Before the black-robed man could finish his curses, Amaya had already grabbed her sword and bolted. She dashed through alley after alley, muttering to herself, "No matter where you are, running fast is the ultimate survival skill!" At that moment, she was performing the art of fleeing like a pro. As she sprinted, she thought, this so-called magical world really isn't that different from reality. Running for your life? Yep, same as before. The only change was that now, she had switched to a different script."Is this supposed to be cultivation or some kind of scam?" Amaya sighed, her inner monologue in full swing. Ethereal energy? Sure, there was plenty of that—wafting through the streets like invisible fog. And those so-called "immortals"? They were cruising by on all sorts of bizarre flying objects. She even saw a businessman in a suit zipping over her head on a broomstick while on his phone. "Yes, boss, I'll be there in five!""So many magical modes of transportation, and not a single one I can borrow?" Amaya glanced down at her worn-out shoes, feeling more and more bitter.Just as she was starting to process this crazy new world, a gentle voice called out from behind her, "Young lady, from the looks of things, you seem to have run into some trouble."Amaya jumped, spinning around to find a skinny old man in a gray robe, holding a bunch of strange paper figurines, smiling kindly. The scene reminded her of the spirit from Spirited Away—the old guy looked like he might stuff her with oddball items at any moment."N-no, I'm fine... just lost," Amaya laughed awkwardly, thinking to herself, Lost? I'm a grown woman, and I'm admitting I'm lost? Wow, I'm a mess.The old man grinned, flashing a few missing teeth. "Lost, huh? I'm guessing you don't have a place to stay either?"Amaya, utterly embarrassed, wanted to deny it, but the old man had hit the nail on the head. She nodded quietly, admitting her awkward predicament. Seeing through her silence, the old man waved his hand dismissively. "Well then, if you've got nowhere to go, how about staying with me for a bit? It's a little shabby, but it'll keep you warm and dry.""Are you sure?" Amaya hesitated for a moment, but reality was hard to argue with—having a roof over her head was like a gift from the heavens at this point. She nodded and followed the old man down a narrow, winding alley.At the end of the alley stood a small, worn-out courtyard, its entrance adorned with a few tattered talismans that emitted faint, mysterious energy. Amaya's curiosity was piqued. "These talismans... do they actually protect anything?"The old man chuckled. "Oh, these may look humble, but they'll keep pesky spirits out just fine."Amaya nodded, thinking, If these can keep out spirits, maybe they can also keep away those weirdos trying to attack me?Inside the courtyard, Amaya's attention was immediately drawn to the various paper crafts scattered all around. There were paper dolls, paper horses, paper lanterns, and even a giant paper phoenix that looked so lifelike it seemed like it might take flight at any moment."Did you make all of this?" Amaya asked, eyes wide with surprise.The old man nodded proudly, his smile growing. "I'm the paper-crafter of this area. My name is Faron Starhaven. You can just call me Faron. What about you, young lady? What's your name?"Amaya hesitated, then sighed softly, admitting, "I don't know where I'm from, and I don't even remember my own name..."Faron's smile dimmed slightly, a flicker of sadness passing through his eyes. "I once had a daughter, Reiko, who was about your age. But she passed away long ago... If you don't mind, you can stay here with me for now. And since you've forgotten your name, why not take mine for the time being? How about I call you Reika until you find your true name?""Reika... Reika Starhaven," Amaya whispered, feeling a strange warmth spread through her heart. Though she wasn't used to being renamed, she didn't know her real name either. There was something comforting about the old man's offer. She nodded. "Okay, Master Faron. Reika it is."Faron beamed. "A fine name! From this day forward, you're my apprentice, Reika!""Apprentice?" Reika raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to teach me, some super secret cultivation technique?""Super secret? Not quite, but this craft will at least keep you fed," Faron said with a wink, gesturing to the paper creations around them. "This is the art of paper crafting, and I can even turn paper into spirit-infused food.""Paper... food?" Reika stared at him in disbelief. "You're not about to make me eat paper, are you?"Faron burst out laughing. "Don't underestimate paper-crafted spirit food! With a little spirit energy, it's not only edible, but also helps with cultivation!" He then grabbed a few sheets of paper, his fingers moving swiftly, and in no time, a glowing dumpling appeared in his hand.Reika's eyes widened. "Is that... a dumpling?!"Faron nodded confidently. "That's right! This is a spirit-infused dumpling. Try it."Reika skeptically took the dumpling, half expecting it to taste like, well, paper. But when she took a bite, a surge of spirit energy flowed through her body, igniting her internal energy. She instantly felt rejuvenated, her whole body buzzing with power."Oh my god! This is amazing!" Reika exclaimed. The dumpling tasted better than anything she'd ever had."How's that? Impressive, right?" Faron grinned proudly. "That's the secret of paper-crafting spirit food."Reika was speechless, blown away by the magic of it all. She suddenly felt a surge of excitement. "Faron, teach me! I want to learn paper crafting!"Faron nodded. "Alright, but you should know, paper crafting isn't as simple as it looks. You'll need to be patient."Reika was still basking in the excitement of finally crafting her first spirit-infused dumpling when suddenly, a rough, booming voice shattered the peaceful moment."Starhaven, you old fool! Get out here right now!"＊＊＊Reika was so startled she nearly dropped the spirit-infused dumpling she had just crafted. She hurried to the door, only to see Faron standing there, frowning deeply, holding a shiny black notice."What's going on?" Reika leaned in for a closer look, and the bold words on the paper caught her eye: "Official Notice of Mandatory Participation – Spirit Food Tournament.""Mandatory participation?" Reika frowned. "What kind of nonsense is this? Sounds like an underground street fight or something."Faron gave a bitter smile. "It's basically that. The tournament's run by the Voidclaw Brotherhood—a bunch of criminal thugs. Every year, they force us spirit food vendors to participate. If we don't, they come and trash the place.""Trash the place?" Reika's eyes lit up with amusement. "So blatant? Even in a magical world, they don't follow any rules?"Faron sighed. "I've gotten old, and my spirit energy isn't what it used to be. I can't make spirit food that's worth entering into a competition anymore. But they don't care about that. They just force you to compete and demand protection fees! What am I going to do..."Reika patted Faron on the shoulder, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes. "Faron, leave this to me. Handling these low-level thugs is my specialty!"Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps and a deep, menacing voice echoed from outside the door: "Starhaven! Get out here, or we'll tear this dump down!"Reika peeked outside and saw a group of Voidclaw Brotherhood disciples dressed in black standing at the entrance. The leader was a hulking brute with a dragon tattoo snaking across his bald head, waving an iron club in one hand and brandishing the same black notice in the other."This is an official notice from the Nightbane Sect. The tournament's in three months. You'd better participate, or we'll start smashing things up now!"Faron's face turned pale with rage. "Smashing, smashing... that's all you thugs do every year! You even smashed my paper dumplings!"But Reika's eyes narrowed as a plan began forming in her mind. She leaned in and whispered to Faron, "Faron, don't say anything. Let me handle this."Faron, though skeptical, nodded and stepped aside, watching silently.Reika squinted, her mind racing with ideas for a little prank. Suddenly, she had a lightbulb moment. She quickly grabbed a paper figurine—a failed attempt from earlier—and infused it with a little spirit energy."Hold up!" Reika called out loudly, stepping forward with an innocent yet cunning smile. She appeared in front of the Nightbane thugs, her tone sweet but laced with mischief. "You just want Faron to enter the tournament, right? Fine, we'll participate. But smashing up shops like this? It's really not in line with the 'harmonious development' of our magical community."The bald leader snorted, letting out a cold laugh. "Harmonious development? Where'd you crawl out from, spouting that garbage? Quit talking nonsense. Pay up or get beaten down. Your choice!"Reika rolled her eyes internally, thinking, Wow, these thugs are so basic. No creativity whatsoever.She pointed to the back of the shop, then said with a smirk, "You really think we don't have any backup here? You'd better think twice before messing with us, or you'll regret it!""Backup?" The dragon-tattooed leader sneered. "This little dump has backup? Go ahead, call 'em out. I'm dying to see what kind of 'monster' you've got hiding.""Gladly!" Reika's eyes glinted as she channeled spirit energy into the paper figure behind her. With a burst of magic, the tiny figure suddenly expanded, growing taller and taller until it reached the ceiling, radiating a strange blue glow—a towering "spirit giant"!"What the—?!" The bald leader and his gang froze in shock, their legs trembling as they stared at the glowing, intimidating giant that loomed over them."G-great spirit... What in the world is that?" The leader's voice quivered, his iron club slipping from his grasp. "Who are you people?"Reika, playing the part of the mysterious expert, tapped the spirit giant on the leg. "This is the Starhaven family's guardian beast—the Paper Spirit General. Now, if you don't scram, he'll make sure there won't even be crumbs left of you!""For real?" The leader was clearly skeptical, but his lackeys were already shaking in their boots, some even starting to inch backward."I said, you wanna try your luck?" Reika's voice turned icy, and with a wave of her hand, the spirit giant raised its massive fist, aiming it right at the dragon-tattooed leader."Wait, wait, wait! We're leaving!" The leader's face turned pale as a sheet. He threw up his hands in surrender, then spun around and ran. "Retreat! We're dealing with some real heavy hitters here!"His gang, already half-terrified, scurried after him, stumbling over themselves in their haste to escape, leaving behind their iron clubs in the process.As Reika watched them flee, she couldn't help but burst into laughter. "That's it? These guys call themselves gangsters? I've seen braver pigeons!"Faron peeked out from behind the door, his face filled with shock. "They... they really ran away?"Reika dusted off her hands, grinning triumphantly. "Of course! Faron, dealing with punks like that is what I do best."Faron opened his mouth to speak but ended up just sighing deeply. "You really do have some tricks up your sleeve, don't you?"Reika was about to put the spirit giant away when, suddenly, it began to float upward like a balloon."Oh no! Not again... Another failure," Reika groaned, watching as the giant started drifting aimlessly.Before she could say anything else, Faron's expression shifted. He whispered urgently, "This isn't over. They'll be back in three months for the tournament, and we'll have no choice but to face them.""Don't worry, Faron!" Reika puffed out her chest with confidence. "If we've gotta compete, then we'll compete! By then, I'll whip up some special paper spirit food that'll leave them all in the dust!""Hold up!" Reika called out loudly, stepping forward with an innocent yet cunning smile. She appeared in front of the Voidclaw Brotherhood thugs, her tone sweet but laced with mischief. "You just want Faron to enter the tournament, right? Fine, we'll participate. But smashing up shops like this? It's really not in line with the 'harmonious development' of our magical community."The bald leader snorted, letting out a cold laugh. "Harmonious development? Where'd you crawl out from, spouting that garbage? Quit talking nonsense. Pay up or get beaten down. Your choice!"Reika rolled her eyes internally, thinking, Wow, these thugs are so basic. No creativity whatsoever.She pointed to the back of the shop, then said with a smirk, "You really think we don't have any backup here? You'd better think twice before messing with us, or you'll regret it!""Backup?" The dragon-tattooed leader sneered. "This little dump has backup? Go ahead, call 'em out. I'm dying to see what kind of 'monster' you've got hiding.""Gladly!" Reika's eyes glinted as she channeled spirit energy into the paper figure behind her. With a burst of magic, the tiny figure suddenly expanded, growing taller and taller until it reached the ceiling, radiating a strange blue glow—a towering "spirit giant"!"What the—?!" The bald leader and his gang froze in shock, their legs trembling as they stared at the glowing, intimidating giant that loomed over them."G-great spirit... What in the world is that?" The leader's voice quivered, his iron club slipping from his grasp. "Who are you people?"Reika, playing the part of the mysterious expert, tapped the spirit giant on the leg. "This is the Starhaven family's guardian beast—the Paper Spirit General. Now, if you don't scram, he'll make sure there won't even be crumbs left of you!""For real?" The leader was clearly skeptical, but his lackeys were already shaking in their boots, some even starting to inch backward."I said, you wanna try your luck?" Reika's voice turned icy, and with a wave of her hand, the spirit giant raised its massive fist, aiming it right at the dragon-tattooed leader."Wait, wait, wait! We're leaving!" The leader's face turned pale as a sheet. He threw up his hands in surrender, then spun around and ran. "Retreat! We're dealing with some real heavy hitters here!"His gang, already half-terrified, scurried after him, stumbling over themselves in their haste to escape, leaving behind their iron clubs in the process.As Reika watched them flee, she couldn't help but burst into laughter. "That's it? These guys call themselves gangsters? I've seen braver pigeons!"Faron peeked out from behind the door, his face filled with shock. "They... they really ran away?"Reika dusted off her hands, grinning triumphantly. "Of course! Faron, dealing with punks like that is what I do best."Faron opened his mouth to speak but ended up just sighing deeply. "You really do have some tricks up your sleeve, don't you?"Reika was about to put the spirit giant away when, suddenly, it began to float upward like a balloon."Oh no! Not again... Another failure," Reika groaned, watching as the giant started drifting aimlessly.Before she could say anything else, Faron's expression shifted. He whispered urgently, "This isn't over. They'll be back in three months for the tournament, and we'll have no choice but to face them.""Don't worry, Faron!" Reika puffed out her chest with confidence. "If we've gotta compete, then we'll compete! By then, I'll whip up some special paper spirit food that'll leave them all in the dust!"