CHAPTER 52: WILL BE FIXED SOON!

It had only been a few hours since I inherited the original Aiden’s memories, and there was still a flood of information to process. Trying to pinpoint any specific memory that might offer a clue was like finding a needle in a haystack.

"Wait, why was I trying so hard to guess? I’m about to meet them anyway. I can just get the answer straight from their mouths."

As I walked closer to my destination, Richie’s words suddenly echoed in my mind. Instinctively, my gaze shot upwards, scanning the ceilings and roofs above.

"Nothing, huh? Well, Richie said his drink buddy saw an owl. It’s noon now, perfect napping time for an owl. I guess even a beast tamer can’t push their pets to go against their nature."

I was on the verge of exhaling in relief when a faint squeak reached my ears. My head instantly turned around to the noise’s direction, catching sight of a rat. It stood there, staring at me oddly before darting off somewhere else.

"A rat? I recall Peter was seen conversing with one. That odd stare... could that have been one of his tamed animals?" I whispered to myself.

At this very moment, a flash of lightning struck my mind.

’Is it possible for Peter to be nearby at this hour? Or better yet... is he at my house?’

If that were the case, I had to act fast. Capturing him now could save me a massive amount of effort, and might just be the key to wiping out the Sadis Gang entirely.

With that thought, I reached into the worn cloth bag where I kept all the items Althea had given me and pulled out a fiery red pill.

[Mid-Tier Temporary Stats Enhancer Pills]

[Function: Grants the user a temporary boost in all stats to B-Rank for 60 minutes.]

[Usage: Consume directly.]

"It might be reckless to use this pill so soon, less than a day after arriving in this world, but for the sake of my future... for the sake of a good night’s sleep without worrying about a knife pointed at me in the dark... this is worth it."

Without hesitation, I placed the pill in my mouth, but didn’t swallow. Instead, I held it between my cheek and gum.

This way, I could activate it instantly if things went south. And if Peter wasn’t nearby, I wouldn’t waste it.

While keeping the pill tucked away, I reached into the bag again and pulled out a thin talisman with a drawing of an eye without eyelids.

[Inspection Talisman]

[Function: Allows the user to see a target’s personal information, such as name, stats, race, and age. It can also reveal weaknesses or hidden conditions and illnesses.]

[Usage: Aim the talisman at your target. It can be used from a distance. Speak your chosen Incantation to activate it.]

About half a minute later, using a building as cover, I cautiously craned my neck around the corner and looked down Nolan Street.

I spotted someone right away.

A lone figure stood outside a two-story building that I recognized immediately.

’That’s the original Aiden’s house and massage parlor... or should I say, my house now.’

My gaze shifted from the building to the man standing dead center in the street. The whole area was deserted, likely because of the drifting rumor. And aside from the hunched figure, there was no one else around.

A white pigeon rested on his shoulder, looking docile.

I hurriedly pulled my head back behind cover.

Even though I had never seen Peter in person, his description had been so vivid, so detailed, that I could picture him clearly, and the man I just saw matched it perfectly.

’I couldn’t be mistaken... the description fits him perfectly. That’s definitely Peter. And that pigeon, it has to be one of his controlled pets.’

Without wasting another second, I took a deep breath and steeled myself for what was about to come.

I tilted my head slightly and swallowed the pill I’d been holding in my cheek.

The pill had been tasteless and odorless while resting in my cheek all this time. But the moment it slid down my throat, everything changed.

It dissolved instantly, before it even reached my stomach.

"If you want to pass here, leave your money behind."

While the original Aiden had only lived in the city for less than a year, thus leaving me with limited knowledge about the place. Some information stuck out clearly in my mind, such as the details of Five Rings, the Sadis Gang, and a man known as "Rat" Peter.

They were dangerous, and maybe that’s why Aiden paid extra attention to them.

For example, the Five Rings was the name of a criminal organization that had just come into existence several years ago. It was formed through an alliance between five already well-known and powerful gangs, one of them being the Sadis Gang.

Each of the five founding gangs had its own specialty.

In the case of the Sadis Gang, it was information. They were experts at digging up secrets.

In a way, they operated like private investigators or information brokers. You could practically hire them to dig up anything. But unlike professionals, they had no sense of ethics. They had no bottom line and weren’t scared to cross the boundary without hesitation.

If they needed to, they’d break into someone’s home, kill the occupants, and wait inside just to eavesdrop on a target living next door. As long as it helped them get what they wanted, they didn’t care who got caught in the crossfire.

Their infamous motto was:

"There’s no such thing as a forever secret—only cowards who don’t dare to uncover it."

Naturally, as the gang’s reputation grew, so did the notoriety of its top members.

Within the Sadis Gang, no name was more well-known than "Rat" Peter. It was rumored he served as the left hand of Alduin Sadis himself, the gang’s leader.

And now that very dangerous man had shown up at my house?

What could possibly be the meaning of this?

His involvement suggested the original Aiden’s death wasn’t simple at all!

At first, I thought the original Aiden had simply gotten on the wrong side of some small gang. That alone would’ve been bad enough.

But if one of the Five Rings was behind everything, this whole matter might run deeper and complicated than I ever imagined.

’What would they gain from killing the original Aiden? And what were they searching for in his house?’

"It was nighttime, so I couldn’t see clearly. But I saw "Rat" Peter standing outside your house with a few of his men. I could hear stuff breaking inside. Then someone came out and whispered something to Peter, and he went in himself. After that, I didn’t stick around. I was afraid they’d spot me." Richie said.

Naturally, I knew better than to mess with guys like this. If I were still the same person back on Earth, I probably would’ve just handed over the money or tried to look for alternative routes.

But maybe it was because I had already died once. Inherited Aiden’s memories, that was filled with bloody, adult-rated scenes, really far from anything peaceful. Met a goddess-like being and even conversed with her. Compared to those, meeting a few street thugs just didn’t seem frightening anymore.

In fact, right now, I even felt the urge to poke fun at their little act.

"What tree? I don’t see any tree here."

They both froze, clearly caught off guard by my response.

For a moment, neither said anything, looking speechless. Finally, one of them snapped out of it and yelled, "You fucker! That’s not the point you should be concerned about! If you want to pass through us, you have to pay!"

"But you just said you planted a tree, and I don’t see one. And you claimed you built this road, but everyone knows it’s been here for more than twenty-five years. Judging by how you two look, you can’t be older than thirty. Are you telling me you were laying down roads when you were just less than ten?"

I paused, then put a hand over my chest and bowed my head solemnly.

"If that’s true, I must say...I pity you. My condolences."

The two froze again, but this time they snapped out of it faster. Their faces turned bright red, like they were about to explode from rage.

Grinding his teeth, one of them drew his dagger and charged straight at me.

"You’re courting death!"

"Damn, this guy can’t take a joke," I grumbled quietly.

In just a few seconds, he had closed the distance. His arm lashed out like a snake, aiming the blade straight at my chest.

At first, I had no idea what to do. Back on Earth, I had almost zero street-fighting experience; hell, I had never even thrown a proper punch at someone.

Yet, just as the dagger was about to reach me, my body moved on its own, almost purely on instinct. I twisted sharply to the left, and the blade missed me by a hair.

Still processing my own reflex, I looked up to find the hatchet man glaring at me like I had just insulted his mother.

"You dare to dodge?!" the thug roared.

"What do you expect me to do? Stand still and let you stab me? Are you fucking serious?" I shot back.

"Even so, you shouldn’t dodge! I might’ve spared you after one slice. But now? Now you’ve pissed me off. A single cut won’t be enough!"

"Bullshit! Do you take me for some innocent kid? " I spat.

Fuming, he lunged at me again. But, just like before, all of his attacks ended up missing.

This dragged on for nearly half a minute.

"Looks like someone needs lessons on how to swing a dagger," I said lightly. By now, I had a clear grasp of my body’s rhythm, dodging him was as easy as dodging a kid’s punch.

"You bastard! Once I get you, I’ll torture you so bad you’ll beg me to stop!"

A sharp, burning scent flooded my nostrils, and my throat ignited with pain. It felt like I had swallowed fire.

Almost immediately after, a searing pain ripped through my entire body.

It felt like every inch of my muscles was being torn apart and rebuilt, stronger, thicker, more flexible, only to be torn apart again. Over and over. Dozens, maybe hundreds of times... all