The man with white hair said, "You must choose one card from my right hand, and the other two cards you can choose from either hand. So, in total, you can choose three cards."
It was impressive how easily divided the forty-four cards in half and could hold it in both of his hands. I was sure it was the forty-four-card version since the thickness of the card didn't look that thick, as the seventy-eight-card version had become less popular in recent years.
Without much thought, I picked one card from his right hand and the other two from his left. I stacked them neatly on my right palm, and he maintained his smile as he put the remaining cards back into his pocket.
Now holding the three cards, I grew curious about what his reading would reveal.
He gently took one card from my palm and flipped it to reveal the symbol. However, before showing it to me, he said, "Normally, people would have to choose four cards, but since you are in a hurry, I will only read three cards for you."
Was this guy trying to scam me now?
"Just read it for me, three cards are fine too since I am in a hurry." I replied, trying to sound unaffected.
He nodded and revealed the first card, which depicted a tower being struck by lightning. The man commented, "Hmm, according to the meaning of this card, you will face a challenge and crisis that will greatly impact your life and those around you. It may be a negative experience, but there is an opportunity for growth."
I wanted to tell him that I was currently in the midst of a crisis, but I realized that everyone goes through challenging times. The reading felt too broad and could apply to anyone.
Nonetheless, I kept my thoughts to myself and observed.
He then pulled out another card from my palm, leaving only one card left. He observed the second card and showed it to me. It depicted a blue sun and a red moon with a purple star in the middle.
"Interesting. Normally, this card represents good fortune, but when combined with the tower card, it suggests the overlap of illusion, fantasy, and reality. It's like getting lost in a labyrinth of dreams and reality," he explained.
Was he intentionally targeting me with these readings? But logically, it made sense, considering the recent events that had shaken my sense of reality, such as the destruction of the tower in Eternia City and my battle with the orc demon lord.
So far, his reading seemed accurate, but again, it was still too broad to be specific to me.
"Now, onto the next card," he said with excitement.
As he picked up the last card from my palm and revealed it to me, I was left dumbfounded. It was a blank card, a white void with no image.
"What is this card? Why doesn't it have an image?" I asked, puzzled.
The man smiled and turned his back to me, saying, "This third card represents you. Anyways, I'm in a hurry now. See you later."
That should be my choice of words!
I stood dazed for a seconds, trying to process his words. Was he insinuating that I was empty and blank like that third card? As I watched him walk away, I felt an anxious urge to reach out to him, despite being the one who had initially tried to get away.
"Wait, explain it to me!" I startled myself, unconsciously shouting after him as he moved further away.
But he disappeared into the crowd, leaving me puzzled. This guy really knew how to play mind games, but perhaps I should take it as a sign, considering most of his reading had been accurate, albeit broad.
Nevertheless, it was rush hour for students and workers, and the bustling crowd had already gathered in front of the Skyport, making it nearly impossible to find him. I glanced around, but all I could see were people heading in the same direction as me, obstructing my view.
I took a deep breath, realizing that he was just toying with me, and continued my walk toward the Skyport. The white aluminum gate, about five meters tall, slid open widely to welcome everyone inside. As people stepped forward, I followed suit without hesitation, entering the bus station.
Inside the station, I noticed several vending carts lined up next to each other, selling various goods such as coffee beans, fresh sandwiches, and tacos. Some were run by traditional businesses, while others were startup family ventures. Further down the passage, there were also branded and well-known fast-food restaurants, though I rarely indulged in such meals since I focused on building my muscles.
I immediately headed to one of the carts, situated in the center of the lineup. Equipped with a projection device on the floor nearby, it displayed a holographic sign that read, "Fresh coffee beans, no artificial powder." The owner of this cart was someone I knew, a prominent celebrity among the people of Singa Sanctuary continent. Normally, she wouldn't personally sell here, as it might reveal her true identity. However, today was different, as I knew her grandmother had been in the hospital for some time.
There were already a few people ordering coffee and standing in line. Some of them curiously examined the barista's face, as she wore a mask. I patiently waited in line for a few seconds until they were done.
Then, it was my turn. I approached the blue-haired girl with stunning blue eyelids and eyebrows, adding an aesthetic touch to her looks. She now hid her hair under a hood. Her blue eyes had a hint of red, resembling a sunset reflecting on the ocean. Her face was concealed behind a mask, but I knew her hair reached the length of her neck. She wore a dark blue leather jacket over a white sleeveless shirt.
She had a serious and hardworking expression, rarely showing any emotion. Her figure was slender, like that of a model, but she was not overly beautiful. Instead, she had a cool yet adorable look.
Apparently, she was my childhood friend and also the co-owner of this coffee cart alongside her grandma. But today, I hadn't seen her since her grandma had a heart attack a few days ago, and Stella was now working instead of her grandma. Despite knowing her for so long, we weren't particularly close.
A male customer asked Stella where her grandma had been in the past few days, and she truthfully explained that her grandma was in the hospital. The customer expressed concern and wished her a quick recovery before finding a seat nearby. Soon, the seats were filled with customers.
Now it was my turn to order, so I leaned in slightly and asked in a low voice, "Aren't you afraid of being exposed here?"
Temporarily ignoring my words, Stella, the blue-haired girl, continued her work. She placed a paper cup inside a black square-shaped machine and closed it. Then she poured coffee beans into the machine as holographic displays appeared before her, projected from the black box. She tapped something on the display, and the machine made a quiet electric noise as it brewed the coffee.
After finishing, she looked at me and replied, "My grandma wants her coffee beans to continue selling, especially to you. So I must continue her work, and don't worry, I'm good at changing my voice. People won't know it's me unless you expose me."
"With your wealth, you could just hire someone to work for you," I suggested.
Stella shook her head and said, "This might be the last day of this shop, so I might as well come here to personally make the coffee."
I was shocked to hear this news. After all, this was my favorite coffee shop in all of Sector 2 Dome.
"How about opening a coffee farm? You have enough resources to do that as a popular singer," I continued, speaking a little louder than before.
Stella widened her eyes as if she wanted to slap me in that moment. The customers sitting nearby turned to gaze at me, but I quickly added, "Stella, the singer, also loves to drink coffee. As her fan, I also love coffee."
Stella immediately changed her voice to a low pitch and said, "Yes, I am also one of her admirers. As her fan, I'll give you a discount."
Despite being hidden underneath the mask, she could still speak clearly with a low-pitched tone that didn't match her real voice, yet it came out so naturally. The customers turned their gaze away, no longer suspecting that the blue-haired girl before them was none other than Stella, one of the most talented singers in Sector 2 Dome.
Once their attention was no longer on us, Stella spoke in her natural stern voice, "I have another goal in mind. I'll talk to our band members when we have time."
That's right, she was one of my band members, working under a different name and identity. She had joined my band and later pursued a solo career under her real name, but she still worked with the band, always wearing a mask and slightly changing her voice to avoid being exposed.
Taking this chance, I asked about the discount, "I'm sorry to hear about your grandma, but are you serious about the discount?"
She raised her eyebrows and replied in a bland voice, "No discount. You need to suffer to understand the value of money."
Of course, being born as an orphan, I didn't have the privilege like Setsuna or Shan, whose sisters always provided them with coins to do what they loved. So I understood the value of money, but I didn't come here to argue with her, so I let it slide.
I replied with a stiff smile, "Give me a fresh coffee. It's been a rough morning."
She responded in an unemotional tone, "Alright, that'll be 50 coins."
Hearing her natural voice, I couldn't help but think that even her voice as an idol was just another persona of hers. The real Stella was scary, calculating, and calm, almost like a psychopath!
"50 coins?! Why has the price of the coffee beans suddenly increased?" I frowned, questioning her.
She sighed and explained, "It's hard nowadays to get real coffee beans. Most of what's on the market are clones. That's why it's getting expensive."
She added with a disappointed tone "Also, my grandma stopped harvesting from her farm for a while, so there's a limited supply and high demand."
She intentionally spoke louder for the nearby coffee cart owners to hear.
As she said that, the other nearby coffee cart owners looked at her with slightly intimidating expressions before turning back to their own businesses. Most of them used clone coffee beans, while Stella's beans were authentic.
I nodded my head with a slightly disappointed expression as I realized I had just spent 50 coins on a coffee. Taking out my tablet, shaped like a vertical rod, I placed the holographic projecting lens to scan a QR code on the tablet in front of me. Swiping my tablet upon it, I immediately received a notification confirming that I had paid 50 coins.
[Bio-chip activated]
[You have just spent 50 coins.
Remaining coins: 23025 coins]
Although the coffee from her shop didn't make me feel invigorated like a rush of blood, I still found it worth the price. Mornings were always spent ordering coffee at her shop.
"Go find a seat somewhere since all the seats here are taken. Once I'm done making the coffee, I will notify you," the blue-haired girl said.
As I turned around to search for a seat, her powerful yet calm voice made me alert.
"Oh, I forget to mention. Have you seen the news about the incident in TWOD? And were you logged in during the incident?" she asked with an unwavering tone, her eyes fixed on me as if she expected a question in return.
Damn, why does everyone keep asking me about the incident?
Her question caught me off guard, but I maintained an unchanged expression. Remembering Shan's advice, I knew I shouldn't share too many details about what I did this morning regarding the incident in TWOD.
With a calm voice, I replied, "Oh, yes, I saw the news during my walk to the station. It's such an unpredictable accident.... People are really getting hurt. I wonder what will happen to TWOD."
The blue-haired girl frowned and looked at me, replying, "I expected you to be more honest than that, especially since you are the leader of our band."
She waved her hand dismissively, as if I was bothering her work, and returned her attention to the coffee-making machine, pouring the coffee beans into the opening gap above it.
Her words made it sound like she knew I was present during that event. It was better to play dumb since I wasn't sure what she was truly up to.
Before leaving, I asked her, "Stella, just make the coffee for me. And have you practiced for this evening's gig?"
She winked at me, a teasing smile beneath her mask. Even though she didn't answer, her gesture alone showed her confidence in her abilities for tonight's performance. Stella was an incredibly confident person, almost at a level scarier than Setsuna, who was hot-headed and direct. Stella, on the other hand, was calm and collected, able to change her personality at will.
Not to mention, she was also a great hover motorcycle racer, in addition to her singing talents. She seemed to be capable of doing everything on her own.
After reminding her to focus on making the coffee, I proceeded to walk past a domestic cleaning robot the size of a husky, vacuuming the dirt off the white aluminum floor.
A male robotic voice could be heard from these domestic robots, repeating the statement, [Please get out of the way for your safety,] multiple times as they scanned people approaching them.
I found a nearby bench and sat down, patiently waiting for my order to be ready. I pulled out my tablet once again, opening a holographic display in front of me. I went to the internet search bar to search for the users' names.
The image of Lasiv and her friends still stuck in my mind. After all, they had defeated the Demon Lord with abilities that seemed to defy the power hierarchy of TWOD. It seemed like they knew something that the general public didn't know.
I suddenly realized that I had gotten caught up in a much bigger mess than I had initially realized.