After saying that, Chen Lee entered the city without any trouble and was greeted by the bustling sounds of elves. Though he had already seen and heard it all through his super-magnified vision and enhanced hearing, he still couldn't contain the thrill bubbling within him. A new life awaited—vibrant, unpredictable, and full of possibility.
What he wants is that he wanted to enjoy life in a normal way though he was well aware of his combat prowess—capable of punching through one-hundredth of the planet's mass. Even after particles in this universe were a thousand times more robust than those of his previous world. Yet despite that, he had no desire to resort to violence—atleast not immediately to do things in a forced way. Besides, there was no guarantee that this planet was void of beings powerful enough to capture or harm him. His brute strength was undeniable, but like the mysterious magical barrier he'd seen earlier, there could be forces far more insidious, capable of bypassing mere physical might. As those thoughts formed, the system spoke:
"Host, you are right. The magical barrier surrounding the city wall is quite unusual. Though it appears thin and light, breaking it would require at least 100,000 in brute combat power."
"Oh, so you can analyze things... and it needs 100,000 brute-force combat power to shatter it. By the way, please stop reading my thoughts—it's creepy."
"Host, there's no need to worry about that. I'm like an AI from your previous world, and I only read your thoughts for smoother communication. Also, I can indeed analyze objects and their energy levels to some extent but not throughly."
"Alright, but don't read my mind unless it's absolutely necessary. And stop analyzing everything all the time—it ruins the fun of living a 'normal' life. I'll also refrain from using my magnified vision and hearing unless it's essential. And even then, only sparingly."
"Understood, Host. Also, be aware—the average elf here is at least a hundred times stronger than a human from your previous planet that is atleast 500 combat powers and be wary of the more powerful ones."
"Alright, let's stay focused. We need to get a new identity—Shahjahan's identity could be exposed if any of his acquaintances discover the truth."
Immediately after saying that, he turned his attention to the bustling street and activated his enhanced vision and hearing to locate the murderer. He needed currency and insider knowledge about this world, and so he targeted the murderer Ash for personal information as he won't feel guilty if needed to torture to get information.
Soon, he began moving toward his target. As he walked, he soaked in the medieval charm of the cityscape and, of course, admired the elves—ethereal beings far more beautiful than the humans of his previous life.
Eventually, he arrived in a quiet family housing district. He saw his target—Ash—enter one of the homes. But Chen Lee didn't rush in. First, he watched the visible interior and used his hearing powers to confirm whether Ash was alone.
Once assured that Ash was by himself, he asked the system,
"System, can we teleport him out with me—somewhere outside the city—without alerting any of the powerful beings around?"
"Host, it's better to avoid that. Teleportation distorts space at both departure and arrival points. That kind of spatial disruption could easily alert nearby powerhouses—much more so than sneaking in."
"Yeah, I figured. I was just confirming. I guess teleporting inside the city is off the table… which is why I've been wasting time sneaking around."
He thought for a moment. "Looks like I'll have to infiltrate his room tonight or when there's no one noticing and restrain him silently. But I'll need abilities—something like noise cancellation or hypnosis to extract information as I have only one day. And I can't wander around too long or else the elves might grow suspicious by watching an elf roaming at night. Maybe I could disguise myself as an inanimate object… but I don't know if Shahjahan had any relatives. If he did, they might report him missing. I need a new identity within two days—and for that, I need both money and information. So i need to act fast , possibly before night"
As for gathering information, he wasn't too worried. His magnified hearing could catch almost anything. But for personal intel, he'd still need to interrogate Ash.
In seconds, his mind started processing far faster than any human and soon formed a plan. Realizing that the area was deserted, he darted into Ash's house with supernatural speed.
As the door creaked open, Ash stirred and jolted upright, eyes wide in shock.
"Shahjahan? How… how are you alive?"
Chen Lee had already anticipated this. He knew healing magic existed in this world.
"Ash… why did you betray me over a mere jade pendant? You stabbed me, but I wasn't dead. I dragged my bleeding body to the road and, by sheer luck, encountered a healer who saved me."
Ash's expression shifted. "So that's what happened. Honestly… I didn't mean to kill you. I just… I loved Mumtaz Mahal. But she chose you. I hated that. That's why I did it but not for the pendant."
Chen Lee, expression blank, simply said, "I see."
He was only pretending as his goal was information, and Ash had already provided something valuable.
But meanwhile Ash was also stalling as he was buying time for an ambush. Before Chen Lee could speak again, Ash struck with a Wind Arrow Stab.
The room trembled as air currents surged. A gleaming wind arrow launched from Ash's hand, slicing toward Chen Lee's neck in under two seconds.
Ash smirked. Victory seemed inevitable.
Unfortunately for him, things didn't go as planned.
The arrow hit Chen Lee's neck—then shattered on impact, leaving not even a scratch.
Chen Lee hadn't moved an inch. He and the system had anticipated the attack. The system had already informed him: the strike's combat power was only 10,000. Utterly harmless as Chen Lee's physical defense could withstand 1.25 million. This paltry attack was laughable.
He let it happen intentionally—curious to witness the mechanics of this world's magic.
Ash's face froze in terror.
Before he could flee, Chen Lee crushed his head with one swift blow. There was no room for mercy—he couldn't risk Ash calling for help.
After disposing of the body, he scoured the house. Soon In a concealed cabinet in the adjacent room, he found 20 silver coins, 150 bronze coins, and jewelry worth an additional 5 silver.
Pocketing it all, he disguised himself as a bird and exited just in time. The noise from the wind attack might have reached the neighbors.
He flew to a nearby alley and reverted to human form, waiting to see if anyone would rush to Ash's home. Fortunately, no one did.
Still, he had no time to waste. Before the body was discovered, he needed a fake identity. If not, any investigation might trace the murder back to Shahjahan—especially since the two had been known associates.
Luckily, he knew exactly where to go. Thanks to his enhanced hearing, he had already located the city's black market.
Without hesitation, he set off.
After crossing a few streets, he arrived at a seemingly ordinary tavern. But he knew better. Its basement hid the underworld's true marketplace.
He stepped inside. The place looked like any other bar. Patrons laughed, drank, and feasted. But Chen Lee scanned the crowd and made his way to the tavern keeper then said the secret password he learned after using his ability,
"Hello, i want moonlight wine."
The owner paused, then nodded. "Alright. But you'll need to come with me to the back."
Chen Lee followed him through a concealed door. A stone stairway descended into a brightly-lit underground labyrinth.
Once there, the owner turned. "What are you looking for in the market? Each tunnel leads to a different trade."
"I need a fake identity."
"Then take tunnel number 4. Walk 500 meters until you see a red door. That's your stop."
"Got it."
Chen Lee nodded and headed down tunnel four. After a short walk, he reached the crimson red doorway to enter it.