Moments later, Haruno's smile returned. Without hesitation, she pulled ten crisp 10,000-yen notes from her wallet and respectfully handed them to Luo Shu.
She wasn't the type to play games—he asked for 100,000 yen, and that's exactly what she gave.
No tricks to lower his impression of her.
However, tucked discreetly between the cash was a blank check from the Yukinoshita family—amount unspecified.
If Mr. Luo used it, it would establish a deeper connection with her family.
If he didn't, she'd lose nothing.
It was the kind of gesture only someone with high emotional intelligence could pull off.
With payment settled, the sly older sister beamed and finally asked:
"So, Mr. Luo… how exactly should my unruly little sister use this item?"
"Grind it into powder and brew it into tea."
Luo Shu replied calmly.
The entire park fell silent.
Haruno's smile froze. The surrounding crowd stood dumbfounded.
Pfffft!
Yukino, sipping water, widened her eyes in shock and spat it out.
What kind of absurd method was that?
Then again… on second thought, wasn't there folklore where people were told to drink talisman-infused water to cure ailments?
Yukino took a deep breath, trying to convince herself. Staying alive was more important than pride.
But then the young man in the feathered robe curved his lips and said with a teasing glint:
"Just kidding. You two ladies don't need to take that seriously."
"As long as Miss Yukino wears the necklace around her neck and doesn't take it off, her life will be protected."
"Phew. In that case, thank you, Mage Luo."
Haruno finally relaxed and gave her sister a discreet nudge in the back. Yukino caught on and offered a sincere bow of gratitude.
Whether the necklace truly worked or not, thanks were in order.
After learning that Luo Shu didn't have a phone, Haruno handed over her backup device without hesitation—using it as an excuse to establish contact. She smiled brightly as she took Yukino by the hand and led her away.
As the sisters disappeared into the crowd, countless gazes immediately locked onto Luo Shu.
Now that's a real master!
Handsome? Check. Mysterious aura? Check. Actual magical treasure? Check.
How could the other so-called fortune tellers in the park even compare?
"Mage! Please, read my fortune!"
"Back off—I was here first! Luo-sensei should read mine first!"
"No way! I'm his biggest fan! Let me go first!"
"I'm prettier—beauty first!"
"My wife cheated on me! Mine's more urgent—let me go first!"
"...…!"
In an instant, the park erupted into chaos.
Luo Shu chuckled at the scene. "Line up, everyone. One at a time."
Seeing him start to organize the crowd, everyone quickly quieted down and got in line.
Once things were in order, Luo Shu began scanning people's fate panels. His speech was articulate, his readings uncannily accurate—it left everyone in awe.
Their faith in him only grew.
[Divine Authority Gem +0.16, +0.18, +0.06, +0.9, +0.21…]
Not only did the gems continue flowing in steadily, he also made a tidy profit in yen.
By evening—
Makuhari Seaside Park finally began to close, and the reluctant crowd slowly dispersed.
Luo Shu let out a lazy yawn.
He mentally invoked [Void], and a silver ripple shimmered at the edge of his vision.
[Divine Authority Gems: 25.95]
"Not bad."
Luo Shu grinned, patting his now-fat wallet. Inside was roughly 300,000 yen.
Now, it was time to find a place to stay.
With that thought in mind, he slipped quietly into the darkening city.
---
"Mr. Luo, was it?"
"That's me."
"I didn't expect someone your age to be living independently. That's impressive!"
At Happiness Lodge, the beautiful landlord greeted him with a warm smile. Her silky twin ponytails draped over her shoulders like polished drills.
Luo Shu returned a small smile, unlocking the door to the unit he'd just rented.
After arriving in this world, he finally had a place to call home.
Although he didn't have official ID, the money in his wallet would keep him afloat for months if he budgeted wisely. And while Divine Authority Gems could create valuable items like gold, using them like that felt wasteful.
What if he really needed them later?
The apartment was in a fairly central location, and rent was surprisingly affordable.
But when he arrived…
Luo Shu was completely stunned.
The moment he stepped inside, his cheat skill [Void] began to tremble. A silver ripple shimmered in midair, visible only to him. Countless lines of data buzzed across his vision, accompanied by a warning tone.
[Haunted House]
[Age: 20.4 years (wall deterioration)]
[Description: An old, seemingly unremarkable house. But two weeks ago, a Black Rift phenomenon emerged. A malicious spirit is attempting to descend through the rift.
You may spend 2.3 Divine Authority Gems to forcibly seal the Black Rift.]
Upon seeing the notification, Luo Shu finally understood.
No wonder this place had such a great location but dirt-cheap rent.
Turns out—it was haunted.
But that revelation came with another one: this anime multiverse wasn't all sunshine and slice-of-life.
There were ghosts.
Which meant supernatural threats were real.
And if those threats could kill him, then he'd need strength. Quickly.
After learning about the Black Rift, Luo Shu had no intention of leaving.
In fact, he was curious—what exactly was this "Black Rift" phenomenon?
Even if he failed, sealing it only cost 2.3 gems.
He might as well probe the limits of this world.
As the saying goes: Even knowing there are tigers in the mountains, a true warrior climbs anyway.
"See you tomorrow, Ms. Landlord."
He waved casually, shutting the door behind him under her warm gaze.
Come to think of it, the landlord reminded him of characters from the anime he used to watch.
She looked at him kindly—maybe because of his good looks. His cheat confirmed her feelings were genuine.
She probably didn't even know about the haunted nature of this place.
More likely, previous tenants had fled in a hurry, forcing her to lower the rent.
For now, the priority was finding this so-called Black Rift.
Luo Shu's expression turned serious. He strode toward the bedroom, preparing to investigate.
HOOONNNNK—!!
Suddenly, the room echoed with a sound like a car horn blaring in the distance.
The abrupt noise made him turn his head sharply.
Right there—the air split like corrupted data, a jagged line tearing through space.
Thin strands of black mist leaked out, accompanied by the haunting cries of a thousand tormented souls.
Within the rift…
A pair of blood-red eyes glared at him with malevolent hatred.
Is that… a ghost?
"How interesting," Luo Shu murmured with a grin, stepping directly toward the expanding rift.
As he released Divine Authority Gems into the air, arcs of lightning began to spark around his body.
Lightning — the pivot of yin and yang. The bane of all spirits.