Chapter 73
It was freezing and icy. People hurried along the paved streets, bundled in warm clothes to shield themselves from the biting cold.
All except for a man with long golden hair, who strolled nonchalantly in a half-shirt and shorts, moving casually down the road as if the frigid air didn’t bother him at all.
Those around him couldn’t help but cast incredulous glances his way.
“He must be an Awakener.”
“Only an Awakener could wear such light clothes…”
Eryke’s ears twitched as he caught the whispers around him.
‘Oh, they’re correct about that.’
He looked around. Though plenty of people were walking the streets, it still felt much more vacant than the last time he had been here.
Even their steps were hurried and quick.
“It’s dangerous,” Eryke shook his head.
After weaving through the streets, he eventually arrived at a tall building with S&G Group written on the signboard.
“This might be a little troublesome,” Eryke said, glancing at the busy scene, branded cars pulling in and out, and people dressed in fancy clothes bustling about.
‘This card should do the trick, right?’ he thought.
As he stepped into the building, he was greeted by a staff member wearing a professional smile, but her eyes were filled with exhaustion.
There were always some broke people who came looking for houses without even knowing their status, wasting everyone’s time, and Eryke looked like the very incarnation of one. Although he might be a little handsome, could you eat handsomeness?
Seeing the brown, sluggish bubbles floating from this lovely lady, Eryke muttered inwardly:
‘I really need to get some proper clothing soon.’
Speaking in a neutral tone, Eryke said, “Show me the buildings.”
“Alright,” the lady replied, bowing slightly, her business smile still plastered on her face as she swiftly guided him to a nearby room.
As he walked, he noticed other visitors also being guided by the staff.
“Hey, Eryke, what are you here for?”
Eryke’s ears twitched. ‘This voice… it feels quite familiar.’
He turned and saw a woman with blue hair smiling and waving at him. He simply shrugged and turned back to the staff.
“Let’s move.”
“O-Okay,” she stuttered, thinking, ‘Never thought I’d see a beautiful lady get rejected so easily,’ as they quickly moved forward.
But the blue-haired woman was persistent. She pushed herself and finally caught up to them, panting for breath.
Eryke turned to her and asked, “What is it?”
“It’s been a long time since we met, Eryke. Are you really going to act so coldly toward me?” she pouted.
“…What do you want, Camelia?”
“I want to know if you have some free time,” Camelia said, smoothing her blue hair, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. “If you do, it would be perfect, I’m hosting a party soon.”
“I see… I don’t have any time,” Eryke replied flatly.
He turned to the staff. “Let’s go.”
“Hey, don’t be so cold! It’s my Awakening celebration party. Everyone from our batch is invited,” she called out.
Eryke didn’t respond.
“The place is Olive Garden, 901!” she shouted after him, turning away with a dramatic hmph without even looking back.
Eryke simply shrugged nonchalantly, and the staff quickly led him to a room where a hologram display flickered to life in front of him.
The hologram displayed a map of the entire city, with blue and red dots glowing within the building.
“The blue dots indicate properties that are still available for purchase. Red dots mean they’ve already been sold,” the staff explained.
“I see,” Eryke said with a nod.
Red dots almost completely covered the core of the city, where the towering buildings stood, while more blue dots were scattered along the city’s outskirts.
His current rented floor in an old apartment was at the very edge of the city, tucked away from the main streets, barely visible.
Eryke’s pupils swiftly scanned the core of the city, and settled on a lone blue dot.
“Umm, sir, that’s a first-class apartment,” the staff said cautiously. “There aren’t many like it around here, and each usually costs over five million dollars. The one you chose costs around ten million.”
“I see,” Eryke replied with a nod.
Without hesitation, he pressed the blue dot. Immediately, all the details of the property appeared in front of him, everything from the number of rooms to the materials used, its durability, and much more.
After reviewing it to his heart’s content, Eryke nodded in satisfaction.
“Not bad. I’ll take it.”
“Will you be paying in installments?” the staff asked instinctively.
“No,” Eryke said simply.
He pulled out a card. The moment the staff member laid eyes on it, her pupils froze. It took her a moment to collect herself before she tremblingly said:
“I-I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t realize you were a VIP…” she stammered.
“It’s fine. Now you know,” Eryke said casually, patting her on the shoulder.
The process moved quickly after that.
There might have been some usual delays with paperwork, but once they saw the magic card, everyone bowed and hurried through the formalities.
Before long, Eryke held the key in his hand.
After leaving the building, he made his way to some modest shops farther away and bought a plain black pair of trousers, a T-shirt, and a jacket.
The designs were simple, but the quality was top-notch.
Next, he visited a barber shop to trim his long golden hair, neaten it up, though he kept it long, just the way he liked it. He also shaved off his thin beard, giving himself a cleaner, sharper look.
After that, Eryke treated himself to a meal, mac and cheese. Still hungry afterward, he headed to KFC, ordering a full bucket of crunchy fried chicken and a large Coca-Cola.
Settling into a seat, picking at his teeth lazily, he closed his eyes and let himself completely relax.
“Life is going good,” he whistled softly. Faint pink bubbles floated around him, likely from the girls nearby, but he just shook his head helplessly.
‘It’s peaceful and calming, no worries, no fights, the best day to have. What could possible go wrong?’
Just as he was enjoying the moment, he suddenly felt a sharp spike of mana in the air. Eryke’s eyes snapped open as he turned in the direction it came from.
“What’s happening there?”
From the corner of his eye, Eryke noticed the small TV in the corner, playing the latest news. The reporter’s voice was urgent as he broadcasted an emergency throughout the city.
A satellite video showed a massive rupture in space, with a diameter of over ten meters, it was a high-ranking gate!
And it had opened right at the heart of the city!
The mana pouring from the gate was overwhelming, crackling with lightning as monsters started to emerge from within.
“Hmm?” Eryke muttered, finishing the last of his Coca-Cola. Around him, the people were already in a full-blown panic.
Amidst the chaos, a girl in a long black skirt approached him and tugged on his sleeve:
“Umm, shouldn’t you leave this place?”
Eryke glanced down at the girl. She was quite small compared to his height. He extended his hand and gently patted her head:
“Thank you for caring about me, but you can leave now.”
“U-umm, but…” she hesitated, uncertain in her voice.
Just then, a sleek black limo pulled up outside the KFC. The door opened, and a familiar figure stepped out: it was Geneva!
She hurried inside the chaotic KFC, making her way toward Eryke. Without hesitation, she bowed deeply, nearly 90 degrees:
“Please help us.”