The Cunning Hares had been relatively idle lately—or rather, Ignis had.
Nicole had mentioned going to the second-hand market to look for the tools needed to set up a forge, but she'd been busy lately tracking down remnants of the Red Fang gang with Nekomata, trying to figure out why Miguel Silver had robbed that safe.
Anby, weaponless, spent her days jogging or going out to see movies, enjoying her downtime thoroughly.
Billy had been busy restocking ammunition. Ignis had spoken with him—those explosive rounds the robot made himself were somewhat similar to a Space Marine's bolter shells, just smaller in caliber and without the secondary propellant stage.
As Ignis was wondering what to do with his day, his phone buzzed.
Nicole had given it to him a few days earlier during their group gathering—a tablet-sized phone made for large-bodied Xiren. When she handed it to him, it looked like she was holding a datapad.
Funny enough, Nicole herself still used an old flip phone, though she was always generous when it came to spending money on everyone else.
He opened the KnockKnock messaging app. The message was from Phaethon.
"You there? You said before you wanted to see that documentary about New Eridu's history. The customer who rented it just returned it. Wanna come pick it up?"
He'd only mentioned it casually at dinner, but they'd actually remembered.
"I'm free right now, I'll be right over." Even though the device was meant for large-bodied Xiren, Ignis was even bigger—pressing those tiny buttons precisely was still tricky.
After telling Billy he'd be heading out and to keep an eye on the door, Ignis caught a bus toward Sixth Street.
He'd been there once before, when Nicole had driven them to pick up Amillion from a repair shop—but he hadn't had the chance to actually explore the area back then.
After transferring from the bus to the subway and enduring a few routine ID checks from the peacekeepers, he finally emerged from the Sixth Street Station by midday.
It was clearly a more orderly district—no gang members in sight, unlike around the Cunning Hares' current base, where stepping outside always meant being watched.
Passersby gave curious looks to the towering giant, but Ignis was long used to that in New Eridu.
What he wasn't used to, though, was someone rushing up to ask for a photo.
A man in a black suit introduced himself as a talent scout, insisting that Ignis had the perfect look for film.
"Sir, you are exactly the supporting role I've been searching for!" the man said, eyes practically shining. "That imposing presence of yours—one look at you on the big screen, and the audience would instantly fear for the hero's life!"
Despite Ignis's repeated refusals, the man's enthusiasm was unstoppable; he ended up slipping a business card into Ignis's hand. The Salamander could only laugh helplessly and pocket it.
Then came a girl running social media, her eyes lighting up the instant she saw him. She begged to film a short video together—said she'd planned to shoot "pretty girls," but Ignis's gleaming black skin and massive frame were far more striking. "If you let me film a short clip, it'll definitely blow up online!" she said.
For Ignis, though, such public attention was far too conspicuous. After patiently reasoning with her to no avail, he finally took off his sunglasses and put on his most menacing face. That did the trick.
Still, judging from her determination, she probably wouldn't give up easily—but at least she'd asked permission first instead of filming secretly.
He passed by a 141 Convenience Store—he'd seen one before while wandering the city. Even in the chaotic old-district areas, the chain had branches everywhere. The interesting part was that 141 stores were staffed entirely by Bangboo—three small AI units could run a whole shop.
In the Old Capital, though, those Bangboo had been modified to emit high-voltage shocks. With gang members around every corner, no one dared rob them.
Partly because there wasn't much cash to steal, partly because people depended on them for cheap goods—but mostly because getting knocked out by a convenience store robot would be a lifelong humiliation.
The aroma of broth caught Ignis's attention. He saw a familiar red figure with oversized mechanical arms—it was the short ramen shop owner.
Yes, the same one from before. The long ride transfers had left him hungry. The ramen shop, Waterfall Soup, had decent soup—Nicole had ordered takeout from there before.
He wanted to stop for a bowl, but first, he should pick up the videotape.
Outside the rental store, Ignis texted Belle. The short-haired girl soon came out.
"Why not come in?" she asked, handing him a paper bag.
"Too narrow," Ignis shrugged. Last time, during their operation briefing with Nekomata, he'd barely squeezed through the door.
"Fair," Belle chuckled, rummaging in her hoodie pocket. "Here, take this."
She handed him a small card.
"Our store membership card," she said proudly. "You can find any tape you want at Random Play Video."
The card had Ignis's name and the registration date—the same day Phaethon had helped him, Anby, and Billy out of the Hollow.
"This date…" Ignis smiled and tucked the card into his coat. "I'll treasure it."
Right then, his stomach rumbled.
"Haven't eaten? Perfect, me neither. Let's grab some ramen!" Belle grinned mischievously and shouted into the store, "Bro! I'm heading out for a bit—you've got the counter!"
Before Wise could answer, she was already dragging Ignis away.
With his enhanced hearing, Ignis still caught Wise's faint protest: something about her skipping work again.
The energetic girl led him to a newsstand on Sixth Street, where she reached in to pet a husky wearing a tiny jacket.
"Awoo, you're so cute!" she cooed, scratching its chin and grabbing a lottery ticket from the nearby stack. "And today's lucky draw, please!"
Newsstands—Ignis had spent plenty of time at those back in his Earth school days. Sometimes to buy magazines like "Sketch," "Brutus," or "Weekly Shonen Jump"… but mostly, he was there for game cards—those prepaid codes for online games.
He'd spent most of his allowance there, from Nexon, Steam or Riot....
He'd always loved gaming. Even after becoming a safety officer in the desert, his computer always had a few installed. The generator was loud as hell, but if it meant he could still play, it was worth it.
Speaking of games, he noticed a small arcade nearby—one of those with a joystick and colorful candy buttons out front. He couldn't help but smile; those machines were part of his youth, before internet cafés took over.
Thinking back, Ignis realized he hadn't exactly been a model kid—playing "Super Mario" at arcade halls as a child, then "Warcraft" and "MapleStory" at net cafés as a teen.
"You into that?" Belle followed his gaze. "Wanna try a round?"
Tempting, yes—but that machine was clearly built for normal humans. He'd probably crush it by accident.
"I'll pass. That thing's too small—I might break it," he chuckled.
"Then next time, I'll take you to the Hollow Investigative Association. They've got full VR setups." Belle was clearly familiar with all things fun—typical for her age.
"Maybe next time," Ignis said. "But right now, ramen first."
Waterfall Soup was quiet at this hour, the robot cooks half-asleep.
Ignis picked the sturdiest chair meant for large Xiren, while Belle called out to the chef.
"Master Chop! Two bowls of ramen!" she yelled, startling the sleepy owner nearly off his feet.
"Belle! You scared me half to death," Chop said, regaining his balance. "Didn't eat yet? Oh—and that's your friend?"
"Yup! So, two bowls, please. Oh, and he's Nicole's new employee—name's Ignis."
"Nicole's new recruit, eh?" Chop eyed the Salamander. "Just like her—dresses like some street punk but sharp as a blade."
"Speaking of her, she came by the other day with a bunch of orphanage kids. Told them to order anything they wanted—then got herself a plain bowl."
"Nicole treated them again? Damn, I missed it," Belle said, ordering her meal. "Black bowl roast-pork ramen, medium size. You, Ignis?"
"Which one's spicy?" he asked, curious.
As a Salamander, a man from the Mist Isles, he prided himself on his spice tolerance.
"Up for the challenge? Try our Hellfire Ramen," said Chop, eyes gleaming. "Not many can finish it."
"Biggest bowl you've got," Ignis replied without hesitation. Fire was his domain—no reason to fear it in food form.
Chop laughed heartily and began kneading dough.
Belle pulled something else from her pocket and slid it across the table—it was a photo.
A group shot from their recent gathering. The camera had been propped at one end of the table; everyone was in it—Belle, Wise, Anby, Billy, Nekomata, Nicole… and in the back, Ignis himself, grinning wide in his apron.
He looked a bit silly, flashing a peace sign.
"Everyone gets one," Belle said. "Here's yours. It came out great. Keep it safe."
"Of course." Ignis slipped the photo into his chest pocket. Maybe it was just the warmth from the table—but his chest felt hot.
Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder. Ignis turned to see a peacekeeper.
"I'm Officer Grant. Citizen, may I see your ID?" The man looked nervous but did his duty.
After being checked ten times already that afternoon, Ignis handed it over smoothly.
"Do I really look that much like a criminal?" he asked dryly.