Chapter 542: Exploring the zone

"Exactly," Dina said with an approving smile. "The system doesn’t enforce morality through restriction, but through consequence."

Annie shook her head, her expression troubled. "But how does that even differ from where we came from? It’s the same thing. You’ve just given it a fancy name—karmic points instead of moral laws. The end result is identical."

Julian chuckled, a sound of genuine amusement at her observation. "No, it’s not the same at all. The fact that it’s not bound by laws means that the ’heinous acts’ aren’t entirely heinous here. If you know how to balance good and bad karmic points, you’re free to do whatever you wish to do without being labeled a criminal or sinner."

Dina’s eyes sparkled as she nodded toward Julian. "You have a very bright son. He’s absolutely spot on about how the system functions."

Annie felt a complicated flutter in her chest at hearing Dina refer to Julian as her son so casually, especially after everything that had been revealed.

"However," Dina continued, "to maintain that balance you must accumulate a substantial reserve of positive karmic points first. And that level of accumulation is only truly possible in the higher layers, where opportunities for genuine service and spiritual growth are more abundant."

She gestured toward the surrounding floating islands. "So in the lower layers—like this gateway zone and the initial purification zones—the amount of what you would call ’crimes’ is almost non-existent. Not because they’re prohibited, but because no one here has built up enough positive karma to afford the negative consequences of their action."

Julian’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "So it’s a natural hierarchy."

"Precisely," Dina confirmed. "By the time someone has accumulated enough positive karma to ’afford’ controversial actions, they’ve also typically developed enough wisdom to not commit it."

Annie felt deeply uncomfortable with this logic. "But that sounds like it just gives powerful people permission to do whatever they want to those beneath them."

"Well, that is what it means to be powerful," Dina said with a sly smile, her tone carrying both admiration and teasing.

Then, turning her gaze toward Julian, she added, "So, I’ll be giving you these clothes as a loan." Her eyes glimmered as she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "After all... I’ll be gathering karmic points until you return them."

Julian chuckled at her boldness, genuinely impressed. "Always making profit out of everything, aren’t you?" he replied teasingly.

"Of course," she answered smoothly, folding her arms with satisfaction. "That’s how one survives in this world."

Julian laughed again, his grin widening. "Fine. I’ll play along with your little game. But don’t regret it when I return this debt with interest."

Her lips curved into a knowing smile. "I’ll be waiting for it."

And with that, Annie and Julian stepped out of the store. The moment their feet touched the busy street, the crowd seemed to notice them all at once. The air was instantly filled with shouts and calls, each vendor raising their voice above the next, desperate to draw their attention.

"Come here, young man! We have even finer accessories inside!" one merchant cried, waving his hand eagerly.

"Forget that! Over here—rare silks and colors you won’t find anywhere else!" shouted another, nearly tripping over his own stand in his rush to be noticed.

"Beautiful women, dressed in the finest garments! You won’t regret looking!" a bolder voice roared, drawing laughter from a few bystanders.

Annie frowned slightly, her fingers curling around Julian’s arm as the shouts of the people increased around them.

"Don’t waste your points there, boy! My shop has real quality!" another man yelled, shoving forward a tray filled with glittering rings.

Julian only chuckled, glancing at Annie with a half-smile. "Seems like we’ve become popular," he murmured.

Meanwhile, Annie was in the world of her own. She stepped carefully, every movement reminding her of just how little the garment covered. With each step, her breasts bounced freely, jiggling in a way that made her flush in shame.

She occasionally tugged at the strip, trying make it sit better, but it only made her more conscious about the size of them.

Gods... why are they this big,

she muttered to herself, half in embarrassment, half in pride.

And this was even more so for the lower piece. With every step she took, the cloth shifted—riding higher and exposing more of her ass cheeks as if mocking her. She could feel the cool air brushing places that should never have been exposed in public, each step threatening to bare her completely.

She glanced toward Julian, who walked beside her with the same casual confidence that had been present even since the encounter with the patriarch. He was wearing just as minimalistic a set of clothing, but unlike her, he carried himself as if the revealing attire were a crown rather than an exposure.

Her eyes flicked down involuntarily—and her blush deepened to a burning red. His bulge was clearly visible, straining against the skimpy garment. She quickly looked away, mortified that she had allowed herself to notice, yet couldn’t fully tear her gaze from him.

He... he’s just... so confident... even like this,

she thought, her pulse accelerating.

And everyone is watching... and he knows it...

Julian, sensing her gaze, tilted his head slightly with a teasing smirk.

"Careful where you’re looking, Annie," he murmured, his tone playful. "If you keep staring down there, people might think you’re

interested

."

Annie’s eyes widened, and she snapped her gaze forward, almost stumbling as her cheeks went crimson.

"I—I wasn’t looking!" she stammered, her voice too defensive to sound convincing.

Julian chuckled. "Sure you weren’t. Don’t worry, I don’t mind. After all..." His smirk deepened as he let his words hang before finishing, "...I

am

giving the crowd quite a show. Hard not to notice, right?"

Annie’s heart skipped a beat, and her entire body felt hot. Her breasts jiggled slightly as she clenched her arms tighter across her chest, wishing she could hide, but knowing the skimpy fabric made it impossible.

"You’re insufferable..." she muttered under her breath, though her trembling voice betrayed how flustered she truly was.

Julian just laughed again, enjoying the redness on her cheeks more than the attention from the crowd.