Android Versus Android
When Han Yuhyeon became the master of the White Bear, she could check its abilities through the relic's glasses. The White Bear possessed quite impressive skills.
It had abilities like high-speed movement, Star's Roar, and photon bullets. I'd never heard of something like Star's Roar before, but the name sounded cool, so it had to be useful. On top of that, its basic physical stats were excellent, which meant it would be valuable in close-quarters combat too. The only downside was that, unlike Nero, it probably couldn't pull off shadow-based stealth ambushes. But that was fine—I could just have Nero handle those.
Still, it was a relief that the White Bear was only the size of a calf. Having to drag around a full-grown dog all the time would have been a hassle. When dismissed, it returned to its original dimension, and I could summon it again whenever I wanted. It seemed pretty practical overall.
Nero clearly wasn't happy about his new rival. He kept circling the White Bear and throwing cat punches at it, but the bear thought they were just playing and happily wrestled back. As expected of a shadow leopard specialized in stealth, Nero seemed to fall short in pure physical ability. In the end, their little "playtime" concluded when Nero slipped back into Han Yuhyeon's shadow.
With this, Han Yuhyeon's combat role seemed clearly defined. She'd summon her beasts to form the frontline while supporting from the rear with magic and throwing techniques. Two summons weren't quite enough for a solid vanguard yet, but as her level rose, she'd probably acquire one or two more.
I could also craft a summoning circle myself. I remembered a few coordinates from the game... Of course, the fact that I remembered them meant they were for the best summons in the game, so the materials required would be insanely difficult to obtain. Still, if I prepared carefully, I should be able to make one.
"White Bear, you can go back for now."
"Kiiing, kiiing~!"
Before heading to the Dark Merchant's Tokyo branch, I tried to dismiss the White Bear, but it whined and clung to Han Yuhyeon. Since we had a set schedule, we couldn't play any longer. I had no choice but to dismiss it. No matter how cute it was, some things just couldn't be helped.
The moment Han Yuhyeon dismissed it, the White Bear dissolved into particles of light and vanished. Watching from a distance, Nero let out a satisfied yawn before disappearing into her shadow.
"Shall we get going?"
"Yeah~!"
We left the hotel to meet with Eve and the representative from Energy-Link Industrial Company. The Dark Merchant's Tokyo branch had been built by renovating an abandoned underground bunker from the early days of the Third World War. The organization had since purchased the land and constructed a building above the entrance as camouflage.
Most of the building above was used as corporate offices, with the first floor operating as a convenience store. However, if you entered the small office labeled Higashiyama Trading in one corner of the first floor, you'd find the hidden entrance to the Dark Merchant network.
We casually walked into the Higashiyama Trading office where people were working. After authenticating with the Dark Merchant app on the black tablet mounted on one wall, the wall slid open to reveal an elevator.
Since it led to an underground bunker, the descent took quite a while. When the doors finally opened, the interior was surprisingly clean and well-decorated. Eve was there to greet us right away. Hmm? Something feels different...
"Welcome~! Everyone!!"
"Eve! W-what on earth are you wearing!"
The moment Han Yuhyeon saw Eve, she started scolding her. Eve was wearing a tight white mini dress that revealed her cleavage. The slightly sheer material made it look a bit excessive. Since Eve was originally a hologram without a physical body, she could change her outfit instantly. I figured she'd switch clothes because of Han Yuhyeon's protest.
"Ahaha! Sorry, but I've already put it on, so I can't change now."
Normally Eve would have asked if it was uncomfortable and switched in a split second, but today she refused Han Yuhyeon's complaint. Something felt off. I'd been sensing a strange dissonance since earlier, and now that I looked closer, Eve was definitely different from usual.
The angelic halo that always floated above her head was gone. I'd asked her about it before—she'd said it was a hologram drone that allowed her to move and project her hologram even in that state. If that was the case, then...
"Eve, don't tell me..."
When I looked at her and said "don't tell me," Eve tilted her head slightly to the right and smiled sweetly. That's right. The dissonance I'd felt wasn't because the hologram drone was missing.
Eve was emitting a presence that a hologram simply couldn't produce.
"Shall we~ shake hands, Ryuta?"
Eve smiled brightly and extended her hand toward me. I reached out as well. Up until now, I'd always used the Abyss when shaking hands with her. If she were still a hologram, my hand would have passed right through.
Squeeze!
Eve gripped my hand firmly. Just as I thought... She wasn't a hologram. I had no idea how she'd done it, but Eve had created a body indistinguishable from a real human.
"Eh?"
"Surprised?"
When Han Yuhyeon, who had been watching, reacted in shock, Eve stuck her tongue out playfully.
Han Yuhyeon's surprise stemmed from the fact that during the Third World War, heavy restrictions had been placed on artificial intelligence. The development and production of androids—AI robots in human form—had been strictly forbidden and halted. These days, only robots without AI that performed simple, pre-programmed tasks were being manufactured. Of course, corporations were probably building androids in secret, but none of them could match the Eve standing before me right now.
It seemed that shaking hands with her while wrapped in the Abyss back when she was still a hologram had created this butterfly effect. In the game, Eve had remained a hologram the entire time...
"You made yourself a body?"
"Yes! Now Eve can go anywhere!"
She looked incredibly excited. No matter how you looked at her—her appearance, the way she spoke—she didn't seem like an AI android at all.
"Wow, this is really amazing... You look exactly like a real person."
Han Yuhyeon seemed to have already forgotten about scolding Eve for her outfit. She stepped closer and began touching Eve's skin.
"Ahaha! That tickles, Miss Han Yuhyeon!"
The fact that she could feel ticklish meant she'd even implemented sensory feedback... As expected of the organization that dominated the black market, their technological prowess was incredible.
After touching Eve's body for a while, Han Yuhyeon seemed to forget I was even there and grabbed one of Eve's large breasts. Her fingers sank deep into the soft flesh. Just watching, it was obvious they were S-class breasts with an amazing texture.
"Wow... They're incredibly soft."
"Um, Miss Han Yuhyeon? Ryuta is still watching, you know?"
Startled by Eve's words, Han Yuhyeon quickly pulled her hand away. She'd been so focused on touching those breasts that she'd forgotten about me. Now I was genuinely curious.
"By the way, where's Senior Mimata?"
"The appointment isn't quite here yet, so she's probably on her way?"
I changed the subject to Mimata Chieri for Han Yuhyeon's sake, since she was clearly embarrassed. I'd invited Mimata Chieri because she knew more about these kinds of contracts than I did and I planned to get her help. It seemed she hadn't arrived yet.
"Hmm! It looks like Chieri just entered the Higashiyama Trading office upstairs."
Eve must have received a message from the office above. As soon as her name was mentioned, it seemed Mimata Chieri had arrived at the building. She really had perfect timing.
Han Yuhyeon looked a bit tense. Since she was about to meet a beautiful woman who also happened to be my secretary, it made sense that she'd feel some discomfort as another woman.
When I'd told her about Mimata Chieri, Han Yuhyeon had shown some displeasure. But since she was a secretary assigned by my grandfather, I couldn't do anything about it, and now she was someone I trusted, so I couldn't fire her either. From Han Yuhyeon's perspective, even if she couldn't become close friends with her, she'd at least try not to create a bad relationship.
Ding!
The elevator doors opened, and Mimata Chieri stepped out with her orange bob haircut.
"Junior, Eve! Hello~!"
Mimata Chieri greeted me and Eve first. Then she approached Han Yuhyeon and began looking her over. Finally, she spoke.
"Wow! You're really beautiful! How can someone look like this?"
"Ah, hello?"
"Yes! I'm Mimata Chieri, the junior's secretary! As expected of someone dating the junior, you're absolutely stunning! Your skin is incredible too!"
Han Yuhyeon seemed completely overwhelmed by Mimata Chieri's barrage of compliments.
Unlike Aris and the other women who already knew about my relationships with multiple partners, Han Yuhyeon still didn't know. I'd asked Mimata Chieri in advance to be careful with her words and actions, but it looked like she was deliberately using a strategy of showering Han Yuhyeon with praise to throw her off balance.
"By the way, why do you call Yuhyeon—no, Ryuta—'junior'?"
"Ah, the truth is..."
Han Yuhyeon didn't seem to dislike how friendly Mimata Chieri was being. Before long, the two of them were chatting away.
It was good that they were getting along, but we had work to do first, so I stepped in.
"We can talk about that later. Right now we need to discuss our negotiation with the Energy-Link Industrial Company representative. Let's figure out how much money we're willing to spend and how much equity we can concede if they demand shares."
In truth, we still had over an hour before our appointment with Energy-Link Industrial Company. We'd gathered early to decide on the terms of the contract.
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Eve Unreleased Illustrations
Black really suits her~!
Everything looks good on you, Eve lol
Everything suits you, Eve haha