'Heh heh, bad guys always claim they mean no harm. You've already doxxed me, do you think I'd believe you?'
Lucy thought that, but then realized she'd been the one who doxxed first.
Could it be for that reason?
| That's right. It's because Miss Lucy tried to invade my privacy first that I had to retaliate. |
"!!!"
Lucy jolted the moment she read his message.
'How does he know what I was thinking? No, it has to be a coincidence. But he knows exactly what I did. I'm out of options here. If that's how it is, then I can only…'
She bit her lip as if she had finally made up her mind.
Wise, now existing in digital form and observing from the depths of cyberspace, caught every subtle shift in her expression.
At first, he assumed this adorable tsundere girl planned to silence him for good, but what caught him off guard was that she was merely desperate to read more of his work.
| Golden Silk Princess's Elegy (Lucy): I'm sorry, okay?! I shouldn't have been trolling, and I definitely shouldn't have looked up your personal info! Please don't be mad! |
Lucy decided to just apologize, thinking they were only online "buddies" anyway and there's no way he could actually track her down, so playing nice for a bit wouldn't kill her.
| Very well. Since your apology seems genuine, I'll let it slide, but only if you agree to one condition. |
| Golden Silk Princess's Elegy (Lucy): You want a gift? Sure, I can send as many as you'd like. |
| I'm not interested in your gifts, and I'm not short on money. |
'Heh, you weren't acting like this back when you used to beg readers for gifts.'
| Golden Silk Princess's Elegy (Lucy): Don't want a gift? Then what do you want? Could it be… No. Absolutely not that! |
Lucy typed her response while vigorously shaking her head, mortified and furious as her mind wandered to something deeply uncomfortable.
| Why not? All I'm asking is that Miss Lucy refrain from casually invading others' privacy online in the future. Is that really such an unreasonable request? |
"W-What? That's all? Then I just…"
At that moment, a wave of shame washed over Lucy. She had judged a gentleman by her own narrow standards, never expecting the other party to be so upright and honorable.
But it wasn't finished. Right as Lucy prepared to respond, another message appeared.
| I also know that Miss Lucy is quite fond of my books. These are my drafts. If you agree to my condition, I'll make sure you receive all future drafts first. |
Along with the message came an attached file, containing the upcoming chapters she had been eagerly urging him to release.
However, Wise's actions made Lucy feel even more guilty.
'Ugh, why do I feel so guilty right now?' she thought, pressing a hand against her chest as the weight of her earlier actions settled in.
[Ding! Target Lucy: has increased her favorability toward the host by 10. Her current favorability is now 30.]
[Ding! New favorability target detected.]
[Name: Luciana Auxesis Theodoro de Montefio (Lucy)]
[Gender: Female]
[Charm: 95]
[Unique Traits: Tsundere—no further elaboration needed]
[Hobbies: Reading novels and riding motorcycles]
[Current Status: Nervous and guilty]
[Current Favorability toward Host: 30]
[Evaluation: She presents herself as a tsundere and somewhat spoiled young lady, but beneath that exterior lies a gentle, endearing girl who treasures her friends.]
[Inner Thoughts: Damn it! I won't forget this! I'll make sure to pay you back later! And this thing… I don't need your pity.]
Despite her inner words, Lucy's actions betrayed her as she opened the file Wise had sent right away.
She decided to send him some compensation, even if he had doxxed her. At worst, she could always send a few more expensive gifts later.
Once Lucy immersed herself in the novel, Wise saw no reason to linger. It had been his first time attempting digitization, yet the process had gone far more smoothly than he had expected.
He followed the network cable back home, and just as he was about to leave the cyber world, Fairy showed up.
[|Master, you're back.|]
"Yes, the matter has been settled. The other party was surprisingly easy to talk to."
Wise nodded while checking out the blank-faced Fairy in front of him. Her human form was honestly really pretty.
He wondered if that Transformers body the system gave him could turn into something like this too.
With that thought in mind, he casually reached out and pinched her smooth, flawless cheek, then logged out before she had the chance to respond.
After stepping out, he didn't see Belle anywhere. She was probably still in her room, struggling to decide what to buy.
He sent her a quick message, letting her know he was heading out and that she could take her time browsing.
Once outside the video store, Wise pulled out his phone and noticed that this time, the commission hadn't been sent by Shepherd.
Then again, that guy had recently stirred up quite a bit of trouble due to an information leak and was likely buried in work.
Hopefully, he would still introduce a few commissions in the future.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the system's voice suddenly echoed in his head.
[Ding!]
[Fully Captured Target: Nicole]
[Reward Generated ⭢ Denny is Power (A): Enables healing through Denny consumption, covering wounds, stamina restoration, and more.]
[Note: This talent's effectiveness scales with proximity. Direct contact provides optimal results, with enhancement reaching up to 150%.]
The reward from Nicole was indeed related to her beloved Dennies, a rather useful ability.
More importantly, it could restore stamina. With that in mind, he soon arrived at the coffee shop, following the address from the text message.
The coffee shop was fairly quiet at this hour. With the information he'd received, Wise easily located his target.
A woman with matcha-colored hair sat quietly in the corner, dressed in a black top paired with an off-white skirt.
-VENUS-[1]
She remained seated at a small table, a half-empty cup of coffee resting before her. Her left hand supported her cheek while her right held her phone, a faint smile curving her lips as she scrolled.
Once he confirmed it was her, Wise headed straight in her direction. As he approached, he caught the sound of her soft humming, light and carefree, as if nothing in the world could disturb her mood.
[Ding! New favorability target detected.]
[Name: Venus]
[Gender: Female]
[Charm: 93]
[Unique Traits: Helping newbie Proxies and looking after her pets]
[Hobbies: Likes cute small animals]
[Current Status: Happy and joyful]
[Current Favorability toward Host: 20]
[Evaluation: A kindhearted and nurturing older sister figure who offers guidance to Inter-Knot newcomers.]
[Inner Thoughts: What kind of person is he, really? Either way, I'll arrange a few easier commissions for him first.]
-+ + +-
-> To have access to more than 40 extra chapters, go to:
[-p -a -t -r -e -o -n . com/DysFiction.]
-> To make a don@tion go to:
[ ko - fi .com /dysfiction ]
-+ + +-
Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
-> Azur Lane: Don't Fight! You're All My Wives! (Translation)
-> Zenless Zone Zero: Death in White. (Original)
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