As Ryan walked, he stared at the mobile phone in his hand, wondering whether he should inform the people of the Lion Gang about his departure.
After thinking for a while, he slipped the phone back into his pocket and decided to leave without telling anyone.
There was no particular reason for his decision. It was simply because he wasn't close to anyone in the gang, not even with Peter and the others, whom he had returned home two days ago.
Ryan had joined the Lion Gang after his mother's death because he had no other choice at the time.
If he hadn't joined them, he wouldn't have even been able to eat his fill, as earning money in the slums was far from easy.
Although it was dangerous to be part of a gang, since gang members often engaged in shady activities and frequently fought, it was also one of the few ways to earn significant money while living in the slums.
'If I tell anyone that I'm leaving the slums, they'll immediately realize that I have a lot of money. That might attract unwanted trouble…' Ryan thought to himself as he walked.
In fact, he had already received several messages from Peter and the others.
They were asking about the kind of Aspect he had awakened and informing him that there might soon be a decisive battle against the Blood Wolf Gang.
Yes, the cheap leader of their Lion Gang had not died in the fight two days ago and had successfully survived.
Ryan hadn't hidden the fact that he had awakened the Rage Ape Aspect, as it wasn't something that could be concealed anyway.
To recruit new members, most gangs sent people to observe the awakening ceremonies.
As long as someone awakened, even if it was the lowest-tier Aspect, the gangs would try to recruit them.
After all, regardless of the type of Aspect a person awakened, they still had the potential to become stronger than ordinary people, and those were exactly the kinds of individuals gangs sought.
'With the clash between the Lion Gang and the Blood Wolf Gang being imminent, it's better for me to leave without telling them.'
Ryan walked for a full hour and a half before a massive gray iron gate came into view. The door stood nearly five meters tall and three meters wide.
Due to the poor condition of the roads in the slums and the narrow, cramped streets, vehicles like cars or auto-rickshaws couldn't operate there.
There were bicycle taxi services available, but Ryan hadn't used them to get here.
The reason was simple.
Money.
It was only a one-and-a-half-hour walk. He didn't want to waste money on a bicycle ride.
Besides, even with a bicycle, it would have taken him at least half an hour to reach this place due to the terrible road conditions, and the ride wouldn't have been comfortable anyway.
As Ryan got closer to the iron gate, the condition of the surroundings began to improve.
There was no longer garbage scattered everywhere, nor was there filthy water covering the ground.
Even the road had changed, from muddy terrain to a proper concrete surface. Though they were broken.
Several groups of thugs lingered nearby, eyeing Ryan like hungry wolves ready to devour him. However, none of them stepped forward to cause trouble.
They merely watched him intently without taking any action.
It wasn't because they were afraid of Ryan.
'Now that I am here, I must leave successfully, or I'll end up being targeted by a bunch of troublemakers.' Ryan thought inwardly as he glanced toward a small booth beside the iron gate.
Inside the booth, an old man sat comfortably on a chair, leaning back with his eyes closed, looking completely at ease.
Ryan knew that those thugs didn't dare to make a move because of the old man, but he himself didn't have a good impression of that old bastard.
Soon, Ryan reached the booth and stood right outside it.
The old man lazily opened one eye and looked at Ryan indifferently.
"What do you want?"
Ryan didn't waste any time and placed his identity card on the counter.
"I want to leave the slums."
The old man raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and picked up the card.
"Three hundred credits…" He said, about to stamp something on it when Ryan quickly stopped him.
"Wait! I want to leave permanently, not just for a one-time trip."
The old man's hand paused mid-air. He gave Ryan a long, probing look before speaking again.
"Eight thousand."
Ryan's expression darkened when he heard that and he spoke in a low voice.
"Isn't the price for a permanent pass five thousand?"
"Whether it's five thousand or eight thousand is decided by me, not you... 'The old man said with a sneer. "So, do you want it or not?"
Ryan couldn't help but clench his fists slightly, fully aware that the old man was extorting money from him.
But could he refuse?
Of course not.
Not only did he genuinely want to leave the slums and needed a permanent pass, but even if he chose to turn back, he wouldn't be able to.
Why?
Because of the groups of thugs gathered not far from the booth.
They hadn't acted earlier because they feared the old man. But the moment Ryan refused to pay and tried to head back, they would immediately pounce on him and rob him of everything he had.
'Bastard… if I get the chance in the future, I'll definitely make him pay...' Ryan cursed inwardly as he reluctantly handed over the eight thousand credits.
In total, he had around thirty-one thousand credits, including the money he had taken from Razor.
Spending eight thousand of it just to leave the slums made his heart ache.
The old man snorted as Ryan placed the money on the counter.
He picked it up, counted it briefly, and after a few minutes, handed Ryan a new identity card.
The card was similar to the one Ryan had previously handed over, with his name and origin as a slum resident clearly written on it.
However, at the very bottom of the card, there was a stamp resembling a star, indicating that he was leaving the slums legally.
"If you cause any trouble after going outside, in the best case, you'll be thrown back here. In the worst case..." The old man didn't finish his sentence and simply made a slicing motion across his neck.
Ryan nodded silently as he already knew what that meant.
The morality of most people living in the slums was questionable, so it was understandable why they weren't allowed to freely enter urban areas.
As long as someone wasn't a notorious criminal with a terrible reputation, there were two ways to leave the slums.
First, pay three hundred credits for a one-day pass.
Second, pay five thousand credits for a permanent exit.
The high cost existed to ensure that slum dwellers wouldn't cause trouble outside.
Since it was already difficult for them to earn money, anyone who caused trouble after leaving would be immediately sent back.
Knowing that they could be forced back into the slums at any moment even after paying so much money, most people didn't dare to cause problems outside.
The old man pressed a button on the side of the booth, and with a sharp mechanical sound, the massive iron gate began to open.
Ryan looked at the slowly opening gate, his eyes shining with anticipation as he eagerly stepped forward.
When a gap large enough for a single person appeared, Ryan paused briefly and glanced back at the slums one last time.
Then, without hesitation, he stepped through the gate, and finally left the slums behind.