Chapter 117 Dystopia III



Standing in front of Zio was a pretty girl with dark violet hair, her emerald eyes shifted from staring at Zio's face to the can of coffee in his hand.

"That's a nice glasses."

Said Zio as he noticed the eyeglass Lumi was wearing, though he wondered why she suddenly used an eyeglass. As far as he knew, Lumi didn't have any problem with her eyesight. Maybe, it was just fashion glasses?

Smirking, Lumi brushed her hair as she lifted her face. As soon as that, her eyeglass seemed to glow bluish light. Once the glow dispersed, her eyes widened in shock.

Seemingly unsure and didn't believe what she just saw, she narrowed her eyes again and the eyeglass glowed.

"Huh?"

Lumi looked at Zio and the window screen that appeared in her vision which only she alone could see back and forth.

The floating screen that appeared in her vision was informing her of Zio's growth rate power being at <S> rank.

"Are you for real? Did you hit the jackpot with only one potion I gave you back then?!"

Zio only smirked at her question, his eyes focused on the eyeglass, appraising it with Clairvoyance.

[Nova Eyeglass Prototype C

Rank: E]

"Is that an appraisal glasses?"

Lumi brought both of her hands across her body, crossing them in front of herself. Her expression was still like an undisturbed pool of water.

"Answer me first. How did you raise your growth rate to <S> rank with only one potion?"

"It's just as you said, I was lucky to hit the jackpot."

"Really?"

Lumi began to give him a cynical sidelong glance.

Ignoring that, Zio opened the coffee can and drank it slowly, savoring every moment as the coffee slid down his dry throat.

Lumi gulped, swallowing her saliva as she watched Zio finish his drink. Her cynical glance gradually disappeared.

"Puha!"

Throwing the empty can, Zio clasped his hands when it perfectly landed inside the trash can.

He raised a brow when he noticed Lumi's expression.

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

Said Zio while inserting a bill inside the vending machine, and pressing the buttons. The sound of the machine operated reverberated in the air.

While he was doing so, Lumi cleared her throat and began speaking.

"It's about the Catalyst Potion. I was going to distribute the potion supply to you but, looks like you don't need it anymore."

"Who says I don't need it?"

"Huh. But, you're already a <S> rank…?"

As Lumi watched Zio retrieve the coffee can and the exchange from the vending machine, she swallowed the saliva stuck in her throat.

Zio looked at Lumi with a raised brow, his finger reached to open the coffee can.

"So what if I'm already <S> rank? Do you think there's no higher rank than that?"

Lumi was distracted by the sound of the can opening, her throat felt dry. Every time her eyes looked at the can, she quickly shifted them back to stare at Zio's face instead.

"Well, I've never seen someone with growth rate power higher than <A> except you in my life, so…"

Zio chuckled, seemingly finding it amusing to tease the thirsty Lumi. Luckily, Lumi seemed not to notice if he was teasing her with the coffee can.

"You should have taken a look at Lux with that prototype glass of yours then. Just ready your heart if you're doing it though."

As he said that, he moved his hand holding the can around.

Lumi's eyes followed the motion like a cat.

"C-can you not—"

Before Lumi could finish her words, she was interrupted by the coffee can stopping before her eyes. 

"Haha, you're so funny."

Hearing Zio's chuckle, Lumi frowned, glaring at him as she realized that he was teasing her all along.

"Sorry, sorry. Here, take it."

Zio extended the can of coffee toward Lumi, a mischievous grin still lingering on his face.

Lumi hesitated for a moment, her irritation evident, but eventually reached out and took the can from him.

"Thanks."

She muttered, her voice slightly strained. She brought the can toward her lip and took a sip, trying to hide the embarrassment behind the act of drinking.

Zio's amusement faded as he remembered he had something to do. Leaning against the vending machine, a more serious expression was visible on his face.

"I apologize if I went too far with my teasing."

Lumi glanced at him, her annoyance softening a little after considering various reasons to forgive him.

"It's okay. I know you like to joke around. I guess I just didn't expect it this time."

Zio stood in silence for a moment, waiting for Lumi to finish her drink.

As soon as she finished, Zio took a deep breath, deciding to change the subject.

"So, about the Catalyst Potion…"

He began but was immediately cut off by Lumi.

"It's here."

A black suitcase suddenly appeared in her hand as a result of taking it out of the storage cube. Lumi opened it and showed Zio the content inside.

Seeing three bottles of potions that were stored neatly in the suitcase, Zio couldn't help but feel it was too much to put inside a suitcase. But, what could he say? It was maybe a custom of rich people to put everything in a suitcase.

Closing the suitcase, Lumi handed it to Zio.

"Take it."

Zio received it with an open hand, quickly storing it inside his own storage cube.

"Thanks."

As he thanked her, his hand unconsciously move and reach for Lumi's head.

"H-hey, what are you doing…"

Zio had unconsciously ruffled Lumi's hair as he did to Reina.

That, of course, made Lumi confused, and immediately shook his hand away from her head.

"Oh, sorry."

Zio raised his hand, his palm facing forward.

Lumi sighed as she fixed her hair.

"It's fine."

Looking at his hand, Zio thought about Reina, wondering how she was doing right now. Her behavior this morning had made him worried and he wanted to return to his dorm as soon as possible.

So, for that reason, he bid goodbye to Lumi.

"I have something I need to do, so catch you later, Lumi. Thanks for the potion!"

Lumi watched as Zio disappeared from her sight. Looking at the can of coffee in her hand made her recall the recent event. As the memory was about to surface in her head, she quickly threw the can into the trash can and walked away.

'Leo is better. Leo is better. Leo is better.'

She chanted a magic word to distract herself as she walked.