David practically fled from the teasing of the street girls; it was too filthy.
The closer he got to the Divination Shop, the more uncertain David felt.
He felt like he must be an idiot; why would he think of coming to a place like this?
Stopping in his tracks, David stood there for a moment, thinking he might as well just turn back.
But since he was already here, it seemed wrong not to even take a look inside.
He had already spent the bus fare, after all.
David took a deep breath, walked to the storefront, and checked the address against the business card in his hand.
It was the Old Man's Divination Shop.
The door was unlocked.
The moment he pushed the door open, dim light spilled out from inside. Through the gap in the curtain, he could see a black-haired man sitting there, his silhouette half-hidden in the shadows, his specific movements unclear.
David knocked on the doorframe, his heart racing.
'Hello?'
Asa looked up, his gaze falling on that iconic mohawk. After a brief pause, he recognized the visitor.
It was actually David Martinez?
A green face and an awkward stance; he was clearly a teenager lost at a crossroads in life.
Speaking of which, Asa hadn't yet found the time to actively contact the Martinez family, nor had he even looked up their information, yet here he was, showing up at his door.
He had set up a psychological suggestion that would cause ordinary people to subconsciously ignore this address; how did this kid find his way here?
'Welcome, Mr. Martinez.'
Asa said toward the doorway.
David froze. His name... was he exposed?
Or was the other party already prepared?
The man had called out his surname with pinpoint accuracy, yet he was absolutely certain this was his first time stepping onto this street.
Could that business card have been some kind of designed trap from the very beginning?
What does he want?
He gripped his backpack straps tightly, standing on the threshold in a dilemma.
'Please, come in. Things aren't what you imagine.'
Asa took the initiative to invite him in. Since he had come to the door, there was no need to be polite.
He didn't have any designs on the innocent boy David himself, but David's mother, Gloria Martinez, met a rather tragic end.
But, would this be somewhat immoral?
After all, she is a widow.
As if sensing Asa internal conflict, little figures with demon horns and angel wings appeared by his ears.
'Help this widow, won't you? Look at how pitiful they are. When they die, their bodies are chopped up and sold as second-hand Cyberware. Gloria is already a widow; you can't let her live a life of celibacy too, can you?'
The wicked demon whispered softly in Asa left ear, its tone full of temptation.
'Wrong!'
The angel wore a look of pity,
'This woman's fate is ill-starred and her life is impoverished; it is only right that I rescue her. I am no ordinary man; how could my goal be her body and soul? This is merely the reward she provides in return for my help. I seek not wealth, but only a grateful heart. It is perfectly reasonable.'
'Exactly.'
Asa clapped his hands in total agreement.
'What?'
'Nothing.'
Of course, if David knew what was going through the black-haired young man's mind at this moment, he would probably have turned and left immediately.
Asa personally brought a stool for David.
After the boy sat down, his first question was how the other man knew his name.
David didn't remember seeing this face anywhere. In this Night City full of freaks, an appearance as outstanding as this would be impossible to forget after seeing it just once.
'Names are trivial matters.'
Asa smiled and raised his hand, casually flicking his fingertips in the air.
Water droplets condensed out of thin air, shifting into various shapes following the movements of his fingers—one moment the outline of Cyberware, the next scattering into a fine mist.
David watched, spellbound. It was clearly an ordinary human hand without any Cyberware installed, yet the water droplets suspended, deformed, and moved through the air, completely defying the laws of physics as he understood them.
'Huh?'
His eyes widened, and the question that was on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back down.
Asa withdrew the water droplets and began to explain in a flat tone.
This Divination Shop rarely had visitors; David was the first one in the past few days.
In fact, Asa had already taken over the second floor of this narrow building and converted it into a place for his daily meditation.
Incidentally, he had placed a spell on the entire Divination Shop with a subconscious neglect effect; even if ordinary people passed by, they would avoid it for no reason. It was a simple combination of Mind Magic and protective magic.
That David could find this place was due in some part to fate.
It is only right that I rescue them from their sea of suffering.
Asa felt the burden on his shoulders growing heavier.
Of course, the nearby Jackie, Misty, and Maine's crew would drop by every now and then, but that was another matter.
David's attitude had shifted from feeling unsafe to one of solemn respect.
'Mr. Shopkeeper, can you tell why I've come here?'
'My name is Asa; you can just call me Uncle Asa,'
Asa smiled calmly and then directly stated the boy's predicament.
It was nothing more than the word 'money'.
With the blessing of the Golden Rule, Asa never had to worry about wealth, but he knew better than anyone the price those at the bottom of Night City had to pay just to survive.
Dreams? Opportunities? In reality, there were traps everywhere and danger at every turn, and the boy before him was facing exactly this kind of predicament.
'I have two ways.' Asa held up two fingers—his middle and ring fingers.
David sat up straight, his upper body leaning forward slightly.
'Please, go on.'
'The first way: I give you money.'
Asa took out a separation chip from under the table and placed it on the desk.
'There are a hundred thousand Eurodollars inside, enough for you and your mother to live on for a while.'
'? Are you serious?'
David was almost moved to laughter by Asa absurdity; just taking out a hundred thousand Eurodollars like that?
A hundred thousand Eurodollars—a brand new Rayfield Caliburn was only a bit over a hundred and sixty thousand. This money was enough for him and his mother to move out of Santo Domingo and find a decent apartment in Westbrook.
Then Gloria wouldn't have to work overtime late into the night every day, and wouldn't have to stare blankly at bills because they couldn't afford the rent.
David wouldn't even have to worry about the rest of his life; he could live in luxury, buying two bowls of Mexican food just to throw one away.
He stared at the chip for a few seconds, then suddenly forced his gaze away.
How could he entertain such an unrealistic fantasy? Even if someone was extraordinary, would they just casually give a hundred thousand Eurodollars to someone they just met?
'Plug it in and see for yourself.'
A moment later, David set down the chip, silent.
'Then, what's the price?'
When David asked this, his tone was actually steadier than when he had first entered. He had always known there was no such thing as a free lunch.
But he didn't know what he had that was worth this shopkeeper's coveting or investment. He suddenly remembered the men and women beckoning to him when he passed through the red-light district earlier, and his heart... no, his rear tightened.
Asa frowned in disgust and sighed:
'People's thoughts nowadays are far too impure.'
In his era, 'blessing' only had one meaning.
Asa dispelled the unpleasant associations and stated frankly that the price was, naturally, freedom.
'A hundred thousand Eurodollars is more than you'll earn in a lifetime. You might as well come work for me instead—and not just for this life, but for all eternity.'
With that, a humanoid figure appeared in Asa palm, struggling incessantly.
David fell into silence, while Asa calmly observed the boy's reaction.
'Don't you want to hear the other option?'
He spoke up at the right moment.
To be honest, Asa was actually afraid David would choose the first option.
It wasn't that he was stingy with the hundred thousand Euros; it was that he didn't want a minor working in his shop at all—hiring child labor is illegal.
Besides, he didn't have any positions where another male could shine for the time being.
The 'price of freedom' option was purely there for contrast.
David snapped out of it and nodded quickly; hearing the second option wouldn't hurt.
Asa took the chip back, ignoring David's gaze, his tone even more casual than before.
'I have a friend with a significant position in the Arasaka Corporation. After you graduate, maybe I can help get you transferred to Arasaka HQ to become the Corpo of your dreams. How about that?'
'And the price?'
'A small matter like this is just a word away. Since you found your way here, it's fate. Divination is all about fate, so I'll waive the fee for such a minor thing.'
Asa generously waived the compensation.
David was stunned. The disparity between the two options was almost absurd. One was a high-paying position of uncertain truth, while the other was a hundred thousand Eurodollars plus his personal freedom.
Anyone in their right mind wouldn't choose the so-called favor.
A hundred thousand Eurodollars was a tangible benefit, while the job, in the end, was just being a dog.
But wouldn't the result of the hundred thousand Eurodollars also be being a dog?
But the expression on Mr. Asa's face when he presented these two options clearly showed he was expecting David to choose to sign his life away?
David didn't know whether to believe it or not. Maybe he should ask for someone else's opinion?
'How you choose is entirely up to you.'
Asa folded his hands on the table, his gaze calm.
From start to finish, the second option was merely a springboard for Asa to intervene in the Martinez family's lives.
He had asked Maine before; the man didn't yet know a medical technician named Gloria. At this point in time, the two hadn't had a chance to cross paths.
If he didn't establish a connection with David first, he couldn't exactly just show up at her door and ask,
'Madam, would you be willing to share a bed with me tonight?'
'Can you guarantee that you can actually do it?'
David asked seriously.
'Of course.'
Asa nodded,
'I've hosted many lost guests like you, and they've all found the answers to their lives here.'
'Are you still hesitating? Go back and think about it. I don't have much time, so it's best to decide early.' As he spoke, he took out a few Eurodollar bills from under the table and handed them over.
David stared at the bills, stunned.
'What is this for?'
'You don't have enough money for the bus ride back, do you?'
Asa tone carried a sort of matter-of-fact helplessness.
David took the bills, looking a bit dazed. How did he know?
Is there really someone who knows everything? Did I inhale something weird today?
Complicated thoughts flashed through David's mind; there was too much information to process today.
Asa watched his retreating figure disappear out the door. The boy looked back every few steps, clearly still digesting today's conversation.
Once he got home, Gloria would surely notice something was up. Given how much she cared for her son, it was impossible for her to remain indifferent to David's sudden internal conflict.
And the boy clearly wouldn't be able to hide it from Gloria. Whether she took him for a charlatan or a Wizard hidden in the city, she would take action.
The next guest to step into this Divination Shop would probably be Gloria Martinez.
Come to think of it, the image of David and V joining Arasaka Corporation at the same time would be quite interesting.
After leaving the shop, David looked back to see that the Divination Shop's door had already closed. Passersby hurried along, not a single one casting a glance at the storefront.
'What a strange turn of events.'
Muttering to himself, David left Chinatown.
...
Not long after David left, Sascha walked down from the second floor, her eyes bleary with sleep.
The Netrunner girl wasn't in the best spirits. A Netrunner without work had no pressure to survive, so she could only consume her excess energy by staying up late playing games.
When it came to 'kneading,' the Netrunner wasn't very experienced.
She rubbed her eyes:
'Boss, who was here just now?'
'A kid who's always lived for others.'
Asa replied casually, flipping open the heavy magic tome in his hands.
This was a collection from the association he had obtained after officially becoming the librarian for the Brotherhood of Sorcerers in the Witcher world.
The 2077 World and the Wizarding World—Asa had been traveling back and forth between the two realms these past few days.
A few days ago, after his second battle with Yennefer and Sabrina, his mentor Tissaia officially issued him a Wizard's identification, making him a member of the Level 3 Wizards within the Brotherhood of Sorcerers.
Above Level 3 were Level 2 and Level 1; below Level 3 was the apprentice grade for students.
These so-called levels weren't a division of power—this world didn't have Western-style settings like Grand Archmages or Gods of magic—the standard for measuring a Wizard's seniority was entirely based on their actual age and experience.
The older one was, the more knowledge they possessed, and naturally, the stronger they were.
This is a mistake of empiricism.
For instance, Tissaia had lived for nearly five hundred years, naturally lasting long enough to become one of the association's five elders.
Speaking of which, Asa appearance had caused a small commotion within the Brotherhood of Sorcerers.
It wasn't because he was so handsome that the sorceresses became aroused on the spot, but rather that the male Wizards collectively expressed confusion and even slight disdain for his appearance.
The reason was simple: to make their appearance more convincing and more scholarly, the male sorcerers of this world mostly molded themselves into the image of white-haired old men, even if they had the ability to maintain their youth.
This trend was so prevalent that the contrast between male and female sorcerers was exceptionally stark—on one side were beautiful, youthful sorceresses in revealing attire, and on the other were white-haired old men who looked like they had one foot in the grave.
This also explained why sorceresses mostly didn't choose their male colleagues as lovers, preferring the physically strong Witchers instead.
Of course, in terms of actual status, Witchers couldn't compare to sorcerers at all.
Because the male sorcerers' management of their physique and appearance was truly hopeless, placing Asa face among them made it look like a three-generation age gap. For a time, many sorceresses in the association had their eyes light up.
Sabrina, who accompanied Asa to the association, remained on high alert the entire time. With her fiery temper, she even wanted to put a chastity lock on Asa right then and there to stop him from attracting butterflies and spreading his affections everywhere.
Asa felt helpless about this. He wasn't a loose man; at the very least, he had to wait for the system to react first. Otherwise, if he went to bed with those sorceresses, it was hard to say who would be taking advantage of whom.
And so, he successfully joined the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, becoming a registered official Wizard.
However, Asa name was currently only circulating in small circles on Thanedd Island. The male sorcerers speculated that perhaps the five-hundred-year-old Tissaia's heart was fluttering and she had taken a male student as a lover; otherwise, how could they explain why all of Tissaia's students before Asa had been female?
On the contrary, among the non-human races, the reputation of this charismatic black-haired human, Asa, spread even more loudly.
The elven women privately called him the Twilight Star of Thanedd Island, meaning a black star descended from heaven into the world.
With just one look at him, the elven women would understand why he had such a title.
But even as the elves displayed their superior looks and golden hair, this Mr. Twilight Star remained unmoved, which only made the elves on the island flock to him even more.
Some followers who claimed to have eavesdropped said that when Mr. Twilight Star was with the sorceresses, their wild cries didn't stop all night long.
Gua! If only I could compete in bed skills with this black-haired human, I wouldn't have lived in vain even if I died.
It's true that elven fertility is low, but that depends on who the partner is. At least, if the bed partner were a human like this, most female elves said they would be willing to take the initiative to support the family.
This title circulating among the elves eventually reached the ears of the elven mage, Francesca.
[Many people are unhappy with the setting of Gloria as a wife; this world is a parallel world, so some settings will definitely be changed.]
[For example, the Nomad tribes definitely aren't in Night City at this time; for example, Yennefer—in the original work, uh, I won't say more.]
[In this book, the protagonist's women are all good girls. There's no other way; we can only make the protagonist suffer a bit and let him be a complete scumbag.]