1717 Zephyr, The Entrepreneur(Scammer).
Sometime later...
Felix and Apollo could be seen venturing into the bustling heart of Quantaar city's red district.
They were greeted by the vivid life of its streets, teeming with enticing males and females from a myriad of races, each exuding an allure unique to their origins.
"Hey, glowing locks! Your hair's brighter than the stars, care to share that shine with me tonight?"
"Tall, fair, and mysterious! How about we explore some hidden frequencies together?"
"Foxy ears, come this way! I've got secrets that'll make you purr."
The air was thick with their catcalls and whistles directed at Felix and Apollo.
"Haha! Next time! Next time!"
Apollo, ever the charmer, basked in the attention with a grin, absorbing the adulation as if it were sunlight.
Felix, on the other hand, found the experience less than pleasant, his irritation mounting with every sultry invitation thrown his way.
He had just faced a life-or-death situation against the third ruler, and now he was being harassed on the streets, seemingly returning to his mundane mortal life.
"Loosen up, would you?" Apollo chided, noticing Felix's growing discomfort.
Without waiting for a response, he seized Felix's arm and guided him through the throng, making a beeline for a particular brothel that seemed to stand out even in the colorful chaos of the district.magic
Upon arrival, they were surrounded by a contrasting calm atmosphere from the noisy outside.
The interior exuded an elegant decadence, with soft lighting and sumptuous decor inviting guests to indulge in their desires.
At the helm of this den of pleasures stood a short rat-like proprietor with seven vibrantly colored tails that swayed gently behind him.
The moment he spotted Apollo, he squinted his eyes for a moment and then he snapped them open with a shocked expression.
"Bolo!!! Is that really you, old friend?!"
'Bolo? Your undercover name is Bolo? Are you f*cking with me?' Felix cursed Apollo telepathically, feeling like he was walking with a time bomb.
'How would I know I will become a fugitive?'
Apollo defended as he went forward with his arms extended, seemingly seeking a hug from his friend. "Zephyr, who else would be worthy of my beauty?"
"Haha! Where have you been? It's been eons since you visited this old geezer."
Zephyr gave Apollo a tight hug...But due to the size difference, his head ended up buried in Apollo's crotch.None of them seemed awkward by it, unlike Felix whose eyelids kept twitching at this ungodly image.
"Ah, Bolo, my favorite customer, how I missed you." Zephyr purred, his eyes glinting with a mixture of greed and delight as he rubbed his head.
"You missed me or my money?" Apollo knocked him on the head playfully before letting him go.
"How can you say that? Our friendship means more than money."
Zephyr acted hurt...But, soon he glanced at Felix and the same greedy glint appeared.
"Who is this handsome fella? Is he a customer or a potential recruit? Oh, how I hope it's the latter..."
He muttered the last part, but Felix's keen hearing caught it, making him want to slap the living daylights out of him.
'Easy there, he is my only useful connection for black requests.' Apollo calmed him down with a knowing glance.
Felix remained silent, taking control of his boiling anger...Even though his powers and laws were sealed, the effects on his personality were still running rampant.
Now that Felix possessed Hephaestus's laws and the wrath law, he was easily irritated and angered. Being a companion with Apollo wasn't making his life any easier.
"This is a close friend of mine from my hometown. His name is..." Apollo paused his introduction after comprehending that Felix hadn't given him a new name.
"Gonn."
Felix stepped in smoothly with a straightforward and common name in his disguised race.
"Gonn, welcome to my fine establishment." Zephyer grinned, "A friend of Bolo is a friend of mine, so feel free to ask for anything."
"Then, I guess you won't mind helping us with a small favor...We need your help with something... discreet." Apollo bit on the chance instantly.
Zephyr's ears perked up at the mention of business, his tails twitching in anticipation.lightsnovel
"Discreet, you say? My establishment specializes in discretion among other...pleasures. Tell me what you need, and if the price is right, consider it done."
"How about we go somewhere private first," Felix spoke indifferently.
"My apologies! How impolite of me." Zephyr extended his hand welcomingly, "Please follow me."
Zephyr led Apollo and Felix through the bustling energy of the brothel, navigating the corridors with a practiced ease that belied his seemingly frivolous nature.
They arrived at a nondescript door at the end of a hallway, which Zephyr opened with a flick of his tail, revealing a hidden backroom that served as his office.
Once inside, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
The playful ambiance of the brothel gave way to a tense air of solemnity as Zephyr closed the door behind them.
Taking his seat behind a desk cluttered with an array of strange artifacts and scrolls, Zephyr's demeanor transformed.
The sly, businesslike facade faded, replaced by a sharp gaze that pierced through Felix.He scrutinized Felix intently, a discerning eye taking in every detail. After a moment of awkward silence, Zephyr leaned forward, his voice shedding its earlier flamboyance.
"You're not one of us, are you?" He stated more than asked, his tone serious, "Your behavior... it's different. You're not a Lumonian, that much is clear. Came here looking for a new identity, did you?"
'What the hell?!'
'How?!
'Huh?'
Felix and the tenants exchanged shocked glances, surprised by Zephyr's keen perception.
Apollo, however, remained unfazed.
He sent a telepathic message to Felix, cautioning him, 'Don't underestimate Zephyr or anyone else in this city. Some of them have been around much longer than even the unigins.'
It was expected as the time in the quantum realm was almost always faster than the matter universe. This implied that some beings here existed for an unimaginable number of years before the first birth of a unigin!
Since the quantum realm could exist as long as there was a single atom in the universe, it was nearly impossible for it to get erased and could exist even if the entire universe collapsed!
'I can see that now.' Felix nodded with a cautious expression.
Zephyr's change in attitude served as a reminder that in the quantum realm, appearances were often deceptive, and secrets ran deeper than imagined.
"As I said, he is from my hometown." Unfazed, Apollo requested, "He wants to experience the beauty of the Vibronix Empire without too much of a hassle. You know what I mean."
"Of course, of course, without a legitimate identity, he will be missing too much and I can't have that." Zephyr smiled, returning to his old persona.
He didn't care about finding out more about Felix or his motives, which pleased Felix with his professionalism.
"Name your price," Apollo said.
"Ah, the times have changed after you left, my dear Bolo." Zephyr sighed, "It has become ridiculously more difficult to obtain an identity without going through the proper chan..."
"Yea, yea, just name your price." Apollo rolled his eyes, knowing that he was about to get highballed.
"Cough, if he wants a standardized Lumonion identity, it will cost you around ten thousand Lira." Zephyr shared.
"That's triple the last time I was here." Apollo's lips twitched, "What about an approved Vibronix identity?"
'What's the difference?' Felix inquired.
'Your nation's identity is standardized while obtaining the approved Vibronix identity means you have taken up permanent residency in the empire as a foreigner. '
'It's like immigration papers.'
lightsΝοvel 'Yes, and it's the best one since it gives you better access to the frequencies hub plus other benefits. It's extremely difficult to earn it as one needs to have a high social status to apply for it.'
'I see. It must cost a lot the...'
Before Felix could finish his thought, Zephyr raw dogged them without lube, "It costs one million Lira, cough, with the family and friends discount."
"..."
"..."
Felix and Apollo were left speechless.