Chapter 23: New Skill - Guardian Spirit
After receiving Amano's answer, Finesse said nothing more, silently leaving the massage room and returning to her own suite.
Later, when Amano also returned to his hotel room, the system notification abruptly chimed.
[Finesse Affection +1]
That increases affection too?
Or was it delayed?
Amano didn't know what Finesse thought about after returning to her room.
Anyway, women's minds remained forever inscrutable—Amano had gradually grown accustomed to this.
Speaking of which, 69 affection points, now increased by 1 more, didn't that mean...
Amano hastily pulled up the system interface.
[Finesse Affection: 70]
[New Romance Skill Unlocked]
[Romance Skill - Hacker Invasion]
[WARNING! Using this skill may drastically reduce target's affection. Use with extreme caution!]
"???"
System, do you even hear yourself?
[Hacker Invasion]
Does this sound like a romance skill name?
You think slapping a "Romance" prefix on it fools anyone?
Of course, complaints aside, since it was a new skill, he needed to check its effects.
[Hacker Invasion: Through Eva Terminal, hack into target's brain, invade soul, temporarily gain control of target's body. During soul invasion, temporarily unlock target's full archetype Extra Deck.]
[WARNING AGAIN: Using this skill may drastically reduce target's affection! Cannot use this skill when target's affection falls below 70.]
"Through Eva Terminal... hack into target's brain? What the hell are you even saying?"
The somewhat explosive skill information made Amano involuntarily examine the Eva Terminal bound to his left wrist.
He'd been forced to wear the Eva Terminal since birth. After so much time, Amano had long grown accustomed to it, simply treating it as part of his body.
Fortunately, the Eva Terminal's appearance was aesthetically pleasing—like a mechanical watch full of futuristic technological flair, serving simple daily purposes like timekeeping and memos.
This was just the cheap terminal used at the Tower's bottom levels.
Higher-level terminals apparently had richer functions. Like how Finesse tonight directly connected to the network using her terminal.
Of course, regardless of price, Eva Terminals served irreplaceable functions. Storing Eva Points, plus transforming into Duel Disks during duels.
You couldn't live normally within Eden without an Eva Terminal.
However, from the system's skill description, Amano seemed to capture an extremely explosive fact.
"This thing can actually invade brains and souls?"
[Through Eva Terminal, hack into target's brain, invade soul]
If his system could hack target brains "through" Eva Terminals, didn't that mean terminals themselves possessed this function?
What he'd assumed was a convenient welfare system from the future turned out to be the Matrix.
Amano attempted removing the terminal. Just like countless previous attempts, the Eva Terminal remained completely locked to his wrist.
Unless he heartlessly chopped off his hand, removing it was impossible.
"This world seems more troublesome than I anticipated."
Abandoning attempts to remove the Eva Terminal, Amano lay back on the soft large bed yet felt no sleepiness whatsoever.
The terminal displayed 4:48 AM.
Less than 2 hours until dawn.
Day-night cycles within Eden Tower were completely controlled by Mainframe Eva. No seasonal variations in daylight length occurred.
The false sun would rise precisely at 6:15 AM.
Can't sleep!
Thinking back on eighteen years since transmigrating, Amano hadn't pulled an all-nighter in ages.
Because in District 32's tiny broken home, after 8 PM, the TV—their only entertainment—couldn't receive any signals. Nothing to do but sleep.
Conversely now, the hotel suite's various entertainment facilities left nothing to be desired.
"Let's surf the web~"
Amano initially wanted to play games, but this era's games were so complex he increasingly couldn't understand them—less interesting than dueling anyway.
Might as well browse online.
Probably because accumulated doubts weighed heavily on his mind, Amano wanted to seek some answers through this rare network access opportunity.
Opening Eva Encyclopedia, the first keyword Amano searched was [Finesse Wein].
Regarding this young miss planning to recruit him, he should clarify her background as much as possible.
Perhaps because Finesse's appearance was exceptionally outstanding, quite a few encyclopedia entries about her existed.
Even something resembling a Finesse fan club existed, specifically managing information on Eva Encyclopedia.
[In 1974, first competed in Southeast Asian freestyle fighting...]
Who added this random entry? Reported.
Official information seemed more reliable.
[Finesse Wein, born year 5008.]
[Mother was formerly a Wein family maid. After her improper relationship with current family head was discovered, Madam Wein expelled her from the estate.]
[Already pregnant when expelled. Approximately one year later, Finesse Wein was discovered born.]
[Year 5016, when Finesse was 8 years old, mother died in a "Terror Attack Incident."]
[After mother's death, Finesse was taken in by an orphanage under Wein Corporation industries. At age 13, she formally returned to the Wein family as third daughter.]
Official records contained approximately this much about Finesse's life.
Remaining entries compiled by fan clubs with high like counts mostly related to Finesse's conduct style.
[Having lived in orphanages long-term, after returning to the Wein family, Finesse still frequently visits orphanage children. In the Wein family's name, she donates and sponsors multiple orphanages throughout Eden's bottom levels.]
[Finesse builds free playgrounds for orphanage children.]
[Finesse cosplays superheroes for children to great acclaim.]
[Finesse teaches children to duel, Attack Position summons Fluffal.]
[Finesse is lesb—] This one won't do. Definitely posted by an hater.
You really love kids way too much though.
Also, young miss's superhero cosplay looks pretty good. That black bodysuit-wrapped figure is absolutely top-tier.
At minimum, judging from information these fans provided, other aspects aside, Finesse definitely qualified as that type of 'beautiful heart and face' UR-tier beauty.
Following such a kind-hearted boss might not be a bad choice.
Except one detail in this information extremely concerned Amano.
What were "Terror Attack Incidents"?
Weren't violent incidents all prohibited within Eden Tower?
Amano moved his mouse over "Terror Attack Incidents." Sure enough, an extended entry appeared.
[Terror attack incidents frequently occurring ten years ago. Perpetrators were all duelists.]
[Criminal duelists' characteristics—mostly personality loss of control and inexplicably violent temperaments.]
[Launched indiscriminate duel attacks on passersby. During duels, physical feedback restrictions were inexplicably disabled, causing duelist deaths.]
[Refused to confess after arrest.]
[Terror attack incidents caused nearly 100 casualties. Mainframe Eva ultimately expelled all 27 involved duelists from Eden.]
[Recently, duelist loss-of-control incidents seem to be occurring again...]
Reading this late at night, Amano's back—freshly washed from his bath—somehow became soaked with cold sweat again.
Duelists losing personality control, becoming inexplicably violent, obsessively utilizing physical feedback mechanisms to kill opponent duelists.
This sounded exactly like what he'd encountered tonight—bounty hunter Lutz.
Coincidence?
If not coincidence...
5:07 AM in dead of night. Even District 11, famous as the city that never sleeps, had completely fallen into dark silence.
Amano suddenly remembered another strange point about Finesse tonight.
She'd specifically pressed the staff member about Lutz's departure condition, emphasizing 'the more detail, the better.'
If Finesse's mother was a Terror Attack victim—
Then seeing Lutz's mental state tonight, she absolutely would make that connection.
"Wah!" Breaking the silence, a shout appeared abruptly behind Amano, startling him so badly his heart stopped for several seconds.
"Idiot Eva, you could literally scare someone to death doing that!" Amano complained while clutching his chest.
Having wandered the hotel in spirit form, Eva had apparently tried all services a bodyless spirit could enjoy.
Like secretly soaking in the bath pool, secretly licking two mouthfuls of ice cream from the buffet table, secretly peeking at young ladies' panties.
Finally arriving fashionably late back to the room.
"So fun! Too bad that Kikawayu guy didn't come."
"If you're done playing, get back in the card."
"(∠・ω<)⌒☆ Roger that."
Making a cute expression, before disappearing, Eva suddenly remembered something, eyes rolling mischievously.
"By the way, I saw something when I came back just now."
"Saw what?"
"That young miss snuck out through the hotel's back door."
"Finesse? 5 AM, sneaking out the hotel's back door?"
First, eliminate bill-dodging—money was already prepaid.
Second, secondly... Amano's mind kept circling tonight's abnormally temperamental Lutz plus the information he'd just read about Finesse's mother dying in "Terror Attack Incidents."
Amano rapidly changed clothes.
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
"Eva, lead the way!"