I, Valon, am frantically searching for my mother.

Sofia.

This was the name Wayne casually asked her after he generously treated her to bread.

Little Sophia led Wayne into the depths of that maze-like, intricate alleyway, so different from the bright and glamorous main street.

If the main street of Hull is the meticulously ironed front of a formal dress, then this place is the unseen, crookedly patched lining under the armpits and on the back of the dress.

The alleyways are so narrow that only two people can pass sideways. Above them are haphazardly built, layered, dilapidated shacks that almost cut the sky into dirty slits.

The path beneath our feet was no longer marked by stone slabs, but rather by uneven mud, mixed with sewage of unknown origin, rotting vegetable leaves, and some other suspicious filth, emitting a pungent, complex, sour smell in the dim light.

The walls were old and dilapidated, with exposed bricks and mold, covered with indistinct graffiti and dirty handprints.

The light was extremely dim, with only a few weak rays of sunlight sparsely leaking through the dilapidated window frames or cracks in the roof, barely illuminating the small area in front of us.

If one hadn't seen it with their own eyes, even a well-traveled green dragon like Wayne would find it hard to believe that such a large area of ​​dilapidated buildings could exist within the magnificent, gleaming, and orderly megacity of Hur.

It's like someone who has witnessed the vibrant, sleepless nights of a major metropolis would find it hard to believe that behind the neon lights, there exist corners known as urban villages or slums.

After entering the alley, Sophia, who had just managed to muster the courage to say a few words, seemed to have all her strength drained away instantly, becoming even more silent, and even... trembling slightly.

She walked with her head down, almost hugging the wall, her steps light and quick, like a frightened mouse trying to minimize her presence.

She would only give a brief, trembling response when Wayne spoke first.

Wayne spoke up first:

"Sophia, tell me a little about these... alleyways around here."

Sofia's body stiffened visibly, and her steps paused almost imperceptibly for a moment.

She didn't turn around, but lowered her head even further, her voice weak and trembling with suppressed emotion:

"Young...Young Master...this is...this is the lower street...the oldest and most dilapidated place in Hel City..."

The girl seemed to be trying hard to make her voice sound like a mere introduction, but her trembling and hesitation betrayed her:

"Before...it was where craftsmen and the poor lived...but then, as other parts of the city were built up and improved, the rich people all moved away...and we were left...with nowhere to go..."

"The alleys are very confusing... with many forks in the road... it's easy for strangers to get lost... especially at night... you shouldn't walk alone..."

Sofia glanced quickly out of the corner of her eye at a dark, seemingly endless side road, and lowered her voice even further:

"Sometimes...there are shady people...lurking in the shadows...stealing money from people who are alone...or...recruiting people to do bad things..."

"Something bad?"

Wayne raised an eyebrow.

This place looks interesting.

Sofia hesitated for a moment, her steps becoming even more sluggish.

"If... if you're scared, young master... actually... staying somewhere else... safer... is also... possible..."

The girl emphasized the word "safety".

Wayne shook his head.

"No need, I'll just stay here with you. After all, I trust you!"

Sofia's body suddenly trembled.

She didn't turn around or say anything, but silently slowed her pace even further, taking Wayne with her.

The alley corner, which should have been just two or three minutes' walk away, now seemed incredibly far away.

A stifling silence hung in the air, broken only by the uneven footsteps of the two figures and the rustling of Sofia's clothes as she trembled more and more noticeably, almost uncontrollably.

Finally, she let out a soft sigh.

"Young Master..."

She stopped walking, but did not turn around; her voice was faint.

Has anyone... said that you're too trusting of others?

Upon hearing this, Wayne was taken aback and actually considered what the other dragons thought of him, following her words.

"No, although people usually don't say it to my face, if you think about it, they probably wouldn't say something as nice as 'easily believing people'."

"If I had to say, I think they would call me a pervert more often."

Sofia: ...

What do you mean by everyone thinking you're more of a pervert?

So that's how it can be said?

But no matter how you look at it, this young master doesn't seem like a pervert, does he?

Sofia was momentarily speechless at this sudden interruption, which was completely out of place with the tense atmosphere, and the emotions she had been preparing were momentarily frozen.

She shook her head, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

"Young Master...you really are...too trusting..."

"Although... I know you're a good person..."

"But... good people in this world... don't live long..."

She spoke these words slowly and softly, yet they were like a cold stone thrown into the stagnant air of the dimly lit alley.

Wayne stopped and watched her quietly.

"So... what does Sophia mean?"

"Hahaha... Hehehe..."

The girl, who had been trembling incessantly, suddenly changed her demeanor, bending over like a fool and laughing wildly.

"So... young master, actually, Sophia is a bad guy. Now... hand over all your money, or I can't guarantee your safety..."

As she spoke, she took out a slightly rusty dagger.

"I...I...Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm very ruthless, I've killed a lot of people."

Wayne looked at the girl pretending to be fierce with pity.

Little sister, before you try to be a big bad thief and commit robbery, you should at least fix your stutter and leg tremors first, right?

The wind in the alley, carrying the smell of sewage and mildew, blew coolly through the alley.

silence.

A suffocating, awkward silence.

A few seconds later.

Wayne slowly raised one hand.

It wasn't about touching the purse, nor was it about parrying.

His movements were slow, even somewhat casual.

Then, under Sofia's bewildered, nervous, and completely bewildered gaze—

"Snapped!"

A crisp, loud slap landed on Sofia's face, and then the sound abruptly exploded in the narrow alley!

The same set meal that Little Wayne loved to eat in his past life was thrown over by Wayne.

Wayne looked down at the little guy in front of him.

"Are you fucking crazy?"