"Here," Lukas said, handing a denvar note worth one thousand to the driver.
"Thank you sir," the driver said, quickly collecting it.
He zoomed off instantly, unable to bear the pressure for any second longer.
Lukas’s eyes trailed the vehicle till it made a sharp turn in one corner.
His face and features returned to normal almost immediately.
"So much fear for another human," he said, straightening his jacket with his umbrella hand. "All because he is an awakened."
The city was a beauty to behold.
Tall glass buildings shot into the sky, disappearing within the haze of the clouds.
Other buildings were made from normal bricks, not too tall, but their designs were a sight to behold.
Then, floating above floor level were islands. Each one glowed with a divine light that made even their surroundings calm.
It was already approaching noon by the time Lukas got there.
The rain had long stopped, leaving only wet roads as proof.
"My city life would definitely be interesting," Lukas said.
The soft clicks of his black shoes made wet clicks against the wet floor as he made his way forward.
"I need a place to stay for like a year. Till I stabilize myself in this world."
"The association is probably the fastest place to get that kind of information."
Lukas paused, swallowing his words quickly. "What association? It has always been the bar."
A crazed laughter erupted from him, forcing the passers-by to stare at him.
"Hmm!" Lukas cleared his throat.
He was already used to that laughter. It was his way of expressing joy if he found hidden clues in games."
But he felt the bar was genuinely the best place for something like that.
A place where different people went to wind down.
"But going to a bar with this briefcase is weird though."
Aside from the unnecessary attention it drew, a bag containing so much money could probably be stolen from him if he met awakened people at the bar.
Looking around, he saw something that drew him.
"Maybe the bar can wait," he said.
He was walking towards a hotel. A large building made from glass, bricks, and wood.
The place looked like it had been specially carved by a god of craft.
In the small city of Astria, this hotel was definitely one of the hotspots.
Maybe due to the rain, or because most people were still at work, the streets were not as crowded as normal.
A short staircase led up to the entrance of the hotel, and lined along the path were pots of beautiful flowers.
The automatic glass doors slid open with a soft hiss as Lukas neared them.
What opened up to him was an interior of white marbled walls. Sleek white tiles that seemed capable of reflecting light.
And at the front stood a wide, sleek, matte-black desk that contrasted with and beautified the reception.
Standing behind the desk were two ladies with bright smiles.
"Good day, sir," they said at the same time, with bows.
Lukas nodded. "I need a room for a week," he said.
He did not waste time on formalities or unnecessary talk.
"We have the regular rooms, deluxe rooms, and premium rooms," the lady answering Lukas said. "Regular costs ten thousand per night, Deluxe costs a hundred thousand, and Premium costs five hundred thousand."
"Deluxe for a week then, I will pay in cash later, just have room service come to my room in about thirty minutes after I settle down. Is there a problem with that?"
She shook her head almost instantly. "No sir, she said quickly."
Lukas nodded.
"Sir, do you prefer the underground room or the upper-floor room?" the lady asked after a few seconds of searching through her locker.
"An underground room is better," Lukas said after a bit of thought.
’Good service, I guess.’
Soon, the lady had brought a card from her drawer.
"The last room on the right, the lowest floor," she said as Lukas accepted the card.
It was a sleek, black, plastic card.
Lukas nodded and walked towards the elevator right next to the reception desk.
The doors clicked open and Lukas walked in.
His finger tapped the button calmly.
Then he felt a sudden shift, as if gravity had suddenly loosened its grip on him.
A shudder returned him to normal.
The doors chimed open, revealing a long hallway wreathed in darkness.
A crimson carpet was laid from the entrance, disappearing into the darkness before long.
"Feels like the hideout of some mafia boss," he said with a smile.
He was already walking towards the end, each step carried with calm.
"Why does money weigh so much, though?"
As he spoke, he lifted the briefcase higher.
Lost in his thoughts, Lukas reached the hall’s end.
A soft beep echoed through the silence, breaking it like fragile glass.
The door clicked open, revealing a small crack that Lukas pushed through.
The room was revealed. It was a large room with a king-sized bed in the centre, laid with clean, white sheets.
A large, exquisite wardrobe stood in a corner.
On the left side was a door that led to the bathroom.
A chandelier hung from the ceiling, raining down its golden white light.
Lukas stepped in and shut the door behind him.
He dropped the briefcase on the work table just beside the entrance, while resting the umbrella by the table’s side.
"It’s 2pm already?" He asked himself with squinted brows.
"That means it was probably around 12pm when I boarded that vehicle."
Lukas ran his hand through his black hair, scattering it slightly.
"I would go to the Association tomorrow, I need a phone and some other things," he sighed.
Looking at the briefcase too. "I can deposit this too, can’t be carrying cash around."
With those thoughts, Lukas took out a stack of bundled cash from the briefcase and locked it.
"Payment for the room."
He carried the stack, the briefcase, and his umbrella, and walked out of the room once again.