4.Clear things

Lynn instinctively wanted to call out to the other person.

Because every person he met displayed a level of depravity, and apart from himself, he had only ever seen one other person with the "Awakened" label.

There was both joy and excitement at encountering a "fellow traveler," as well as a thirst for knowledge to inquire what the "Awakened" truly meant.

Yet ultimately, he didn't call out to the other person and managed to contain his surprised expression.

Their "100" depravity level put Lynn on edge, and he dared not approach them rashly. Furthermore, a doubt arose within him.

Why did the other person seem to completely ignore me?

The "Awakened" are undoubtedly rare, and when encountering someone of the same kind, no matter what, they shouldn't have been so indifferent as if they hadn't seen me at all.

Could it be that...

That person doesn't know they are also an "Awakened"?

Lynn's heart skipped a beat.

If this is true, it means that my situation is even more special than I imagined.

The ability to see others' depravity levels and labels is unique to me.

Could it really be like this? What exactly makes me different from others, deserving of the ability to see through others' backgrounds?

Or is it that the man actually recognized my identity but simply didn't care?

"Hey, friend." Lynn decided to confirm it once and for all, and he loudly called out to the man who hadn't walked far away yet.

Dressed in a trench coat, with a stern expression, the man who looked to be around Lynn's age stopped in his tracks, turned around, and narrowed his eyes.

Lynn could sense an icy distance emanating from him: "Excuse me, is this Reddy's Tavern?"

"Mm-hmm." The man replied and turned away.

"Brother, this is obviously Reddy's Tavern." Matt couldn't understand why Lynn needed to confirm it just before entering.

"It's okay, just making sure." Lynn casually brushed it off, but his guess had been somewhat confirmed in his heart.

The man probably genuinely didn't know that he was also an "Awakened," otherwise, logically, he wouldn't have acted like that.

As he pondered, Matt pushed Lynn into the bustling tavern filled with the pungent smells of alcohol and sweat.

The interior of the tavern was much like the exterior, Decorated with festive ornaments, it was still difficult to hide the shabbiness behind it.

Located in the middle of the hall, the stairs wound up, and every step the patron took made a creaking sound. The once exquisite handrails and balustrades now seemed unable to withstand leaning against.

The magnificence of this place seemed to have left with the rich people, and then with the influx of the poor, it was occupied and polluted by decay and dirt.

"It's really lively." Lynn watched with great interest as a group of people sat at the tables chatting and drinking, while on the other side, a band sang music of low taste. He muttered to himself.

"There are too many people. Let's just...

"A bit late." Under such a festive atmosphere, the tavern was already packed with people, and it was difficult to find two empty seats. Matt felt a little guilty because they were at least two or three hours late due to work delays.

"It's okay, let's wait or go somewhere else," said Lynn, who had always maintained a good attitude. His disability did not become a reason for him to constantly release negative energy to others.

"Why don't we go eat something first? There's a restaurant upstairs," Matt gestured towards the stairs with his chin, raising his voice due to the commotion and noise.

Lynn winced at the sight of the stairs: "Can we even make it up there?"

"Of course!" Matt smiled and first pushed aside the patrons to bring Lynn to the stairs, then picked him up on his back and effortlessly climbed the stairs with one hand carrying the wheelchair.

"You're strong." Once on the second floor and back in his wheelchair, Lynn smiled and complimented.

"It's nothing. Let's go eat something," Matt shrugged it off and pushed Lynn into the restaurant on the second floor.

Compared to the main hall on the first floor, the second floor had a relatively better environment, but there were still quite a few people eating and drinking at this hour. Fortunately, there were finally some empty seats, so Matt immediately pushed Lynn over to sit down and ordered two portions of fried fish, fried potatoes, and pickled vegetables.

Cucumber.

The food was roughly prepared, but undoubtedly much better than the dark bread. Lynn couldn't help but feel his appetite surge, and he didn't care about the curious glances from the other guests as he enjoyed his meal with Matt.

"Lynn!"

Just as he was intently eating half of his food, someone suddenly approached Lynn and Matt, their voice rough.

Lynn looked up and saw that two tall and muscular men had surrounded him and Matt.

"Lynn! Don't you remember us? A few years ago at the cannery, we..."

"We worked together!" The man, who was only wearing a black vest in the cold weather, fully exposing his muscles, patted Lynn hard.

"Burton, Chad?" Lynn struggled to recognize the two men as Matt's mentioned tavern owners, the Bazel brothers.

"That's right! Haha!" Burton, the older brother wearing the black vest, beckoned to his bald brother Chad to sit across from Lynn and Matt. "Is this your... younger brother? I remember you were always scraping by to support his education. How is he doing now?"

Matt had rarely seen the Bazel brothers before, especially now that they were in the slums, "Ah, not bad. The pay isn't much, but it's stable!" Burton nodded. "It's a pity about your brother! Lynn, is your leg still the same?"

"Yeah, I can only use a wheelchair." Lynn smiled bitterly.

"Who told you to mess with the wrong people back then!" Burton looked regretful. "But you're lucky too. At least you only lost your legs, your life is still intact!"

Lynn could only laugh it off.

The original Lynn's parents had passed away when they were very young, leaving the two brothers to rely on each other. As the elder, the original Lynn took on the responsibility of earning money to support his younger brother's education.

A few years ago, when the original Lynn was still in good health, he worked alongside many others from the slums, including the Basier brothers, at a nearby canned food factory.

One day after work, he witnessed a group of young aristocrats deliberately intimidating and driving away a mother and daughter for fun. Unable to hold back, he stepped in to help resolve the situation.

The cost of this action was that he was retaliated against by the offended aristocrats, who ran him over with their car, crushing his legs.

Afterwards, no one came forward to speak up for him or hold the perpetrators accountable.

Justice was not served, and the young aristocrats fled the scene. Not only did he fail to receive any compensation, but he also incurred a significant debt due to the medical expenses.

Eventually, Matt, the younger brother who excelled in his studies, had to become the last pillar of support in their dire situation. He gave up on his education, started taking odd jobs to make ends meet and repay debts, and worked tirelessly to save money in the hope of taking the original Lynn to the best hospital in the capital for his legs.

It was a courageous act and a deeply moving display of brotherly love.

Unfortunately, as time passed, the once passionate and determined original Lynn became jaded, sensitive, and irritable. The younger brother, who once had the potential for a bright future, was now trapped in a cycle of struggle and hardship.

"We haven't seen each other for three years, right? Today, you have to drink more and spend more at my place!" Burton said cheerfully.

It was evident that Burton was quite miserly.

Faced with a struggling acquaintance, he only reminded them to spend more money instead of offering a discount out of humanity.

"Absolutely, absolutely," Matt hurriedly agreed, fearing that Bazel's brothers' words would irritate Lynn, secretly praying for them to leave soon.

"Alright, we're leaving. If you need anything, come find us on the third floor," Burton said abruptly.

After exchanging a few polite words, Burton, with a fierce expression on his face, stood up with his brother Chad, who had not spoken a word throughout. As they greeted other respectful and polite customers, they grabbed two bottles of alcohol and headed back to the third floor.

"The third floor is the casino, it's chaotic, so we won't go there," Matt deliberately changed the subject, fearing that Lynn would indulge in his unpleasant memories. "Hey, brother, isn't this fried fish delicious? Do you want another one?"

Lynn didn't respond.

"Brother? Um... how about we go down and have a drink?" Matt grew increasingly uneasy, racking his brains for ways to cheer Lynn up.

Lynn was too stunned to pay attention to Matt. He stared in disbelief at the corner of the staircase where the Basile brothers had vanished, his ears ringing with a chilling, unknown voice.

"Congratulations, Awakened One."

"You have been selected as the cleanup crew for this L1 contaminated area. You must uncover the murderer of Basile Burton and Basile Chad before midnight, 12 AM."

"Success will earn you a reward of 200 points."

"Failure will make you the next target of the murderer."

"As this is your first cleanup mission, you have the option to choose between Basile Burton and..."

"In the ten minutes leading up to Basile Chad's death, you may observe the environment and any suspicious individuals at will."

"Countdown begins, nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds, nine minutes and fifty-eight seconds--"

"...Matt." Still reeling from the immense shock, Lynn scanned his surroundings, his breathing becoming unconsciously ragged. "We need to go up there."