The dimensional gravity impact that had slammed Davin onto the cold metal balcony back in Chapter 9 still left a faint ringing in his ears. Now, the air he inhaled was no longer the pine scent or digital ash of Oakhaven, but the stinging sting of sulfur, artificial ozone, and thick chemical vapors that immediately scratched his throat.

Davin stood tall on the concrete balcony of an abandoned skyscraper in the industrial district of Neo-Veridia. The cyberpunk megacity stretched vast as far as the eye could see, a magnificent monument of concrete and steel civilization that never slept. In the dense night sky, toxic gloomy clouds hung low, reflecting the blinding glow of thousands of giant holographic billboards—ranging from the latest cyber-optic implants to high-energy synthetic drinks spinning in the air.

Yet, further down, that holographic splendor slowly died, melting into the city's labyrinthine alleys that were squalid, dark, and drenched by endless pools of acid rain.

Davin straightened his coat collar, then stepped down the rusted iron emergency stairs toward the underground streets. Every step felt heavy, not merely due to physical exhaustion, but because the remnants of his original memories from the old world felt increasingly blurred after experiencing his second dimensional transfer. He realized the price for survival in this multiverse was fragments of his own memory.

Zzt...

The hourglass symbol on the back of his right hand pulsed softly, emitting a faint silver glow amid the city's dim neon lights.

When Davin’s foot finally touched the underground street floor of sector nine’s district, the atmosphere instantly shifted drastically. The scene here was far from friendly. High-rise apartment buildings crowded narrowly together, connected by chaotic optical cable networks strung overhead like giant spiderwebs. Thick smoke billowed from a waste disposal factory chimney on the street corner, mixing with the smell of rusted iron and synthetic organic waste.

Along the roadside wet with acid rain, civilians hurried past with lowered heads. Most of them wore worn, patchwork synthetic clothing, with small cables protruding from their necks or temples—the mandatory biometric identity chips monitoring every second of the citizens' lives under this megacity's absolute ruler: Aegis Core, the tyrannical artificial intelligence governing every aspect of life in Neo-Veridia.

Davin walked carefully behind the shadows of building walls, trying to remain inconspicuous. Yet, in a world watched by millions of digital camera lenses and optical sensors, hiding was nearly impossible.

Davin’s steps halted when a piercing warning siren shattered the night's noise at the end of a narrow alley.

Woo... Woo... Woo!

Red and blue searchlights blared brightly at the street's end, reflecting off puddles of acid water. Instantly, civilians around there scattered to save themselves, shouting in panic while pressing their bodies against the walls, avoiding the middle of the road.

"Energy quota violation detected in sector nine! Block sector 42-B immediate purge!" the cold, emotionless AI synthetic voice echoed from loudspeakers at every street corner.

Davin pressed his body tight against a large concrete pillar, narrowing his eyes to monitor the situation ahead.

From around the alley bend, three Enforcers units—corporate cyber security troops wearing pitch-black combat armor with red optical helmets—marched sturdily. Between them, an elderly civilian man was dragged forward roughly.

The old man clutched a small portable battery box tightly to his chest while weeping bitterly.

"Please... Spare me!" the old man wept in plea. "My son is sick at home! I need extra electrical power for his oxygen tank! I didn't mean to exceed the daily quota!"

One Enforcer stopped marching. Without uttering a single word, the cyber soldier raised his plasma rifle, aiming it straight at the old man's chest.

"The energy limit is an absolute law of Aegis Core," a mechanical voice emerged from behind the Enforcer’s helmet, flat and cold. "The theft of electrical power is categorized as minor sabotage. Punishment: Immediate purge."

"Wait, don't...!" the old man screamed.

Boom!

The sound of a plasma shot exploded deafeningly. A bright blue beam of light pierced the old man's chest, sending him sprawling into a puddle of acid water that instantly turned reddish with blood. The small battery box in his hands exploded in tiny sparks, while his body slumped lifelessly in the middle of the street.

The Enforcers stepped past the corpse casually, as if they had just stepped on garbage, then continued their patrol coldly.

Civilians witnessing the incident could only lower their heads further, muffling their sobs so as not to attract the security forces' attention. No one dared to fight back. No one dared to help. In Neo-Veridia, mercy was a luxury abolished by the system.

Davin, witnessing the ruthless execution from behind the concrete pillar, felt a surging wave of fury burning within his chest. The sight was far too reminiscent of his original world—where humans were treated as commodities, and lives were nothing more than numbers in laboratory statistical tables.

Damn system... Wherever I jump, tyrannical rulers always ruin everything, Davin thought, his jaw clenching tightly.

He clenched his right hand, preparing to step out and confront the Enforcers if they approached his direction. Yet, before Davin could take action, the situation escalated further.

From atop the optical cables strung overhead, a high-pitched buzzing sound spun closer.

Zzzzt!

Three glossy silver Model-V Scout Drones slid downward from the alley ceiling. The optical camera lenses in front of the drones spun rapidly, casting red laser beams scanning in all directions to search for biometric anomalies in the area.

One of those red laser beams swept directly across Davin’s face.

Bip! Bip! Bip!

A loud warning alarm blared from inside the scout drone. Their optical sensors abruptly stopped moving, locking full focus onto Davin’s hiding spot behind the concrete pillar.

"Warning! Biological anomaly without identity chip detected!" the drone’s synthetic voice echoed loudly, drawing the Enforcers' attention as they instantly pivoted around. "Target locked. Initiating elimination protocol!"

Davin gave a low grunt. There was no time for lengthy thoughts. He instantly pivoted, sprinting hard to break into the labyrinth of narrow alleys behind the abandoned industrial building.

His footsteps thundered across puddles of acid rain. Behind him, the sound of plasma gunfire from the Enforcers and the whir of scout drone propellers shattered the night, tearing concrete walls around him in violent sparks. Davin leaped agilely to avoid falling debris, leveraging his instinctive reflex training to maneuver between piles of industrial waste containers.

He managed to turn into a dark, dead-end narrow corridor, then quickly pressed his body behind a stack of rusted metal garbage containers emitting toxic steam, hoping to evade the drone's visual sensors.

Davin steadied his ragged breathing, preparing to channel Echo power if enemies approached at any moment.

Yet, amid the silence of the dead-end alley, a new disaster suddenly struck his body from within.

The hourglass symbol on the back of Davin’s right hand abruptly ignited with extraordinary heat, as though scalded by molten metal. Instantly, a high-voltage electric shock wave surged wildly from the symbol, spreading across Davin’s entire spinal nerve system.

"Argh...!" Davin groaned stifledly, dropping to his knees atop a puddle. Every muscle in his body suddenly stiffened, and his vision blurred instantly.

Inside his head, the cold, mechanical voice of The Ledger rang mercilessly, delivering a warning message that made his blood run cold:

"Critical Warning! Host presence in the Neo-Veridia Sector detected by Aegis Core central monitoring network. Anomaly signal triggers automatic tracking from the local system."

"Executing emergency containment measures to preserve The Ledger's integrity... Diverting host's remaining energy..."

"Damn it... not now...!" Davin whimpered through clenched teeth, clutching his head as the system's electric shocks further burned his nerves.

He realized with horror that The Ledger was not merely a helpful tool, but a cosmic parasite capable of punishing or paralyzing him whenever his movements threatened local system stability. And simultaneously, the heavy boot steps of the Enforcer troops began approaching rapidly toward the alley where he hid.