Lukas walked through the slum street with a sigh. The floor was damp with green water. The air smelled of litter. Different bad odors intertwined.
"I am definitely not coming back here," he said with raised brows as he jumped over another puddle of water.
He was currently wearing a black shirt and black pants. He wore a long black coat with a long collar. The coat itself reached his ankles.
His deep black hair stopped just short of his shoulders. His blue eyes shone with an ethereal light. He looked like a work of art in every sense.
Under the canopy of the wide, black umbrella, the heavy rain did not affect him.
"Now, the way to the Association," he mused aloud.
"Hey, Lukas," the voice came from behind him, rough and loud.
Lukas stopped in his tracks, raising a brow at the unexpected call.
"The voice sounds familiar though," he whispered under his breath. He turned back to look at the person who had called him.
Flashing a cold smile at him was a bald man. His back was hunched, probably due to his heavy build. He towered over seven feet in height, even his build was bulky.
He wore an orange shirt that had lost its top button, and blue pants.
Standing on either side of him were two men dressed in full black suits.
Looking at the man, memories surfaced in Lukas’s mind.
Filtering through the memory, a smile formed on his lips as he found a use for the man.
"Mr Tencent," he said, lowering his umbrella to bow to the man.
The man leaned backward in shock. "Why did you suddenly change?"
That was the first question Tencent asked.
Lukas smiled. "Nothing."
Tencent raised a brow. "Where are you going?" He asked.
’He is pushing his luck because of how docile I am acting,’ Lukas thought. ’Well, it works for me anyway.’
With a smile, Lukas replied. "I didn’t want to tell you this, but I have accepted your daughter’s proposal. I was going to buy the things I need for the wedding."
Tencent staggered backward, his eyes radiating pure joy. "Are you sure about this?" He asked, laughter blooming from him.
Lukas nodded. "I have always loved her, I just didn’t want to bother you with the wedding plans."
He froze. "What do you mean bother?" He asked, shaking his head. "Billie is my princess, why would I ever be bothered helping her plan the wedding?"
Lukas replied with a muffled smile.
"So, how much do you have now? And how much do you need?"
As he spoke, he signalled to one of his boys.
"Actually, I don’t have anything saved," Lukas said, scratching his head. "I was about to go to a loan shark to borrow enough money to surprise her."
"Scrap that plan," Tencent said almost immediately. "I am a loan shark, so I know what it means to get into debt."
As he spoke, he received the briefcase that was being handed to him.
"This is five million denvar, as long as you marry my daughter as your wife, I am willing to give it to you."
"Mr Tencent, you really want to give me this money?" Lukas stammered.
Tencent nodded. "I give you this money, you make my daughter happy, and I am happy, it is a loop of benefits," he said, spreading both arms wide with a smile.
Lukas paused. His eyes were fixed on the case, widened, as if he was in shock.
But underneath that, there was a subtle smile hidden by the heavy rain.
"Take it, son. Make me proud."
Tencent pushed the briefcase into Lukas’s chest before turning away.
"I give you till Friday, a week from now, to be done with all your preparations," he said without turning back.
"I would be done before then," Lukas yelled, watching Tencent’s retreating figure.
He gulped loudly after a while.
"Fuck, facing an apostle-rank awakened is so scary."
Even though he was a god, he had not awakened any of his power and was still building it.
Compared to an apostle who already had miracles and blessings of an established god.
"Well, that’s double gains in this one exchange," Lukas finally said, turning back to continue his journey. "And silver tongue works well."
As for marrying Billie, that was the last thing Lukas was ever going to do in this world. He would rather commit suicide.
The money he received was going to be used to settle into the city while awaiting his verification from the association.
Before long, he was on the outskirts of the slums.
What opened up to him was a slightly normal road.
Still bad compared to what a city was meant to have, but good.
Standing there, Lukas planned how he was going to move.
’This is me leaving the beginner’s village though, the city is like an Elite kingdom filled with overpowered people.’
Thinking about it deeply, he was sure that Apostles were going to be pretty much in that place.
’Well, till I get to their level, I will try to avoid them.’
Before long, a taxi had already stopped to pick him up.
"Astria," Lukas said.
That was the closest city to their slum, and arguably, one of the most prestigious cities in the human domain.
After all, it was the forefront of humanity’s battle against the voidborns.
"Ten thousand," the driver said.
"Are you sure?" Lukas asked, leaning forward.
The moment the driver’s eyes met Lukas’s, he shook his head. "It’s free, I am really sorry, Mr Tencent," the driver hurriedly said, not wasting a moment to ignite the car’s engine.
Lukas nodded, resting further into the seat.
"He is still a deterrent in this community," Lukas, now in the image of Tencent, muttered.
The world moved in a blur as the car sped through the slum city.
Even as he drove, he continuously bit his lower lip.
Lukas ignored it. Rather, his eyes were on the structures planted around.
Even though it was a slum city, there were some magnificent buildings erected around.
’Large Corps trying to extort the poor,’ Lukas thought.