"Hey! Why are you suddenly spacing out? Hurry up and help your boss get up!"
Nicole smacked Su Chen on the shoulder and growled.
"Oh, oh, right."
Su Chen snapped out of his daze and nodded obediently.
According to Nicole, they were near a Hollow.
If the Hollow suddenly expanded, the trio from Cunning Hares would probably be fine—but he'd be in serious trouble.
Nicole shoved her explosive suitcase into Su Chen's arms and then leaned her full weight against him.
"Boss Nicole, isn't this a bit much?"
Su Chen felt the softness pressing against his back and hesitated slightly.
It wasn't that he was pretending to be a gentleman—he was just worried Nicole would find another excuse to give him trouble.
"If you can't move, Boss Nicole, the great Starlight Knight can lend a hand!"
Billy opened his mechanical arms, proudly displaying his muscles.
"Nicole, based on my analysis, this individual named Su Chen is not well-suited to carry a biological lifeform," Anby said calmly as she gave Su Chen a once-over.
"…"
Su Chen stared speechlessly at Anby.
That white-on-the-outside-black-on-the-inside girl clearly just said he was useless.
Sure, carrying 50 pounds normally would exhaust him—but if it was someone like Boss Nicole Big Assets, he could carry her for an entire day, no problem!
"Billy, this is the newbie's first task. No need for you to butt in. And Anby, are you saying I'm fat?"
Nicole placed her hands on her hips, clearly displeased with the two.
"Understood, Boss Nicole!"
"I wasn't, Nicole."
Billy and Anby backed off without another word.
"Alright, newbie—get me on your back already!"
Nicole flopped onto Su Chen's back with a sly smile.
She wanted Su Chen to suffer a bit—get a taste of what life as the Cunning Hares' unpaid laborer was like.
After all, he'd already sat on her bouncies. What was a bit more contact?
"Alright, Boss Nicole."
Su Chen slipped his hands under Nicole's smooth, tender legs, his fingers sinking into her plump thighs, firmly securing her on his back.
With Nicole on his back, Su Chen followed behind Billy and Anby.
Tsk, those thighs are the real deal!
Not only were they smooth and soft, but with each step he took, he could feel the plump flesh pressing into him from behind—it was enough to make his mind wander.
If this was punishment, he wouldn't mind being punished a hundred times over.
To clarify, he wasn't a pervert.
At least not to the point of wanting to be crushed to death under Hoshimi Miyabi's high heels—just being half-crushed would be perfect.
Still, to have such close contact with a beautiful girl he'd just met—it was a strange feeling for Su Chen.
For someone who had just arrived in a foreign world, he was adapting… suspiciously fast.
"Hmm, I think I made a mistake."
Nicole looked at the blissful expression on Su Chen's face and suddenly felt a twinge of regret.
She had seriously underestimated her own charm. This guy didn't seem pained at all—instead, he looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
After walking for over ten minutes, they finally reached a passable road.
Nicole dismounted from Su Chen's back and called a vehicle to take them back to their base.
Not getting to carry her longer was… honestly kind of a letdown for Su Chen.
Soon, the group returned to the Cunning Hares' temporary base—a somewhat shabby little house.
"Ah, today really wore me out. I need a good rest!"
Nicole stretched and yawned lazily.
"Waaahhh! I get to watch the midnight show 'Oh, Sweetheart!' with Big Sister Monica again! So happy!"
Billy flailed his arms and legs, moving as flexibly as an octopus.
Hey, hey… is this guy really a robot? If he is, he must be an octopus-bionic type or something.
Su Chen mentally roasted Billy's bizarre movements.
"Well then, Nicole, good night."
Anby gave a small yawn and turned to head into her room.
"Good night, Anby."
Nicole responded and was just about to enter her own room.
"Um, Boss Nicole… where am I supposed to sleep?"
Su Chen raised his hand awkwardly and asked.
Seeing the three of them head off to their own rooms, he suddenly felt like an outsider—not that it was surprising, given they barely knew each other.
"Oh!"
Nicole slapped her palm like she had just remembered his existence.
"You? The sofa in the living room's still empty. If you get bored, you can watch TV—but the electricity bill's coming out of your salary twenty years from now."
With that, Nicole retreated into her room.
Su Chen was left alone in the living room.
"The electricity bill comes out of my salary twenty years from now? So, I really am working for free for twenty years? That's… very thorough."
Su Chen muttered to himself as he sat on the couch.
Strangely, hearing that gave him a bit of peace of mind.
Because it meant that the Cunning Hares probably intended to shelter him for twenty years.
In a dangerous world like this, that offered a sliver of psychological comfort.
Su Chen fumbled around and found a remote, then turned on the television.
The news was currently being broadcast.
"A sudden Hollow disaster has occurred in Nineteenth Street. Level-2 containment has been breached. 4 dead, 39 injured, 6 missing. The Public Security Bureau and the Hollow Investigative Association are conducting emergency search and rescue. Citizens are advised to avoid Nineteenth Street for the time being."
"Yep, this world's way too dangerous."
Su Chen shivered as he watched the broadcast.
Compared to Earth, this was a near-future world.
Old Eridu had fallen after the arrival of Hollow Zero. People built New Eridu next to the ruins and Hollow Zero.
So-called Hollows were randomly appearing, anomaly-filled spherical spaces that devoured everything. Inside was chaotic, filled with dangerous Ether that corroded all within range.
The space inside was disordered and full of monstrous beings called Ethereals.
But inside also lay mutated constructs, relics of old civilizations, and Ether resources—all of which were incredibly valuable.
To explore and extract these resources, the government had established the Hollow Investigative Association, while civilians had Hollow Raiders—and Proxies to guide them.
Because of the Hollows, the power dynamics in New Eridu were complex and constantly in conflict.
New Eridu was like a calmer version of Night City or Gotham.
Calmer, but still nowhere near the rule of law of Earth's Huaxia.
For someone like Su Chen, who'd just transmigrated here, it was a dangerous world.
And in this Hollow-centric society, he might not even have Ether Aptitude. If he got caught in a Hollow, he could turn into an Ethereal in seconds.
"Luckily, I've got the Cunning Hares' protection—for now, at least, I'm relatively safe."
Su Chen sighed gloomily.
What man wanted to live under someone else's roof?
Well, unless you were a pro at sponging off others—that was a skill too!
"So… should I use this pretty face to make it big in New Eridu?"
Su Chen's thoughts started spiraling.
Charm Boss Nicole, trick Anby into being his bodyguard, hook up with Belle for backup, latch onto a rich loli from Belobog Heavy Industries…
Then juggle Shark Girl and Hoshimi Miyabi… and live like a happy incubus in New Eridu.
That would definitely be a fun life—though he'd probably die at step one.
Ding!
"What's this?" Su Chen muttered at the crisp sound in his mind. "That sounded like… a cheat activation!"
[FGO Gacha System is now online. One free pull a day. Say goodbye to trash luck, and happy isekai adventures!]