“Where are you going?”

  Emilia stood at the doorway, her eyes scanning Jin up and down.

  “Out. I need to do some work,” he replied, without any intention to explain what the work was.

  “Work? At this hour?” She crossed her arms, her gaze lingering on the way his shirt fit his shoulders. “And that’s how you dress for ‘work’, Frank? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were meeting someone.”

  Jin sighed, checking the time on his phone. It was already 11 at night. At this hour, if his previous experiences with such exclusive clubs were anything to go by, the Den would be at its most active. But he couldn’t bring Emilia with him. Not while things remained uncertain.

  Both Jin and her father preferred she stay in Neo-Tokyo, but knowing the Lowenhald princess would throw a tantrum of massive proportions if she didn’t have it her way, the two men reached a compromise. They set two conditions. One, Emilia would play pretend, acting as Jin’s ‘fiancée’. This was to protect her from needless harassment from ‘rubbish Players’, as the ever-doting Count Emil put it. Second, she was never to leave the hotel room without Jin’s permission.

  But confining a young woman like Emilia to a suite at night was a recipe for boredom. Thus, she made it her mission to make Jin's departure as difficult as possible.

  “It is business, Emilia. Stay here, keep the door locked, and don't open it for anyone but me. Understood?”

  “Sure,” Emilia answered with a mischievous smile. “But only after I get my goodbye kiss,” she added, stepping into his space.

  Jin groaned but didn't pull away as she leaned in. He gave her a brisk peck on the forehead. “There. Satisfied?”

  She pouted, her face a deep shade of crimson as she pointed to her lips. “You call that a kiss? Schoolboys kissed their girls better than that.”

  Jin could feel a vein about to pop in his head. “Fine. If I kiss you properly, will you let me go?”

  Emilia nodded, her eyes bright with a mix of mischief and genuine longing. “Kiss and hug. Together.”

  Jin sighed but followed through, as Emilia pulled him into a warm embrace that felt a little too tight for comfort. Deep in the back of his mind, he suspected Elise had coached her on this; the Lowenhald princess was becoming far too adept at handling him.

  “And Frank?” she whispered against his chest, her voice sounded somewhat dazed. “Take off your clothes.”

  Jin froze. “What?”

  She chuckled, stepping back to see his panicked expression. “Silly. I am not that thirsty. You can’t go to ‘work’ in that attire. What? You want to be like Ka Fei? Who gave you this stupid T-shirt anyway? I’ll prepare you better ones. While I’m at it, take a shower.”

  “What do you mean, stupid T-shirt? This is–“

  Emilia put a finger across Jin’s lips. “No arguing. If your solehah wife is telling you to change, you change. If this is work, then I want you look good for work. Alright, my future hubby?”

  Jin sighed. The last thing he needed was to let Emilia nag him. “Alright,” he muttered, retreating towards the bathroom.

  He took a quick shower, the hot water washing away the lingering tiredness from the earlier day. Through the frosted glass, he thought he saw a shadow flicker near the door, but he dismissed it as a trick of the steam.

  However, one thing he couldn’t dismiss. Habits die hard, and in his rush, he had forgotten to bring the towel in. At Old Man Sid’s home, he’d walk naked and get one nearby. But here, in front of Emilia, he could never do that.

  “Emilia?” Jin called out, trying to sound unbothered. “Could you hand me a towel, please? Sorry to trouble you.”

  There was a frantic scuffle from the other side, followed by a long silence. Finally, a hand trembled through the gap in the door, thrusting a towel at him. Though unfolded and damp, as if used prior, Jin didn't give it a second thought and wiped himself dry.

  “Thanks,” he said, stepping out a moment later with the towel wrapped around his waist. He tried to find one more, but none were hanging on the shelves. Even the bathrobes were missing.

  Odd. Could swear all rooms should have a spare.

  He found Emilia sitting by the bed, her back against Jin. But even from this side, Jin could still see what she was doing – clutching a stack of his spare clothes, including his briefs, towards her chest. It was not until Jin let out a cough that she realised he had come out.

  “Here,” she squeaked. She didn't look at him; her eyes locked onto a spot on the carpet, her chest heaving as if she’d just run a marathon.

  “This isn’t mine, right?”

  “Uh-huh. I bought it for you. Figured you could use spares.”

  “Wow,” Jin took the clothes, impressed by the gesture. “I once had my doubts, but you really would make a good wife, you know.”

  Emilia let out a high-pitched giggle that sounded almost manic. “Hehehe. Alright, pervert Frank. I don’t need to see you half-naked. Where is that modesty you are always championing, eh?”

  “Hahaha. Sorry,” Jin replied, feeling a flush of genuine embarrassment. He ducked back in to finish dressing.

  “Put your dirty clothes in the basket,” she called out, her voice regaining its usual mischievous edge. “As your ‘good wife’, I shall wash them for you later.”

  “Thanks, I guess?”

  Jin emerged dressed in a neatly ironed white shirt and jeans. Fit and perfect on his body. Emilia even offered him a perfume bottle, stating he should always smell nice. Jin obliged, and after a spray, he gave her a final nod before heading out. He left the room thinking how lucky he was to have such a helpful, albeit eccentric, companion.

  But then, from the corner of his eye before the door clicked shut, he saw Emilia dash into the bathroom. Muffled sounds leaked out, but he could still make out a few words.

  "My precious Frank bolster."

  Then silence.

  The kind of silence that forced Jin to pace as fast as he could towards the elevator.

  ***

  Jin made his way towards the Den. At night, the place finally showed signs of life; the neon sign bled crimson and green across the pavement, and a muffled, heavy bass throbbed from behind the reinforced doors.

  He paced himself, watching a group of high-level Players dressed to impress bypass the queue. They didn't show any IDs as the bouncers stepped aside with a respectful tilt of the head.

  Jin stepped up next.

  The two bouncers’ posture hardened as their earlier professional smiles vanishing into cold frowns. They were the same pair from the afternoon, their arms crossed over black suits and eyes hidden by dark glasses that locked onto him with a mix of curiosity and disdain.

  “You again?”

  “I’m looking for someone. A business associate,” Jin said, keeping his voice steady. “I was told he’d be here tonight.”

  “Where is your Floor Plate?”

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “Floor Plate?”

  Somehow, Jin’s question irked the two bouncers even more.

  “If you don’t have it, scram!”

  Jin raised his hands up, faking a surrender. “Look. I’m new here. And I would like to get inside. Can you tell me how?”

  The two bouncers looked at each other, smirks appearing on their faces before one of them let out a scoff.

  “If you don’t know how, then you’re not qualified to be inside our establishment. Now, don't make me ask you to leave for the third time.”

  Jin smiled. “I see. Then I’m sorry to disturb you boys.”

  He pulled out two hundred dollars, pressing the notes into the nearest bouncer's hand as if settling a debt.

  “For the information,” Jin said before they could reject the gesture or take offence. “Nothing is free, right?” he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Apologies for the trouble.”

  He then turned around and walked away.

  Jin knew now that a bribe wouldn't buy him an entry. He had realised it long ago, back when he was still a youth following the oyabun around. The old man’s wisdom still lives in Jin’s mind until today.

  ‘A man’s worth is measured by how he takes rejection.’

  “Oi, kid.”

  One of the bouncers called Jin out.

  “You got manners, I’ll give you that,” he said as he tucked a note into his pocket and gave the other to his colleague. “Here’s one more piece of info for you. You don’t join the Den. We will invite you once you reach Floor 30 and get your Silver Floor Plate. Both. Got it?”

  “Thanks!” Jin raised a thumb without turning back.

  He had the answer. Though it didn’t happen the way he wanted, at very least, he knew what he must do next. As he disappeared into the corner, shadows around him shifted.

  “You done, Fenrir?”

  “Yes, my lord. With the bird’s help, we can,” the Shadow Wolf alpha replied.

  Before he left, he planted two of Fenrir’s pup in the bouncers’ shadows, serving as his eyes and ears. They would act as his spies. Over the last few weeks, Jin had mastered the technical synergy of his summons. Especially after the fateful battle with the Anpu Statue. That battle revealed something important.

  Though limited, all his summons could use one another’s abilities. Fenrir and the Shadow Wolves could pull Catt’s threads through the shadowsea, widening her range, and Cattleya herself could swim in the shadowsea unhindered. With Tome’s addition, they could now see the enemies’ details. Including identifying their current target, Vincent, whom they never met.

  But one problem still remained. Even if he found Vincent, there was no way he could initiate contact without Emilia’s brother looking at him like a pest. Worse, if that annoyance turned to hostility.

  One could fake the information given to the headquarters, including the level. Jin could claim he was at level 100. But the abilities and his achievements must reflect that. To become someone whom the bosses of the Den would have to invite him to become their patron. Someone worth inviting into their cliques.

  For that, he needed to clear the 30th floor of the Twin Tower Labyrinth.

  “Emilia and I alone won’t cut it,” Jin mumbled, his eyes scanning the nearby crowds of mercenaries and freelancers. “I need temporary help. Now, where should I look?”

  ***

  Through Elise, Jin learnt before coming here that the SeComm and SEAPAC had an alliance, allowing ratings earned in one place were good in the other. Thus, whatever points – called Tower Ranking Point or TRP for short – that Jin and Emilia earned here, they could convert to SeC-rate and vice-versa at a 1:1 ratio. It was part of an agreement made by the organisations to foster better cross-alliance partnerships and teamwork.

  With that in mind, Jin needed a partnership of a different ilk. A win-win transaction involving nothing but money would be ideal. Since the 'prim and proper' Players sought their work through the official bureaucratic channels of the SEAPAC HQ, Jin ruled them out immediately. He didn't need a careerist; he needed someone who thrived in the grey. Better still if they were the ‘do as ordered and don’t talk back’ type.

  “These types of Players usually hang around certain places. Unruly places,” Jin muttered. “Might as well make my way there.”

  Using the guide provided by the receptionist Jin met earlier in the day, he made his way towards ‘The Pitbull’. Unfortunately, the journey yielded no result as the place had closed for the foreseeable future. He wasn’t the only one disappointed, as a few Players nearby were already airing their grievances.

  “So, the rumours were true after all. Right as we got some money to get ourselves drunk, some bastards had to go and blast this place wide open.”

  “This place was already wide open to begin with. What I’ve heard was it was a free-for-all brawl. The HQ even had to get involved.”

  “Damn. So, what’s next? Medusa?”

  “No other place?”

  “A few, but they don’t serve drinks as good as the Pitbull and Medusa. And their choice of music sucks arse.”

  “Medusa it is, then. But the girls there are scary.”

  “Keep your hands off them, even if you’re drunk. Do that and you’re as safe as a baby in his mum’s embrace. Otherwise, you’d be spending the next few days vomiting blood in a hospital bed.”

  Jin followed the group to his next destination - the Medusa Club. This was the second ‘unruly’ hangout on his list. From the outside, it looked calm, though the neon glow gave Jin an impish feeling.

  “They still use red and pink lighting in this day and age, huh?”

  During the more impetuous part of his youth, Jin used to frequent nightclubs. Especially those outside of his area. Booze and women were the reasons he was there with his bike gang. But as rowdy as they were, each one of them – especially Jin – was well-behaved in such establishments. One trouble, and if not the mama-san, the local Yakuza themselves would gut the troublemakers on the spot.

  However, there was no Yakuza here, only groups that the local patrons called the Medusae.

  One discerning look from them, and most of the bastards looking for trouble would freeze. Those who failed to comprehend the consequences of misbehaviour were dealt with swiftly. Contrary to its appearance – feminine and mischievous on the outside – the inside was clamorous yet orderly.

  Jin took a seat at the bar and donned Tome’s glasses. Through the lens, he surveyed the patrons without needing the owl shouting in his mind all the time. Levels, classes, ages and some other unnecessary information scrolled past his vision, including a few underage stowaways, who the ever-watchful bouncers then kicked out without any fuss.

  “I’ve never seen you around,” a sultry voice called out next to Jin. “New around here?”

  Jin didn’t even sense her coming. Surprised, he turned around and immediately, Tome, who had been quiet until now, yapped his beak inside Jin’s mind, detailing all her stats.

  “Emma Lee Warren. Twenty-seven years old. Swordswoman. Expert Dual Blader. Level 100. Her body measurements are 38DD, 26, 38. Perfect! This is what I call a femme fatale. She’s well out of your league, though. Her only weakness is any strikingly handsome man who is also a beast in bed. I doubt that’s you, anyway.”

  “Shush, Tome!”

  “Excuse me? Do you mind if I talk to you?” the woman asked again. Her voice calm yet sensual. A tone Jin found somewhat mesmerising.

  “Ah, yes. Please continue. I had something on my mind earlier. But it’s done,” Jin said with a smile. Even without Tome’s detailed description, this guest was out of this world. ‘Perfect’ was an apt description.

  Silky raven-black hair cascaded along the contour of her back, and the dimples that appeared whenever she smiled added a playful edge to her striking features. She was the most beautiful woman Jin had seen in his life, second only to his wife. While Elise and Emilia were stunning in their own right, they lacked the raw, sensual charm of the woman standing before him.

  Then there was her scent. It wasn't the flowery, innocent perfume Emilia always wore; it was deeper – a rich mix of jasmine, musk and sandalwood that settled in the back of his throat. It was the smell of someone who spent her nights in high-end places and her days in blood-soaked RIFTs. It was almost identical to how Elyzabeth had worn hers.

  “So, is there anything I can do for you? Or talk about, Miss…?” Jin said as the pick-up game began. Since she had approached him first, the opening gambits could be skipped.

  “Emma,” she introduced herself.

  “Stein. Frank Stein,” Jin said, raising his glass to toast their encounter.

  “Frankenstein?” Emma laughed, clinking her glass against his. “Like Dr Frankenstein from the books? Was it not written by a lady?”

  Jin smiled. “Ah. A woman of culture, I see. Not many read old literature anymore. Far fewer still know the author. You’re not just a pretty face, Emma.”

  “And you’re direct for a man,” she said, pulling the wine glass away. She wiped the lipstick stain from the rim, her movements slow and deliberate. “I like that, Mr Stein.”

  “Please, call me Frank. I’m not quite old enough for ‘Mister’ yet,” Jin teased. “But if you insist, I’ll call you ‘Ma’am’ in return.”

  Emma gave Jin’s hand a teasing slap. To a bystander, it was a simple gesture of comfort; to Jin, however, this was the opening bell. The game had started in earnest. Although it had been ages since he had been on the dating circuit, he didn't find himself awed by the lustrous vixen before him. Perhaps Elise and Emilia had helped sharpen his senses. At the very least, he wouldn't fumble his words like a virgin or let his eyes wander towards the ever-blossoming cleavage Emma flaunted through her tight V-necked dress.

  “So, you’re new?” Emma asked.

  “Arrived today from Neo-Tokyo. With my partner.”

  “A girl?”

  Jin offered a small wink, a silent nuance she didn't miss.

  “Aren’t you a naughty boy? Leaving her alone,” Emma smiled. “You’re not scared she might find someone else behind your back?”

  Jin glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. Past midnight.

  “At this hour? She’s likely sleeping. Emilia gets tired easily,” Jin replied. “All those daily activities got to her. Dragging her around, telling her what to do. Unfortunately, I have boundless stamina, especially this late. Besides…”

  “Besides?”

  “It’s not her I’m worried about. It’s me.”

  “Oh?” Emma’s eyebrows shot up. “Confident, aren’t you? Perhaps too confident?”

  This was the first test – a checkpoint in their little game. Should he fail, her interest would vanish as if doused in cold water. Given more time, Jin might not need her company. Then again, throughout the whole day, he hadn't seen anyone else with her level of power and abilities. Emma was the best candidate for the partnership he had in mind.

  Jin swivelled his barstool to face her and beckoned her closer. She leaned in, and he whispered, “There are things I’m exceptionally good at. And what I’m good at makes me confident.”

  “And… what exactly are you good at?” Emma asked, licking her lips.

  “My hands. My fingers.”

  Emma fell silent, but her body language spoke volumes. She flipped her hair to one side, exposing the nape of her neck to him, her fingers playing with a stray lock on the other side.

  “Do you want to come to my private table?” she asked, her voice dropped to a sultry whisper. “We could explore what you’re good at in more detail there.”

  Jin felt a spark of genuine surprise. Not at the invitation, but the fact that she had a private table. This wasn't a run-of-the-mill mercenary. The next phase of the game had begun, and this time, Jin had to play his absolute best.

  After all, she could be the Lady Luck Jin was searching for. And the bold were her favourite ‘snacks’.