I opened a shop on the Astral Train

Hook sprinted through the streets, her small schoolbag bouncing on her back. Every so often, she glanced over his shoulder, urging Yuri to keep up.

After more than half an hour, they arrived at a clinic that stood out from the surrounding buildings. Unlike the dilapidated structures that lined the downtown area, this clinic at least looked intact—clean walls, sturdy frame.

Hook pushed the door open.

"Natasha! Someone's looking for you!"

Inside, Natasha was explaining some precautions to a patient. She turned at the sound of Hook's voice.

"Hook, didn't you go out to play? Why are you back so early?"

As she approached, her gaze fell on the little red panda backpack Hook was wearing. Her expression shifted slightly.

"This schoolbag…"

Hook grinned, shrugging off the bag and pulling out a rainbow candy. She held it up to Natasha with a proud smile.

"Natasha, this is for you!"

Natasha eyed the candy in her tiny hand. "Hook, where did you get these things?"

Hook pointed at Yuri, who was lingering near the door. "Hey! Yuri gave it to me! By the way, he wants to talk to you about something."

Natasha sighed and pressed the candy into Hook's mouth instead. "Hook, you eat it. I'm not in the mood for sweets."

Then, she turned toward Yuri—and the moment her eyes landed on Rios, her pupils shrank in shock.

What kind of creature was this? And why was it... on fire?

She quickly recovered, masking her surprise.

"Hello, I'm Natasha. Thank you for the schoolbag and candy for Hook. I heard you were looking for me. What's this about?"

Yuri scanned the room before speaking.

"I'm Yuri. No need to thank me—Hook earned it. She led me here, so consider it her travel fee."

Natasha let out a soft chuckle. "That's quite the generous guide fee."

She wasn't wrong. Even in the upper district, the gifts Yuri had given Hook were considered valuable.

"This toll is too expensive."

Yuri shook his head. "It's nothing. I have plenty of these little things. I came to you because I want to discuss a business deal."

Natasha glanced around. A few passersby had started paying attention to their conversation.

"Come with me. Let's talk somewhere private."

She led them inside and gently patted Hook's head as she settled onto a small stool.

"Hook, stay here and don't run off, okay? It's almost dinnertime."

Hook grinned, the candy still in her mouth. "Okay~"

Natasha then took Yuri and Rios upstairs to her office.

Once inside, she poured Yuri a glass of boiled water.

"Sorry for the simple conditions. Hope you don't mind."

Yuri waved it off. "Doesn't bother me."

Natasha got straight to the point. "So, what kind of business are we talking about?"

Yuri snapped his fingers, and several massive sacks appeared on the floor with a soft thud.

"Food. Lots of food."

He slid a finger across one of the bags, letting pristine, snow-white rice spill out. Natasha inhaled sharply. Rice of this quality was almost unheard of in the lower city.

"Mr. Yuri, how many Winter City shields are you selling this for?"

Yuri smiled. "I don't take Winter City shields. I'm not from Yarilo-IV."

Natasha barely reacted. She had received a proper education—she knew the universe was vast and full of travelers.

"Do you accept credit points? If so, I'll need some time to gather the funds."

Yuri shook his head again. "Nope. I only accept Stellar Jade."

He pulled out his phone and showed Natasha a picture of the pink gemstone.

Natasha studied the image. "We have that. People here usually use it to decorate their homes."

Yuri nodded. "Good. Take your time gathering it. I'm not in a rush."

Natasha exhaled in relief. "And what's the price?"

Yuri handed her his phone again, displaying a list of food prices.

[100 jin of rice - 5 star coins 100 jin of flour - 5 star coins 100 jin of corn - 5 star coins 100 jin of sweet potatoes - 5 star coins 100 jin of cabbage - 5 star coins 100 jin of apples - 5 star coins]

Natasha frowned slightly. "What's a star coin?"

"One Stellar Jade equals 100 star coins."

Her eyes widened.

These little pink stones they used for decoration were that valuable?

By that logic, a single Stellar Jade could buy 2,000 jin of rice—enough to feed the entire town of Panyan for days.

Natasha's heart pounded. "Mr. Yuri, please wait here. I'll make arrangements immediately. I'll meet you tomorrow—will that work?"

Yuri nodded and gestured toward the sacks. "Take these. They're nothing."

Natasha smiled and thanked him before hurrying off.

Yuri lingered in the office for a while before heading downstairs.

At the bottom, he spotted Rios talking to Hook. The girl was listening with wide eyes, nodding eagerly.

"Hook, come to me tomorrow. I'll teach you some fighting techniques."

Hook's face lit up. "Okay! I'll be there, Master Rios!"

Yuri blinked.

Wait. Master Rios? How long had he been gone? Had Hook already become his apprentice?

Not that Yuri doubted Rios' teaching abilities. Back in his world, even the legendary elf warrior Rey had once trained under him.

Clearing his throat, Yuri stepped forward. Hook and Rios both turned toward him.

"Let's go eat."

Hook hesitated. "Eh? We're not eating here? They're making crab tonight! I want crab!"

Yuri shook his head. He had read the game's description of rock crabs—hard shells, little meat, and a sour taste.

"Rock crabs are disgusting. I'll take you somewhere with real food."

With that, he took Hook's hand and led her out of the clinic, Rios following behind.

Meanwhile, in the upper district, Kevin, Dan Heng, and March 7th had just returned to the hotel from the Grand Guardian's office.

March 7th hummed a cheerful tune as she sorted through the photos she had taken that day. With the Starry Sky Camera, capturing moments had become much easier—no need to sift through pictures and print them later. Now, the results were instant and stunning.

"Hehe~ Hehe~ This one's great, and so is this one!"

As she flipped through the images, one particular photo made her freeze.

"Kevin..."

Dan Heng and Kevin both looked over.

"What's wrong?" Kevin asked.

March 7th held up the photo.

In it, Kevin was gripping a trash can lid with one hand while reaching inside the bin with the other.

Dan Heng fell silent for a moment.

Uh… what kind of hobby is this?

Kevin scratched his head sheepishly. "Hehe… Well, March, you know how I bought those two Trash Can brand scratch tickets from Yuri a few days ago? This is just—"

March 7th rolled her eyes. "Be careful, Kevin. If someone doesn't know you, they might mistake you for a beggar."

Kevin nodded quickly. "Got it. Won't happen again."

As for whether it actually would… well, that depended on Kevin's self-restraint.

Dan Heng checked the time. "Let's get some rest. We have to meet the Great Guardian tomorrow morning."

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Kevin sprang out of bed with a somersault. After washing up, he stepped into the corridor and saw March 7th and Dan Heng standing near his door.

"Morning, March, Dan Heng. What's with all the noise downstairs?"

As soon as he spoke, the sounds from the hotel lobby grew louder.

Dan Heng frowned. "Let's go check it out."

The three of them descended the stairs and were immediately met with an imposing sight. The silver-haired woman they had met yesterday—Bronya—stood at the front of a squad of Silvermane Guards, surrounding the entire hotel.

The moment they appeared, Bronya locked eyes on them.

In a cold, firm voice, she read out the arrest warrant. "You reckless troublemakers, by the order of the Great Guardian, I am here to arrest you."

March 7th sighed, raising her hands in mock surrender. "Here we go again! This happens every three worlds."

Dan Heng's eyes flicked toward the nearby Rift Channel.

"Hum hum," he coughed lightly, drawing Kevin and March 7th's attention. When they looked at him, he subtly gestured toward the boundary-breaking passage.

The moment Kevin and March 7th saw it, they understood.

Dan Heng murmured, "Observe the corners and reflect three… The King's Order… Borrow one from the city."

As soon as the words left his lips, Kevin activated the Judgment of Shamash's liberation stance.

"Skyfire! Unsheath!"

With a swing of his sword, scorching flames erupted, sweeping through the Silvermane Guards and knocking them down. Even Bronya was forced back more than ten meters by the heat wave.

Kevin didn't waste time. He sheathed his sword and ran.

By the time Bronya recovered, Kevin, Dan Heng, and March 7th had already disappeared into the Rift Channel.

Bronya's frown deepened. "All units, follow me!"

Pela hesitated, glancing at the passage. "But… Lady Bronya, that's the Rift Valley!"

Bronya's resolve didn't waver. "We cannot let criminals escape!"

With that, she led her forces into the Rift Channel.

Despite their best efforts, the Silvermane Guards were no match for the full strength of Kevin, Dan Heng, and March 7th. One by one, they fell.

Kevin turned his gaze to Bronya and Pela, then pointed his flaming sword at them.

"You two should fight together. Otherwise, it won't be fair."

Bronya and Pela tensed. These three were absurdly powerful—especially Kevin, whose sword seemed capable of incinerating anything in its path.

But there was no turning back now. Bronya and Pela charged into battle.

Watching from the shadows, Sampo was dumbfounded.

No, no, no—what's happening here? This wasn't in the script! They were supposed to be struggling, not overwhelming the future Guardian!

And that line Kevin just said—why did it sound like something a villain would say?!

Sampo knew he had to act fast before the situation spiraled out of control.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed several specially made smoke bombs. The dense fog spread instantly, knocking out Kevin, March 7th, Dan Heng, Bronya, and Pela.

Stepping out from the shadows, Sampo smirked. "Good thing Old Sampo was keeping an eye on things."

He and his men first carried Pela back to the Silvermane Guard outpost in the upper district, ensuring she could relay a message.

Then, Sampo took Kevin, Bronya, March 7th, and Dan Heng down to the undercity.

Meanwhile, Yuri had taken Hook to an abandoned restaurant in Rivet Town, near Panrock Town.

Yuri stepped into the kitchen and inspected the equipment. Everything was in working order—except for the gas.

With a quick purchase from the system, he secured a gas tank and connected it to the stove.

He turned the knob, and flames flickered to life.

Outside, Rios played with Hook while keeping the Rift monsters at bay. Any creature that dared approach was instantly reduced to ash under Rios' "Fire Spreading Across the Prairie."

Given the simple conditions, Yuri decided to make a comforting meal: chicken noodle soup.

Originally, he had considered spicy hotpot, but he wasn't sure if Hook—who had likely never eaten anything rich or spicy—could handle it.

The rich aroma of simmering chicken filled the kitchen.

Not far away, a barefoot girl in a red coat rummaged through debris, searching for supplies.

"Medicine… there has to be some medicine here…"

The girl—Clara, from the Mechanical Settlement—had come to find supplies for her people. The Rift monsters had been more aggressive lately, leaving many injured, and the settlement's medicine was running low.

As she searched, Clara heard laughter nearby.

"Master Rios, run faster!"

She looked up and blinked in surprise.

"Huh? Isn't that Hook?"

She hadn't expected to run into her here.

"Hook! Hook!"

Hook, perched on Rios' shoulders, heard her name and immediately asked Rios to stop. She turned toward the voice and spotted Clara.

"Clara! My Clara!"

Hook slid off Rios and ran into Clara's arms.

Clara smiled, hugging Hook tightly. "What are you doing here, Hook?"

Hook beamed. "I came to eat delicious food! What about you?"

Clara showed the medicine in her hands. "I'm looking for medicine for the settlement. A lot of people have been hurt lately."

Hook's smile faded slightly. "Oh… Then we should help you find more!"