The magnificent Huajin Avenue was ablaze with lights at night. I walked alone in the shadows at the corner of the street, feeling like an intruder—this was not my world. I should be standing at the bow of a pirate ship, with the battleships of major interstellar security companies looming outside the cabin. That would be the real me, while the me here felt out of place. It wasn’t because I had no money in my pocket—that was secondary. Even if I had money, I wouldn’t spend it here. I passed by a jewelry store, where a beautiful saleslady was promoting a deep violet-gold ring to a couple. The ring was set with a blue and red Dreamstone—ever since the adventurer king Larson discovered this gem, said to reveal the wonders of the universe within, on the planet Aureis fifteen light-years from Earth forty years into the human space age, its dreamy glow and rarity had caused its value to skyrocket, surpassing diamonds in just half a year to become the most expensive gemstone in the universe. The violet-gold ring, paired with the dreamlike glow of the red Dreamstone, looked enchanting on the girl’s slender fingers. She smiled sweetly, gazing lovingly at the ring on her hand, while the man beside her unhesitatingly pulled out a gold card. The girl excitedly hugged the man and kissed his cheek, and the two embraced joyfully. I shook my head and walked on—even if I had money, I wouldn’t buy these things. Though violet-gold was as pricey as Lochi crystal ore, it was far less practical. If I had money, I’d spend it on gear like Uncle Brandon, upgrading my mech’s performance or getting a new mechanical arm.

Returning from Huajin Avenue, I felt unusually calm. As I reached the entrance, I saw Abner and Connor. I asked curiously, “What are you two doing here?” Abner said, “We were just about to head out…” Abner winked at me and said, “Connor wants to take me to a great place. Want to come along? My treat!” The look in his eyes made it obvious he was heading to some pleasure spot. I shook my head, “No, I have a match tomorrow. I’ll pass!” Abner nodded repeatedly, “Right, right, you should rest… Hey, how are you feeling?” I glanced around. In front of Connor’s training gym was a thick alloy steel pipe, not sure what it was for. I walked over and kicked it. With a clang, the upper half of the pipe flew off. Connor gaped for a long moment before stammering, “My god, Hunter Reed, did you do that? Wow, you’re the best fighter I’ve seen besides Marcus. Even Hogan can’t compare to you!” Abner grinned proudly, “Of course! Any fighter I, Abner, pick is never wrong!” Connor immediately grabbed Abner, saying, “Come on! Abner, let’s skip the ‘Returning Wild Goose Teahouse’…” Abner protested, “Then where are we going?” Connor said, “Come with me to get some cash—I’m betting everything on Hunter Reed!” Abner was dragged away by Connor, and I smiled slightly: this was perfect, Connor had forgotten to hold me responsible for breaking the alloy pipe in front of his door.

Back in my room, I lay on the bed with my arm under my head, staring at the ceiling. The ceiling in Connor’s house was made of the latest hollow-carved material—not exactly breathtaking, but still something most families couldn’t afford. Suddenly, I felt a bit dazed. Not long ago, I was staring at a rough stone ceiling like this. It’s only been a month, so why does it feel like ages have passed? Are people always this forgetful? I recalled life at the training camp, remembered why I first entered, and the pirate ship Captain Seven-Fingers described—I could almost see it now. Tomorrow would be my first step toward realizing my dream. I wanted to make that step count, to let everyone know me: I am the “Iron Crocodile” Hunter Reed, one of the best fighters, second only to Marcus!

The next day, to prepare for the evening match, I didn’t do any intense training, just some light activity to stay in shape. I was a bit excited—this was my first match, and I was full of confidence. That James Nelson was truly no match for me; I believed I could finish the fight with a single kick—just as easily as I’d handled the Malcolm Wolf. I bounced a few times, then kicked the synthetic plastic pad on the force tester beside me. “Beep beep beep…” A series of sounds followed as the red numbers on the tester soared, quickly surpassing my previous record and stopping at 1,611 kilograms. Satisfied, I smiled, threw on a towel, and headed out.