[NAME REGISTERED: ADAM]
[WELCOME, ADAM.]
---
Before he could investigate further, he felt a presence approaching from behind the door.
A soft knock. Then a voice.
"It seems you've woken up."
The door creaked open, revealing a woman dressed in a nurse's uniform. Her expression was neutral—unbothered, yet mildly intrigued.
"We found you exiting from the rift at Calham City," she stated matter-of-factly. "We checked the registry, but there was no record of you. So, we assumed you were from the slums."
Adam remained silent, observing her.
She sighed and crossed her arms. "If you're awake and fully recovered, please pay the bill and leave. Call your family if you have one. We need the bed for other patients."
Adam's lips curled slightly. "I don't have any money with me."
The nurse frowned.
[Why do I have to deal with this…]
"If you don't have money, then pay with a monster gem or something valuable," she said, pointing toward the reception area.
Adam's gaze followed her gesture before glancing down at the side of his bed. There, he found his battle armor—his only remaining possession from before.
He reached for it, feeling the familiar weight in his hands. (Still intact… It survived alongside me.)
Without another word, he headed toward the reception desk. Behind it sat a man who barely acknowledged him until Adam pulled out three gold coins.
"Can I pay with this instead?"
The man blinked.
[What the—actual gold?!]
His posture straightened immediately. "Of course, sir! That will more than cover your bill!"
In truth, the cost wasn't even that high. Adam had been fully healed upon arrival, meaning the hospital had done little for him. But the receptionist didn't feel the need to inform him of that detail.
Adam remained unfazed. He needed information, and so, he engaged in casual conversation, probing for details. The man assumed he had some form of memory loss, but that worked in Adam's favor.
Through their exchange, Adam learned several key facts:
The city's citizens were divided into three classes.
First-class citizens were the elites—awakeners of great power and the wealthiest individuals.
Second-class citizens were ordinary folk and mid-tier awakeners who held proper documentation.
Third-class citizens were those from the slums or foreign individuals without stable jobs . They had documents about them and are generally homeless.
But what intrigued Adam most was the presence of technology. Computers, electronics—devices he had never seen before.
When he asked about them, the receptionist looked at him like he was an idiot.
[This guy's memory loss must be serious.]
Still, he explained the basics, though Adam barely understood half of it. Regardless, he nodded and left the hospital, his armor secured.
The moment he stepped outside, he stopped.
His breath hitched.
Before him stretched a city unlike any he had ever seen. Towering skyscrapers, bustling streets, advanced infrastructure—it was a world far removed from the ruins and battlefields he had known.
A strange emotion flickered within him.
He exhaled slowly.
"How beautiful."