Moon dropped him off right in the garden of his new villa.
After noticing the luxurious ambiance of the Green Vine Villa, she gave him an incredulous look, "I thought you were poor. So how come you live in this hundreds of millions of dollars worth of property?"
Neo let out weak sigh, "There is a dramatic story behind it. I will tell you later."
After that, he left.
Moon watched his lonely back disappearing in the hallway, then muttered under her breath,
"Is he really the one?"
--
Meanwhile, inside, Nina nudged Neo's shoulder playfully.
"Who was that girl, brother? Your rich girlfriend?"
"Go find it out, yourself."
Ignoring her, Neo sat on the sofa with an exhausted breath.
"Hmph," Nina pouted and sat beside him.
"Anyways, how did your first day at the job go?"
Neo glanced at her, then at the clock showing 11:30 PM.
"First, you tell me, why haven't you slept yet?"
She answered,
"I was studying hard. My final exams are starting next week, remember."
"Oh, I remember. You must get a good result, understand? You just have to be qualified for entering the curriculum of Spaceship Engineering. As for funding your studies, your big bro will arrange it all."
"Wow! You're talking like a nouveau riche, brother. Did the new job give you that confidence?"
"You can say that. I was assigned my own crew at the company. They all are incredible people with strong powers. Beyonders are really on a different dimension than ordinary people," he added with a sigh.
Nina's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"You're making me very curious. Can you tell me more about their powers? Can they all fly like big sister Titania?"
"I honestly don't know. But I can tell they are all super strong. There's a guy with fire-emitting hair, an old man with a mechanical frame, a monk wearing lose robes, and the captain is also a cool guy. Overall, everyone was nice and friendly. I'm glad they accepted me despite knowing my weaknesses."
"It's all because of big sister Titania. She helped you a lot, didn't she?"
He nodded, taking a sip of water.
"She did. But since when did you become so close with her to call her like that?"
She smiled mischievously. "Hehe, I had asked her contact ID before she left, and there is already an advanced universal network node in our new house. So, I've been keeping in contact ever since. Smart, right?"
"Smart smart," he praised halfheartedly.
"Brother, did you drink?" Nina asked as she sniffed the air.
He nodded. "Yes, a little. But don't tell Mom, okay?"
She smiled playfully. "How about you buy me a car first?"
"Wait, how old are you? Do you even need a car right now?" he asked exaggeratedly.
She pouted.
"Mind you, I'm officially 18. And if you want me to become a spaceship pilot, I need to start with something, right?"
Adonis realized his mistake.
"You're right. But do you know how to drive?"
She placed her hands on her hips, looking very proud. "Yes. I have already acquired a D-grade license in both ground roadway and aerial trackway."
Adonis was surprised. "How did you do that? We don't even have a flying car."
"I learned using my friend's car. Her name is Aluna. She is apparently a rich businessman's daughter. She also aspire to become a space pilot, just like me," she replied happily.
He sighed and added:
"It's good that you learned to make friends, Nina. I was afraid you would stay alone like me."
"You're not alone. We are all with you."
---
The night passed.
Neo woke up very early to train his body.
The sun hadn't risen yet. His mother and sister were still in sleep. Only the maids were busy cleaning the house.
In the sprawling garden, while doing some basic exercises, he felt the resonance of every musical harmony drifting through the air.
His Musical Wavelength Body was passively active.
It wasn't annoying in any sense. On the contrary, the musical notes accompanied him like a gentle guide.
Also, a thought crossed his mind: "If I can turn this into a combat-type body, this can help me a lot."
But for that, he needed suitable components and items to synthesize with his body.
With that goal in mind, he decided to head to Dorok's workshop before his duties called at the Apex Nebula headquarters.
Before leaving, he checked his progress.
Basic Index:
[ Name: Neo Godson ]
[ Age: 20 ]
[ Lifespan: 36 ]
[ Affiliation: Apex Nebula Mercenary Group, Sol-III ]
[ Biological Modifications: None ]
[ Wealth: $10,600,200 FD (Federal Dollars - Local Currency) | 0.00 UC (Universal Credits) ]
Physical Index: (Average for all: 5)
[ Strength: 5.5 (Improving) ]
[ Agility: 4.9 (Improving) ]
[ Vitality: 3.6 (Severe Genetic Dysfunctionality) ]
[ Endurance: 5.1 (Improving) ]
[ Reaction Speed: 3.8 (Bad) ]
[ Recovery Rate: 3.3 (Bad) ]
Magical Index:
[ Cosmic Force: 5.3 (Low) ]
[ Unique Talent: Universal Synthesis (Supreme) ]
---
The progress was in decimal amounts, and it was all thanks to the special wine Captain Ajaz paid for.
His cosmic force also increased a bit.
This only proved that there must be other ways to increase Cosmic Force rapidly.
After leaving a note to one of the maids, Neo headed toward Dorok's workshop around 7 AM.
The ride took 1.5 hours to reach there.
He had to make it quick, lest he miss his second day with the crew.
Clink, clink.
The familiar doorbell rang once again as he stepped through.
At the counter, he found the little girl, Stella, sitting like an adult.
Her eyes sparkled as soon as she saw Neo.
"Neo!"
She immediately jumped down from the chair like an excited little cat, looking for a cuddle.
He patted her head as an instinctive reaction, then asked calmly,
"What's this, Stella? Why are you up so early? Did that old man force you to do this?" he asked, getting worried for her.
She cutely shook her head.
"No, no. Grandpa didn't force me to do anything. It's me who likes to manage the business while he is busy crafting inside."
"Don't you have any other assistant? What if something happens to you?"