It didn't take him too long to take a bath. Of course, one of the reasons was that water was scarce in these parts of the city. So, whatever they had was already more than they could afford.
The surge had certainly driven the humans into a corner, but it was much more complicated than that. Before the Surge, the planet was slowly being poisoned by its own inhabitants. When the surge appeared, even the deserts bloomed with countless trees, each bearing a different fruit.
The same applied to other natural resources, such as water and air. The air became much clearer, devoid of any pollution. But it was too clean for humans to breathe in freely. The water, meanwhile, was the only boon humanity could still enjoy.
However, just because they had water didn't mean they had the proper means to supply it throughout the city. Despite an entire district being dedicated to factories, they weren't able to provide a stable water supply.
That was also something Jin found out through Lian's memories. There were also memories of him studying concepts like the distribution network and plumbing resources, but Jin felt that it was a concept out of his league.
'Well, that aside, what am I to do with this situation?'
Jin sneakily glanced at the people sitting around the dining table.
Harry was sitting on his left, eating quietly as he unconsciously kept looking at the seat on Jin's right. That seat had belonged to Han, which made it even more uncomfortable.
Maria was sitting right in front of him. As a matter of fact, she was currently staring at him. He was deeply concerned. Because in a room full of Lian's family members, she was the only one who looked at him with suspicion.
Avoiding Maria's gaze, he ate the stew. The rough texture reminded him of his days when he was a mercenary. Back then, even this much was enough to make him appreciate life.
Anastasia sat beside her, eating her dinner diligently as always. Jin remembered that the girl was born in a rich household and was later abandoned by her family. Yet, the young girl never once complained about the food or anything else.
On Maria's other side, a new yet familiar face looked back at him. He was Ricky, another orphan whose background was completely unknown to them. He just arrived at their doorstep one day in a basket and then became an important part of their family soon.
Being the youngest in the house, Han's absence affected him the most. It was a mystery how he was able to cry and eat at the same time. It was already brave enough of him to hold in his sorrow; Jin didn't want the child to push himself to finish the stew as well.
At the head seat sat the oldest member of their family.
She was their grandmother who had been managing the orphanage from the very start.
Surprisingly, she was the only one who seemed unaffected by Han's absence. But he knew that deep down, her heart had been completely crushed by the news. She was simply keeping a facade to make him feel comfortable.
Each morsel he gulped scraped at the back of his throat. The food itself was fine, but the guilt was eating away at him.
'Was coming back here really the right choice?'
He rarely admitted it, but he was completely defenseless when it came to handling tense situations such as this.
Fighting against a hundred master swordsmen of the unorthodox faction felt much easier to him. After all, his entire life had been either fighting or running away from someone. The rest of the time, he had burned away in his cultivation and training.
'I used to taunt Seo for being slow when it came to people. The tables have turned indeed.'
He was truly a dunce when it came to understanding other people.
But he knew that after a few days, everything would go back to normal once again. Perhaps not everything.
Someone passing away in the tower's trial wasn't anything new. It was so common that more people died inside the tower every year than outside it. Han wasn't anyone different. He, too, was one of the many who had taken his attempt at glory and lost his life when he failed.
To the whole of humanity, one child's death wasn't much. But to a single family, that child was a part of their family. And he had yet to see someone who acted as if nothing had happened despite losing a limb or an essential part of their body.
'I need some fresh air.'
Having finished his bowl, he instinctively walked to the sink, washed the bowl, and placed it beside the other utensils. It was something Lian would've done, so he had to do it too.
Wearing Lian's old shoes, he headed out without saying anything.
The clear sky was ethereal. The cold air brushed against his clothes, reminding him it was winter. But his body, which had evolved after clearing the first floor, barely felt anything. He was unsure whether it was a good feeling or something he had missed feeling.
He felt something in his head burning. It was the effect of Lian's memories colliding with his. As the two mixed, he felt his own personality being affected as a result.
'It shouldn't take too long. Soon, our memories will become a part of one whole consciousness, my consciousness. But till then…'
One of the things that still held him back was Lian's instincts. His memories were directly connected to his instincts as well. So, to suppress his memories, he had to change the course of his instincts completely.
It was also something that he had to do if he wanted to learn martial arts either way.
Instead of the residential blocks, he turned to the other side of the road. He was headed for the entertainment district.
As he entered the district, it felt like he was entering a completely different world. If one looked at this place, they wouldn't be able to tell that the world was on the verge of ending.
Perhaps it was actually to make people forget that fact, even if only for a few hours at best.
Unlike the residential district, this place was lit up with electric lamps on every building. Each place sold something different. Unfortunately, it was also the place where people acquired substances that were otherwise considered illegal.
It hadn't been too long since he had just stepped inside the district, yet he was already feeling disgusted.
'No wonder they're stuck on the seventh floor.'
Jin was in no way a hypocrite. Even in Hanjin, the city he had built himself, several illegal businesses took place. Some are far more detestable than the others, making one question one's own morality.
But that was Murim. He knew that even if he destroyed such an organization, another one would simply take its place. The only path one could take was filled with blood, and even its end didn't promise him a satisfactory future.
But that didn't mean he simply let them do their bidding.
Instead of taking care of it himself, he decided to let people decide the fate of such filth themselves.
He had brought in a branch of the sects and clans ruling the central plains to Hanjin. With so many martial artists of the righteous path in the city, even the most loathsome criminal had to stay on his best behavior.
'But this is not the murim, nor am I the Alliance Leader anymore.'
His heart ached as he thought of what he had lost and what he had to gain once again.
Finally reaching his destination, he looked at the board outside the building.
[The Fight Club Bar]
"Hah. Like that isn't conspicuous enough."
With a quiet laugh, he entered the building. In front of him were two entrances, one heading downstairs and the other heading upstairs. The downstairs one was much wider than the upstairs one.
As he went deeper, he could hear the cheers and screams of countless people. Between those shouts, he could hear the entertaining host saying something.
Even on the staircase, he could see a few drunkards loitering around. At least according to Lian's memories, this was new. It wasn't as energetic a place as it was now.
Suddenly, someone pulled him by the shoulder. As he turned around, the person put their hand around his neck.
"Lian! What the hell, man? It has been so long since I last saw you. What brings you here?"
Jin kept walking forward.
"As if you really care what I was doing all this time."
John was Lian's childhood friend. Perhaps "accomplice" was a better word for him. Ever since they were young, John sought out solutions through unorthodox methods. Lian soon got fed up with his nature and cut ties with him.
Jin was starting to understand why Lian hated him, despite John being the only person he still knew from his childhood.
Looking at Jin with a calculating gaze, John laughed.
"I guess that weasel wasn't lying after all."
Patting him on the chest, he said with a grand smile.
"Congratulations on becoming a challenger, my friend! Your long wish has finally become reality after all these years. Come with me. I'm not letting you go until sunrise tonight."
As they descended the stairs, a large underground area came into their sight. It wasn't a particularly large facility, but for Acropolis, it was the largest arena.
The blinding lights were brighter than outside. The contrast between the lightless sky outside and the inside was making his eyes burn, but his sight adjusted instantly.
Before John could put his hand around Jin's shoulders again, he stopped him.
"Leave it, John. I'm not here to fool around with you."
John chuckled mockingly.
"Why are you here then? To fight in the arena? You?"
Jin nodded firmly.
"Yes. I want a match inside the ring."
John was about to continue mocking him. But when he saw Jin's stern face, he fell silent.