The afternoon sky grew thick with gathering clouds.

I stood before Villa 13, hesitating at the spiked iron fence towering two and a half meters high.

*With my current jumping ability, clearing 2.5 meters shouldn’t be too hard. Worth a shot.*

I took two steps back, eyes fixed on the black-painted bars. Slightly crouching, I gritted my teeth!

Legs coiled, I sprinted forward. Two strides later, just shy of two meters from the fence, I launched myself upward!

…My view widened instantly. Surrounding villas came into sight, including a wandering Zombie lurking around a corner—clear as day. But none of that mattered.

The moment my eyes leveled with the second-floor balcony, I spotted something!

Or… was it not a *thing* at all?

Before I could focus, my upward momentum vanished. Having exhausted my leap, I sailed over the fence and plummeted down.

Judging by my jump height, my feet had cleared nearly 2.7 meters—easily surpassing the 2.5-meter barrier. I landed in the grassy courtyard.

The descent was brutal. Instinctively, I bent my knees slightly to absorb the impact. But…

The force far exceeded my estimate. My legs buckled on landing. As the grass rushed toward my face, I curled into a ball, rolling once across the lawn. I finally steadied myself in a half-crouch, grass and dirt clinging to my hair.

*Phew…*

At least this 2.5-meter fence kept ordinary Zombies out—only Mutant Monsters could breach it. I sheathed my Samurai Sword at my waist and drew my combat knife instead.

The weapons’ lengths suited different spaces: the Samurai Sword for open areas, the knife for tight spots.

Testing the knife’s weight in my palm, I glanced up at the second-floor balcony. From here, I could only see its underside.

*Was what I saw earlier… really not an illusion?*

I’d glimpsed something—but couldn’t be sure.

Gripping the knife, I approached the front door.

The villa’s European-style entrance was solid wood, sturdy-looking. After climbing three steps, I hesitated. For safety’s sake, I rapped twice on the door.

*Thud. Thud.*

The hollow wooden echoes died instantly. I held my breath, tightening my grip on the knife, waiting for… whatever might answer.

The wind still howled. No strange sounds came. After ten seconds of silence—certain no Zombie or Mutant Monster lurked inside—I exhaled softly. Grabbing the doorknob, I jiggled it.

*Locked…*

Like the gate, it was secured from within.

*Guess I’ll need another way in.*

I retreated down the steps, scanning the two-story building. Spacious—even the ground floor spanned over 200 square meters. The front offered no handholds near the balcony.

Circling clockwise, I noticed every side had a balcony, each above a dusty stone pavilion. Carved pillars and wooden railings peeked through grime.

Halfway around the west side, I spotted a floor-to-ceiling window. Curtains blocked the view inside.

I pushed the glass.

*Locked?*

Why were *all* entrances sealed? Had the owner locked up before leaving? But with the high fence, perimeter walls, and patrol guards… wasn’t that enough? Why lock every window *and* draw the curtains?

What needed hiding? Couldn’t valuables just be stored upstairs? Why shroud the entire house?

Unless… what I saw earlier *wasn’t* an illusion.

My brow furrowed, recalling those… feet.

While clearing the fence, I’d glimpsed something below the balcony’s curtained window—a pair of feet.

If real…

*Is someone inside?*

Could it be the owner? That man… Li Jiahui?

If so, my plan to grab the car keys might fail.

But I’d know only by seeing for myself. First, I needed entry.

I confirmed the window was locked from within, then raised my combat knife. With a sharp thrust—

*CRASH!*

The massive window shattered with a crash. Glass shards rained down as the breeze parted the curtains, revealing the room.

Empty. Only high-end furniture filled the space—a fleeting glance still impressed me. But my eyes locked on one item:

*A holographic projection system!*

Rumored to immerse viewers in films, these systems were drawing crowds to big-city cinemas. I’d read about them online. A full setup cost over a million—far beyond ordinary households. Add accessories like neural headsets and haptic gloves…

But now? Just scrap metal. Without power, even the fanciest tech was useless decoration.

Sunlight flooded in as I swept the curtains aside, illuminating the room’s true purpose: a home gym. Equipment lined the walls, proving one truth—

*The richer you are, the more you value life.*