Ch 340: Meeting Eve and Enxi.

"Black Prince" Edward turned his attention away from the display on the wall and met the gaze of Richard the Lionheart seated across the table.

The British Empire’s military satellites were far less advanced than those of their rivals. All they had captured from the battle were still images taken every ten seconds, rendered in such poor resolution that distinguishing a wyvern from a Legion soldier was nearly impossible.

"Is this all the tidings we have of that dread fray?” Edward demanded. “What folly possessed our captains that they kept no sharper watch o’er our host?"

The images told them only that a massive battle had taken place. One they had lost, against every expectation.

And Sun Tzu still refused to tell them what had transpired.

Richard exhaled slowly, his gaze sweeping over the dozen officers seated around the table. Several of them visibly paled.

"Many missteps were made." said Richard. "But the hour for blame shall come anon. First we must craft our answer to this ill-turned fate."

"What choice lies before us?" snorted Edward. "We cannot press the war further until we learn how to reckon with this Noah Enfield. Should we lose yet another Legatus, the realm shall pay dearly."

Richard nodded.The British Empire, boasting four Legatus Legionis, had long been regarded as the strongest military power on the planet. They had leveraged this advantage ruthlessly to secure favorable trade agreements.

This had, naturally, generated resentment. But never enough to make the other nations consider uniting against them.

Now, however, one of the four Legatus had died. Their advantage had evaporated, placing them on equal footing with the Seven Sisters, the Chivalric King Alliance, and the Chinese Republic.Should more British Legatus fall, the consequences would be catastrophic. At best, their hard-won agreements would be renegotiated. At worst, the Empire could be carved apart by multiple invaders.

"We shall sue for peace." Richard declared. "And Princess Eleanor shall accompany our emissary — outwardly, that she may speak for the royal family and gain such tempering as befits her station."

"Will that not draw too keen an eye upon her?" Edward asked.

"Not if we tread with subtlety." Richard replied. "We shall bow our heads and withdraw our might from Japan. Naught shall seem amiss, for a season. We shall bear the shame. And before long, Noah shall take a richer offer than Japan may bestow and bend his service our way. By this time next year, Japan shall lie beneath our banner, and the Empire shall be stronger than ever."

Edward slowly nodded. He still felt uneasy about exposing Princess Eleanor to such risk. She was the one who had convinced the man who once enslaved him to release him, back in the days just after his resurrection. He still felt a deep debt toward her.

But he trusted her abilities. A few seconds alone with anyone was all she ever needed to bind them to her cause.

And he had no better plan to offer.

…

Noah was being flanked by Kaguya and Yuzuru. The twin Spirits were pestering him about deciding who was the cutest. Noah had found a way to shut them up by feeding them, giving them spoonfuls of cereals in turns. As long as their mouths were full, they wouldn't throw jabs at each other. It was like they wanted to make up for all the time they had spent unable to speak while in Voban's care.

Noah gentler method of silencing them with food was effective, temporary as it was, and the girls were happily accepting the food offerings.

"You only have to ask, Kisara." smiled Noah as he noticed her envious gaze across the table, and she flinched, her cheeks coloring a little.

"Thank you, Noah-sama, but I will decline. I'll admit I am tempted, but I do not want to do something I would end up regretting once I am not under the influence of Psyconnect anymore."

Noah nodded, and heard someone coming.

"Hi, Tenka. Are you okay? You look tired." asked Noah as soon as Tenka entered the room.

"…I couldn't sleep." shrugged Tenka. She stopped near the table, hesitating for a second as she eyed the table and the various kinds of food on it, and sat down when Noah gestured to an empty seat.

"You do not need anyone's permission to sit and eat, Tenka. You girls are family, not guests."

Kaguya and Yuzuru nodded approvingly, and Tenka sighed.

"I still have a hard time believing it. I can't stop being on the lookout for the time where you will reveal your true intentions. That maybe you will use this Psyconnect thing on us."

"That's understandable, considering everything you endured." nodded Noah. "But I already told you about my true intentions. I want you girls by my side, as loyal followers. What more could I possibly want from you? And I will keep treating you well, so I can earn that loyalty and keep it."

Tenka nodded, but Noah could see she wasn't fully convinced.

"It is fine if you do not trust me just yet, Tenka. I'll be patient."

"Yes." nodded Tenka before reaching for a chocolate cookie.

"After breakfast, I will teleport back to Cassell College for a short time. Do you girls want to accompany me? It will be an opportunity to introduce you to other members of your family, and maybe meet Kotori, another Spirit."

"We have met Kotori once." nodded Tenka. "We were blindfolded at the time, but we heard her voice. She was sad and angry for us."

"Yes, Kotori is a good person. I'm sure you girls will become friends… And so is Riona, her Campione."

Noah spoke cautiously, wanting to gauge their reactions. As expected, they bristled.

"I do not want to meet another Campione." coldly said Tenka, her right hand twitching.

"Toba Riona isn't like Salvatore Doni, Tenka. She didn't capture Kotori. It is Kotori who asked Riona to put that collar on her, because she couldn't control her own power. Since then, she didn't abuse her control over Kotori in any way. I will not ask you to give her your trust immediately, but give her a chance to earn it, alright?"

"…alright. She will have her chance." nodded Tenka.

"Thank you, Tenka." smiled Noah. He looked at Kaguya and Yuzuru, and they shrugged. Kaguya opened her mouth and gestured to the spoon Noah held, and he dutifully resumed his task.

Someone knocked on the door and opened it.

"Noah-sama, The British just contacted the Japanese government." said Rikka as soon as she entered the room. "They are pausing their offensive and sending a delegation to negotiate!"

"That's great." smiled Noah. "They are being reasonable."

"Yes. And the British want you to be present. They said they want to meet the Legatus who bested them. The Japanese government is counting on you to be there."

"I'm fine with it, as long as it doesn't take too much time." shrugged Noah. "If they start arguing for days about the shape of the table, I will lose patience."

Rikka chuckled for a second before growing serious again.

"The Japanese government didn't outright say so, but they are trying to keep Princess Shiori away from the negotiations. She is currently talking with the Chief of Staff to try to make them change their minds."

"I see. I will attend, and I will be accompanied by the Princess, and you if you wish to come. Please tell the Japanese government that this is going to happen even if they disagree."

"Understood, Noah-sama. I will inform them right away." grinned Rikka as she turned away.

"Thank you, Rikka." nodded Noah. He hoped this meeting would be an opportunity for him to meet the current Empress of Japan and start his evaluation of her.

But before that happened, he had two things to do at the College.

…

"Welcome back, Noah-sama." greeted Arianna and Karen when he teleported with the Yamai sisters, Tenka and Luo Hao.

"Hi, Arianna, Karen. This is Tenka, Kaguya, Yuzuru, and Luo Hao. They will live in the dorm for the foreseeable future." nodded Noah.

"It is an honor to meet you." bowed Arianna, slightly intimidated by Luo Hao, and the later nodded.

"Luo Hao, I am counting on you to treat the dorm's residents well. Do not bully them, alright?"

"I do not bully those who do not practice martial arts." snorted Luo Hao. "I simply ignore them."

"Which can be considered a form of bullying if they speak to you, and you do not answer. Be polite with them, at the very least. Arianna and Karen will eventually join our family and they will train in martial arts as well. Consider them to be some of your future disciples."

"Fine. They do have some foundation already." conceded Luo Hao, observing Arianna and Karen with a critical eye, but also nodding to herself.

"Huh… We did some self-defense training, but we do not claim to be martial artists." hesitated Arianna.

"Yes. Karen, would you mind asking Bunny and Ruo Ruo to come to my room, please? I assume they are connected to Mystic Moon right now."

"That is correct, Noah-sama." nodded Karen.

"Thank you. Arianna, please show Luo Hao, Tenka, Kaguya and Yuzuru their new rooms."

Noah nodded and climbed the stairs to enter his room. Once there, he took his smartphone and called Mai.

"Noah?" asked Mai when she accepted the call.

"Hi, Mai. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine. I'm about to meet Su Enxi to speak about you. What do you want?"

"Am I correct in assuming that you told Su Enxi already about me being in Japan, and that Eve is over there as well?"

"I can't guarantee anything about Eve, but I told her about you, yes. Why? Did you change your mind? If so, you called too late."

"No. Actually, I want to accelerate things a little. Please tell Su Enxi that I am inviting her and Eve to dinner in Tokyo, at the Ippudo Ginza ramen restaurant. I seems they are rather famous. It will be my treat."

"Seriously? You're asking me to relay your invitation, and you're not even inviting me?"

Noah winced at the gaffe.

"Sorry about that. I'm inviting you as well."

"Better. But I'm not sure if Eve will agree to meet you in a public space."

Someone knocked at the door, and Shuiruo and Liliana both entered. Liliana was wearing her Cassell College school uniform, and the black leather collar she wore was visible. Shuiruo, on the other hand, still wore the white and blue shrine maiden outfit Noah had made for her two days ago.

They paused as they saw him talking on the phone.

"I think she will. The inherent boldness of the invitation will make her curious, and I do not peg her as the type to back down from a confrontation. I got to go, see you later, Mai."

"Later."

Noah ended the call, and smiled at the girls. he gestured for them to come closer, and they hugged him and kissed him.

"Hey, Ruo Ruo, Bunny."

"Congratulations on your victory, my Lord." said Liliana with an adorable blush. Even through she was starting to get used to kissing with Noah, she always blushed.

"Thank you. I am tempted to take you both inside my Sanctuary right now, but alas, I have things to do. And since today is Sunday, I am thinking that Ruo Ruo and Origami would like to spend some time with their parents at Hagun Island."

"I'd love to." smiled Shuiruo.

"I asked for you two to meet me there, in private, because of the games." said Noah.

"I was expecting it, my Lord." nodded Liliana.

Noah pointed to the empty desk in the corner with a grin, and Liliana took her dice from her pocket, rolling them on the hard surface.

"3 and 6!" proclaimed Hikari through the bangle on Liliana's wrist. "Double rules, Shame Conditioning and Discomfort Training!"

"Oh. This is going to be bad, isn't it?" winced Liliana.

"Not as much as you would think, Bunny, since this is the first time you get those categories. Shame Conditioning Lvl 1, wear a butt plug whenever in public. Discomfort Training Lvl 1, wear a corset during waking hours, with a minimal five centimeters waist reduction."

Liliana nodded, sighing in relief. She already had a rule requiring her to wear a butt plug 6 hours a day, and by the time the Mystic Moon craze faded and people spent less time connected, she would be more used to having her rear opening filled. The corset also didn't sound too bad. She had never worn one before, but generations of women in the past had worn corsets and survived them, and five centimeters didn't sound like she would be squeezed painfully.

Noah grinned as he used Item Creation to create a corset, made of thick, shiny black latex.

Liliana wordlessly removed her blazer, then her skirt and her shirt. Noah fastened the corset around her thin waist.

"The corset is alive and does not need laces." said Noah as Liliana felt it shrink around her. "How does it feel?"

"…Strange." frowned Liliana. "I can't turn my torso or bend as easily, but it isn't painful. I'll get used to it, my Lord."

Noah nodded and hugged her, gave her a quick kiss, and stepped away.

"Your turn, Ruo Ruo. And since you didn't roll yesterday, you'll get at least two rules today."

"Yes. I wonder what I am going to get." smiled Shuiruo, taking her own die from her pocket and throwing it on the desk.

"1. You get one rule to account for yesterday, Ruo Ruo." declared Yui. "Please roll again."

Shuiruo did, and rolled a 5.

"Basic Servitude Lvl 1, Keep yourself cleanly shaved below the eyes."

"That's easy enough, I'm already doing that." smiled Shuiruo before throwing the die again.

"2. another single rule for today. Roll again, please."

Shuiruo did, and obtained a 4.

"Independence Restriction. Your Owner must bath or shower you. You must ask for permission each time."

"Eh. Looks like I'm going to have an excuse to put my hands on your naked body every day." smirked Noah.

"I will count on you, my Owner." chuckled Shuiruo. "Surely you wouldn't let your property become dirty?"

"I won't. And while the clothes I made you are self-cleaning, it's time for you to wear something different. You're going to wear a motorcycle suit today, a skintight leather one."

"Wow. Won't that become too hot after a while."

"You sure are going to look hot." grinned Noah, already creating the leather bodysuit, a black and red one with fictional sponsor names in a few spots.

Setting it aside, he stripped Shuiruo to her underwear, then helped her put on the bodysuit. When he zipped it up to her neck, he took a step back and grinned, looking at her up and down as she moved her arms around, feeling the tight suit against her body.

"Never has a motorcycle biker been so sexy. Don't you agree, Bunny?"

"Yes." nodded Liliana. "Ruo Ruo looks very nice. She would have a fan club if people saw her wearing this."

Noah smiled and kissed Shuiruo, then playfully spanked her butt once.

"Alright, I have things to do. Ruo Ruo, you'll need to change back into something presentable for visiting your parents, but I expect you to wear this again as soon as we go back, until tomorrow when I will have a new outfit for you."

"As soon as things are settled in Japan, I want you to bring me to your bed, Noah." softly said Shuiruo, and Noah nodded.

…

Noah and Mai, both dressed in casual but elegant clothes, entered the ramen restaurant twenty minutes early.

As soon as he entered, a waitress came to him, and froze in shock.

"Good evening. My name is Noah Endfield. I called earlier for a reservation."

"Y-Yes, please follow me." smiled the waitress as soon as she recovered.

She led him to an empty table in the corner.

"Will you need anything before you order?" asked the waitress with a hint of eagerness.

"A pitcher of water, please. We are expecting two more people, and we will order then." smiled Noah.

"Of course."

The waitress walked away, and Noah glanced around. As expected, he was already gathering the attention of the various patrons.

When he called, the owners had been angry at first, since reservations were typically done weeks in advance. But when he mentioned his name, and his role in repelling the British invaders from the Shizuoka prefecture, they had changed their minds.

Noah intended to compensate both the owners and the customers who had their reservation canceled for the trouble, and he didn't doubt that his patronage would make the restaurant even more popular. Some people were already trying to covertly take pictures of him with their smartphones.

"You didn't tell me how your friend took the news, only that she would come." said Noah with a low voice.

"She was shocked that I was caught, and relieved that I was fine. I did not tell her just how you got that information from me. Eh, if only she knew the hell you put me through. Don't do this to her."

"Yes, yes." nodded Noah. "Don't worry about that."

"Then she became a bit worried about herself, until I promised her that you didn't resent her.

"How often does she give you jobs of that kind?"

"A few times a year. She pays me well, so I don't need to work often."

"How do you spend the rest of your time?"

"I train a lot. I also spend a lot of time preparing, usually. Your case was a rush job, but most of the times, I gather information for weeks before doing the deed. After the job is over, I travel around, binge watch TV shows, and humiliate some noobs online in some video games. My current favorite is Allure of Allegiance: Dark Business 6. Do you know about it?"

"No. I'm from another world, and I have been quite busy since I came here. What kind of game is it?"

"It's a pvp shooter. You're part of a team of mercenaries, and…"

Noah nodded, paying attention to her words, but also to the restaurant's entrance, and after a while, he noticed something. Four meters from their table, there was a group of three beautiful young women and one young man happily chatting and eating ramen, paying little attention to him and Mai as they spoke about something related to Mystic Moon.

Noah had a distinct feeling that they were observing him from the corners of their eyes, where most other patrons send him regular glances that were less covert.

Noah used Promise to scan the restaurant and its surroundings, and "saw" daggers and throwing knives hidden on their bodies. Not just the four that had caught his attention, but also two other young women closer to the door.

Noah smirked for a second, careful not to look at any of them for more than an instant before turning his head back toward Mai.

"I'm more into strategy and ARPG games." smiled Noah when she finished talking about some of her feats. "But being in the top one thousand worldwide is quite impressive. Do you also play in Mystic Moon?"

"Who doesn't?" shrugged Mai. "But I don't invest too much time in it, so my ranking isn't worth anything talking about. I'm barely out of the newbie villages."

"Do you like that game?"

"Yes. It's better than the last one, where we couldn't move like we wanted." shrugged Mai. "We attacked by launched pre-scripted moves, like in pre-VR fighting video games."

"I experienced something like that in another world." nodded Noah. "That game could let us use what was called Sword Skills, or attack normally and doing significantly less damage. Swords Skills did more damage, but as a penalty, they caused the players to freeze for an instant when they ended and were predictable. Seasoned players would use mainly normal attacks and slip in a few fast Swords Skills when they felt the opponent wouldn't be able to exploit the post-motion freeze, and…"

Noah stopped speaking as two young women entered the restaurant. A beautiful woman with tanned skin, long platinum blonde hair, and purple eyes, dressed in a white designer dress. She was gorgeous, but her presence somehow faded when compared to the one accompanying her.

The second woman was so stunningly beautiful that she could have rivaled an actual goddess in looks. Her skin was fairly pale without appearing unhealthy, and she wore black jeans and a blue hoodie with the hood pulled over her head, hiding her scarlet hair from anyone who wasn't facing her.

Noah didn't need to ask Mai for confirmation, as he somehow recognized Eve despite never having seen her face. She just had the kind of confident gait that reminded Noah of a prowling predator.

They saw Noah and walked to his table, ignoring the waitress, and he stood with a welcoming smile.

"Good evening, and thank you for coming." smiled Noah.

"How could we decline an invitation from the man who defeated Luo Hao?" smirked Eve.

They sat down, and Su Enxi introduced herself.

"I am Su Enxi, as you already know, and this is Eve. Thank you for, not just inviting us, but also for going easy on Mai."

Noah made a non-committal nod, wondering if Mai would agree with that qualifier.

The waitress came, and they ordered.

"Will your six friends join us?" asked Noah once the waitress left.

His smile widened as he observed their reactions. Eve's eyes narrowed, the right corner of her lips twitching once before her expression became an unreadable mask. Su Enxi's eyes widened for an instant, and the girls beyond their table either looked in his direction or paused in their conversation for an instant before resuming their act.

"Six friends?" suspiciously asked Mai as she paid closer attention to the people around them.

"How did you find out?" asked Eve with an even tone, as if they were discussing the weather. But a slight change in her shoulders told Noah that she was ready for a fight.

"Their act is almost perfect." shrugged Noah. "But if they want to commit to their roles, they shouldn't carry concealed weapons. I can detect those when I pay attention. Do you prefer to speak about the important stuff before or after we eat?"

"We may as well do it now." nodded Eve. "Why did you invite us to dinner?"

"I learned from Mai that you intended to get your hands on me."

Eve sent a very sharp look at Mai, who winced.

"She resisted a lot before giving out that information, but I have my ways. I could have done the same thing I did with Long Tian Yun and the Campiones and waited for you to make your move, but I want to get things done quickly so I can return to Cassell College and work on reclaiming the first position in the Mystic Moon's ranking."

Eve nodded with a small smile.

"When I saw your lack of activity, I thought I might have scared you away. I took you for a coward. I apologize for that. I am glad you have some mettle, at least."

"I was quite busy between Japan's invasion, the preparations I had to make to fight the Campiones, and an important quest inside Mystic Moon forcing me to travel to a distant region. But the Campiones have been dealt with, the British are suing for peace, and that quest will be fulfilled as soon as I return to Azure Dragon City. I will have more free time soon."

"Good. Setting this matter aside, I heard you can enhance people, make them stronger."

"And that is why you are interested in me, I assume. You aren't the first, and you won't be the last." shrugged Noah.

"Yes. Are there secondary effects to that enhancement?"

Noah considered her for a few seconds.

"Before I speak about my abilities, I want you to tell me why. I suspect that you are the strongest besides Luo Hao and me. Many people would think that you are simply a genius gamer, but, looking at you, I can tell that you are very strong in real life as well. And with your friendship with miss Enxi, money shouldn't be an issue for you. So why do you want my abilities?"

"I want to be able to fly. And heal people. Who doesn't?" shrugged Eve.

"And that is a partial lie. You have another reason, one more important than those you mentioned." smiled Noah.

Eve frowned for a few seconds, then sighed.

"Another ability of yours?"

"Yes." nodded Noah.

"…Fine. There is someone I need to kill."

"Someone that even the current you cannot kill?" asked Noah with a raised eyebrow, and Eve nodded.

"Tell me about that person." asked Noah with intensity. He had a hunch that it was related to one of his quests.

"…I do not know his real name. He always calls himself the Mad Scientist. And he's not human."

"A Spirit?" suggested Mai, and Eve shook her head.

"I don't think so. Spirits are supposed to have no memories from where they come from, but the Mad Scientist possesses knowledge far beyond human understanding. He once referred to the Isrock virus as something trivial. Something he could cure with barely any effort. He looks like a frail old man, but he is evil incarnate. The things he did to us…"

Eve displayed actual fear for an instant before her expression twisted into hatred, and then she took a deep breath and recovered her calm.

"Not a human, and not a Spirit. Perhaps a Sacred Beast in human form? I assume they can shapeshift their bodies, since many of them have descendants."

"I do not know… I answered your question, Noah. Your turn."

"My abilities comes as a package, and I can't just pick and choose which one I will share, and which one I will not. And there are a lot more than just being able to fly around and cure diseases. There are no negative secondary effects, unless you consider immortality a curse."

"There is, however, a condition that has been baked into my ability to share them in the first place. For someone to benefit from my powers, they have to be prepared to swear loyalty to me. And they have to mean it."

"That sounds awfully convenient for you." replied Su Enxi, clearly doubtful.

"It does, and that is deliberate." nodded Noah. "It is a failsafe created by the being who made me more than human, to ensure those powers wouldn't be abused."

"Wouldn't be abused?" asked Eve with a raised eyebrow. "This suggest that you were given those powers for a reason. What for?"

"…In general terms, I am to contribute to make the worlds under my responsibility better for the people living in them. Stopping wars, healing people, that kind of things. But if you want something more immediate and specific, I was warned that there is a hidden danger related to Mystic Moon. I am to investigate and deal with it. And since I mentioned it, I wanted to ask you something, Eve. Have you experienced anything inside Mystic Moon that transcends the boundaries of a VR game?"

"…That's pretty vague. Can you give me a few examples?" frowned Eve.

"I'll give you one." nodded Noah. "I have met a certain NPC inside Mystic Moon who could talk to me without speaking, using what everyone would call telepathy."

"And that is supposed to be strange?" asked Eve with a slight tilt of her head. "The bangle connects to our nervous system via induction and causes our brain to hallucinate. It can put words into your brain without making it believe they came from the eardrums vibrating."

"Yes, and that is what most people would assume. But the thing is, I am somewhat proficient in Soul Magic. Proficient enough that I can recognize when Soul Magic is used on me. And that telepathy inside the game used a crude form of Soul Magic."

"And this wasn't the only occurrence. I have already confirmed that there is something supernatural happening inside Mystic Moon. I wanted to know if you have experienced anything strange, since we both are heads and shoulders above anyone else in the ranking."

Eve glanced down at her right hand for a second, something Noah didn't miss.

"Not anymore, in your case. You may not have checked the ranking recently, but you are now ranked fourth or fifth… I did find an item in a cave that is… unusually strong, but I won't tell you anything about it."

Noah nodded. He was almost tempted to mention the Lunar Scourge, but he bit his tongue. It wouldn't make sense for two Lunar Scourges to exist, and he didn't want anyone to know he had it. He hadn't even told Shuiruo or the others.

The waitress came back with their orders, and they stopped talking. Noah looked down at his shoyu ramen, took a sip of the broth, and smiled. As expected of a famed restaurant, the taste was great.

"So, you can't enhance us. Time for plan B, then." said Eve. "Noah, let's make a bet. We will fight inside Mystic Moon as we agreed. If I win, you will help me kill the Mad Scientist."

"I would want to confirm first that he is as evil as you said." frowned Noah. "I know you didn't lie to me, but there may be a difference between what you believe, and objective reality."

Eve's expression hardened.

"I personally saw dozens of kidnapped children die from his sick experiments. I know for certain that there were over fifteen hundred boys and girls brought to his place over the years. When we escaped, there were only 48 of us left. Is that objective enough for you?"

"It is." softly said Noah. "Sorry if I made you think about sad memories. But I have to be sure I am never manipulated into fighting for the wrong side."

"I understand. Pay it no mind." sighed Eve.

"And what if you lose our duel?" asked Noah.

"Ah! Confident, aren't you?" snorted Eve. "How about this? You will still help me kill him, but I will also let you sleep with me."

"Tempting. But when you say you'll let me sleep with you, are you speaking about a one-night stand, or something more long-term?"

"…That will depend on you. If you're good enough, I won't mind doing it again. But I will warn you in advance, I am a hard girl to please. I have a lot of stamina."

Noah felt a strong feeling of déjà-vu and chased away the memory of Argo.

"I agree to those terms. Let's fight in about a month, when we will both be at a decent level and will have developed our classes."

"Agreed. You better work hard, because I already hit for thousands every time." smiled Eve.

"Seems like the War God class is quite something." nodded Noah. "I will be in the central plaza of Azure Dragon City in about six hours, on the north-west corner. Can you meet me there so we can add each other as contacts?"

"I'm a bit far. I may need seven or eight hours to return to that city." frowned Eve.

"I will wait."

"Fine, then." nodded Eve, before she smiled. "Aside from some of my companions who survived the Mad Scientist's tender care, you will be the first man to ever make it into my contact list. But don't go bragging about it."

"I wouldn't dream of it. Do you mind if we also exchange phone numbers before we leave the restaurant? I we are to cooperate to deal with this Mad Scientist, we'll need to be able to reach each other quickly, inside or outside Mystic Moon."

"That's a good idea." agreed Eve.

Noah paused for an instant, thinking that this Mad Scientist might be related to the Mystic Moon hidden danger. The hint about him having abnormal knowledge was a rather pointed hint.

Eve, satisfied with their agreement, turned her attention to Mai.

"How did you make her talk so fast? I know Mai isn't the type to fold easily."

"Do you really want to know? The answer might shock you." asked Noah.

"Don't tell them." said Mai with a groan.

"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't want to." frowned Eve.

"I brought her to a special place where time flows much faster. For weeks, I had sex with her, again and again and again, using my abilities to recover both of our stamina every few hours. She experienced well over a hundred orgasms per day."

"Huh… That's terrible." exclaimed Su Enxi, shocked. She stared at Mai with sympathy, and the latter sighed with a red face, not meeting her eyes.

"It is terrible." nodded Noah. "Still, it is better than torturing her with a whip or a knife as far as I am concerned, and she had it coming for planning to kidnap one of my companions as bait. Mai endured for a long time, but no woman can resist forever."

"I see." nodded Eve with a level look. "And you didn't think that telling us that might make me reconsider our agreement?"

"I thought about it but decided that honesty would be the best policy in the long term." shrugged Noah.

He wasn't particularly worried about Eve's and Su Enxi's reactions. He already had decided that they would become his, willingly or not. And so would the five women present in the restaurant.

"You were right about that, at least." nodded Su Enxi. "Tell us about the world you come from. How different is it from ours?"

Noah smiled, and started talking about Devils and Shinigamis and Hollows.