finish.
He spun on his heel and delivered a devastating straight punch directly to the center of the speaker’s chest.
A sickening bone-cracking sound echoed as the lackey’s entire sternum and ribs shattered, his body launching backward over fifteen meters to slam violently against the opposite brick wall before collapsing, completely unconscious.
The second lackey panicked, drawing a thick iron pipe from his back.
Channeling a crude layer of Sophion energy, he swung it in a desperate, lethal arc toward Kento’s shoulder.
CLANG…
BEND!
The iron pipe struck Kento’s shoulder, but the sensation was akin to striking an indestructible block of diamond.
Kento didn’t even bother to dodge; his shoulder didn’t yield a single millimeter.
Instead, the iron pipe warped instantly, bending into a bizarre, useless shape.
— “I let you wield a weapon…
and that’s the best you can do?” Kento whipped his head around, his demonic Oni gaze piercing the lackey’s soul.
He swung his hand, delivering a brutal slap to the pipe-wielding lackey’s face.
The sheer kinetic force of the swing deformed the youth’s jaw, caving in one side of his face as several teeth flew into the air amidst a spray of crimson blood.
The lackey spun several times before collapsing cold onto the ground.
At that moment, the leader managed to crawl out of the cracked asphalt crater, groaning, his face a battered, bloody mess as he wept hysterically:
— “Ugh…
Ah…
You monster…
it hurts so bad…
someone save me…”
Kento strolled casually toward him, grabbing him by the collar with one hand and hoisting him into the air like a helpless chicken.
He delivered a light punch to his gut.
The strike didn’t tear the skin, but the snow-chilled internal Sophion energy penetrated straight through his torso, causing the leader’s eyes to roll back as though his very soul had been violently evicted from his body.
Kento grabbed him by his messy hair, delivering a rapid succession of slaps that left his face swollen like a pig’s head.
Having his spirit completely broken, the leader realized he had crossed a literal demon.
He clasped his hands together, weeping and begging for his life:
— “I’m sorry…
I’m so sorry, big brother!
Please spare my life!
Don’t kill me!
I know my place now!”
Kento scanned their surroundings, brushing the dust off his hands, and said coldly:
— “My legs are getting a bit tired from standing.
And this public bench is filthy; I find myself lacking a comfortable chair to sit on.”
The leader immediately understood the implication.
He scrambled onto all fours on the ground, forming a human stool, trembling as he flattered:
— “Yes…
yes!
Let me be your chair, boss!
Please sit on my back.
I’ll hold myself steady on all fours, I won’t collapse!
Please, just don’t beat me anymore!”
Kento cast a cold glance at him, then shifted his gaze to Loona:
— “See?
And I only utilized the baseline strength of an average human.”
Standing with her arms crossed, Loona stared blankly at the massive crater in the asphalt, playfully rolling her eyes:
— “My dear older brother…
what kind of ‘average human’ slams someone’s head so hard it shatters the federation’s reinforced asphalt?!
If you actually utilized your full strength, this entire block would probably be reduced to absolute rubble!”
Kento ignored her.
He looked down at the whimpering leader and the unconscious lackeys strewn across the ground, letting out a bone-chilling growl:
— “All of you…
crawl out of my sight before I actually get the urge to slaughter you.”
— “Yes!
Yes!
We’re leaving, we’ll vanish immediately!” The terrified leader and his battered lackeys scrambled, dragging one another away as they fled for their lives as though they had encountered a ghost, never once daring to look back.
A Place to Call Home
A short while later, Shin and Ling Mo returned carrying bags of light snacks.
Noting the fractured asphalt and the distinctly altered atmosphere, Shin raised an eyebrow, about to ask what had transpired.
However, Kento simply slung his backpack over his shoulder, calmly urging:
— “Let’s move.
We need to keep looking for a room.
This spot is too noisy.”
Shin scratched his head, choosing not to press further.
Fortunately, just before the darkness of night fully set in, under Ling Mo’s highly efficient navigation and relentless searching, the group successfully secured an apartment for rent on the middle floor of an older yet exceptionally clean complex.
The rent was locked at 300 Sophion Coins per month—an incredibly reasonable price relative to their current financial reserves.
The landlord was a gentle, friendly woman who lived with her incredibly adorable five-year-old daughter.
The apartment was highly spacious, divided into practical living zones that offered ample space for the four of them to reside comfortably and freely.
Shin tossed his heavy backpack onto the wooden floor, collapsing onto the large bed with a massive sigh of relief:
— “Man…
We finally found a place to settle down!
What kind of crazy, overpopulated city is this?
We were seriously within inches of sleeping under a bridge tonight.”
Kento, Loona, and Ling Mo smiled, unzipping their backpacks to organize their personal belongings in the corners of the room.
Amidst the hyper-luxurious, treacherous, and merciless cyber-metropolis of Shin-Jinrui Chūsū, the four siblings had finally secured their very first foothold.
END OF CHAPTER 20