With that astonishing growth rate, the Helheim Forest quickly covered most of the uninhabited areas on Earth. Unlike ordinary terrestrial plants, the flora of the Helheim Forest had no environmental requirements whatsoever. They could even flourish on a dead planet.
Raven, observing the entire world's transformation from a god's-eye view, couldn't help but feel a little moved. It seems I've made a great contribution to Earth's environmental protection. After all, the former forbidden zones, the deserts, and the extreme cold regions were now growing plants as far as the eye could see.
In fact, if not for the fact that consuming the Helheim Fruits turns humans into Inves and the fruits' inherent seductive power, there's no reason why humanity couldn't live in this new environment.
The Geats World.
Raven was performing his daily ritual of brewing coffee. Neon hadn't arrived today; she was, as usual, staging her typical runaway-from-home drama on the way, constantly being chased by her two bodyguards.
Raven was slightly unaccustomed to the quiet atmosphere. However, his café welcomed another guest: Sara Sakurai, Keiwa's older sister.
"Raven-san, is Neon-chan not here today?" Sara walked in, wearing black stockings and high heels.
For female office workers in Japan, black stockings and high heels were practically an unwritten rule. Not wearing them could even be considered impolite, having become a type of formal attire, much like a business suit.
"No, she might be delayed on the road." Raven had just finished making a cup of coffee. He picked it up and offered it to Sara.
Over the past while, Sara and Neon had become regulars at his shop, and their relationship had grown closer.
"It looks like your job is very demanding."
It was lunchtime, but Sara kept picking up her phone to reply to work-related messages. She was clearly overworked.
"Sigh, I can't help it. Even with my main job, I still have to work a part-time job," Sara complained, venting a little. After all, her younger brother, Keiwa, still hadn't found a job and relied on her to support him.
Seeing this, Raven couldn't help but reflect. Sara Sakurai truly resembles Akira Kazuraba. Both were raising a younger brother alone and worried daily about the household income.
"Sara-san, if you don't mind, why don't you work part-time here in the evenings? My shop doesn't really have anyone at night anyway," Raven suggested.
"Eh? Is that really possible?" Sara was instantly delighted.
But on second thought, Raven's café had very little business during the day since the "Closed" sign was always up. Why would he need extra help at night?
"You just need to watch the shop and occasionally tidy up. Don't worry about anything else," Raven told her.
To him now, money was just a number. He didn't need to earn money through commerce anymore. As a god, he could manipulate everything in the world and even create gold and currency out of thin air. These were the powers of Creation.
Therefore, he could pay Sara whatever salary he wished. He immediately offered her an astonishing figure, even higher than the salary for her main job.
"That's too much, Raven-san... I'm just part-timing; I don't need that much." Sara quickly tried to decline.
"Just relax. Your brother Keiwa won't be able to find a job anytime soon, and if you take on two jobs, your body won't hold up."
"But..." Sara still hesitated.
"If you really feel uncomfortable taking the money, then I do have one special request." Raven suddenly wore a mysterious smile.
"Ah, don't tell me..." Sara's face instantly flushed with shyness. Her mind began to wander to all sorts of random thoughts. Could it be that Raven-san likes me? A faint joy welled up in her heart.
She ended up accepting the job.
That evening, Sara finished her day job. After making dinner and heading home, she came straight to Raven's shop to start her first day of part-time work.
"Put this on," Raven said, presenting the uniform he had prepared for her.
It was a maid outfit.
"Do I really have to wear this...?" Sara asked shyly. She had never worn a skirt that short before.
"If you're uncomfortable, you don't have to. I won't mind," Raven assured her, with no intention of forcing her.
However, Sara quickly snatched the clothes from Raven's hands, saying bashfully, "N-no, it's not uncomfortable at all."
After a long while, Sara tentatively walked out of the dressing room. It was clear that wearing this outfit was a major challenge for her. Black stockings, high heels, and a short maid skirt. Although it wasn't overly revealing, the overall look was very alluring and pleasing to the eye, fully bringing out Sara's charm.
"That looks great. I think it suits you perfectly," Raven praised her wholeheartedly.
While Sara's figure was nowhere near as "magnificent" as Akira's, it was by no means small. Because of her personal temperament, the maid outfit suited her even more.
The compliment caused Sara's face to flush again.
She then got to work, trying to clean up. After all, she couldn't just stand there doing nothing. Since it was nighttime and the "Closed" sign was up at the entrance, there was no need to worry about customers coming in. Raven confidently enjoyed watching Sara as she focused on her work.
Cleaning inevitably required bending over or kneeling on the floor. Coupled with Sara's complete lack of guard around Raven, this resulted in many delightful sights being 'accidentally' caught by Raven.
Just like that, a few more days passed.
The final game of the Desire Grand Prix began without warning. A red Jyamato Zone directly enveloped a corner of the city. Raven's café was within this range.
Suddenly, a horde of Jyamato surged onto the street.
Seeing this, Raven snapped his fingers.
He opened a Crack directly within the Jyamato Zone, summoning an A-rank Seiryu Inves (Azure Dragon Inves). He ordered it to guard the café, ensuring the Jyamato wouldn't cause trouble or smash up the shop.
Receiving Raven's command, the A-rank Inves dutifully stood guard. Any Jyamato that approached was immediately eliminated.