Reincarnated In a Cthulhu World And Everyone Is Obsessed With Me - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Pon – “Pika Pika?”

“I’m serious, Xia Mingyu. What do you think of me? Am I qualified to spend the night with you?”

Xia Mingyu ignored him.

He knew exactly what Antonio was up to; the man was just testing the waters, casting a hook to see if he’d bite.

After waiting for a while with no response, Antonio let out a sigh of relief and sat on the bench with a smirk. “Fine then. I’ll overlook your lack of cooperation during our shift.”

Antonio took off his suit jacket, which was heavily saturated with the scent of Sentinels. “However, I don’t think we’re suited to be partners. Our service styles are worlds apart, don’t you agree?”

Xia Mingyu gave up on trying to scrub off the “Devil Tattoo” for now. He leaned his lower back against the sink and looked down at Antonio. “Nothing would please me more.”

The braided hair adorned with colored ribbons slid off his shoulder. At this moment, the demonic tattoo and the vibrant ribbons were the most intense splashes of color on him—simple yet seductive, perfectly integrated by his innate temperament.

Antonio left the locker room as soon as he changed, and only then did Xia Mingyu finally allow himself to sit on the bench to rest.

Six grueling hours of work. Antonio only had to use his silver tongue to flirt with guests, while Xia Mingyu hadn’t stopped mixing drinks for a single second.

…Truly, he never wanted to work with Antonio again. His longing for Chesapeak reached its peak at this moment.

Beep, beep.

His Star-Network buzzed with an incoming call. Xia Mingyu pulled up the holographic screen before even opening his eyes.

Coincidentally, it was a call from Chesapeak.

Xia Mingyu raised an eyebrow. Shouldn’t Chesa be home resting by now? Why was he still awake at this hour?

The moment Xia Mingyu picked up, Chesa’s shrill scream pierced through: “…Ah! Help! He—help!”

In the background, there were sounds of violent physical struggle. Chesa’s voice was sharp yet hoarse, sounding as if his throat had been completely shredded from prolonged panting.

Before Xia Mingyu could say a word, the call was cut off.

His heart tightened. Without even stopping to change out of his bar uniform, he sprinted out of the club.

…

Paradise was a place where “night” was perpetually illuminated by overexposed light pollution. Drunken guests leaned against walls, vomiting. On the second floor across the street, translucent curtains were drawn, but the ambient night lights within cast the silhouettes and positions of the room’s occupants in vivid detail.

People came to Paradise for one reason: to seek pleasure and the kind of stimulation restricted within the Base. In the early hours of the morning, Paradise was thick with the scent of decadence and corruption.

Xia Mingyu calmed his breathing. Would Chesa be at the Techno Ballroom? The Pink Theme Hotel? Or somewhere else?

“Sanctuary?” he whispered, hoping the AI was still monitoring him.

After a moment, a faint blue light flickered, and the voice of a Pokémon chirped, “Pika pika?”

Detecting that Xia Mingyu was struggling to suppress his emotional fluctuations, the Sanctuary had switched to a form it calculated he would find most likable.

Xia Mingyu paused, then asked, “Can you locate Chesapeak?”

“Pika!”

A positioning system was uploaded to his Star-Network. Xia Mingyu immediately bolted toward the red dot—it was the Techno Ballroom.

“Chesapeak’s vital signs?”

“Pika…”

Xia Mingyu wasn’t in the mood to play games. “Speak human.”

The man’s cold, mechanical voice returned. “Mr. Xia Mingyu, Chesapeak’s vitals are currently declining rapidly. Estimated status: Blindfolded, suffocating, bound, and severely restricted in movement.”

“Thank you.” Xia Mingyu paused mid-run. “Next time, please stick to the Pokémon form.”

“Pika!”

…

In front of the Techno Ballroom, a line of sexy models in tight laser-reflective suits danced with laser whips, their curves fully on display. Shifting waves of light covered the entrance like a waterfall of liquid heavy metal, and the booming bass from inside leaked out.

Xia Mingyu had arrived in such a hurry that he hadn’t brought anything to cover his face. He had no choice but to walk in sporting the flamboyant Devil Tattoo—an act equivalent to walking into a tiger’s den. But saving his friend was his only priority.

Chesapeak’s greatest weakness was his obsession with tall, handsome Sentinels. He had suffered for it many times, but he never learned his lesson. Xia Mingyu was always the one cleaning up his messes. During the worst incident, Chesapeak had to recover for an entire month, unable to work, and relied entirely on Xia Mingyu’s financial support.

He hadn’t expected that in this new life, he would still be on the way to clean up after Chesa. No wonder he was in such a hurry to clock out today.

The air inside the Techno Ballroom was cramped and thick with pheromones. The explosive high-tech dance beats felt like they were drumming against his eardrums. Combined with the chaotic spiritual power of the Sentinels and Guides, it created a restless tide of energy.

Xia Mingyu felt like the ground beneath him was undergoing a minor earthquake. Stage-side, muscular Sentinels engaged in bloody boxing matches, their spilled blood only serving to drive the cheering crowd into a frenzy.

Every few steps, one could see pairs lost in wild, public embrace. Xia Mingyu looked away, his expression cold. He thought to himself: Since our friendship isn’t that deep in this life yet, I’m charging him for this cleanup—including mental anguish fees.

He tried calling Chesa several times, but none went through. He hoped he was going there to rescue a person, not collect a corpse.

Suddenly, the fluorescent screens hanging above the stage flashed. They all synced up to show a cute cat head wearing headphones sitting in front of a pink DJ deck.

The crowd erupted. “PonPon! Goddess PonPon!”

PonPon was a virtual idol of Paradise, legendary among Sentinels and Guides. It was rumored that the person behind the avatar was a retired A-class Guide whose ability was amplifying spiritual control through sound. Even her breathing could drive people into a state of collective delirium.

Xia Mingyu frowned, weaving through the dancing crowd. Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed his waist. Xia Mingyu coldly reached back and pinched the person’s wrist, glaring over his shoulder. It was the wheat-skinned Sentinel he had met at the Shadow Guild—Joseph.

Joseph let go easily, his eyes fixated on the Devil Tattoo under Xia Mingyu’s eye. He leaned in and blew air into Xia Mingyu’s ear. “Guide, what a pleasant surprise to find you here.”

Xia Mingyu ignored him and stepped away. Joseph, however, followed him relentlessly. “We’re in the Techno Ballroom; our goals are pretty obvious, aren’t they? I’m the best ‘game’ in this place. Why not consider me?”

Xia Mingyu stopped and looked at him frostily. “Find someone else. Stop following me.”

Under the blurred lights of the ballroom, the tattoo on Xia Mingyu’s face looked even more alluring. His long hair with the colored ribbon looked gentle, yet he was dressed in a chaste suit. The contradiction between his expensive cufflinks and the leg straps outlining his thighs was both restrained and seductive.

Joseph couldn’t help but imagine how this Guide would be in bed. Restrained or wild? Innocent or depraved? He didn’t want to let this prey go. He smirked. “Maybe the world will end tomorrow. Don’t make a choice you’ll regret.”

Xia Mingyu almost laughed at how transparent Joseph’s gaze was. He said softly, “Indeed, sir. Don’t make a choice you will regret.”

Joseph took another step forward, his brain numbed by the music and alcohol. He didn’t even notice Xia Mingyu tensing his fist. In the blink of an eye—WHAM.

Joseph’s head snapped to the side. He collapsed into the middle of the reveling crowd, causing a brief commotion. But the people here were already in a heat-induced delirium; their attention was quickly snatched back by PonPon.

Joseph spat out blood and a fragment of a tooth. By the time he looked up, Xia Mingyu was gone.

…

Xia Mingyu finally found Chesapeak in a corner of the ballroom. He had been stripped of everything but his socks, and his blindfold had slipped down to his neck. His hands and feet were tied to a chair, and his body was a mess of purple bruises.

The Sentinel in front of him was about to continue, his breath ragged and leaking agitated energy. Xia Mingyu flew in and kicked him away. It was sickening that even a low-level Sentinel could be this cruel.

The Sentinel stood up, his eyes bloodshot, and lunged at Xia Mingyu with a dagger. Xia Mingyu didn’t flinch. He caught the man’s wrist, the blade stopping millimeters from his eye.

The Sentinel looked at Xia Mingyu’s face. “Beautiful, it wouldn’t be worth it to scar that face. Let’s be peaceful. You take off your clothes and sit in that chair, and I’ll let you go?”

Xia Mingyu smiled, his stunning looks causing the Sentinel to daze for a second. “Such a good deal?” He paused. “Alright then…”

Xia Mingyu loosened his grip slightly. Thinking he had won, the Sentinel let down his guard. In the next second, Xia Mingyu gripped the man’s pressure point, snatched the dagger, and locked his arm around the Sentinel’s neck, pressing the blade against his carotid artery.

His movements were fluid and precise. He was a warrior who had survived ten years of the apocalypse as an ordinary human, not a fragile vase.

After chasing the Sentinel away, Xia Mingyu took off his suit jacket and draped it over Chesapeak. “Still breathing?”

“Barely,” Chesa hissed, his voice sounding like a broken bellows.

Xia Mingyu frowned. “You couldn’t even beat a guy like that? Were your years as a Sentinel a waste?”

Chesa ignored the jab. It was his own fault for letting the man bind him first. Xia Mingyu lifted Chesa’s chin to inspect the wounds—the “fake skin” was shredded. He’d need a new face.

Chesa jerked his head away. He didn’t want anyone to see the true face beneath the mask; it was his deepest insecurity. “Ha… I really want to know what it feels like to have a face like yours.”

Xia Mingyu’s eyes darkened for a moment. He let go of Chesa’s chin and said calmly, “You wouldn’t want to know.”

He knelt down to untie the ropes. Chesa laughed self-deprecatingly. “You actually came to save me.”

“Why do I feel like…” Chesa added, “this isn’t the first time you’ve saved me?”

“Shut up,” Xia Mingyu snapped. If he kept talking, his throat would be permanently ruined.

Xia Mingyu sighed. He had punched Joseph; that was likely a grudge now. He’d have to avoid the Shadow Guild for a while.

Standing up, Xia Mingyu looked at the “culprit” before him. “I saved your life. Half a month’s salary. No bargaining. Transfer it now.”

Chesapeak hissed—it was hard to tell if it was from the price or his wounds. After receiving the transfer, Xia Mingyu couldn’t help but nag, “Try to cherish your life a bit more.”