With a sudden lunge forward, he raised his leg like lightning and delivered a heavy kick to the chest.

　　“Bang!”

　　The plump figure flew sideways and crashed heavily to the ground.

　　Before Chubby could get up, a foot stepped on Chubby’s face. Ethan Brooks spoke in a low tone: “Hand over the money.”

　　Chubby didn’t even blink: “It’s gone!”

　　“Whose money is gone?” The force on the foot increased rapidly, and the danger in Ethan Brooks’s voice intensified sharply.

　　“All gone.” Chubby spoke quickly: “I sent my money back home.”

　　“My money.” Ethan Brooks’s tone remained calm, but even the dullest person could hear the anger simmering beneath the calm surface, like surging lava.

　　“I bought this spot.” Chubby looked shameless: “There was no other way. The application period was over, so I had to buy it. I pulled a lot of strings, and your money was just enough. You should treat me better—haven’t you heard, the debtor is always the boss? If I die, the money’s gone for good…”

　　Chubby kept rambling on underfoot, but Ethan Brooks’s anger suddenly vanished, and he stomped down hard several times with a blank expression.

　　People around looked away in disgust. Chubby was covered in dust and mud, while Ethan Brooks’s clothes could only be called clean because they were washed so much they’d turned white. The bag he carried was the same faded white, looking quite shabby.

　　Chubby climbed up from the ground, his face full of footprints, showing not the slightest guilt or embarrassment.

　　The two of them found a spot away from the crowd and sat down. Chubby somehow produced a piece of malt candy, tossed it into his mouth, and crunched away, glancing around curiously.

　　“Why aren’t you excited at all?” Chubby looked at Ethan Brooks in confusion. “The induction field! Once we’re in, we’re no longer laborers! In another ten years, we can bring our whole families to Five Elements Heaven. That’s like a carp leaping over the dragon gate! Do you know how many people on Old Earth want a spot?”

　　Ethan Brooks couldn’t be bothered to answer. He casually pulled a blade of wild grass from between the stone bricks and chewed on it. “Which element are you?”

　　“Fire element!” Chubby grinned, his mung-bean-sized eyes narrowing. “I never knew my constitution was this good…”

　　Chubby suddenly realized he’d almost let something slip and abruptly stopped himself.

　　Ethan Brooks turned his head, looking suspicious. “Good constitution?”

　　The rules for the Five Elements Heaven induction field were strict. Inside Five Elements Heaven, there was no distinction between male and female, noble or commoner—once you reached the right age, you had to enter the induction field to study. For people from Old Earth, as long as they passed the physical test, they could enter the induction field.

　　Chubby’s face didn’t even flush: “Yeah, I barely made the cut. My talent’s way better than yours, right? Otherwise, even if I wanted to spend money, there’d be no way. The rules are so strict, it’s not easy to pull strings.”

　　Hmm, he must never let Ethan Brooks know he got the spot by passing the physical test, or he wouldn’t be able to pocket the money. Chubby reminded himself over and over, keeping a calm expression without the slightest hint of guilt.

　　Ethan Brooks made a sound of acknowledgment and looked away. His own constitution was pretty average, far below the standard.

　　“It’s a pity we have different elements.” Chubby sounded a bit regretful. His element was fire, while Ethan Brooks’s was metal, which meant they’d be assigned to different teams.

　　Ethan Brooks also felt a bit regretful. He and Chubby worked together seamlessly and trusted each other completely. If they could be on the same team, he could look out for Chubby more.

　　Knowing what Ethan Brooks was thinking, Chubby grinned: “Don’t worry, I’m an old hand from the wilds. No way I’ll get bullied by those little brats.”

　　Just then, a bright red cloud floated over from the distant sky, slowly descending to the ground and causing a stir. A handsome, well-dressed young man stepped off, prompting many girls to exclaim, “So handsome!” and the like.

　　“Either rich or noble!” Chubby’s gaze was instantly drawn, his tone full of envy: “That fire floating cloud is top quality! Bright red, no impurities. Look, doesn’t the shape of the cloud look like a flame? Wow, that’s a premium fire floating cloud. This guy must have a powerful background. Gotta find a chance to cozy up to him!”

　　The wild grass in his mouth was chewed to pulp. Ethan Brooks suddenly missed the wilderness, where at least there was iron-spine vine everywhere. Not only was it sweet, but it was also tough and springy, even after chewing for ages. He glanced at the fire floating cloud and looked away. So bright and eye-catching, and so slow—out in the wild, it would be the best prey.

　　That fire floating cloud seemed to be a signal. Soon after, all sorts of strange flying objects came from all directions, landing in the plaza in front of the induction field.

　　Chubby was like he’d been injected with chicken blood, extremely excited, rattling off a string of terms Ethan Brooks had never heard before. His eyes were sharp—not only did he recognize these flying objects, he could even name the prices of many.

　　Listening to Chubby’s chatter, Ethan Brooks let his gaze wander aimlessly over the crowd. In the wilderness, it was rare to see such youthful faces. Everyone there was like a beast—fierce, alert, dangerous.

　　But here, the young people’s faces radiated a unique sunshine and vitality, their eyes full of excitement and hope for the future. The boys gathered around the girls, chatting and laughing, showing off their manners and humor, trying every way to attract the girls’ attention. The girls’ faces were tinged with shy blushes, like morning clouds touched by sunlight, with gentle smiles at the corners of their mouths, as beautiful as flowers.