Kai, lost in thought, began walking toward the city's largest electronics store: "Glave Electronics." It was a massive franchise with a branch in every city. Glave Electronics had truly changed the world with their technological inventions.
When Kai reached the shop, he saw a three-story building constructed from a strange black stone that didn't reflect any light. As he entered, an attendant came running toward him with a smile. "How can I help you, sir?"
"I want to buy a holographic watch," Kai said.
"This way, sir," the attendant replied, leading him toward a shelf filled with various models.
The attendant walked behind the counter. "Which model are you looking for? Our newest model, the TX679, is only 200 gold coins."
"What!?" Kai was shocked by the price, but he recovered quickly. Feeling a little embarrassed, he added, "My budget is only one gold coin."
The attendant's face flickered with disgust at Kai's words, but he maintained his professionalism. He pulled out a dust-covered watch. "This is our TX10 model. It is priced at 95 silver coins."
"I'll take it," Kai said, placing his gold coin on the counter. The attendant took the coin and returned five silver coins with a stony face. "Thanks for your purchase."
Back at home, Kai opened the box and took out the watch. When he turned it on, a black screen projected into the air:
[Enter Name]
[Age]
[Gender]
Kai filled in the details. Another instruction popped up:
[Place your finger on the scanner]
He checked the watch and found a small red screen with a fingerprint symbol. He pressed his thumb against it.
[Please bring your right eye closer for a retina scan]
He brought the watch near his eye. After the scan, a message appeared:
[Similar account found in data server]
[Would you like to log in with the previous account?]
[Sign in with new account. WARNING: The previous account and all associated data/money will be wiped for safety.]
Kai chose to log in with the body's original account.
Kai chose to log in with the body's previous account. As the interface loaded, his eyes widened in disbelief. There, displayed in the corner of the holographic screen, was his balance: 1,000 gold coins. He was overjoyed.
To a high-ranking martial artist, this might be pocket change for a single high-grade spirit stone. But to Kai, who was currently earning a single gold coin a month from Elder Sun, this was an incredible windfall.
If a common worker in Sky City earned roughly 200 gold coins a year, Kai was looking at five years' worth of wages sitting in a forgotten account. It wasn't enough to buy the city, but it was enough to change the trajectory of his training.
A wave of relief washed over him. He had gone from being a penniless refugee to having a solid financial foundation. He could now afford the high-quality monster meat and basic supplements he would need to push his body toward the Special-Grade Foundation.
"How?" Kai demanded of the empty room.
He began scrolling through the account history. The deposits were consistent, originating from an encrypted source labeled: "H. Family Trust."
"Hart..." Kai whispered, the name feeling heavy on his tongue.
He searched the fragmented memories of the body's previous owner. He remembered the screams in Cloud City and his parents' desperate faces as they pushed him toward the river.
He had always thought they were simple citizens, perhaps just small-time shopkeepers. But a "Family Trust" suggested a legacy—perhaps a minor branch of a fallen clan or a family of retired martial artists.
The excitement began to settle, replaced by a cold, calculating focus. While 1,000 gold wasn't enough to make him a king, it was enough to make him a target. In a world where humans were at the bottom of the food chain and strength dictated status, a teenager with no foundation and a thousand gold coins was just a "fat sheep" waiting to be slaughtered.
"If anyone finds out about this," Kai said, his gaze hardening as he looked at the glowing holographic screen, "I'll be in deep trouble. I need to use this money to get strong enough that I don't have to hide it."
He looked at the watch, seeing it now as a tool for his transformation. He had to reach the Academy. He had to spend this money wisely—discreetly buying the resources he needed to ensure that when the recruitment started in five months, he wouldn't just be an applicant. He would be a monster.
The discovery of the gold was like a fire burning in Kai's pocket, but he knew better than to act on impulse. His 33-year-old soul understood a truth that his 13-year-old body hadn't yet mastered: sudden wealth attracts predators, and in this world, those predators had claws and martial arts.
For the next few days, Kai did exactly what he told himself he would do. He stayed invisible. He didn't rush back to the market to buy expensive pills, and he didn't change his humble attitude toward Elder Sun and Grandma Sofia. To them, he was still just the hardworking boy they had taken in.
Every morning, long before the sun peaked over the jagged city walls, Kai was out in the small yard or the quiet streets, pushing himself to the absolute limit.
[Daily Quest Progress]
[Push-ups: 100/100]✓
[Squats: 100/100]✓
[Pull-ups: 100/100]✓
[Running: 5km/5km]✓
[Plank: 1hr/1hr]✓
The physical strain was immense. Without a "Foundation," his body was still that of a normal human, and doing a one-hour plank felt like his core was being roasted over an open flame. But every time his arms trembled or his lungs screamed for air, he would glance at the holographic watch hidden under his sleeve.
1,000 gold coins.
That number was his motivation. It was the proof that he wasn't just a stray—he had a legacy to reclaim.
Between his chores of tending to the vegetable garden and plowing the remaining sections of the field, he used the "Shop" and "Status" functions of his system to monitor his growth.
Even though the Shop was still locked until Level 20, he could see the potential paths laid out before him.
He spent his evenings under the dim light of his room, poring over the books Elder Sun had given him. He memorized the descriptions of the Foundation Establishment stages.
He learned that a "Perfect-Grade" foundation required the body to be completely free of impurities—something that was nearly impossible without expensive cleansing elixirs or high-tier martial techniques.
"I have the money for the elixirs," Kai whispered to himself one night, staring at the ceiling. "And I have the System to track my progress. All I need now is the right moment to strike."
By the end of the second month, the repetitive labor and the grueling daily quests finally pushed him over the edge once more.
[Ding! Daily Quest Completed.]
[20 EXP gained.]
[Level Up! You have reached Level 5.]
Kai felt the familiar surge of warm energy knitting his muscles together, making them denser and more efficient. He opened his status panel, feeling the steady growth of his power.
[Status]
[Name : Kai hart]
[Age : 13 years 11 months (33)]
[Race : human]
[Potential :B]+
[Level: 5 (10/500)]
[Strength:8]+
[Agility:8]+
[Stamina:6]+
[Endurance: 6]+
[Stats points: 8]
[Skill points: 2]
[Physical martial arts : none]
[Technique : none]
He felt different. His skin felt tougher, his breath deeper. He looked at the 8 stat points he had accumulated. He was nearing his 14th birthday—the day he could finally begin his official Foundation Establishment.
As Kai was lost in his thoughts, calculating how to use his hidden wealth, a loud voice shattered his concentration. "Kai!"
He turned toward the sound and saw Robert jogging down the dusty street toward him, waving his hand enthusiastically. Robert was one of the few people in Sky City who treated Kai with genuine friendliness, unaffected by the harsh social hierarchy that governed everyone else.
Once he caught up, Robert took a moment to catch his breath. "There you are! I've been looking for you," he said with a wide grin. "Today is my fourteenth birthday. My mom is cooking a feast, and she told me to make sure you come over to our house for a meal. You can't say no—she's making beast-meat stew!"
A strange warmth bloomed in Kai's chest, one that had nothing to do with the system's energy surges or his physical training. In this vast, unknown world—a place where humans were often treated as prey and strength was the only thing that earned respect—he had somehow found a genuine anchor. Standing there in the dusty street, looking at Robert's honest smile, Kai realized he had found more than just a place to sleep. He had found a friend, and for the first time since his rebirth, Sky City felt less like a survival map and more like a home.
Kai nodded his head in confirmation. "I'll be there," he promised, secretly wiping the corner of his eye before Robert could notice his emotion.