Entering his apartment, Asahi felt the girls sleeping in Mayumi’s room.

‘Yeah, I’m gonna talk to Mayumi about buying this apartment. But I’m gonna do way more than that, because I need to secure the whole structure of the building. I’d also like a bit more space, because we’ll need it.’

He went to his room, and passing by Mayumi’s room he saw her and Fumiko in bed, cuddling under the covers, which brought a smile to his face.

Sitting down by his computer, he rush-ordered a couple of consoles to have more options to play games with Amaya. He also ordered a lot of audio equipment for future plans.

After he was done, he looked at the time.

‘A few minutes until the girls wake up. System, out of curiosity, can I buy a human sized golem, or something akin to that, that can potentially protect multiple while fighting, and can go up against anything here on earth? If so, how much?’

 [ 140,000,000P. ]

He nodded. ‘I see, I’m but a pauper boy.’

After thinking for a few seconds. ‘Is there something akin to a computer with an A.I. in the golem?’

[ Yes, but a more simplistic one. It serves as an assistant to complement the Psionic Link between you and the construct. ]

‘Is it possible to replace its computer with that 12,000,000P one that you showed me, and put a proper combat A.I. with all the combat software in it?’

[ Yes. That would improve its effectiveness by 738.9856%, bringing it close to optimal functionality. ]

‘What if we also link it to Aurora, after we get her ten or so more computers similar to what she already has?’

[ The construct would become literally invincible on Earth, while being able to protect up to 63 individuals, as long as they are within a 10.68Km range. ]

‘However, I doubt that the golem would have infinite fuel. Is it possible for it to draw power from a remote location?’

[ Yes. For 5,000,000P, the connection can reach anywhere on earth. Of course, the reservoir would have its own cost, depending on its capacity. ]

‘So, I’m looking at upwards of 200,000,000P for what I have in mind. Does it have long range teleportation?’

[ Yes, but only personal teleportation. If you want mass teleportation for up to 80 additional people, while being able to reach anywhere on Earth, you can add another 100,000,000P to that price. ]

He sighed. ‘I stand corrected. I’ll have to save up a lot of points if I wanna even be able to afford to call myself a pauper.’

[ Correct. If you consider it on a cosmic scale, any conversation that starts with less than 1,000,000,000P would make you, what you Earthlings like to call, a broke bitch. ]

He laughed. ‘Okay, good to know. I imagine that this nightmare of a golem that I’m envisioning, would amount to nothing on certain planets, due to their natural high mana density. Not only the planet itself would be countless times more resistant, the creatures there would be naturally absurdly stronger than those on Earth.’

[ Correct. But don’t be too discouraged, your construct could work as a village guard. The one that is the bud of the jokes, that is. ]

He chuckled, shaking his head, then had a thought. ‘The creatures born on those planets with higher mana density, do they have a different perception of time? Like, if you put me in there, everything would look sped up to me, but to them it would look like how I perceive time on Earth?’

[ Yes. ]

Asahi didn’t make any calculations, or derived those conclusions from an intricate train of thought. It was just a simple extrapolation based on his experience. If he used all of his capabilities, the flow of time felt different to him, since everything around him slowed down a bit.

‘Ah, the girls woke up.’

He got up, changed into a tank top and shorts, then went to Mayumi’s room.

Standing by the door, he smiled at them. “Did you two have fun?”

The girls looked at him with sleepy smiles.

Fumiko yawned. “We did, after Mayumi was done working that is.”

Mayumi caressed her face. “But honey, you know that I have to work, how will we get the kids through college otherwise?”

Fumiko and Asahi laughed.

Asahi made the personal cleaning device appear floating near them. “Come on, breakfast is served. I have some incredible news to share with you.”

Curious, they used the device and got out of bed, both of them wearing pajamas. While Fumiko wore a regular flannelled one, Mayumi’s were merch from a cutesy game.

Asahi smiled, looking at Mayumi. “You wearing pajamas, are you okay?”

Both girls chuckled.

Mayumi embraced Asahi, and gave him a light kiss. “They got here yesterday around 4pm. They’re so comfy and cute, that they made me give up my usual skimpy sleepwear.”

He hugged her tightly. “You look adorable.”

Upon letting go of the hug, he hugged Fumiko as well.

They went to the kitchen, and sat at the table, which had some of their favorite breakfast dishes.

While they ate, Asahi told them about the Property Management Mode.

The girls were immediately interested in it.

After he told them how it worked, and showed the different tabs, he looked at Mayumi. “Can you guess what I want to ask you?”

She smiled. “If I’m okay with buying this apartment from Tokyo U, in order to reinforce it, right?”

He nodded. “Yup. But I wanna buy from 902 to 905, and the property itself as well. I want more room, and also be able to reinforce the structure of the building.”

Mayumi’s eyes widened.

Fumiko chuckled. “At this point, why not, right?”

“I’m gonna buy the other four and the property either way, but I won’t buy ours without your consent. Regardless of me buying it, I’d want you to treat our dynamic here as if nothing has changed, because it’s purely for protection.”

Mayumi smiled and nodded. “I’m okay with it. Just be careful dealing with those people, okay?”

He smiled. “Thank you, and I will.” He then looked at Fumiko. “You know part of the reason for the other apartments, right?”

She nodded. “You want to join this apartment with 902, and ask me to move in, so I can be protected as well. If Mayumi is okay with it, I’m obviously in.”

Mayumi got up, hugged her from the side, and kissed her cheek. “I’m okay with it.”

Fumiko caressed her arm, and gave her a light kiss.

Asahi sighed in relief. “Full disclosure, I was a bit worried. I didn’t want this to come off as a relationship move.”

The girls chuckled.

Mayumi sat back on her chair. “This is practical, to keep us safe. If you asked us to live with you in your mansion, then we’d have to sit down and have some sort of intervention.”

Asahi laughed. “Trish said something like that.”

“Of course, that would be crazy.” Said Fumiko.

After they teased Asahi for a bit, Mayumi asked. “Have you decided who you’re gonna sell an item to?”

Asahi displayed a pensive expression. “According to the System, doing a big trade with the consortium, then a medium one with the TS, is the best course of action. I wanna have some liquidity, and donate to some charities as well.”

Fumiko got up. “That’s a good idea, and I would like to talk more about it, but you two need to get going. Let’s go change.”

After the girls changed, Fumiko went to her apartment, while Mayumi and Asahi went to school.

 

At his Business Finance class, he sat down on his chair, and pulled out his laptop as usual.

A couple minutes later, he heard Thea’s soft voice. “Good morning busy man.”

He chuckled. “Good morning. I didn’t forget about our lunch by the way. Where do you wanna go?”

Unlike the last time they met, her curly auburn hair was loose, draping over her chest, complementing her pretty face and gentle demeanor. She wore high-end social clothes, and heels, as she did the previous time, with her laptop bag to her side.

She smiled, sitting down. “Since I made the invitation, today is my treat. Do you know the Sunflower Cafe nearby? I heard that it’s really good, but something feels off about it.”

He nodded. “I was there yesterday, and from my perspective, something is indeed off. The food and beverages are great, if you don’t mind the clientele.”

She looked at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“You know the people that look at you like they’re reading the specs section of a product? At least 70% of the people there were like that. Ambitious students looking for their next meal ticket, or rich students that have no interest in the common folk.”

She groaned. “Urgh, I hate that. Do you know anywhere else we can go? I have been ordering in since I got here.”

“That depends, how refined are your tastes?”

She smiled. “Despite my rich girl getup, I don’t have a problem eating even street food, so anywhere is fine. When I said ordering in, I meant fast food.”

He chuckled. “Okay, that makes things easier. Do you like Mexican food?”

“Love it.”

“I know a great Mexican restaurant, to which I’ve never been, but I’ve ordered from a few times. Based on the website, the place itself seems quite nice, and their food is to die for. It’s a bit far away, but I think it’s worth it.”

She gently pulled her hair behind her ear, with a dazzling smile. “That sounds great. Meet me in the parking lot after classes? The one near this building, I’ll drive us.”

He nodded. “Sure thing.”

As he said that, the professor entered the class.

 

After he was done with his classes, Asahi walked over to the parking lot located near the building where his Business Finance class took place.

Approaching the parking lot, he smiled. ‘It seems that there is something wild hidden beneath that cute face.’

He saw Thea waiting for him, leaning against a dark royal blue sedan-like supercar, looking at her phone.

As he got closer, she noticed him. “Hey, are you ready to go?”

“Yup. Do you really need over a thousand horse power just to come to Uni?”

She chuckled. “Of course, with less than that, you might as well just walk.”

He shook his head, laughing.

She nodded towards the car. “Come on, let me show you a bit of what my baby can do.”

He smiled. “Can’t wait.”

Upon entering the car, she took off her heels, put on flat sneakers and tied her hair in a bun.

As she did so, Asahi spoke. “May I put the coordinates in your GPS?”

“Please, do.”

After they put their seatbelts, she drove off.

Although she drove fast, her driving was smooth, and peaceful. She used the car to its full potential, without making a single mistake. Of course, she didn’t go anywhere near its full speed, since they weren’t on a highway or a race track.

Due to how fine-tuned Asahi’s perception was, and the fact that he could sense other people synapses, her driving sent shivers down his spine. She wasn’t relying on reaction speed; it was like she already knew what was going to happen. It wasn’t just that, but her technique was also awe-inspiring.

‘Okay, what the hell is this girl? It’s like mistakes are beneath her. What does she have to make her able to do this?’

[ Hyper Bodily Awareness, Hyper Bodily Control, Hyper Instincts, Hyper Intuition, Hyper Kinetic Vision, and Hyper Muscular Adaptation. ]

‘%*#@! Aren’t those the busted passives, like my Basic Hyper Bodily Health, but fully formed and not just basic?’

[ Correct. ]

‘That’s not all she has, is it?’

[ No, just an appetizer. ]

‘Is she part of the TS or the Consortium, or of any other organization of powered people? If she’s even aware of them that is. Also, does she have any ill intent towards me or my people?’

[ She is aware, but not part of any organizations by choice, and does not carry any ill intent towards you or the ones you are close with. ]

Thea’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

She spoke as she drove, with a smile on her face. “You look like you just saw a ghost.”

He sighed. “I’ll be upfront with you, and say that although I have powers, I’m not part of the TS, or the Consortium.”

She giggled. “I know, I can tell. You do have someone or something backing you, but their role is purely that of support, right?”

His eyes widened.

She smiled. “Don’t worry, I don’t have any concrete information or anything. If I had to explain, it would be more like me being able to interpret my gut feelings and hunches, with the addendum that they are never wrong. Oh, and I’m not part of any organizations, special societies or cults either, but I think you already knew that.”

He chuckled, then his chuckle turned into a laugh. “Damn, that cute girl appearance of yours is a superpower in and of itself, like a super concealment for your capabilities.”

She lightly blushed. “I actually quite enjoy people’s surprised expressions.”

He nodded. “I can get behind that. May I have an example of how your thing works? Like the process of approaching me, and your driving skills.”

“Sure. First and foremost, I can’t see the future or anything like that. Secondly, I don’t get concrete data, like names or numbers. And lastly, I’m not what the TS calls a Super Soldier Type, nor am I Savant Type.  With that being said, when I saw you, I simply just knew that you would have the best notes in the room. By talking to you, I knew that you weren’t a bad person, nor had any shady intentions or goals. I also knew that getting close to you would be a good idea, and bring me a lot of fun and joy. As for you having a backer, when you were zoning out, I knew that you were somehow communicating with them, concerned by the abilities you saw me display. I also know that despite having access to a lot of information, you are selective in what you ask, in order to not taint your experiences. Basically me, but with extra steps and the option to turn it off.” She said, giggling at the last sentence.

He smiled. “In a sense, yeah.”

“All of those are just innate things. I don’t have to do anything, it just happens. I am a full blown Transcendent though. My powers awakened five years ago, when I was sixteen, after I heard that my parents had died. It was kind of a mess, due to their nature, and the fact that it was two powers at once. One of them is the bog-standard ice power; making things colder, create ice and all the other tropes. The other is Lycanthropy, which is absurdly rare, and the source of the existence of werewolves and such in common folklore. Fortunately, it was my uncle who broke the news to me, and he’s quite powerful, otherwise I might have killed someone.”

He nodded. “And you’re telling me all this because you know it’s safe, and won’t bum me out or sour the mood, since we’re both okay with talking about the shitty things that happened to us.”

She smiled brightly. “Bingo.”

As she said that, they arrived at the restaurant.

The restaurant had a rustic Mexican décor, very faint Mexican music playing in the background, and a divine scent of different dishes permeating the air. Although it was not at full capacity, the seats were around 80% filled.

Thea closed her eyes, taking in the scent. “Wow, everything smells delicious.”

A petite Latina hostess, with wavy dark hair tied in a ponytail came to greet them as Thea was saying that. She wore a black skirt and a green shirt, the restaurant’s uniform.

With a bright smile she greeted them in perfect Japanese. “Hello, welcome to Casa Martinez. Would you like a table for two?”

Thea smiled. “Yes, please. If you have a booth, it’s even better.”

The hostess nodded. “Of course. Please, follow me.”

She guided them to a booth for two, a bit further into the restaurant. On their way there, she grabbed a couple of menus from a counter.

As they sat, the hostess spoke, handing them the menus. “I’ll send someone to take your order as soon as possible, and if you have any problems, just call for me, my name is Luna.”

They both thanked her before they left.

Asahi smiled. “I’m really glad you asked for a booth, I don’t really like open tables.”

She nodded. “Me neither. This is much cozier and more private.”

Soon, a waiter came and took their order.

The lunch itself went smoothly, with both of them talking about themselves and things that they liked.

Thea was born in a really rich family, with a Scottish mother and a German father. They were not transcendents, and were only aware of the TS because her uncle on her mother side was part of it.

Her father was a retired world class race car driver, and the second in history to have completed the Triple Crown, which was the name given to the achievement of winning the three most prestigious racing events in the world.

Her mother was a world-renowned writer, who won dozens of awards, including a Nobel Prize.

Although to the world, they were people who left an everlasting impact in their respective fields, to Thea, they were loving parents, who cared for and cherished her with everything they had.

Despite their wealth, they didn’t spoil Thea in the least. The reason that she always had everything she wanted, was because she was a good girl, who despite her occasional mischievousness, did what her parents asked of her.

Their death was due to a plane crash. It had nothing to do with a conspiracy to take their wealth or anything like that, just an accident in a commercial flight. Her uncle became her guardian, and managed the money and assets until Thea was 18, from which he never spent anything on himself.

To Thea, the money she had was earned, because she had to lose her world in order to inherit it. The main reason for her to be able enjoy the benefits of the money without negative feelings, is because it would be what her parents would have wanted, which was for her to be happy and live her life to its fullest.

At first glance, one might think that she was like any trust-fund kid, due to her super car and expensive clothes. However, she spent more in safety, comfort and leisure than pure luxury.

She had already sold all of the properties, and donated the money from the sales to charities around the world. The apartment that she lived in Tokyo, was coincidentally in the same building as Trish, although they never even met.

She only drank alcohol occasionally, and never did any drugs. Well, in a sense. According to her, her drug of choice was an MMORPG called Royal Decree, which Asahi was well aware of, but never had time to play.

She also spent a couple of years in the drifting scene in Japan, which was one of the reasons for her flawless Japanese. That, and the fact that she spoke fourteen languages, because picking up a new language for her was like grabbing a glass of water.

Her moving from Fukushima to Tokyo was mainly due to her attending Tokyo U. She chose architecture because she was quite creative, and she loved designing buildings in games.

Something that didn’t pass Asahi by, was that there was barely any sorrow in Thea’s voice when she talked about anything related to her parents, mostly love and nostalgia.

From everything, what stood out the most for him, was how unabashedly herself she was. Neither her expressions or words had a hint of deceit or omission, and he realized that it was partially because of how well they matched.