Chapter 972 972: An UnexpecteD Development That EscalateD Quickly

Chapter 972 Chapter 972: An UnexpecteD Development That EscalateD Quickly

"That's... Darkday."

"Darkday...? The major supervillain you keep telling me about?"

"Yes."

"...You're joking, right?"

There was a silence after Liza said those words—no. The only one who was hearing silence was Katrina, who was now holding her breath and maybe even stopping her heart from beating as she looked at Riley from head to toe.

Maybe if she just pretended to not exist like this, Riley would just leave her alone, like a bear.

"...Kat?"

But alas, pretending to be dead won't actually achieve anything and might just add fuel to the already raging fire that was surrounding her and only her. Katrina started looking around, and seeing as no one was moving at all, the only thing she could really do was smile.

"Kat, he's the father of my baby. The one I told you about."

"What!? You're pregnant with Riley's child!?" Katrina screamed with her mouth closed; she was trying her best to whisper, but her panic and frustration were bursting out from her lungs, "Are you crazy!? You—"

Katrina immediately stopped talking as she noticed Liza holding her belly. Katrina then turned to look at Riley, who only had his head tilted to the side, and blinked a couple of times as he looked at her.

Katrina's thoughts then started fumbling; almost shutting down as she realized what she was doing. Riley Ross, the evil incarnate, Darkday, the devil himself was right in front of her and she just kept on spouting everything that came out of her mouth.

Did she have a death wish? If she said the wrong thing here, then every one of them inside the restaurant would probably die.

Stupid, she thought — how could she even be so confident in front of Riley?

"I... I was joking. Of course, I was joking," Katrina then forced out an awkward laugh as she looked back and forth between Liza and Riley, "You... you're not gonna kill me, right? Haha! Kidding, I'm kidding... please don't kill me."

"Kat...?" Liza raised an eyebrow before turning to look at Riley and the others, "Sorry, she's... not really this quirky most of the time."

"It is understandable, Miss Liza," Riley raised his hand and shook his head, "For her to be able to meet someone from 600 years ago as soon as she was out of the Reserves is probably quite an experience for her."

"Y... yes. That's totally it!" Katrina pointed at Riley as she continued to laugh, "I should... I should probably find another job? I mean, you guys already seem like you don't need any help."

"Kat, I already told them you were joining us," Liza whispered loudly, "And what are you even going to do out there? Just accept this job first, and then when everything has calmed down, do whatever you want — the world's still adjusting again, we all should too. And plus, where else can you get your own apartment as a benefit for your first job?"

"I'll... have my own apartment?" Katrina's eyes started to widen as soon as she heard Liza's words.

"Yup," Liza nodded, "Meals are all free too, and all cooked by Zero himself."

"Free meals cooked by..." Katrina could not help but take in a very long and deep breath as she looked at Riley. She really only heard tales of it before, but Riley's cooking, from Hannah and the other's testimonials, was good enough to make the entire multiverse forgive him of all his heinous crimes...

"I do not see why this issue involves me, Miss Katrina."

"What do you—"

And before Katrina could even finish her words, Liza suddenly returned and barged into the room and started screaming,

"I am carrying your baby, Zero!" She bellowed as she pointed at him and Katrina, "How could you even fuck someone else while we're living in the same roof!? And my variant!?"

"I could argue that I did not make love with someone else, Miss Liza," Riley shook his head, "You and Katrina are the same person. And it does not matter — I hold no feelings of love for the both of you."

"You...Argh!" Liza was about to walk out again, but instead just dropped to the floor in frustration, "This... is so fucking weird. This situation is so fucking weird. Why do you even have to make this so complicated, Kat? I know Zero and I are just... friends with benefits, but really? The same guy? And you told me you didn't like him!"

"I'll... leave," Katrina closed her eyes and whispered, "I'm... really sorry. I didn't really—"

"No. What? Why would you leave?" Liza groaned in frustration, "I just...we just need to get our minds in this and—fuck, I don't know."

"Then while you are contemplating this situation, Miss Liza," Riley then gestured to Katrina, "Miss Katrina, please follow me...

...I have something to show you."

***

"Where... are we going, Riley?"

"Yes, where are we going?"

"I did not expect you to come, Miss Liza."

"Of course, I'm coming with—I can't leave the two of you alone. Who knows what you two are up to."

"...You think we are going to do something in this creepy dungeon beneath the building?"

And as Katrina said, Riley, Liza, and her were currently beneath the restaurant — with Riley having some sort of secret entrance on the floor below the main stage; accessible through playing some sort of melody through the piano.

"And... what is this place? You had this down here all along?" Liza asked as Riley led them through a dark corridor, "Wait... you're not like... into BDSM stuff, right? Are you one of those people who like to have... to have sex with variants? Because I am telling you now, I am going to leave."

"No, Miss Liza," Riley shook his head as they reached the end of the corridor. And there, a large steel door was waiting for them. Riley just casually opened the door, causing a loud noise to erupt and echo through the dungeon.

"What the..." Both Liza and Katrina covered their eyes as a bright light drowned their vision. But as soon as they were able to recover their sigh, what welcomed them...

...were several people inside glass cages, all neatly lined up.

"The Guesthouse..." Katrina took in a long and very deep breath as she looked around, "Why...

...why are you showing me—us this, Riley?"