Chapter 3

Passing through the jungle by the river, a wide road appeared before him.

Raine remembered that this road was one of the main routes into the city. A few kilometers to the north was Longshande. The sky was now completely bright, and farmers were driving their carts, loaded with fresh vegetables and food, heading to the city's market to sell.

There were also pedestrians like Raine, all hurrying along, striving for their livelihoods.

As he walked, Raine noticed that his physical condition was quite good, with excellent stamina, much better than in his previous life. It seemed that the past three years at the academy were not entirely wasted.

He wasn't sure if it was a benefit of his transmigration or just his excellent physical condition, but the wound on the back of his head seemed to be healing quickly and no longer hurt. If he didn't touch it, he would almost doubt whether it had fully healed.

As he walked, Raine's attention swept over the little red flower, which immediately enlarged into an interface in front of him. A quick glance revealed a change.

"Hmm? The battery level has increased by one notch. It seems that physical recovery is equivalent to charging."

This discovery delighted Raine, as he no longer had to fear running out of power.

"It must be that the healthier my body is, the higher the battery level."

Raine pondered this, but it still seemed a bit unreasonable.

Based on his current physical state, even if he were fully recovered, the battery level would only reach about 10%. How could he increase it to 100%?

And what would happen when the battery was fully charged to 100%?

There were too many questions to explore.

While he was thinking, a commotion came from behind him.

Raine turned around to see a black car driving down the road, apparently in a hurry to enter the city. The driver kept honking to clear the way for the carts and pedestrians in front.

On both sides and behind the car, four attendants in light armor, armed with long swords, rode horses, maintaining a proper distance to avoid collisions while staying close enough to protect the car's occupant.

The road became chaotic, and the farmers quickly pulled their carts to the side, while people moved to the roadside.

Raine also hurriedly stepped aside.

Soon, the car passed by, raising a cloud of dust, and the cavalry followed, leaving a trail of hoof prints on the ground.

Watching them go, Raine had a strange feeling.

He knew that this world had a high level of industrial development, especially in steam machinery, which was even more advanced than on Earth. However, seeing a car pass by with cavalry following was a bit jarring.

In his previous life, this would be called a mismatched scene!

When the car passed, he observed it closely.

The car's appearance was similar to those on Earth, but there were some differences in the details. The windows were elaborately decorated and covered with curtains, making the interior invisible. The white smoke coming from the back had no noticeable odor, looking like steam, as it was powered by a steam engine.

"To be able to manufacture a steam-powered car to this level, with a decent speed, is quite amazing."

Raine had never ridden in a car before.

Cars were one of the most advanced mechanical products, extremely expensive, and only accessible to nobles, tycoons, or extraordinary individuals. Ordinary people might never have the chance to ride in one. He didn't see the occupants of the car, but they were likely wealthy or powerful.

As he got closer to the city, the road widened, and the number of pedestrians increased. The farmland on both sides stretched endlessly, with many farmers already working in the fields.

This was the outskirts of Longshande, which, besides farmland, also had factories, plantations, ranches, and private estates of nobles.

Soon, a massive city came into view.

From a distance, the city was a vast expanse of buildings. The closer to the city center, the taller the buildings. Although there were no skyscrapers like on Earth, the city was bustling and densely populated.

This was Longshande, one of the most prosperous cities in the empire, with a permanent population of over a million!

Longshande had no city walls, but its defenses were formidable.

Raine noticed that every few hundred meters, there was a prominent stone tower, about 30 to 40 meters high, with a platform on top.

The towers were equipped with weapons, but they were covered with waterproof oilcloths, making it impossible to see what was inside.

Raine knew that under the oilcloths were steam-powered ballistae, powerful weapons with a range of 500 paces, used to defend the city.

There were no city walls, but there were checkpoints on the main roads leading into the city.

Since it was early in the morning, the number of people entering the city was not overwhelming. The guards at the checkpoint did not check every cart or person, only occasionally stopping a few for questioning before letting them through.

Raine often went in and out of the city and had nothing to fear, so he walked over with a calm expression.

"Stop."

A fully armed guard suddenly blocked his path, scanning Raine.

Raine immediately realized that his clothes were still damp and wrinkled, which had caught the guard's attention.

"Sir, I left home before dawn and couldn't see the road clearly, so I accidentally fell into the river."

Raine explained, taking out a white card from his pocket and handing it over.

On his way back to the city, he had checked his belongings and found nothing but a key and this peculiar card.

The card was about the size of an ID card, made of a very hard material that was difficult to damage. It had Raine's black-and-white portrait and basic identity information. Most importantly, it had dozens of small holes on one side, which could be read by a large, precision machine to verify its authenticity.

Raine's card was issued by the academy as a pass for entering and leaving the academy.

The academy pass was a valuable item, a symbol of status, and was widely accepted in many places. As long as he showed the card, he would be allowed through.

Sure enough, the guard's suspicion eased upon seeing the card. After confirming that the portrait matched Raine, he stepped aside.

Raine put the card away and continued into the city.

The main roads in the city were very wide, able to accommodate several carts side by side. Every dozen meters or so, there was a gas street lamp. Carts and cars drove in the middle, while pedestrians walked on the sidewalks.

The main streets were bustling with traffic, lined with houses, most of which were built of stone, with wooden boards and a few bricks. The shortest were two to three stories, and the tallest were five to six stories, with red-tiled roofs. The architectural style was very uniform.

The streets were crowded with people, most of whom were in a hurry.

All sorts of people passed by: mail carriers, housewives buying groceries, apprentices, cart drivers, and playing children. The houses on the street included homes of commoners and numerous shops. There were clothing stores, restaurants, grocery stores, blacksmiths, bookstores, markets, taverns, inns, newsstands, and more, giving the city a vibrant atmosphere.

Walking through the city with its unique style, Raine was quite curious, looking around.

He thought of medieval European cities.

However, there were significant differences. First, the hygiene here was much better. Well-designed drainage channels lined the streets, and the ground was paved with flat stones, preventing the streets from turning into mud pits during rain. Unlike medieval Europe, where people would dump chamber pots on the street, causing a stench, even in Paris, the center of Europe, one could be drenched by "cargo" while walking.

Second, the architectural style here was very different from medieval Europe.

Raine was not an expert in architectural history and couldn't pinpoint the exact differences.

From a personal perspective, the buildings in Longshande were more grandiose, favoring large stone blocks as the main material, with intricate carvings and statues, making the buildings more spacious and bright, giving a sense of solemnity.

This architectural style had a strong religious influence, similar to Baroque architecture but more like ancient Greek architecture, grand and majestic.

Suddenly, a fragrance wafted from a nearby restaurant, making his stomach growl, interrupting his thoughts.

He touched his empty pocket and cursed inwardly: "Damn it, the killers even searched the body and took all my money. I'll settle this score eventually."

Swallowing his saliva, Raine quickened his pace to return to his apartment.

He remembered that his predecessor had hidden some money in the wall of the apartment, enough to live on for a while, though not much.

Raine's apartment was in the Ross District, not far away.

The residents of Ross District were ordinary citizens, slightly better off than the slums, with cheaper rent, which he could afford.

After about ten minutes, Raine finally reached the building, entered through the main door, and went up to the third floor. At the end of the corridor, he took out his key and opened the door.

The room was small, simply furnished with a bed, a table and chair, and a wardrobe. There was also a simple bathroom.

Raine took off his damp, uncomfortable clothes and threw them into the bathroom. On the table was a bag of bread he had bought the day before, which he grabbed and started eating.

He had never felt this hungry before, as if he hadn't eaten for days.

Chewing on the cold, hard bread with a glass of water, Raine ate quickly, finishing the entire bag. The bread was supposed to last for three breakfasts, but he was still only half full and felt he could eat more.

However, he was no longer as hungry, and his stamina was gradually recovering.

After satisfying his hunger, Raine took off his last pair of shorts and entered the bathroom for a refreshing cold shower. He dried himself with a towel and came out feeling refreshed.

Walking to the wardrobe, he was about to change into clean clothes when he noticed a half-human-sized mirror on the door, clearly reflecting his current appearance.

He stopped and carefully examined himself in the mirror.

His height was nearly 1.8 meters, with a slender but well-proportioned build, and his muscle contours were visible, a result of the past three years of training at the academy.

Most importantly, he was well-endowed, and he smiled in satisfaction when he looked down.

The only downside was the bruises and contusions all over his body, which looked like he had been severely beaten. This was why he had felt pain all over when he first transmigrated. He found a small mirror in the desk drawer and, standing in front of the full-length mirror, finally saw the wound on the back of his head.

The wound had healed significantly, and lifting his hair revealed a bloodied, sunken area, roughly circular, with a stark contrast in skin color around the edges, clearly caused by a heavy blow from a blunt object.

Raine put down the mirror, his eyes darkening, as he knew exactly what had happened.