"Looking at it this way, the so-called underground world isn't that different from the world above," Leo said.
Kelly couldn't help but complain as well, but neither of them had any intention of helping the woman.
At a glance, it was obvious trouble. And judging from what the attacker had said about the price of unpaid debts, it was clearly some kind of underworld vendetta.
Intervening would only land them in massive trouble.
After all, the locals didn't look particularly friendly.
But then—
"You actually want to save her, don't you?" ×2.
Leo and Kelly said it at the same time.
"What eye of yours saw me wanting to save someone?" Leo snapped back.
He genuinely had no intention of saving that woman. His only thought right now was to exchange enough money as quickly as possible, then go find women who didn't require emotional investment to get close to. As for Kelly, this queen-type woman could stay as far away from him as possible so she wouldn't get in his way.
"Huh? Aren't you the type who loves saving people and having them repay you with their bodies or something?" Kelly said as she spoke, loosely curling her hand and moving it back and forth near her mouth, making her meaning instantly clear to Leo.
"I woke up and she was already doing it. What does that have to do with me? And that woman clearly looks dead already," Leo retorted.
After saying that, Leo and Kelly walked past the scantily dressed female fighter. Looking at the scars covering her body and her lifeless eyes, Leo shook his head.
With poisonous needles stabbed straight into her spine, the woman had collapsed without any reaction at all. Her tongue was hanging out, her breathing had stopped. There was clearly no saving her.
Even if she hadn't died from the poison, she would have ended up a high-level paraplegic, able to move nothing but her head.
Still, if one ignored the scars, the horrifying wounds, and the strange ornaments, the woman was actually quite beautiful.
Her figure was explosive, and that earth-yellow tight combat suit exposing the inner thighs looked like it had been designed purely for the word "provocative." Leo didn't know how to judge that outfit, but he felt the person who invented it was definitely a good person.
Especially the chest area. That pouch-like design was obviously meant to better support—
No, to better secure a woman's breasts so they wouldn't move around.
Although judging by the results, it made them move even more.
"Yeah… she's dead," Kelly sighed.
Then the two of them spotted a gold and silver jewelry shop.
They exchanged a glance and walked in at the same time.
The shop owner was shocked by the gold they produced. What Leo and Kelly took out was theoretically pure gold that shouldn't even exist in this world.
To him, it was top-grade gold.
Still, its value wasn't particularly high. After visiting several shops, this one actually offered the best price.
In the end, they exchanged it for over a hundred gold coins.
"By this world's standards, this is enough to hire an adventurer team to take on any dangerous mission, and even rent some stalls," Kelly said, tossing the fifty gold coins in her hand as she looked at Leo.
"I'm planning to open a small shop here and sell some things from the Sky Realm. There seem to be plenty of Sky Realm people around. With the abilities I brought from that world, I can solve the bullet problem quickly. I can also look for a way back to the Sky Realm. What about you?"
She pointed toward a group of Sky Realm people nearby, indicating that she wouldn't lack customers.
And thanks to the Seven Days to Die system, she didn't need to worry about supply at all.
The only issue was that the bullet calibers from that world didn't match Sky Realm weapons, but—
As long as people bought Kelly's weapons, wouldn't that solve everything?
Monopoly was the biggest business opportunity.
"As for me, I'll probably go make money, visit brothels, and maybe save a few fallen women along the way," Leo said with a smile as he looked at his money pouch.
The women in this world were generally good-looking. So far, he hadn't seen anyone ugly enough to be shocking. Even tavern waitresses had decent looks and figures.
And judging from that female fighter lying dead in the alley earlier, if someone could be killed over money, that meant there were female fighters willing to sell their bodies for money.
"You're way too honest about that kind of thing," Kelly said, her expression extremely subtle.
She didn't know what was wrong with Leo, but one thing was certain—this guy always managed to come up with new nonsense.
"Of course. That's one of my strengths. But what I care more about is something else," Leo said, pointing toward the swordsmen gripping blades and the mages holding staffs in the street.
"I think I can become stronger in this world."
His gaze was firm. In the Seven Days to Die world, he had been troubled countless times by his own lack of strength.
Spending money to buy energy points for pleasure was inevitable, but seeking power in this world was equally necessary.
And when he went back, he would definitely need to bring enough equipment with him.
"Oh? Swords and magic, huh? I'm actually pretty interested too, but…" Kelly rubbed her chin and sighed.
"…right now, I want to find a way back to the Sky Realm more."
She had returned to support her comrades, only to end up stranded in the legendary Arad Continent.
So she had no real interest in adventuring with Leo. Having secured basic survival, she urgently needed to prove her identity as a Sky Realm person, find others like her who had fallen into Arad, and learn from them how to return home.
If returning proved impossible, then she'd become a weapon merchant, learn some magic, and support her fellow Sky Realm people here.
"So we…" Leo stopped and looked at Kelly.
"…go our separate ways?"
He wanted to grow stronger and do his own things, while Kelly wanted to connect the Sky Realm people. There was no way for them to work together.
"Well, it's not like I'm ever letting you do that kind of thing to me again, right?" Kelly said, looking at Leo, waiting to hear him try to stop her.
"That's true," Leo replied.
"Then that's it. Let's register our identities at the city hall, then part ways. After some time, come find me at this tavern. I'll give you a large sum of money and some equipment to make up for it."
"Alright."
The atmosphere between them fell silent, which was only natural. Kelly had already made up her mind to leave, and Leo had no intention of dragging this good woman down with him.
So this outcome was inevitable.
However—
Things rarely went exactly as planned.
After registering their identities at city hall and obtaining their documents, Leo and Kelly had a final meal together before separating.
Leo checked into an inn, feeling a bit melancholy. It was normal that Kelly didn't accept him fooling around with other women, so he had nothing to say about it. Mutual non-interference was fine.
Still, thinking about Kelly's figure made it hard for him to let go. But he was unfamiliar with this place—cuts, services, and the whole business of prostitution were all foreign to him. Seeking prostitutes now would only bring trouble.
"Hiring prostitutes in an unfamiliar place is basically asking to die. Forget it. Sleep first. Tomorrow I'll repay the fisherman father and son, then go look for G.S.D. and Sharan and see how much it costs for them to teach me swordsmanship and magic."
With that in mind, Leo spent a lonely night.
But when he woke up and left the inn to look for G.S.D. to learn swordsmanship, he passed that same alley again—and saw an unbelievable scene.
That female fighter was still alive.
She was trembling on the ground, struggling to stand, but failing again and again. The direction she was crawling toward wasn't anywhere good—it was a trash bin.
Leo froze. Watching the woman struggle to get up, seemingly trying to find food in the trash under others' disgusted gazes, he asked a question.
"Hey… why do you owe money?"
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