Luo Shu's investment

After signing the contract, Luo Shu looked at Miss Mira, who had now become his "accomplice," and said with a slight smile:

"Before I help you awaken your abilities, would you mind moving somewhere else?"

"Oh? Of course." Mira Tsubakihara paused briefly, then stood up and looked at Luo Shu, who had also risen.

Under her gaze, Luo Shu walked toward his study.

At the door, Luo Shu reached out, grasped the handle, and turned it downward. After unlocking the door, however, he did not push it open. Instead, he repeated the motion twice more.

Mira Tsubakihara blinked at this and stepped forward curiously. "Is the door broken?"

"No, this is just the 'unlocking' procedure required to enter our headquarters."

With that, Luo Shu pushed the door open and walked inside.

Still puzzled by Luo Shu's so-called "unlocking," Mira Tsubakihara followed him into the room.

Once inside, Mira Tsubakihara stared at the enormous hall before her, stunned. She hurriedly turned to look at the room behind her.

When she saw that the room behind her was still Luo Shu's living room, she turned back and asked blankly:

"Was the study... always this big?"

Where had this apartment gotten such an enormous living room? How had she, its "landlady," never known about it?

"That's why I called it our 'headquarters.'"

As Luo Shu spoke, he snapped his fingers. A long mahogany table and two birch chairs with backrests instantly appeared in the empty hall.

Luo Shu stepped forward and pulled out a chair for her, then went around to the chair on the opposite side of the table and sat down.

"My study is one of the entrances to this alternate space. Turning the handle three times opens it. Of course, that function only works for members of the organization."

Without that restriction, other people might enter the headquarters through the same method.

Although Luo Shu trusted the integrity of the organization's current members and knew they would not reveal its secrets, basic safeguards were still necessary.

"Have a seat."

At his invitation, Mira Tsubakihara closed the door. After curiously surveying the enormous living room and glancing at the sofa and refrigerator nearby, she walked over and sat down across from Luo Shu.

Seeing Mira Tsubakihara looking around, Luo Shu explained with a smile:

"Sorry, we're a newly founded organization, so there aren't many amenities here yet."

"I understand, I understand." Mira Tsubakihara nodded, then looked at Luo Shu's face and asked curiously, "How do we awaken my abilities?"

"Just sit there. It'll be done soon."

As he spoke, Luo Shu opened the system with a thought and approved the contract they had signed earlier.

The system responded swiftly. Almost as soon as the contract was approved, the awakening began.

[Request received. Energy Collection Device activated. Bestowal Ritual initiated.]

The intricate ritual array Luo Shu had already seen twice rose into view.

For Mira Tsubakihara, who was seeing the ritual array for the first time, everything was so wondrous that her lips parted slightly, leaving her looking dazed, endearingly guileless and cute.

[Congratulations! The host's Familia member, Mira Tsubakihara, has awakened the ordinary ability: Enhanced Comprehension.]

Luo Shu frowned at the notification. Before he could figure out what the ability did, another notification appeared.

[Congratulations! The host's Familia member, Mira Tsubakihara, has awakened the ordinary ability: Deft Hands.]

Luo Shu paused, then immediately asked the system:

Can someone awaken multiple abilities during their first awakening?

[Answer: If a Familia member possesses potential for a particular special ability, but that potential is insufficient to manifest the ability, the ability may be downgraded and split.]

Luo Shu looked surprised by the explanation. How was he supposed to put this?

You have a talent for this, but not quite enough?

Did that count as good luck or bad luck?

Then what ability does Miss Mira's talent lean toward?

[Answer: The Elite-rank skill Alchemy, formed by combining the three Elite-rank skills Deconstruction, Maker, and Scholar.]

[The Familia member Mira Tsubakihara currently lacks talent in Analysis. Purchasing the ordinary ability material observer dust is recommended to acquire talent in this area.]

"Lesser abilities of Alchemy, and a lack of talent for Analysis..."

After reading this, Luo Shu looked at the beautiful, utterly guileless woman before him with a complicated expression.

It's one thing for someone I casually rescued to turn out to be a heroine, but she even has the talent to become an Alchemist?

Are heroines really this favored? Don't tell me that goddess of fate is a lesbian?

Meanwhile, with the ritual completed, Mira Tsubakihara opened her eyes again and felt as though everything in her field of vision had changed.

"I feel like the world is a little different now."

Hearing this, Luo Shu's lips curved upward, and he explained with a smile:

"Based on previous cases, after your abilities awaken, your body will evolve over one to three days until it can accommodate them. So there's no need to worry about your body. What you're experiencing now is normal."

"I understand, Mr. Deity." Mira Tsubakihara gave Luo Shu a teasing smile. "Thank you for the explanation."

"The essential knowledge imparted upon becoming a Familia member..." Luo Shu looked somewhat helpless as Mira Tsubakihara teased him.

With his current capabilities, how could he possibly count as a deity? If he really had to be classified as one, he was probably only on the level of Japan's eight million spirits. Saying that

out loud would be utterly humiliating.

Still, as a bit of flirtation with a beautiful girl, it wasn't so bad... Luo Shu quietly added to himself.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations to the host on acquiring a new Familia member. Awarded 10,000 points. Monthly point income increased to 3,000.]

The notification made Luo Shu feel a little better. He looked up at Mira Tsubakihara and asked:

"What do you understand about your abilities now?"

"Do you mean the lesser abilities of Alchemy, Luo Shu?" Mira Tsubakihara looked confused for a moment, but quickly understood the situation through the essential knowledge imparted to Familia members. "Are you talking about my lack of talent for Analysis?"

"Yes."

As Luo Shu spoke, he exchanged points for observer dust in the system and materialized a glass in the headquarters.

"This is observer dust, a material that grants talent for Analysis. Don't turn it down. Just consider it an investment I'm making in you."

Fortunately, observer dust was not expensive. It cost only 1,000 points, and the ability it granted was merely the ordinary-grade Observation.

Having just gained 10,000 points from Mira Tsubakihara, Luo Shu was naturally willing to make such a small investment.

Besides, the Demon Heart and Lucky Wallet he had acquired earlier clearly demonstrated how important an Alchemist could be to an organization.

Such a person was key to taking a secret organization's use and exploration of Abyssal Artifacts from a "primitive state" into the "industrial age."

So, although it was a little unfair to Utaha and Eriri, Luo Shu still took the initiative to spend points and ensure Mira Tsubakihara acquired the talent she needed for her skills.

In fact, if he hadn't only had 16,983 points at the moment, short of the required 30,000, Luo Shu would have liked to see what benefits he could gain by raising all three of Mira Tsubakihara's skills to Excellent grade.

But with insufficient points, Luo Shu could only abandon the idea.

"Consider it an investment?"

Mira Tsubakihara murmured to herself, then smiled at Luo Shu.

"As a Familia member serving a deity, I suppose I have no choice but to accept your investment, Luo Shu~~"