Soul system:Return Of The SSS-Ranked Troublemaker-Chapter 51: Game Of Fate (9) POVS.

Now, he was surrounded by geniuses—heirs of renowned families, prodigies born with talent, wealth, and prestige.

"No..." Yin whispered under his breath, his voice shaking—not from fear, but defiance.

His fist trembled at his side, tightening until his knuckles turned white.

"I’ll prove them all wrong."

Calvin and Edith’s POV

In a quiet, shadowy alley, the air was thick with tension—not from danger, but the awkward silence hanging between the two figures.

Edith buttoned up her shirt, her body still damp with sweat. Calvin stood nearby, turned away, his face flushed red, a mixture of embarrassment and something he couldn’t name.

Edith gently tapped him on the shoulder.

"Thanks..." she mumbled, her tone softer than usual.

Calvin turned slightly, avoiding eye contact. "You... You’re welcome."

"I mean... thanks for helping me make the milk packs with my ability." She laughed nervously, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"Haha, yeah—n-no problem. It’s... it’s your ability, after all."

Neither of them said more. The silence returned—but now it was laced with something warmer, unfamiliar.

"Should we head back?" Edith finally asked.

"Y-Yeah, let’s go," Calvin replied, still flustered.

As they walked side by side, each was lost in their own thoughts.

God, that was so awkward... Calvin groaned inwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

I hope he doesn’t think I’m weird for using my ability like that... Edith thought, glancing sideways at him.

Eventually, they reached the rendezvous point near the statue of twisted electrical wires—the agreed location to regroup at night.

Karina and Sera’s POV

Meanwhile, the city buzzed with life.

Bright neon signs, upbeat music, and a flood of pedestrians filled the wide walkways of a modern shopping mall. Everything from high-end boutiques to street food stalls gave the place an almost festival-like energy.

Inside a trendy clothing shop, Karina held up two dresses with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Hey, Sera, which one do you think looks better on me?" she asked, grinning.

One was a bold red dress—shoulder exposed, short-cut hem with a stylish slit on the side. The other was a softer pink, with cross-strap details and a heart-shaped cutout at the chest.

Sera blushed. "D-Don’t you think it’s a little too revealing...?"

Karina chuckled. "So what? This is the first time we’ve been out like this without training drills or missions. We deserve to enjoy it."

She spun the red dress around with a smirk, clearly enjoying the moment.

Sera smiled faintly, her eyes scanning a nearby rack. "I guess a little fun wouldn’t hurt..."

Karina & Sera POV

"Also... aren’t we broke? We don’t even have any money..." Sera mumbled, her hands pressing against her stomach as it let out a loud growl. "Grrr..."

Karina sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Damn, I completely forgot! Let’s head back to the meeting point I marked earlier. Maybe the others have food or supplies by now."

Sera gave a small nod, and the two sisters exited the shop, weaving through the bustling mall crowd.

As they strolled down a quieter hallway, Karina broke the silence with a mischievous grin.

"Hey, Sera... do you like Yin?"

Sera nearly tripped. Her face turned bright red. "W-What kind of question is that?!"

Karina snorted, enjoying the reaction. "Hehe, I knew it. You’ve got a thing for him~"

"I-I don’t!" Sera stammered, clearly flustered.

Karina’s teasing smile slowly faded as she glanced at her younger sister with a more serious expression. The mood shifted slightly.

"Y’know... it’s okay to like someone," Karina said softly. "Yin’s strong, and I can tell he really cares about people. But make sure you’re strong too, Sera. You can’t always rely on others."

Sera blinked. Her sister’s words pierced deeper than expected.

"As your big sister... I won’t always be there. So promise me you’ll keep pushing forward—even when I’m not around, okay?" Karina’s eyes were full of both sadness and determination.

Sera smiled, gently taking Karina’s hand. "I will. I promise, big sis."

Karina suddenly regained her usual energy, playfully bumping Sera’s shoulder. "Good! Now, let’s hurry back before I starve to death!"

After a few more minutes of walking, they spotted Calvin and Edith in the distance. They all waved at each other, slowly regrouping near the electrical statue landmark.

The Twins’ POV

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the mall, Mon and Nom strolled through a large supermarket.

Their cart was overflowing—snacks, canned goods, bottled water, even some strange local energy drinks.

Every time they passed a CCTV camera, their bodies shimmered slightly—hair colors changing, facial features altering, even the clothes on their backs adjusted by subtle shifts in their disguise technique.

"Brother..." Mon, the white-haired twin, looked uneasy. "What we’re doing... isn’t this wrong? Aren’t we supposed to be heroes?"

Nom, the darker twin, didn’t pause. He tossed a bag of rice into the cart without looking back.

"This is survival. They set up this game and dropped us in with nothing. If they didn’t expect us to bend the rules, they wouldn’t have made them so easy to break," Nom replied coolly.

Mon still looked conflicted but nodded. "I understand. Let’s just get out of here quickly..."

As they left the store through a side exit, sirens wailed behind them. A patrol squad of mall security and local police sprinted toward the supermarket.

The twins didn’t even look back.

With synchronized steps and calm expressions, they disappeared into the crowd—vanishing like shadows.

As they exited the mall, a loud voice from behind suddenly pierced the air.

"That’s THE MAN!" one of the patrol officers shouted, pointing directly at someone in a brown leather cloak.

"Huh?" the man blinked, clearly confused—before several guards rushed him and tackled him to the ground.

Mon looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowing in recognition. "That’s one of the guys we copied..." he thought silently.

"Don’t look back," Nom said sharply, his voice low and steady.

Mon gave a small nod, then the two of them disappeared into the passing crowd, leaving the chaos behind.

After several turns and a bit of walking, they finally reached the meeting point Karina had marked earlier. The electrical statue loomed in the distance like a beacon.

Calvin, Edith, Karina, and Sera were already waiting.

Mon and Nom waved as they approached, the group slowly beginning to reform.

A few moments later, K showed up with the emo guy beside him.

"Tch. Where are Zion and Yin?" K asked, eyes scanning the area.

"We’ve been waiting, too," Calvin responded, arms crossed.

Just as he said that, two figures in matching outfits approached from the distance—both wearing simple white plain shirts and blue shorts.

It was Zion and Yin, waving as they walked up to the group.

"Yo!" Zion grinned. "Hope we didn’t make you wait too long."

"What’s with the outfit?" K asked, raising a brow.

"Oh, we got an apartment," Zion replied casually. "And the guy running the place gave us some free clothes."

"Wait, what?!" Karina stepped forward, blinking in disbelief. "Where did you even get the money for that?"

Zion scratched the back of his head nonchalantly. "Took out a loan. A hundred million won. Paid thirty million up front for the apartment."

The moment those words left his mouth, the entire group froze.

Eyes widened. Mouths hung open like gaping black holes.

The silence was so intense, you could hear a leaf drop in the distance.

"WHAT?!" Karina, K, and the others shouted in unison.

Sera looked like she’d seen a ghost. Calvin nearly dropped the water bottle he was holding. Edith’s jaw had unhinged so far, you could mistake her for a cartoon character.

Yin just stood quietly beside Zion, calmly sipping a juice box.

"WHAT?! 100 MILLION WON?!"

The entire group erupted in unison, their voices loud enough to draw attention from passersby.

People nearby turned and began murmuring among themselves.

"God, those foreigners really don’t care—even in someone else’s country."

"Yeah, and they’re just kids!"

"Are they dressed as heroes? What is this, Halloween?"

Zion flinched, waving his hands quickly. "Hey! Don’t yell! Everyone’s staring at us!"

"Oh—crap, right..." Calvin muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, my bad..." Karina added, bowing slightly to a few confused bystanders.

"Haha... sorry..." Sera said awkwardly, trying to laugh it off.

Calvin turned back to Zion, whispering now, "So... where did you even get a loan that big?"

Zion shrugged. "Some guy named Hyungseok. Runs a place near the red-light alley."

K’s expression twitched. Hyungseok... wait, isn’t that the name I saw on that sketchy door back in the alley?

"That’s... nice," K said slowly, clearly trying not to ask more questions. "But let’s stop talking about it. Everyone’s starving."

Karina nodded. "Right, did you buy any food then?"

Zion raised a brow. "Uh... no. I figured we’d just grab something outside."

"Not a problem with me," Karina replied, stretching. "I’m down for anything edible at this point."

Just then, the twins raised their arms in sync, holding up bags full of snacks, boxed meals, and assorted supplies.

"We brought food and other stuff!" Mon and Nom declared proudly.

The others stared, surprised.

"Wait... did you buy those?" Edith asked, narrowing her eyes.

Mon and Nom shared a glance... and looked away innocently. "Uhh..."

"I knew it," Calvin muttered under his breath.

"Well, stolen or not," K said, grabbing a snack from their haul, "I’m eating either way. Survival game rules, remember?"

The group finally laughed, easing the tension, and began sorting through the food together. For a brief moment, the chaos faded—replaced by the warmth of shared relief, and the strange bond they’d started to form in this unfamiliar place.