Owen strolled leisurely along the connecting walkway between the mall and the parking building with a relaxed demeanor. The atmosphere around him was quite bustling with people shopping in the late morning; the sound of shoes tapping against the tiled floor and the murmur of chatter harmonized as a background track.
After clearing the debt for the 'Specter Scanner' with Jace, his mood was excellent, and he was ready to get back to grinding. However, just as he was about to step through the automatic doors into the parking zone, the corner of his eye caught something first...
Not far in front of him, a middle-aged couple was in a situation that looked incredibly awkward.
The husband was trying to balance a large, heavy-looking cardboard box with both arms, his body swaying. His legs were trembling slightly, as if he were doing a dance to find his center of gravity. Beside him, the wife was carrying so many brand-name paper shopping bags that they overflowed from her hands. They looked as unstable as a Jenga tower about to collapse at any moment, amidst a crowd of people walking past without anyone caring to stop and help.
Owen slowed his pace slightly... His eyes assessed the situation in an instant.
If he just walked past without caring, even though he saw clearly that they were struggling, it would undoubtedly be a violation of the conditions of the 'Covenant' he had set with himself.
And to face a 'penalty' just for something this trivial would be a "loss" and completely "not worth it." It was just lifting some items; it wouldn't make him tired or waste much time. And more importantly... he was currently in a good mood. So, even without the Covenant involved, he was willing to lend a hand anyway.
Having decided, Owen put on a friendly smile and walked straight toward the couple.
"Let me help you with that, uncle. It looks quite heavy," Owen's polite, deep voice rang out, causing the couple, whose faces were red from the exertion, to freeze. They both looked up at him with a mix of surprise and relief.
"Oh! Young man... Thank heavens!" The husband said with unconcealed delight, his breath coming in short gasps. "Please do, young man. I underestimated the weight of this thing, but since I bought it, I have to carry it back. That's why we're in this state."
"With pleasure. Pass it to me."
Owen reached out his hands. The husband hurriedly handed over the large box containing some electrical appliance. With the Rank B physical strength Owen had recently obtained, the weight of roughly twenty kilograms felt as light as if he were holding a cotton ball.
He balanced it securely and casually with just one hand before turning to help take three or four shopping bags from the wife's cluttered grasp.
"Thank you so much, young man. If it weren't for you, we would have been in trouble. May I ask the name of such a kind person?" The wife thanked him and asked with a sweet, gentle smile.
"I'm Owen," he introduced himself briefly with a smile.
"My name is 'Ikuda Masaya,' and this is my wife, 'Ikuda Kanae.' Nice to meet you, young man Owen..." The elderly man introduced himself in return, following the friendly Fuji country tradition of stating the surname first. "Our car is parked on this floor. Please follow me."
"Okay."
The three of them began walking along the parking lot walkway. The faint smell of exhaust fumes and the sound of tires grinding against the road echoed around them. As he walked behind Mr. Masaya, Owen's Rank A brain began working automatically. He started "reading data" from this couple in detail without even needing to focus.
'Fuji people... good personality... elegant demeanor.'
Mr. Masaya looked about 60 years old, but his back was straight and dignified, his gait steady. As for Ms. Kanae... Owen estimated she was around 50, but her face and complexion looked youthful and beautiful, like a woman in her early 40s.
'Women these days really take good care of themselves...' He couldn't help but compare her to Clara and Mrs. Alicia, prime examples that for some women, age is just a number.
But then... his sharp, genius-level eyes began to catch a certain "anomaly."
Though looking simple, their attire silently screamed 'billionaire'... A linen shirt tailored with exquisite precision and seamless stitching, a collector's edition watch on the husband's wrist, and a limited edition handbag the wife was carrying... The total value of what they were wearing could comfortably buy a sports car.
'People of this level... usually have a chauffeur or attendants serving them constantly, don't they?'
For tycoons of this caliber to be walking around carrying heavy loads by themselves in a parking lot like this was extremely "suspicious." It contradicted the common sense of the wealthy.
Doubt formed in Owen's mind, but he didn't have enough information to conclude anything. Until his instincts sensed an anomaly far more intense than that...
Thud.
The sound of Ms. Kanae's footsteps stopped...
Owen turned back to look and found her standing frozen a few steps away. Her beautiful eyes were widened to the point of bulging, her lips slightly parted. She was staring at his face... unblinking, as if she had seen a ghost or a miracle that shouldn't exist in this world.
The hand holding her luxury bag was trembling uncontrollably. And at her temples... he noticed small beads of sweat seeping out from panic.
The reaction was so intense and clear that Owen didn't know how to react.
'What happened?' Owen's brows knitted together. 'Why is she looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?'
His genius brain tried to process and find an answer... Was she shocked? Was she afraid? Or did she know him? But no matter how he searched his memories, he was certain he had never known this wealthy Fuji couple before.
With the little information he had and the desire to leave quickly, he jumped to the conclusion most favorable to his own understanding.
'Hmm... The auntie is probably amazed seeing a skinny guy like me carrying such a heavy load with one hand so easily.'
Having found a conclusion for himself, Owen stopped paying attention to the strange behavior. He wanted to finish this volunteer mission quickly so he could go back to planning the 'Link Dimension.'
Owen stepped forward with confidence, the large box in his hand balanced securely as if weightless. He was completely unaware that... the eyes staring at his back were not filled with curiosity or confusion as he understood...
But it was panic... dread... and the "hunger" of a predator that had just discovered a delectable prey!
In Kanae's view... the world before her had transformed into a glowing gold holographic data window, superimposed over the body of the stranger named 'Owen.'
She wasn't just an ordinary billionaire's wife as everyone understood. She was one of the "Special Type" Awakened who had concealed her identity for a long time, possessing a rare ability: [Appraisal : Rank A].
And due to a deeply ingrained habit, she accidentally activated this ability on everyone who came near her, especially a harmless-looking stranger like Owen. But the moment her skill touched the target... what reflected back was so intense she could barely keep her balance!
[ Initiating 'Deep Level' Appraisal... ]
[ FAILED! ]
[ WARNING: Target possesses a level of existence exceeding the scope of your ability! ]
[ Automatically adjusting appraisal level to 'Basic Level' ... ]
[ SUCCESS! ]
The dark red text notifying her of the failure made her heart pound. This was the first time in ten years that her Rank A skill couldn't penetrate to see someone's deep information!
'Impossible... Who exactly is this kid?!' She hurriedly swept her eyes over the basic data the system had extracted for her in a panic.
[ Name: Owen Marlowe | Age: 25 Years
Basic Description: A friendly young man who appears ordinary on the outside, but in reality, he is one of the "Key Jigsaw Pieces" sustaining the balance of this world, preventing it from collapsing.
Titles Possessed:
-"Guardian" : A shadow hero who secretly protects the world from nightmare threats unknown to anyone.
-"Sire" : King of a new species! Possessor of high-level genetics. There is a very high probability (>80%) that his bloodline descendants will be born as "Natural Awakened."
-"Plaything of Fate" : His life path is entwined with misfortune and fortune at a miraculous level.
-"Bound by Covenant" : A man who values "oaths" more than his life. Keeping promises is his very existence.
-"Lion King" : A pack leader by instinct. Usually attracts the opposite sex who possess strength to become his multiple mates. And anyone who dares touch "his people" will meet a gruesome end.
Suggestion: Target appears to have "Financial Problems" and a severe "Weakness for Women"... If you wish to befriend him, use charm, seduction, and "Financial Power" to strike wisely! ]
Thump... Thump... Thump...
Kanae's heart beat so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. The information flowing through her eyes was far beyond imagination!
'Guardian? Lion King? What kind of entity am I walking behind right now...'
Her hand holding the brand-name bag trembled uncontrollably. Small beads of sweat broke out on her forehead. Even the Rank S Awakened she had the chance to meet in high-society social functions didn't have a list of titles this long and powerful.
She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her panic, and hurriedly adjusted her expression back to normal as best she could before Owen noticed anything amiss (which she didn't realize was already too late).
Her beautiful eyes stared at Owen's broad back with a gaze that had changed completely... form gratitude out of manners, it turned into "admiration" and intense "desire."
'This is so worth it!' This phrase popped into her head.
The 100 million dollars in cash that she and her husband agreed to pay the mysterious "Prophet" in exchange for a prediction of the family's future... At first, she had almost torn the contract and thrown it in that guy's face out of anger when she received only a small slip of paper with a short message:
"When going shopping at the mall... Go just the two of you. Absolutely do not bring bodyguards or followers."
What kind of crazy prophecy was that? Telling the owners of a giant corporation with many enemies to go walk around a mall alone?
But now... she understood.
If they had black-suited bodyguards surrounding them as usual today... an ordinary person (in the eyes of others) like Owen would never have dared to even walk near them. And she would have missed the opportunity to meet this "most precious gem" in the world forever!
'100 million dollars... It's worth more than it cost!' The sharp brain of the matriarch of a great family began processing the new data rapidly. Her eyes stopped at the one title that attracted her attention the most...
"Sire"
The most distressing problem for her and Masaya over the past several years wasn't business, but the matter of an "heir."
"Reiko," their only precious daughter, was beautiful and talented, but also "stubborn" and "haughty" to the point of a headache. No matter how much they tried to arrange matchmaking dates with sons of famous families, hotshot young executives, or even handsome male celebrities, Reiko rejected them all without a second thought.
"Those guys are boring, Mom... Good only on the outside. None of them are worthy of me!" That was the answer she always received, until she began to lose hope that she would ever get to hold a grandchild in this life... until today.
'This is the man!' Kanae almost shouted in her mind.
A man with the "Lion King" attribute, capable of subduing strong women... and most importantly, the genetic guarantee that the child born would be a "Natural Awakened" at a rate of 80%!
This was insane! In a world where Awakened are superhumans, having an heir who is an Awakened essentially guaranteed the greatness of the family for decades to come. Even parents who were both high-level Awakened only had a 30% chance of giving birth to an Awakened child... But this... this was practically a guarantee of success!
'Reiko... You may be stubborn, but Mom believes she has found someone 'worthy' of you.'
A cunning smile appeared at the corner of Kanae's mouth. She didn't care that Owen had the "Lion King" title, which meant he would have many women. She could accept it... as long as her daughter was one of the "Queens" and her grandchild inherited this powerful bloodline.
And the way she would approach him was... [Weakness for Women] and [Financial Problems].
'Heh... Financial problems?' Kanae almost laughed out loud. For her family, "Money" was the thing they had the most of, and it was the tool they used to solve problems best.
A hundred-million-dollar matchmaking plan began to form in Kanae's head rapidly. She accelerated her pace to follow close behind Owen, pretending to be a kind and gentle auntie. But inside her heart... she was preparing a luxurious "Golden Cage" to trap this young lion and make him her "Son-in-law" at all costs!
'Just you wait, my future son-in-law... Mom is going to spoil you so hard you won't be able to refuse!'
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