Liu Guanan didn't rush back to the graveyard right away. Instead, he took a detour into the city. Before entering the Eastern District, there was something important he had to do.
In this chaotic world, your fists decided how far you could go, but your papers decided how far you could climb.
He stopped in front of a public building with the faded sign: Citizenship Management Section.
The crowd outside was dense and restless. Liu Guanan looked around and noticed something strange—none of them dared to make eye contact with the guards.
Everyone kept their heads low.
He understood why the moment he stepped inside. There was a suffocating atmosphere here, a mix of despair and rigid order. No one was shouting or pushing; instead, everyone waited in silence as if even a breath too loud might trigger something unpleasant.
When it was finally his turn, he approached the window.
"I want to apply for identity registration," he said plainly.
The middle-aged woman behind the glass gave him a brief glance, then lowered her head again. "Household registration is frozen. Try again next quarter. Next."
Liu Guanan didn't move. "I want to register in the Eastern District."
The woman looked up sharply. "Eastern District? Are you joking? You think just anyone can go there? You don't even have a household record. Are you a black household?"
Liu Guanan nodded calmly.
She raised an eyebrow. "Then forget it. No papers, no entry."
He reached into his bag and slowly pulled out a small pouch. The faint clink of coins echoed as he placed it on the counter.
Her tone immediately softened. "...Let me see what I can do."
She took out a hidden file from beneath the desk and passed it to him. "Fill this out."
Half an hour later, Liu Guanan walked out of the office with a new identity card and a preliminary residence permit. The permit was temporary but would suffice for now.
Outside, the sun was already sinking. His stomach growled. He bought a bowl of roadside noodles and sat on the curb, slurping quietly while looking through his newly acquired documents.
"Now I can receive delivery from the Plum Blossom Chamber of Commerce."
He opened his inbox and sure enough, a notification had arrived:
📦 Delivery Notification: 2 x Power Seed. Delivery guaranteed before midnight.
He smiled slightly. There were still three hours until midnight—just enough time to return home.
Back in his small apartment, Liu Guanan locked the door and bolted the windows. His place was little more than a concrete box with a metal bed and a sink, but at least it had running water and privacy.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, placed the two Power Seeds in front of him, and exhaled slowly.
The Power Seeds looked like translucent pebbles, each pulsing with a faint golden light.
He picked one up and swallowed it whole.
Boom—
A rush of warmth surged from his stomach and spread through his limbs. Muscles twitched, bones tingled, and even his joints cracked faintly.
In the game world, Power Seeds helped you level up. But in the real world, their effects were... deeper.
The energy nourished his sinews, tendons, and flesh. His sense of touch sharpened. The dull ache in his shoulder from yesterday's archery practice vanished. He could feel his grip tighten just by willing it.
He swallowed the second Power Seed.
The sensation returned, even more intense this time. It was like bathing in warm sunlight, the kind that made every cell in your body sing.
He felt his skin tighten slightly. Not visibly, but he could tell. There was new tension in his muscles. His breathing deepened.
He stood up and threw a punch toward the wall—whoosh.
The wind from his fist rattled the papers on his desk.
He looked at his hands.
"This strength..."
Liu Guanan cracked a grin.
"Now we hunt."
Outside, the graveyard was waiting.
And tonight, he would return stronger than ever.