Ashe was looking for something to keep his mind entertained. He looked around and then walked into a rather nice boutique. He was welcomed with nice smiles and then came out wearing a new black hoodie and some shades. He only bought one and used the money Aliyah gave him to shop.

"This should make things simpler." He could have bought the clothes in a store inside the Mall, but Ashe does not plan to stay there; thus, he decided to buy it somewhere outside.

It was the most sensible of things to do.

Ashe had nothing to do, and neither did he felt like doing anything since getting out of the hospital. Everything was provided for him, from house to food. Everyone in the mansion was so nice that if he asks Alco, then he would most probably his ass wiped.

It was an excellent life, a peaceful one at that. It was the thing that he had been looking for. However… something inside him was telling him that such a life did not suit him.

'This is not it, no, no, no, no, no, return to me, I know you want it, go and show them what it was in the past…' The voice continued to spin inside his head, but he ignored it. He didn't let the thoughts of the past haunt his present.

However, the truth was that he wanted to move about. He wanted to see what the world had come to be.

He soon reached the City Park.

It was an ordinary park with benches, fountains, grass that had been cared for, and different species walking about.

Walking around the Park, Ashe saw people of different races, shapes, sizes, and stature. There were even people walking around with monsters as a pet.

A being with fluffy fur and a round body called the Florair was jumping about as a human girl played with it.

'This should look weird to me but, I've been in that world for so long that this is supposed to be normal.'

For some reason unknown, Ashe failed to understand this as fact. This was the true him now, and it would be best to embrace it rather than avoid it.

"The past's voice may not affect the present, but the present could only be formed because there was a past…" He whispered to himself without realizing it.

In the end, he stopped questioning it and decided to simply embrace the idea.

"Book—Summon Vine."

He whispered, and as he envisioned it, Vine appeared from within his clothes. Vine slithered out and wrapped itself around Ashe's neck, it looked around, and its eyes turned vibrant as it saw the many humanoids everywhere.

It was moving so fast that it resembled a fly without direction, "Humanoids, Many, Companions, Me, Make!"

Vine wanted to go and greet every humanoid present only to have its tail grabbed by Ashe, "I told you not to go around doing anything you want."

Vine turned to Ashe, with a lowered head, it became downcast. Seeing this caused Ashe to sigh. Vine had been in Ashe's book ever since Thalia appeared. It had not been able to move around and had only been sleeping all this while.

It wanted to make new friends, and now Ashe stopped it. Such bullshit saddened this unique dog.

"Do you really want to befriend these humanoids?"

Vine nodded its head weakly. Although it had been betrayed by humans and others many times over and despite Ashe's reminder, it just never learns. It was too optimistic.

"… I'll introduce you to a curious girl later; for now, you just have to make do with looking around, okay?" He didn't want to have to scold Vine like this, but if he fears that if he lets it be, then it really would go to every humanoid present and introduce itself.

"Mmm."

Continuing his stroll, Ashe noticed that several people were looking at him, smiling and giggling. He did not know what they were laughing about. They looked at him with interest but soon found that it was not him they were interested in but at the thing peering underneath his hoody.

Vine was keeping quiet, not saying anything, only laying itself on Ashe's head. Its tiny head was peeking out of the hood. It was enjoying itself in a sense.

It was not causing any problem, so Ashe could not say anything. It was silent and did not cause any trouble, so why not let it be? There were those taking pictures of Vine, but that was not really a problem.

While walking around the Park, Ashe stopped at a moving hologram that depicted a Seeker fighting against a Sea Serpent. There was blood everywhere, and the sea was depicted to have been tainted by the beast's poisonous blood as countless sea life was floating dead with the waves.

"This is rather interesting, though it needs a little bit more blood." Ashe said.

Then, a woman with her hair tied to a bun approached him. She was wearing some glasses and had dark circles under her eyes. She carried a laptop, and she overall seemed unkempt, but she spoke to Ashe nonetheless, "I think it's rather perfect. It depicted the pain of Seeker and the tragedy of the battle."

Ashe didn't answer for thirty seconds, creating an awkward silence, and the lady chose to speak instead, "On second thought, you're right, it needs more blood…Yura."

Hearing the lady speak of her name, Ashe was now sure what's happening, "You sure did create a weird password, miss Yura."

"It's for my protection. I can't have just anyone talking to me now, can I? People tend to try and talk after 10 seconds of awkward silence. My password is foolproofed...for the most parts, at least."

Ashe laughed at the absurdity of this lady. Yura was someone he met after going through the Union and trying to find a rather specific occupation...an Information broker.

As for their exchange just now, it was quite simply something they decided on to confirm each other's identity. It was stupid, but useful nonetheless.

"My name is Shura, so, are you the one wanting to sell me information for Skill Runes?"

Yura, the lady with the deepest eyebags, stretched her back before answering with a, "Yes."

Ashe was here for one reason: to gather information that couldn't found in the Union Ring.

Every society had an underbelly where the cesspool of every known crime occurs, and in a world where something like the [Astra World Network] that connects the people, it was inevitable for such a thing.

The Astral World Network was similar to the internet of the previous era. It was created for the good of others. However, just like the internet, there was a place where the darker side of things tends to dwell.

When he was young, Ashe was interested in these kinds of things. He browsed through the internet and even reached the Deep Web level but got too scared to go further.

He was just some curious teen of the past. But this time around, he decided to dip his toes into the cesspool of the underworld. He had been in there in the past, though it was a different kind of world, he had experienced dealing with devious people.

He could live an honest like, now, but something inside him was telling him that it was an impossibility.

'Just one last run…one last adventure.' He thought to himself to calm the guilty he had within his heart.

Yura yawned, clearly tired as she asked, "So, do you have what you promised?"

"Ten Skill Runes as promised." Ashe went through his Inventory and four the bag containing the ten Skill Runes he promised this lady.

Yura checked its contents and made a broad smile. She was happy at the Iron-Rank Skill Runes. She turned to Ashe and asked him, "Mister Shura, you are lucky to find so many. Are you sure you want to give this to me? These things are valuable, you know? You could get a good price for this amount if you go to a Guild or the Black-market."

"I have no use for them, and if I get what I want from you, then all is good for me. That is, if you were lying and was only trying to scam me?" Ashe said with a smile. However, that very smile scared even Yura.

"Heh, heh, heh, I dare not, I dare not. I am but an honest lone Information Broker…" Yura handed Ashe a card and then said her goodbyes, "I'll see you later, sir Shura. I'll send you my new contact later so you can look for me if you need my services." She said before leaving.

Ashe looked at the card he was given. It was a code that needed to be inserted in a GPS and a password.

So, Ashe fiddled with his Union Ring, and then a map appeared before him.

Following the map, he soon exited the Park, but he didn't stop. He moved around and went through the crowds, and soon enough, he reached a tattoo parlor called [Hell's Gate].

Hell's Gate was situated in a not so frequented part of town. It was on Street 145th of Whitehaven City.

"That's a shame. I thought I'd be scammed." for felt disappointed for no justifiable reason.

He walked in with a rather pleasant smile.

"Welcome!" A female attendant welcomed him. There were only two people inside, but thanks to that, the place was clean and silent.

"If this is your first time of having your body become the canvas of an artist that had been practicing his craft for years, then I suggest you look into our Hall of Designs. If you came here with a design, then please, show it so we can evaluate the price of your request."

The attendant was happily tending to Ashe's possible needs and inquiry. As for Ashe, he was silently sizing up the area. He couldn't quite get a good read of the location. But he had already set up a path of escape.

"I am here to have my name Inked at the Seeker Level?"

"What name would you like, Sir Customer?"

"Shura Kinston."

"Okay, that would be 250,000 credits."

"Do you take Iron-Rank Skill Runes?"

The attendant raised her brows. But still nodded her head.

"Of course, that would be twenty-five Skill Runes, Sir Shura."

"Deal…"

The lady watched as Ashe quietly take out twenty-five Skill Runes without batting an eye. She made a broad smile.

Before Ashe got the Low-Vitaly Skill, his effect on the drop rate was huge. The spawn of Skill Runes was tremendous, and with the massacre of the Gnolls, he managed to fill the fifty boxes of Inventory space.

Ashe had around ten weapons, one special reward from killing a boss monster, and the 39 squares were for the Skill Runes.

But after spending 10 to Yura then 25 here, he only had four remaining. It was unfortunate, but that's just how it went.

He didn't want to spend the Credit Aliyah gave him, as he wouldn't be able to explain how he finished it.

The attendant confirmed the Skill Runes and lowered her head, and kept the 25 Skill Runes.

"Please fill this form."

Ashe took the piece of paper and then gave it back to the lady.

"Please wait for an hour."

"Okay." He nodded his head without too much thought.

Ashe waited just like he was told, and an hour later, the inking of the name was finished. The attendant approached him holding a tray. She gave Ashe a card which both had his picture, the name Shura Kinston and some other information that he listed in the piece of paper he filled out.

"Does this have a limitation?"

"It will work for day to day transaction. It can also be used when registering to become a Seeker. It works like any other ID. But that only goes on Earth. For it to work in other Worlds, the level you need for the transaction would be different."

"This is good enough for me. Thanks for the help." Ashe casually said before leaving with a forged identity. Though the process was not the same, he had already forged his identity more than once or twice.

Just as Colt was about to turn his back, the attendant suddenly stopped him to give him a golden card.

"What's this?" he asked while examining the item.

"That would be our premium card, sir. If you are to need our help once more, we are willing to lower our prices if you choose to pay in Skill Runes." The attendant was rather pleasant, but Ashe was pleasantly irritated.

With this amount of courtesy, whoever was doing the important decisions, they should have already decided that antagonizing Ashe would be a bad decision.

'They're rather careful with who they are dealing with.' With one last assessment, Ashe turned his back this time around.

When Ashe left the Tattoo Parlor, another walked in. It was a person wearing hoodie just like him. He bumped into Ashe and didn't bother apologizing. Ashe would have started a fight but decided not to. He only sighed at the situation.

He was satisfied with this transaction.

Without any sense of direction, Ashe continued walking and eventually reached the Park's exit. He chose to continue his way, seeing different things and witnessing almost everything the City could offer.

In the end, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. That was until he noticed a child nearby fidgeting about near the crosswalk. It was a young girl, and she held was looking around with tears about to flow from her eyes.

'Is she lost?' Ashe thought to himself. He was feeling uneasy with the kid and decided to ignore her. She seemed more trouble than she was worth, 'Someone will help her sooner or later.'

Ashe would have decided to ignore her when suddenly, she turned to look at Ashe and realized that he was looking at her. Was she creeped out by him? Or was it something? That didn't matter as she suddenly ran away towards the busy freeway.

The people around seemed to fail to pay any attention to her. That didn't really matter for Ashe as he grabbed the child's collar and pulled her back to the roadside.

"AH!" The child was surprised and cried aloud.

Ashe crouched and met face to face with the child. The girl was petrified and was unable to say anything, "You're too young to end your life, you know…is something the matter, kid?"

The child was trembling before Ashe. "P-please, don't kill me, I-I don't know where they are, I-I really don't know, please, let me live."

The kid began causing a ruckus that attracted people's attention. They gave Ashe a judging look. Mumblings rose; anyone else other than he would have already begun panicking, but, instead, Ashe waited for the child's voice to settle a little bit before inserting himself into the conversation.

"Hey kid? I don't know who you are, and I don't plan on killing anybody, so can you please stop crying?" Ashe's voice was unexpectedly calm and warm. It was as if he had done this before.

At first, the girl was not taken by Ashe's sweet words, but as time went on, she calmed down and settled. She looked at Ashe and then nodded her head before saying, "Sorry…" as she realized that she had made a mistake.

With a sigh, Ashe patted the little girl's head and said one last thing, "Be careful, lass." Before going on along his way while ignoring everyone's awkward stare

But as he continued to go on his way, he felt someone staring at his back, and when he turned around, he saw no one which he found even weirder.

'What's wrong with my senses?'

After that, everything was said and done; Ashe went to call the limousine driver at around noon. He had already eaten lunch and had even watched a movie. He was happy to know that the cinema had yet to change and was surprised that such a business had not gone under just yet.

Ashe wanted to enjoy his day, but there was a lingering feeling that he was being followed for reasons he couldn't explain.

"Did I perhaps mess with some bigshot?" His tone sounded worried, but a grating smile remained plastered on his face.

The thought of some greedy individuals going after him made him expect something, but the day was almost over, yet none was going after him...he was disappointed and just called the limousine to come pick him up.

When he arrived back home, Aliyah had yet to return, and Thalia was still in school.

Ashe would have already relaxed, but the lingering sense of someone was watching him remained.

"Did I get followed?" He slowly became paranoid, but, in the end, Ashe knew that none would have been able to slip past every guard around the mansion. This was the Red Flash's home or something like that; none would go here without rhyme or reason.

"I must be tired of my expectation being shattered today." He thought that he would be scammed or followed multiple times over today. He actually secretly wished for such a thing to happen so he'd have a reason to fight. He was thankful nothing happened but also rather disappointed.

Ashe's mind was currently on the verge of collapsing, so he decided to retreat to his room and sleep the day away.

He enjoyed the softness of the bed and then closed his eyes. However, he rolled around as he felt something was still watching him.

He was going crazy, and his eyes shot open!

And as he did, he saw it, the girl he helped.

Ashe, was scared-ish as he asked the girl, "Are you some Phantom who wants to haunt and kill me?"

The girl creased her brows as she was offended by Ashe's words, "Of course not... I'm a Divine Being—"

"Eps, I'll stop you right there. If you're not going to kill me, let's talk later, I'm going to sleep for the time being...disappointment had made me tired."

The girl watched speechless at Ashe's actions. She failed to understand what was happening and decided to join him on the bed...

It was a normal day.