Reincarnated In a Cthulhu World And Everyone Is Obsessed With Me - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Bet

“Guess when he’ll have the nerve to come over and flirt with you…”

Xia Mingyu stood in the rain for a long time until an umbrella appeared over his head.

A man in a crisp, strict uniform looked down and said, “Hello, Mr. Xia Mingyu. I have been guided here by the Priest to escort you to the Sanctuary.”

Xia Mingyu knitted his brows and didn’t move. An S-Rank attracted too much attention; following this man to the Sanctuary now would be like painting a target on his back.

“Will the Church go public with the Awakening results?”

The man quickly understood Xia’s concern. “The Priest has already given instructions. No one besides me will know your result.”

Xia Mingyu gave a thin smile. “Then does that mean…”

He lunged behind the man, pulling a short butterfly knife from his back pocket and flipping the blade against the man’s throat. “As long as you’re dead, no one will know for a while?”

A shallow trail of blood appeared on the man’s neck. Yet, he remained calm, still holding the umbrella steady. “Mr. Xia Mingyu, killing this body is useless.”

The final words were laced with heavy static, shifting from a normal male voice to a cold, mechanical rasp.

The man’s skin began to glow with a spectral blue light. A current of electricity flowed down the knife blade into Xia’s palm, making his hand go numb and weak. Xia retracted the blade and stared at the eerie figure. “Who are you?”

The man spoke. “Mr. Xia Mingyu…”

As he spoke, the light on his body extended from his feet to the bridge, eventually lighting up every surrounding building. The blue glow illuminated the pitch-black sky of the base like ghost fire.

“…I am the Sanctuary. I am a part of Southern Base No. 1.”

The voice echoed from the buildings in every direction. The light fluctuated like a tide in rhythm with the words.

Xia Mingyu looked up at the glowing blue city. “Isn’t lighting up the entire base just to prove your identity a bit… extravagant?”

The man stared at him, then pulled the umbrella away. As the torrential rain hit Xia again with its scent of iron, all the lights extinguished instantly. The man raised the umbrella over him once more, and the world returned to a warm, interior glow.

“Ha,” Xia Mingyu laughed self-deprecatingly, surrendering. “Fine, let’s go.” He walked toward a side path, the man following closely behind.

Xia thought of the Priest’s words and asked with interest, “Can you tell me about the other S-Rank Guide?”

“I apologize, Mr. Xia Mingyu, but your current clearance is insufficient.”

“There is a clearance higher than S-Rank?”

“Your current certification is for a B-Rank Guide; your clearance is insufficient,” the man paused. “The entire base will follow the Priest’s command and your will to perfectly camouflage you as a B-Rank Guide.”

Xia Mingyu nodded. Fine, he would “Act B” (play the part of a B-Rank). Since he wasn’t ready for S-Rank responsibilities, it was fair that he didn’t get S-Rank secrets.

“—Including within Paradise Lost.”

Xia’s footsteps faltered. So, every move he made in the Southern Base was under surveillance; even Paradise Lost was a permitted zone. He checked his Star-Net; it was nearly eight o’clock.

“Oh, you reminded me. I need to get to my night shift at Paradise Lost,” Xia smiled. “Since you’re so omnipotent, you’ve surely investigated me thoroughly by now. I won’t be going to the Sanctuary. Just register me yourself.”

By the time the man turned around, Xia Mingyu had already passed the verification for a Paradise Lost entrance and vanished in a flash of light.

He hadn’t even noticed Xia moving. What exactly is the ability of this new S-Rank? the man wondered. To escape his surveillance so effortlessly was unheard of.

The man folded his umbrella. Like a melting ice cube, his entire body deconstructed into flowing metal, merging back into the steel forest. A blue serpent slithered across the metal plains and vanished.

…

Xia Mingyu pushed his messy emotions aside and entered Paradise Lost.

Things were spiraling into the bizarre. A cult-like Church, a base with a mechanical consciousness, and himself—a clueless, “useless” S-Rank. Far off, the world was crying; nearby, his own poverty was an urgent fire. If he stayed poor, he might be the first high-level Guide to starve to death in a base.

The bar hadn’t opened yet. Chesapeake was elegantly polishing glasses. Nie Yinniang had told him not to open until the “long-haired handsome guy” arrived, and she had even provided a new bartender’s suit.

Chesapeake was curious how Xia knew about the A-Rank Ability Gun, but he didn’t ask. This was Paradise Lost—a gray zone where secrets and danger coexisted. Besides, Xia might have a history with Nie Yinniang; he’d never seen the boss clean up someone else’s mess before.

Xia Mingyu arrived on the hovering stairs, drenched. His wet shirt and trousers clung to his lean, tall frame. His curly black hair looked like a dark, quiet river flowing under the bar’s cold lights. When he looked over with those “peach blossom eyes,” the small mole at the corner of his eye added a touch of soul-stirring charm.

In Xia’s perfect skin, Chesapeake saw the bar’s profits skyrocketing for the next month.

Xia Mingyu glanced at him, reading his mind. “I’m not selling my body. That’s my bottom line,” he said coldly.

Chesapeake laughed. “What counts as selling your body?” You’re working in Paradise Lost—you have to be prepared to sacrifice a little vanity.

Xia grabbed the uniform and headed to the locker room. Before closing the door, he added seriously, “Don’t even think about getting me into bed.”

Chesapeake doubled over laughing. “So, guests can only flirt with you?”

Xia slammed the door shut without answering.

He emerged a few minutes later, still adjusting his shirt. Chesapeake had “violently” opened the door to check on him, catching a glimpse of Xia’s pale, tight waist before Xia turned around. Clad in the white shirt and black trousers, his long legs and height were on full display. Amidst Chesapeake’s wolf-whistles, Xia threw on his vest and officially started his shift.

The night at Paradise Lost began.

The bar had the strictest mental health requirements in the Domain. Guests’ mental pollution had to be below 50%. The first group tonight was a B-Rank squad from the Shadow Guild, drawing everyone’s attention. People wondered: Are there so many Shadow members because Xie He is actually in the Southern Base?

Chesapeake shivered at the sight of the Shadow Guild badges. “It’s a physiological reaction,” he grumbled when Xia teased him about his “idol.”

Xia Mingyu was a natural at the job, drawing in most of the customers. Chesapeake, enjoying the break, swiveled in his chair with a drink. He leaned in and whispered to Xia, “The squad leader over there has been staring at you. Guess when he’ll have the nerve to come over and flirt?”

Xia Mingyu smiled faintly. “Want to bet?”

“Sure,” Chesapeake agreed. “I bet he won’t dare come over at all tonight.”

The Sentinel in question was blushing to the tips of his ears just looking at Xia. He looked incredibly green. Shadow Guild members were veterans of the battlefield but clearly novices in romance.

“Let’s bet tonight’s tips,” Chesapeake said. “If I win, your tips are mine.”

Xia nodded. “Fine. I bet… now.”

Under Chesapeake’s disbelieving gaze, Xia Mingyu looked directly at the hesitating Sentinel and gave a soft, natural, seemingly effortless smile. His eyes were reserved yet full of unspoken invitation.

Emboldened by this small trick, the Sentinel downed his drink, stood up, and walked toward Xia.

Xia Mingyu silently made a “counting money” gesture to Chesapeake, who nearly fainted from shock. He can play like that?

Xia chuckled to himself. If Chesapeake could burst into his dressing room, why couldn’t he use some of his old tricks?

The Sentinel sat at the bar, looking incredibly stiff. Xia leaned in close and asked softly, “Sir, what would you like to order?”

The Sentinel’s face turned bright red. He hadn’t expected the Guide bartender’s voice to be so pleasant. Perhaps because he was nearing a manic phase, he was hyper-sensitive to the Guide’s presence; every move Xia made left him breathless.

“What do you recommend?”

Xia pointed to a line on the menu. “I would recommend this—the Yog-Sothoth Gate-Key Gin and Tonic.”

A lock of long hair slid off his shoulder as he looked down, his long lashes casting cold shadows. The Sentinel was transfixed.

Chesapeake snorted. That was the most expensive drink in the house—one glass cost as much as the salary for a C-Rank mission. Xia really was a shark.

“Fine,” the Sentinel said, staring at Xia. “I’ll take ten.”

Chesapeake choked on his drink, coughing violently.

At 2:00 AM, Xia Mingyu finished his shift. He changed back into his clothes, checking his Star-Net. He had made a fortune in tips tonight—enough to buy Tang Yaopeng a massive late-night feast.

He leaned against the wall, eyes closed, resting. Even in repose, his lines were graceful and alluring. Chesapeake watched him with envy for a moment before turning away to change.

Xia was calculating his expenses. The debt from the riot was his to pay, and Nie Yinniang’s “repayment plan” meant he’d be working for free for a long time. Then there was rent and utilities… Even in the apocalypse, he couldn’t escape the terror of bills. Poverty was truly the ultimate sin.

Ding.

A notification appeared on his Star-Net account. Chesapeake had honorably transferred all of his tips. Xia opened his eyes and saw Chesapeake’s back—scarred and hardened by years as a Sentinel.

“Thanks,” Xia said.

Chesapeake turned around. “Xia Mingyu.”

“Yeah?” Xia replied tiredly.

Chesapeake hesitated. “Did we… know each other before?”

Xia went still. “Why do you ask?” He wasn’t ready to reveal his rebirth yet; this base was more dangerous than it seemed.

Chesapeake shrugged. “Forget it. I just often feel like I’ve forgotten something. Something important.” He laughed self-deprecatingly. “Maybe I’ve just finally gone mad from staying in Paradise Lost too long.”

Xia Mingyu smiled faintly, his expression calm and elegant despite his fatigue. “The people outside of Paradise Lost are pretty much going mad, too.”

Chesapeake laughed. “You’ve got a point.”