Preparation

At the end of the day, although this was the real world and seemed not too different from the one in his memories, the absence of Marvel meant it was not his former world. He also had no idea what the relationship between the Extraordinary and the authorities was in this world.

If he could avoid drawing attention, it would be better to keep a low profile for a while.

Uh, though looking like this, staying unnoticed seemed a little difficult.

"What a lovely little girl. Are you here to pick out a gown befitting your identity as a princess?"

A kind, gentle voice sounded from behind him, interrupting Jiang Rui's hesitation.

He turned and looked up. It was a lady in her forties, nearly fifty.

Yes, a noble lady.

That was Jiang Rui's first impression of her. Her brown hair was neatly pinned up, and she wore a beige long dress with a modern style—dignified without losing its fashionable edge. Her gold-rimmed glasses and dark green shawl further accentuated an indescribable aristocratic air.

In an era like this, the moment Jiang Rui met her, he almost thought he had blinked and traveled back to the eighteenth century...

Mainly because she was so different from the young women in jeans, short skirts, and leggings that the contrast created an intense visual impact in an instant.

She exuded mystery from head to toe!

Jiang Rui became wary inside, but he shook his head with a sweet smile. "I'm just passing through on my way to a convention. I only stopped by to look in the mirror."

With that, he hurried toward the exit.

"Sorry for disturbing you. Goodbye, Auntie!"

"Goodbye. We look forward to seeing you again, little cutie."

As if I'd ever come back!

It might have been possible if a cute young lady had said that...

After leaving, he looked up at the signboard. Fili Tailoring. He shook his head. What a strange name.

Maybe I'm overthinking this...

How could he randomly walk into a clothing store run by an Extraordinary?

He looked up at the pedestrians coming and going around him again.

Sigh, being in a foreign country was one thing.

But he was broke, too...

They said to ask the police if you had problems, but he seemed to be an undocumented resident...

"Great Sage, how about I exchange some Extraordinary Points for money?"

"Direct exchange is not recommended. The exchange rate is too low. Transactions may be conducted through Extraordinary Gatherings, black markets, and similar venues."

Jiang Rui frowned at that and asked,

"Where is the nearest Extraordinary Gathering?"

"Unable to collect relevant information."

Of course... How could anyone capable of holding a market fail to conceal related information with their power?

Then why the hell did you bring it up?!

It was becoming more and more like an artificial idiot!

Still, Jiang Rui did not dwell too much on such matters. Ever since becoming an Extraordinary, tossing troublesome things to the back of his mind seemed to have become one of his talents.

This was the favorite saying of couch potatoes.

There would always be a way when the cart reached the mountain, right?

Before he knew it,

his attention was quickly drawn to the snack shops lining the street.

Soon, he threw the Great Sage's advice to the back of his mind as well. He exchanged 1 Extraordinary Point for several thousand dollars and planned to rent a place first, so he would not end up sleeping on the streets.

But before that, filling his stomach came first.

Something seemed to have happened in the distance...

After finishing the last sip of his creamy vegetable soup, Jiang Rui glanced at the smoke rising on the distant horizon. After some thought, he decided not to join in the excitement.

Who knew what demons and monsters the main world had?

I, the mighty Demon King of Cowardice, am not dealing with these trivial little matters.

After paying and standing up, his petite body swayed as he walked.

Great Sage, when was the next mission?

"After passing the initial world and officially becoming an Extraordinary, your first official mission will take place the following day."

What? So none of what I did before counted as an official mission?

"Temporary worker and permanent employee."

Fine, whatever!

What about after that?

"After completing the first official mission, each rest period will last three to four weeks. Upon becoming Sequence 8, the Extraordinary void node R'lyeh will be unlocked, a gathering place for large numbers of Extraordinary beings."

R'lyeh... That name, seriously.

Is Kratos about to hand out candy or something?

"You possess partial Paradise authority and may initiate missions early at any time. However, do not do so too frequently, as it may be noticed."

Jiang Rui lowered his head and kicked away a small stone.

Who the hell would start a mission early?!

Oh, no, that was not quite right. If it was to quickly improve his strength, or...

if he faced danger in the real world, it would be a good way to save his life.

But the second world was starting after only one day!

He should rent a place first...

It seemed to be getting late, too.

Thinking that, Jiang Rui casually raised his head and glanced around.

Suddenly, his golden pupils contracted. A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes, and disbelief filled his face. He stiffly turned his head to look back.

That was right, wasn't it? I'd been walking north the whole time... right?

But why—

He turned back and looked ahead. There, right in front of him, was a shop. Above it was written...

Fili Tailoring!

Who are you waiting for here?

I'm already nearly a kilometer away from where I returned!

Don't tell me it's a chain store?!!

Ready to activate Paradise teleportation and flee at any time, Jiang Rui turned around and left without another word.

A shop that large had changed locations just like that. Who knew what thousand-year-old hag had crawled out from wherever it came from?

Can't afford to mess with her, can't afford to mess with her. Goodbye, farewell!!

Jiang Rui secretly glanced back. After seeing no unusual movement, he quickly headed back while thinking to himself.

The woman in the store did not seem to bear him much ill will. If she wanted to harm him, there seemed to be no need to beat around the bush like this.

Had she noticed him?

In New York, dyed hair and colored contacts were hardly unusual, were they?

Jiang Rui looked around. The hurried office workers and social elites on the street had already started getting off work, but none of them seemed to find anything amiss.

Just then, two panicked girls, one tall and one short, rushed past Jiang Rui. Their heavy perfume carried a strange scent that made him frown.

Jiang Rui raised his eyes and looked at their retreating backs. His tense mind instantly made a judgment.

Someone was chasing them?

There were faint fluctuations of magic around them.

And a trace of a pungent, strange smell. It was somewhat familiar.

"Sulfur."

Right, the smell of sulfur—or perhaps the smell of gunpowder smoke.

Jiang Rui watched them with mild curiosity until, in their panic, they rushed into that shop as if they could not see it at all.

It was as though they had charged straight into the jaws of an abyssal beast.

"Creak."

The opened door closed once more. Jiang Rui suddenly shivered, yet let out a long breath.

Whew, just a coincidence!

That woman's target was probably them, right?

But...

Was New York this dangerous?!

Jiang Rui did not dare linger any longer. After giving the tailoring shop one deep look, he hurried away.

Though it made him seem somewhat cowardly, honestly speaking, he was only a tiny Sequence 9.

He had never noticed so many strange things before. Could this be the downside of having high perception?!

On the second floor of Fili Tailoring, the gentle, elegant lady held a cup of black tea and sat gracefully at a round table by the window, watching Jiang Rui's retreating figure with mild interest.

"Twice now. What an interesting little fellow. Unfortunately..." She lowered her head and took a sip of tea. When she looked out the window again, the sky had already turned gray. In the distance, Elizabeth Tower stood tall, its lingering bells echoing through the air.

"It's too far away..."