He raised a hand and pointed to the simple price sign he had just "written" on the table with Psychokinesis: a small blackboard with the following written in chalk: Tarot Card Reading — 100,000 points per reading;
Crystal Ball Vision — 150,000 points per reading; no haggling, payment upfront), then spoke in his trademark lazy voice:
"Tarot Cards are a hundred thousand, Crystal Ball is a hundred and fifty thousand. Pay first, then I'll tell your fortune. Get in line. No cutting."
As the sight of Sato Yuta leaving in such a "lively" state spread far and wide, followed by several more skeptical students giving it a try,
most of whom were second- and third-years with relatively generous point balances, and who also received "predictions" so accurate they were astonishing,
the once-deserted little stall instantly became one of the focal points of the Club Recruitment Plaza.
The line gradually grew longer, and included no shortage of upperclassmen. Most first-years had limited points and were still watching from the sidelines.
Those who came for readings asked all sorts of questions: whether they'd pass their academic evaluations, how to handle relationships with their classmates, whether their crush liked them back, even little strategies for class competitions...
Lin Mu turned no one away, but kept up his lazy demeanor, seeing people in order and never wasting breath on small talk.
Each time, he had the other person draw a card, while secretly controlling the order of the cards himself.
Then he combined the snippets of the future he saw with Precognition and the other person's current state of mind to "interpret" the reading.
Every time, he hit the nail on the head about what was troubling them, down to the smallest details.
The students whose fortunes he'd read were all left amazed, clicking their tongues in wonder. The name "Divination Immortal" quickly spread.
Some people were skeptical, but Lin Mu occasionally used Psychokinesis to make the Tarot Cards shuffle themselves or to give the Crystal Ball a faint glow, creating a touch of mystery that left the doubters half-convinced.
More people were won over by the expensive yet "worth every point" accuracy of his readings.
One girl from Class 2-B, for instance, had asked whether her confession to a boy in her class would be accepted and received an affirmative answer.
She ran off to find out on the spot, then came back half an hour later, her face flushed with excitement. He hadn't just accepted—he'd invited her to go shopping with him that weekend!
She immediately became Lin Mu's "volunteer promoter," helping keep order and recommending him to new arrivals.
The line in front of the stall grew longer and longer. Business was so brisk that even the lively club stalls nearby seemed quiet by comparison.
Lin Mu mechanically repeated the "draw a card—interpret the reading—collect payment" routine while keeping half an eye on the point balance in his terminal.
The number shot up like a rocket: twenty thousand, two hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, eight hundred thousand... In less than half a day, the balance in his personal point account had already broken the million mark!
After deducting the sixty thousand points he'd spent on supplies, he'd made nearly a million! Far more than he'd expected.
He was so delighted he nearly hummed a little tune, but his face remained as indifferent as ever.
The professional "fortune-teller's" code of conduct: maintain an air of mystery and calm in front of customers.
When the lollipop in his mouth was almost gone, Lin Mu glanced at the reassuring seven-digit balance on his terminal and decided to quit while he was ahead.
A million points was enough to let him lounge around in comfort for a long time, and even stock up on a whole year's worth of premium lollipops and all kinds of sweets.
Once a slacker had earned enough, he could call it a day. He would never waste his precious energy and leisure time just to earn a little more.
He picked up the little blackboard price sign and announced in an even tone to the people still waiting in line, all looking up at him hopefully:
"Today's readings are over. I'm packing up. If you still want a reading, come early next time."
"Huh?!"
"How can you do this? I've been waiting forever!"
"Hey, would you take more points? I'll pay double!"
"Are you coming back tomorrow?"
Voices of disappointment, pleading, and offers to pay more rang out all at once. Lin Mu ignored them all, too lazy to respond.
He began packing up the stall, using Psychokinesis to help.
The tent folded itself up, its ropes coiling around it; the table collapsed and its legs folded away; the Tarot Cards flew into their box, the Crystal Ball dropped into its velvet pouch, and the little folding stools stacked themselves...
Every item was handled by invisible hands, packed away with dazzling speed and precision, until everything landed neatly at Lin Mu's feet, bundled into two lightweight bags.
The whole process was so smooth and astonishingly fast that the students who hadn't left yet stared in amazement.
They assumed the "Divination Immortal" had maxed out his wilderness survival and packing skills, and it never crossed anyone's mind that he might have superpowers.
Picking up the lightweight bags, Lin Mu turned and left, his short white hair fluttering in the afternoon breeze. He paid no attention to the pleas and chatter behind him.
With a light step, he headed straight for the dessert shop in the campus commercial district. He'd earned his first windfall—and a huge one at that—so of course he had to treat himself.
The dessert shop was filled with an enticing array of treats and delicious aromas.
Cakes in all kinds of exquisite shapes, fluffy and crisp cream puffs, colorful macarons, silky-smooth puddings...
Lin Mu's eyes lit up as he went into shopping mode. Strawberry pudding? Grab it! Chocolate lava cake?
Grab it! Mango mille-crepe, matcha tiramisu, durian cream puffs... He picked up a few of every flavor he liked, without looking at the prices at all.
He also chose a few boxes of fancy-looking handmade cookies and nut tarts to stock up on for afternoon tea and late-night snacks.
When he paid, his terminal deducted nearly a hundred thousand points, but he didn't even bat an eye. He could afford it.
Carrying two big bags full of fragrant treats, Lin Mu found a quiet, sunny spot beneath a tree on campus and sat down.
Leaning against the thick trunk, he unwrapped a strawberry pudding and scooped up a bite with a little spoon.
It was cool and smooth, sweet but not cloying. The fresh fragrance of strawberries spread through his mouth and flowed through his entire body.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shifting patches of light across his short white hair and cool, angular profile.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, surrounded by an almost tangible sense of ease and laziness.
He had a million points, unlimited desserts, and no more worries about his point balance.
At last, he could live out his days in Class D without a care in the world.
This was the perfect slacker life he'd dreamed of.
As he leisurely ate his pudding, he was already planning ahead: from now on, he'd open his divination stall whenever he felt like it.
He didn't need to go every day. He had enough points to spend. He could just do business once in a while to maintain the "Divination Immortal"'s reputation and mystique.
The rest of his time could be spent sleeping, gaming, sampling desserts, and enjoying life...
The sun was warm, and the sweetness seeped into his whole being.
Leaning against the tree trunk, Lin Mu completely immersed himself in the immense happiness his "superpowers" had brought him.
Before you continue