'Approaching a woman because she looked bored might not be the best strategy to start a conversation, but it's not like I had prior experience with women before,' Julien screamed internally.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Am I?"
"You're standing outside the most exclusive club in the district, but you haven't gone in."
Julien said, trying to channel his inner salesman.
"You're looking at the moon like you've seen it a thousand times. You're surrounded by people, yet standing alone and far away from them. That's not waiting in the queue. That's hesitating because you know everything inside is going to be disappointing as well."
The woman turned fully toward him to look at him properly. The corner of her lip twitched.
It wasn't a smile, but it wasn't disappointment either.
"And you?" she asked, her gaze dropping to his lower part of the body. "You look like you fell out of a garbage truck. Are you going to offer to make my night exciting and different?"
"I'm going to offer you a deal," Julien said.
"I have money," she said, dismissing him with a wave of her gloved hand. "And I have power you have never seen before. What could a boy with a broken arm possibly trade me?"
"Entry," Julien lied smoothly. "I have business inside. But the gorilla at the door has a strict 'no lonely hearts' policy. I need a partner to walk past him without question."
She scoffed, a sound like tearing paper. "You want me to be your arm support? You are bold, little fellow. I could snap your neck without a thought, in a second."
[Streetwise Alert: She is not joking.]
"I don't doubt it," Julien said, sweating buckets but holding her gaze. "But snapping my neck is boring. You've probably done that a thousand times, too, right? But helping me? That's an adventure. That's something new, even for someone like you."
She paused for a moment. The silver light in her eyes dimmed slightly as curiosity took over.
"And why should I help you?" she asked. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't just throw you into the river and let you drown."
"Because of your intuition," Julien said.
She frowned. "What intuition?"
"You can smell it, can't you?" Julien stepped closer, lowering his voice. "The mana. You're not a normal hunter like the rest of them. The System can't even read your rank. Which means your senses are sharp and exceed their parameters. You didn't tell me to leave immediately because you smell something on me."
'Although others might argue I smell like shit.'
He reached into his pocket.
The woman tensed, her hand blurring toward her hip, but stopped when Julien pulled out a small, crystal bottle.
It wasn't the cheap glass bottle he had given Mike.
This was the [Potion of Beauty (Minor)]. The crystal was shaped like a diamond, and the liquid inside swirled with a pearl-like pink and gold mist. It didn't just glow; it reacted to the surroundings.
The scent of pure, unadulterated mana wafted between them, smelling of roses and starlight.
The woman's eyes widened. For the first time, the mask of indifference cracked slightly.
"That..." she whispered. "That purity. Is that... Elixir grade?"
"It's a sample," Julien said, holding it up. "My own supply. It's called Potion of Beauty. It can remove scars, unwrinkle the skin, and grant a charismatic aura to the person."
The woman looked at him, then at the potion. She let out a short, dry laugh.
"Why didn't you use it then?"
"Only a few are available for now, and I already look great without it."
She scoffed.
"You are offering me a beauty potion?" She stepped into the light. She was literally flawless. Her skin was soft; her features looked like they were made with care by angels. "Do I look like I need it?"
"It's not about need," Julien countered instantly. "It's about being perfect. Even a diamond can be polished when needed. Besides..."
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"It tastes like strawberries."
The woman stared at him. The silence stretched for five agonising seconds.
[Debt Alert: 3 Hours Remaining.]
'Please hurry up.'
Then, the woman smiled. It was a terrifying smile, full of sharp teeth and amusement, like a beast letting its prey play around.
"Strawberries," she repeated.
"And vanilla," Julien added.
She reached out to him. Her fingers were long and cold, with polished nails. She plucked the vial from his hand with delicate precision and incredible speed. She uncorked it, took a sniff of it, and her eyebrows shot up due to its essence.
"It is genuine," she murmured. "High-tier alchemy. Somehow in the hands of a random cripple."
She looked at Julien with renewed interest. The 'fatal' warning in his head subsided to a dull 'extremely dangerous.'
"You are an odd one," she decided.
She closed the potion and slipped it into a pocket inside her trench coat.
"Very well. I accept the payment. I was debating whether to burn this club down or have a drink. You have tilted the scales toward a drink."
"Burn it down?" Julien squeaked.
"Figure of speech," she said jokingly, though Julien wasn't so sure. She stepped with grace next to him and looped her arm through his good one.
Her grip was firm. It felt less like holding a girl's arm and more like being handcuffed to a nuclear warhead.
"My name is Maya," she said.
"Julien," he replied, trying not to trip over his own feet.
"Well, Julien," Maya pulled him toward the entrance, her steps long and commanding. "Don't disappoint me. I haven't had a boyfriend in a long time."
"Partner," Julien corrected weakly. "We're partners for the business."
Her gaze pierced through him for a second.
"Cute," she said.
They reached the velvet rope and went towards the VIP entrance.
The bouncer saw Julien; his face started twitching, and he quickly opened his mouth to shout, "I told you to-"
Then he saw Maya beside him.
The bouncer's face went pale. It went from aggressive to terrified in a millisecond. He looked at the silver armour peeking out from her coat.
He then looked at her eyes.
There was no need to check for a pass or an ID. He knew. Everyone here did.
He quickly made his way, unhooking the velvet rope so fast he almost whipped himself in the face.
"Evening, Ma'am," the bouncer squeaked, his voice two decibels higher than before. "Right this way. The VIP section is open for you two."
Maya didn't even spare him a glance. She walked past him like he was furniture, dragging Julien along in her wake.
As they stepped into the thumping bass and strobing lights of the Velvet Lounge, Julien glanced back at the terrified bouncer.
[Streetwise: Bouncer is currently wetting himself.]
'Serves him right HEHEHE.'
"So," Maya shouted over the music, leaning close to Julien's ear, her fragrance spread over him.
"You're inside, salesman. Now... show me what you're really selling."
Julien swallowed hard, clutching his chest where his heart was trying to escape.
"Do not think about running away now. I would be so disappointed."