When the headless demon knight finished spraying blood.
A drone, floating in the sky, slowly landed in front of Sona.
"Very exciting, little squirrel. You really didn't disappoint us."
The familiar electronically synthesized voice came from the drone's speaker.
Then, a larger briefcase-sized safe fell from the sky. The moment it landed, the briefcase slowly opened, revealing stacks and stacks of cash neatly arranged inside.
"This is four million. One million of that is a personal bonus from me. Not only did you survive to the end, you also amazed us all. I am very much looking forward to your future performance."
*Rumble.* The large gate on the side opened.
However. Sona waited a while, but didn't see the three people who had already fled leave through the only exit. After all, the only enemy here was the demon knight, and while those three were escaping, the demon knight was held up by her. So those three should have been fine.
"Excuse me, what about the other three survivors? Did they also..."
The drone, which was about to leave, suddenly paused.
The cold, synthesized voice sounded again.
"Regrettably, they are dead."
Sona's eyes instantly widened. "Why! They clearly!!"
"The rules are set by us, so naturally, we can change them. Those three cowards who only knew how to run made us very unhappy. Therefore, they absolutely could not leave here alive. But you are different, little squirrel. You are very good. You always manage to surprise us. We look forward to your next performance. Now, with four million, you can go buy a decent house for your family. Go and enjoy the only vacation you'll get."
After speaking, the drone left directly.
Sona, however, angrily clenched her teeth, her resolute gaze fixed on the large room with the glass window above.
"What's wrong? Angry?"
Lucas Reeve spoke in a joking tone. "Want to kill that group of self-righteous controllers? If you want to, just make a wish to me, and those people will absolutely not see tomorrow morning's sun. They won't even see tonight's moon. They and the companies behind them will instantly disappear from this world."
In Lucas Reeve's eyes today.
These so-called tycoons were just a bunch of ants. They thought that just because they had some money, they could do whatever they wanted. In Lucas Reeve's opinion, these people were typical examples of those who didn't know their own limits, didn't know how big the world truly was, and thought they were the center of it.
In reality, in the eyes of the truly powerful, this group was just like the ordinary people they treated as toys—just toys with a bit more money and power.
Lucas Reeve had no interest in these people.
However, if it was Sona's wish, he would act on her behalf. But, if Sona really made such a wish, Lucas Reeve would be very disappointed in this little squirrel, whom he had a rather good impression of until now.
"Thank you, but I'd rather rely on my own strength..."
Sona shook her head.
Just now, she truly had a feeling that if she just nodded, this group of upper-class people who treated her life and the lives of ordinary people as toys would be killed by this 'person' in her necklace. However, her reason and character made Sona choose not to. She hoped to change things with her own hands, not by relying on others.
Picking up the briefcase, Sona left the artificial forest.
Only, unlike the first time she left, this time Sona was more composed and resolute.
In the private box.
Sona's firm and unyielding eyes were frozen on the screen.
Someone sneered disdainfully. "Hmph, what an untamable creature. But, so what if she's untamable."
The young tycoon next to him, wearing the golden wolf mask, swirled the red wine in his glass and said: "Although this one is a squirrel, she has the heart of a wolf. Taming a wolf isn't easy. Threats and bribes will only make a wolf submit temporarily, not with its whole heart."
"If you want a wolf to submit, you can only do it through kindness... and her only weakness is... she has family she treasures... Only by extending a helping hand when she is at her most desperate will she follow us with unwavering loyalty."
———————
After leaving the underground artificial forest arena.
Sona couldn't wait to ask about Lucas Reeve's situation.
"Thank you... I still don't know what I should call you..."
Sona said cautiously.
A person... inside her necklace??
No matter how she thought about it, it sounded unreliable.
Sona took off the necklace her mother had given her and held it in her palm, examining it closely.
A communicator hidden in the necklace?
Sona thought.
No... impossible.
Sona quickly dismissed the idea. After all, the man's voice had sounded with perfect clarity *inside her head*, completely different from a loudspeaker. And, this 'person' had indeed injected a part of their power into her body. Sona had clearly felt her physical condition improve.
And then there was that sword art, [Sun Breathing]...
Eh?
Sona froze.
The Sun Breathing she could use with seemingly 100% mastery and flexibility during the fight... why couldn't she remember a single bit of it now? She couldn't even remember how to breathe. It was as if that memory had never existed in her mind, or perhaps it had been forcibly ripped out.
"Stop doubting. I told you those moves were just temporarily lent to you. I said I'd take them back after the fight."
Lucas Reeve's voice rang in Sona's mind, startling her a bit. However, this only strengthened Sona's suspicion.
He... is definitely not human!
After all, how could a person be inside a necklace?
"Let me introduce myself. Lucas Reeve. Summoned by your wish, little squirrel."
Sona stared blankly, repeating Lucas Reeve's name under her breath.
Then she asked excitedly, "So! Are you a person or a ghost? How did you get into the necklace? It's amazing!!"
If it were at the beginning, Sona might have been worried, wary, and afraid. But after what just happened, Sona's wariness toward Lucas Reeve had dropped to almost zero. After all, if he really wanted to harm her, why go to all the trouble of helping her? Unless he had a screw loose. Since her wariness was gone, all that remained in Sona's dictionary was excitement and curiosity.
"Person... ghost... are there any other options?"
"So!!"
Sona's eyes widened. "You're a Yōkai??"
"......"
Lucas Reeve retorted speechlessly, "Does your dictionary not have the word 'god' in it? I suggest you expand your dictionary's range."
"God?!!!"
Sona said in disbelief, "Gods actually exist!!"
Lucas Reeve thought for a moment and said, "The 'god' I am is different from the ones widely spread in people's faiths. The gods in people's beliefs today don't have their own consciousness; they are just a form of faith. But I have my own thoughts and experience joy, anger, and sorrow just like humans. It's just that, on the level of life, I've surpassed mortals by many steps, so I'm called a god."
This was the first time Lucas Reeve had ever explained it in such detail.
With that, Lucas Reeve emerged from Sona's necklace, a translucent body with a handsome face.
Sona was so stunned she couldn't speak.
However, the energetic, chatty girl had always been able to accept facts that ordinary people found difficult. She was only startled for a moment after seeing Lucas Reeve's body before returning to normal.
"Translucent!! Just like the ghosts in novels and TV shows!! Mr. Reeve, aren't you a god? Are the gods in mythology all like this? And why are you called Lucas Reeve? Your name sounds like someone from Yan. Eh? Strange, why is a Yan god in Kazimierz? I remember they're very, very far apart. Do gods need to go abroad to spread their faith these days? Is it that competitive even for gods?"
Sona asked on and on, chattering with confusion.
After walking out of the underground fighting arena, Sona's personality as a lively and energetic girl was on full display. She was curious about everything, found everything interesting, and became even more curious after learning about Lucas Reeve, wanting to understand the principles behind it all.
"I'm just special. Everyone else I know has their own body."
Lucas Reeve couldn't be bothered to answer one by one and just fobbed her off with a random reason.
"Oho!!"
Sona chattered on excitedly.
"So, when I fainted in the freezing cold night but my body wasn't cold at all the next morning, and my Oripathy symptoms suddenly eased... was this all Mr. Reeve helping me?"
"Of course."
Lucas Reeve said: "If I hadn't stepped in back then, you probably would have frozen to death before morning. It was -15 degrees that night. I also eased your Oripathy. Of course, it's just easing it, not curing it. Don't get your hopes up."
"Wait! Mr. Reeve!! You can! You can suppress Oripathy??"
Sona's eyes widened. None of the previous revelations had made Sona this excited, but the mention of suppressing Oripathy made her so agitated she even stuttered.
"I guess I know a *little* bit."
Holy crap!!
Sona couldn't help but exclaim.
Oripathy, known as the most incurable of all incurable diseases.
On Terra today, even the largest medical companies had no way to alleviate it. At best, they could barely slow down the onset of Oripathy, but easing it, let alone curing it, was impossible. At least, Sona had never heard of any medical company in Kazimierz with that level of skill.
He can alleviate Oripathy!
It really is the power of a god!!
Only a god could do it!
Sona had still been skeptical before, but now, based on this alone, Sona was completely convinced Lucas Reeve was a god. After all, she clearly knew the Originium crystals on her body had disappeared, and her body felt much lighter.
"This may be rude, but... Mr. Reeve, my family also..."
"No need to say more. I've seen everything you've been through these past few days, including your family. A brand new medicine will be developed in Columbia soon. We'll find a way to sell it throughout all of Terra."
Sona nodded, completely convinced.
+4500
Uh...
That's four thousand just like that? This fast?
But, on second thought, Lucas Reeve felt it was normal.
After all, he helped Sona alleviate her Oripathy and saved her life three times.
For this ultimate life-saving grace, forget 4,500, Lucas Reeve wouldn't have been surprised to get the full 5,000.
Suddenly, Sona, who was carrying the money and happily preparing to go home, thought of something.
"Wait, Mr. Reeve, you said you've been watching me??"
"Naturally!"
"Doesn't that mean when I was bathing, you also!!"
At this thought, Sona's cute face instantly turned bright red.
Being spied on while bathing is a bit... too embarrassing.
"Don't worry, I always leave when you're alone in your room. So, I don't know anything about your privacy."
Lucas Reeve was telling the truth. He really had no interest in peeping on people's privacy. He wasn't a pervert. Besides... he was in a soul state now, without the hormonal guidance of a physical body. Lucas Reeve really didn't have much interest.
Lucas Reeve in his soul state was basically in 24/7 post-nut clarity mode.
Besides, it's not like he actually watched Sona for seven days. He wasn't the idler he used to be. On many of those days, Lucas Reeve simply returned to Columbia to wander around.
"Oh~"
Sona let out a cute "oh." From her tone, she chose to believe Lucas Reeve's words.
Sona had so many things she wanted to ask Lucas Reeve. As an energetic and lively girl, she was curious about all unfamiliar things, especially a 'soul' like Lucas Reeve, who was beyond comprehension. It made Sona so curious she could (and would) ask questions from morning till night.
Arriving back home.
Sona didn't tell her family that she had earned four million. Instead, she planned to go look at houses tomorrow, buy one, and then tell her family the good news. They could all live in a new house together and wouldn't need to live in this dilapidated warehouse anymore!