Since the money was paid.
Lucas Reeve and the others got up to leave.
The person in charge of Raythean Industries in Higashi respectfully greeted Lucas Reeve. He wasn't hoping to build a connection, just to leave a small impression. Although he didn't recognize this young man, the fact that a VIP from Columbia headquarters had called him personally to arrange things, specifically instructing him to be respectful, made it obvious this young man was an absolute bigshot.
Maybe just a few good words from him could change his own destiny.
His position looked good—head of the Higashi branch. But in reality, being a manager in a remote, third-world country meant he'd likely never be promoted. He was far from the center of Columbia. Unless he could achieve something big enough to startle the higher-ups, he'd never be transferred back to HQ.
"Sorry to trouble you, making you come all the way over here this late at night."
Lucas Reeve patted him on the shoulder.
"It's an honor! My utmost honor!"
This Raythean Industries Higashi manager didn't want to disturb Lucas Reeve's leisure. After all, this VIP was surrounded by six beauties, each different. It wouldn't be good for him, the third wheel, to hang around. Though, the manager wasn't sure why this VIP would bring a group of women to... a Host club?
He doesn't have some strange hobby, does he?
After he left.
Lucas Reeve and the others walked out of the club.
I didn't expect to come here to see hosts, only to end up feeling like a host myself...
"Please wait a moment!"
Suddenly.
That flashy voice came from behind again.
Everyone turned around, speechless.
Does this host named Tsukimiyo have a problem with his brain? He actually dared to chase after them.
"Excuse me! Could I please have your contact information?"
Laurentina scoffed, her eyes flashing with deep disdain. Her curiosity inside the club had been a complete act, just to give him some face. She didn't expect him to be so shameless as to press his luck like this.
"I'm not interested in you, little bean sprout."
Laurentina raised an eyebrow.
However.
Just as she finished speaking.
She suddenly realized.
The other person wasn't looking at her at all, and had no intention of acknowledging her.
His gaze seemed to be...
Staring at Lucas Reeve.
Everyone: "???"
F***!! Don't tell me guys like Lucas Reeve too!!
That's f***ed up!!
Surtr's beautiful face twitched. She really wanted to give this Tsukimiyo a flame fist. Nian was holding back laughter, and Skadi froze for a second, saying nothing. Magallan and Angelina covered their mouths, silently watching the drama unfold.
"I... have normal sexual preferences. I'm not a 1, and certainly not a 0."
Lucas Reeve's eye twitched madly as he refused Tsukimiyo's request for his contact info.
"Oh, no!"
Tsukimiyo quickly shook his head. "Sir, my preferences are also normal. I just admire you, sir."
"In the past, I always considered myself a perfect man. I felt that no man in the world could compare to me, that I was the man who understood women best. Pride blinded me, made me arrogant."
"Today!"
"I met you, sir! Only now do I realize, I am just an infant learning to walk, yet I arrogantly tried to race you!"
"If I could get to know you, sir, I, Tsukimiyo, would be fortunate for three lifetimes."
Tsukimiyo bowed to Lucas Reeve with an almost perfectly elegant posture.
All the girls had already taken half a step back, munching on their popcorn.
Lucas Reeve glanced at Tsukimiyo, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
He said calmly.
"Contact information isn't necessary. We will have a chance to meet again in a few months."
Just now, Lucas Reeve had casually used his Causality Vision to look at Tsukimiyo.
Unexpectedly.
The causal line between this flamboyant man and himself was actually quite long, which meant they would meet often in the future.
Tsk...
Causality is truly a strange thing.
At first, Lucas Reeve had only treated him as an NPC.
However, the space between his eyebrows was dark. Clearly, something unlucky, enough to change the trajectory of his destiny, would happen to him soon.
"A word of advice: be careful in the future. Pay attention to the people around you. My name is Lucas Reeve. We'll meet again if fate allows."
After saying a bunch of riddles Tsukimiyo couldn't understand, Lucas Reeve turned and left.
Sigh...
Ever since getting to know Kal'tsit.
Lucas Reeve found he was becoming more and more of a Riddler himself.
To be honest, speaking in riddles is pretty satisfying. No wonder four out of every three sentences from Kal'tsit is a riddle.
Lucas Reeve knew.
This warning was useless.
After all.
A person's causality has already been planned out by the rules of this world.
Unless he forcefully intervened to help them pass that causal event.
A mere verbal warning wouldn't change the outcome at all.
Even if Lucas Reeve explained that someone would harm him after a period of time, it would be useless. At best, it would be delayed, but the predetermined outcome would absolutely occur.
Tsukimiyo didn't understand.
But he was deeply shaken.
Has this riddle-like way of speaking already seeped into his very bones?
Oh...
Is he using these riddles to build an unfathomable persona?
Tsukimiyo understood again.
He had tried to use this method to build a similar persona before, but it was too easily seen through. It was high-risk, high-reward.
A sense of mystery...
It's fatal for many girls.
I didn't expect he had already mastered this mysterious persona—one I couldn't even handle—to the bone. He might even believe his own mystery, not even knowing his own past.
Whew...
Too strong!!
Lucas Reeve...
A Yanese name.
And black hair, black eyes... indeed, the features of a pure Yanese. I just don't know his race.
A trip to the Host club.
Not only did they not have much fun, they even paid a million in damages. After leaving, the group wandered around this Mobile City, which was filled with an "anime" atmosphere. At Laurentina's suggestion, they also visited a maid cafe. To be honest, the professionalism in the maid cafe was far worse than the Host club.
After all, a maid cafe just needs to act cute, call out "Onii-chan," and look reasonably adorable for people to buy in. But a Host club is different. It requires perfection... not a single flaw is allowed.
The maid cafe was okay, just a bit...
Awkward.
After all, having a bunch of strangers call you "Onii-chan, Onii-chan" like that... it's a little embarrassing. Anyway, Lucas Reeve couldn't stand it, but Laurentina enjoyed it immensely. The food inside was also expensive. For example, the omurice, which had no merit other than looking pretty, sold for a shocking 99 Lungmen Dollars. A glass of colored sugar water, mixed from who-knows-what, sold for a ridiculous 50 bucks.
After enjoying a round of sickly-sweet "Onii-chan" greetings.
The group went to the "pure-blood anime" mall next door. After walking around for a long time, it was already late at night, and everyone prepared to return to the Jinja.
"Today was so fun~"
Since it was late, the pedestrians on the road dwindled. The vehicles on the wide street also lessened. It was as if, in an instant, the previously bustling Mobile City had fallen silent.
Laurentina stretched lazily.
She let out a soft "Mmm."
Her curvy, well-proportioned figure was displayed perfectly.
Skadi glanced at Laurentina, then copied her and stretched lazily too.
Skadi's figure was in no way inferior to Laurentina's; her curves were also stunning.
Hm?
Surtr's eyes narrowed slightly, and she also stretched.
Then came Angelina and Magallan...
When it was finally Nian's turn, she seemed a bit awkward.
A strange sense of competitiveness...
But Lucas Reeve didn't mind. At least he could take this opportunity to admire their graceful figures. It was a free benefit; only a fool wouldn't look.
"This is pretty rare. Nothing happened at all today."
Tsk tsk...
Lucas Reeve clicked his tongue.
When they first came out, Lucas Reeve thought something would definitely happen.
After all.
With Magallan and the idler group of four,
The "buffs" were pretty much fully stacked.
How could they *not* run into trouble? I'm surprised we actually didn't. Surtr and Laurentina's spat at the Host club shouldn't count.
Tsk tsk...
Was I overthinking it?
"Hmph, hmph!!"
Magallan huffed, lifting her cute head proudly, eyes narrowed to slits, and lips curved up.
She said.
"Who said I was a jinx?"
Magallan looked at Lucas Reeve, her eyes smiling into crescents.
"I've told you so many times, it was just a coincidence before, just a coincidence. How could it be related to me? I've grown up this big and never encountered any real danger. So, we should trust in science, not superstition."
"Right, right, right."
Lucas Reeve nodded.
Could it really have nothing to do with Magallan?
I find that a little hard to believe.
Whatever.
Let's go back.
Lucas Reeve didn't dwell on it.
The group walked along the road back. Just as they reached a massive, empty intersection...
Suddenly, the sound of a bell ringing came from nowhere.
*Dong, dong, dong...*
The bell chimed twelve times, signaling the arrival of the next day.
Suddenly...
Angelina let out a surprised "Ah!"
"Ah!!"
"What's wrong?"
Everyone looked at Angelina.
Angelina covered her mouth in fright, her pretty eyes wide and round, her face showing obvious fear.
She pointed forward, trembling.
Everyone followed her finger, looking to the side of the intersection.
Underneath a flickering streetlight.
Stood a person.
They weren't tall, wrapped in black samurai attire, holding a rusty katana. Blood seemed to be dripping from the blade's edge onto the ground.
The samurai slowly raised its head, looking at the group.
Only then did everyone realize.
This samurai...
Had no face.
"?"
And just then.
Everyone noticed.
The city had changed.
There were people before. Even late at night, a big metropolis would have a few scattered cars. But now, not only could you not see a single person or car, even the lights in the nearby residential complexes were mostly extinguished. Only the streetlights provided meager illumination.
In an instant.
A gloomy and terrifying *déjà vu* washed over them.
Angelina, terrified, quickly hid behind Lucas Reeve, grabbing the hem of his clothes.
When Surtr saw this, she "gently" grabbed Angelina's hand, moved her away from Lucas Reeve, and placed her behind herself, letting Angelina grab her own clothes.
Angelina: "???"
"Oho... so the event finally arrived."
Lucas Reeve chuckled, smiling as he pointed at the samurai under the flickering light.
"See? I told you. With Magallan around, we're bound to run into strange things."
This right here... this is Magallan's First Law.
"Mmph!! Mmph!!"
Magallan was extremely unhappy. She had just shed this "infamous" reputation, and now!!
Magallan stomped her foot in anger. She glared fiercely at the samurai under the distant streetlight and gave it the middle finger.
"What the hell is this thing?"
Lucas Reeve looked at the terrifying samurai, pointing as he asked.
"No idea. That sword... is crap."
Nian shook her head, beginning her sharp critique.
"And... it doesn't seem human. No life in its body."
Surtr rarely spoke up.
Laurentina retorted: "You can tell by its face. How can it be human with no face? Maybe it's just a shameless evil spirit, hahaha."
The group chatted back and forth, giving the "terrifying" samurai under the light no face at all.
A scene that would have terrified ordinary people was, for Lucas Reeve and his group, like a ridiculous amusement park.
Just then.
The sound of hurried footsteps ran over from the distance.
"Help!! Help!!"
The group turned around.
It was a cute girl with pink hair mixed with a bit of blue, tied up in a high ponytail sticking straight up.