After taking a quick shower, Eric stood bare in front of the bathroom mirror with just a single white towel wrapped around his waist.

  Gazing at his upper body, Eric nodded with satisfaction.

  Though he had only turned eight years old today, he looked no different than an eleven- or twelve-year-old. This was largely thanks to the healthy food at the orphanage, and perhaps his genetics also played a role.

  He was tall—five feet and a few inches, and had firm muscles around his arms, chest, abs, and legs, all thanks to his daily training.

  Even though Eric still looked like a child, he was strikingly handsome for his age.

  In his past life, he wasn’t ugly, but his current face, especially his piercing blue eyes, made even him feel they were like jewels.

  He should one day seek out his parents to thank them for giving him such a nice face and body, though this could wait until he became the Final Boss of this world!

  Training-wise, Eric had never pushed himself too far, despite Hannah saying otherwise. He was very cautious, in case he ended up with long-term injuries. Despite this, due to his constant increase in training difficulty—day by day, which was self-taught, he was far stronger and more capable than anyone his age.

  Eric was certain he could fight multiple untrained adults from his old world and knock them out cold, of course, not the ones who were experts in martial arts or fighting.

  He then checked out his hair. It was raven-black, which wasn’t too odd, except that he didn’t like to comb it, which made him look even more handsome.

  From others, Eric had heard that he didn’t look like someone from any nearby region, so he was probably an illegal foreigner smuggled in through back doors.

  After putting on his casual clothes, Eric met up with Hannah, who was waiting in the hallway.

  Hannah looked Eric up and down and whistled, "For an eight-year-old kid, you’re looking very handsome. Sadly, if only you were eighteen, I would’ve gladly eloped with you," she teased.

  Eric rolled his eyes. "I’m going to tell Wilburn how you’re flirting with little children."

  Wilburn and Hannah were childhood friends and engaged. They would be marrying soon. Eric and Wilburn got along like brothers.

  Hannah laughed. She didn’t mind, as she was just teasing, and she knew Wilburn would laugh too.

  They headed toward the House Mother’s office on the second floor. Eric’s dormitory was on the first floor; the ground floor held the canteen, kitchen, hall, and so on.

  As they climbed the stairs, Eric frowned. "Why’s Grandma calling me this early? Did something happen?"

  Hannah paused, then burst into giggles. "Who knows? Maybe she’s got a special gift for you... no—no, not one but two! Damn, spring came early for you. I’m jealous." She winked.

  'What the hell is she babbling about?' Eric was baffled. Since they were already nearing the office, he no longer bothered asking.

  -

  Just outside the House Mother’s office, two long benches flanked the walls for waiting guests. Most of the time, they remained empty, but today was different.

  Two children—little girls, to be specific, sat close together on one bench.

  Both girls were eight years old, but their appearance suggested twelve or thirteen. Their features also hinted they weren’t from Ringwood Town or anywhere nearby.

  The girl on the right had long lavender hair and was currently crying her eyes out. On the left, the girl’s hair was dark brown, and though her eyes were tearful, she was trying her best to look composed and mature despite her fears.

  As the lavender-haired girl sobbed, the dark-haired girl tried to calm her, coaxing, "Don’t cry, Liv. Everything will be alright. Since big sister Christine left us here, this place must be safe! We will be fine, so don’t think about home. We have each other; we’re not alone!"

  But it didn’t seem to work; the lavender-haired girl kept wailing.

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  From an early age, Lyria had heard from her mother that girls shouldn’t show their true emotions in unfamiliar places or around strangers. They should always maintain a calm, composed expression, assess their surroundings with a steady mind, and never reveal weakness in front of others.

  Yet Livy was doing the opposite—exposing her vulnerability openly.

  Although Lyria understood, she didn’t think they should cry so helplessly in such an unfamiliar place.

  And with Livy weeping like that, Lyria was being affected too. It reminded her of all the suffering they had endured over the past six months, making her eyes wet as well. She was struggling to keep up her mature facade.

  At that moment, both girls heard footsteps approaching from the staircase nearby.

  They paused and glanced over as two figures became visible: a boy roughly their own age and height, and the blonde-haired woman who had left earlier.

  Lyria and Livy’s eyes subconsciously drew toward the boy for some reason—perhaps because of the similarities they shared: their heights, ages, and especially the foreign looks that didn’t belong in this countryside village.

  The air around the boy was calm and confident, reminding them of their hateful father, yet they didn’t feel the same from him.

  The boy had short, messy dark hair, as if it had been combed at random. His striking blue eyes seemed to hold the entire sky within them.

  Overall, the boy looked like some noble child who, like them, had perhaps been abandoned by his family and dumped in this countryside village. Because of all this, both Lyria and Livy’s hearts calmed considerably.

  After spotting both girls, Eric raised his brow in surprise.

  ‘Who are these little girls? And what’s with that hair and eye color… Is that even natural?’

  Eric had traveled all around Earth and seen all sorts of people and ghosts, yet he could say even cosplayers didn’t have such naturally lavender hair and eyes.

  One girl had dark brown hair, which wasn’t uncommon. She had a pair of 'piercing' bright amber eyes. Even Eric had to say he was almost pierced by those bright eyes; thankfully, he had a dark, rotting heart, so he managed to survive.

  The other girl was more unique. She had long lavender hair, but due to the light from the windows, it looked multicolored—rose, purple, pink, and blue mixed, and her eyes mirrored the same hues.

  Hair and eye colors aside, both girls were top-grade beauties. Eric could honestly say he had never seen such doll-like girls of their age in either of his lives. Their clothes, though dirtied, were clearly high-quality, which he had also never seen within Ringwood Town.

  Both girls looked miserable, as if they had endured a terrible life for weeks, traveling far with little sleep. They also seemed to be crying...

  Eric was inwardly amazed but was also indifferent. They might be the most beautiful girls he had seen in both lifetimes, but they were just children. Even if they were adults, he wasn’t desperate to snatch up any woman; he had had his fill of that fun in his past life and wasn’t so loose anymore.

  Judging by their outfits and appearances, Eric guessed they came from royalty, perhaps runaway princesses from some fantasy tale, fleeing invaders who had slaughtered their families. Pitiful, but this is none of his concern.

  ‘Does Grandma plan to accept them here? Won’t their enemies come searching?’ Eric thought casually.

  He couldn’t judge these things, as he was too ignorant of this world’s mechanisms. Perhaps throwing away children was the latest fashion trend going around this world. Nonetheless, these two weren’t his problem to worry about…

  At that moment, Eric’s eyes narrowed. He suddenly had a bad premonition—that this might really land on his shoulders, and it would be too bothersome!

  Eric only glanced at Lyria and Livy once before ignoring them and walking straight toward Bella Noll’s office.

  Hannah followed and knocked on the door.

  Eric didn’t even wait for the old woman inside to give them permission; he swiftly opened the door, and after walking inside, he slammed it behind him.

  Hannah stood stupefied. She didn’t enter, and the door was shut right in her face.

  She rubbed her face as if the air had punched her hard. Then she glanced at both girls and smiled kindly, like a big sister, before beginning to converse with them.

  After entering, Eric gave one quick glance around the room in case an unknown person was present.

  The room was just as one would expect from a normal school principal’s office—a large desk, two chairs for guests, and in the main chair sat an old woman. Aside from those, the room had some bookshelves, an open window, and a few sofas on one side. Thankfully, no unknown person was around.

  Eric’s focus then shifted to the old woman—Bella Noll, who had just lifted her head to look at the rude intruder.

  Bella Noll’s age was etched deeply onto her face. Her eyes were warm and seemed to hold deep wisdom. Her long, silvery-white hair was left loose.

  Despite her old age, anyone would say she was still very pretty; a few decades ago, she might have been a breathtakingly beautiful woman. Leaving looks aside, she was also remarkably healthy and strong for her age.

  Bella Noll sighed and massaged her temples. "Just how many times do I have to tell you, Eric—wait for me to call you inside before you walk in."

  Eric didn’t mind Bella Noll's lecture. Although they didn’t meet every single day, their relationship was quite close. Bella Noll was very friendly and kind to him; well, she was like that with almost everyone.

  Eric calmly walked up to the empty chair opposite her and sat. He then stared at Bella Noll and asked, "Don't you always say children should sleep more? Why wake me up so early?"

  Bella Noll smiled at Eric’s annoyed tone. Instead of answering, she pulled out a small box from her drawer and placed it on the table in front of Eric.

  "Happy birthday, Eric. It's a gift from me. I hope you like it."

  Eric raised his brow in surprise. He wondered if an eighth birthday was something special in this world. First, it was Hannah, and now Bella Noll was giving him gifts. On his previous birthdays, they only fed him good food or gave him anything he wished for.

  Well, whatever…

  Eric smiled and picked up the box, wondering what could be inside—maybe a nuclear bomb switch?

  With anticipation, Eric opened it right away, and his eyes grew wide at what he saw.