Tenebrous Wolf-Chapter 20: Financial Ruin

Klaus continued guiding Briar through the streets until the sun dipped below the horizon.

As night fell, the Imperial City revealed its true vibrance. Neon lights flickered to life, casting an otherworldly glow over the skyline. The once orderly and subdued streets became a stage for a different kind of life that screamed of indulgence and secrecy.

This wasn't strange as the Imperial City was a place of freedom, but the young Awakened couldn't afford to linger any further.

With MaxTech patrolling the streets, there was no telling what might happen if they suddenly decided to scan civilians.

A specialized division of the Imperial City Police Department, MaxTech existed solely to hunt down Cyber Rogues and Ascendants who had turned criminal or lost their minds. Gaining the power of an Awakened didn't mean one was invincible, especially not the newly awakened Apprentices, who were still vulnerable to a well-placed bullet.

If Briar was discovered, there was no way he could protect her, himself included.

Certainly, a fight would be inevitable, and while he might be able to take down one or two officers, an entire squad was a death sentence, especially with all of them gunning for him.

According to his intel, MaxTech was outfitted with top-of-the-line weaponry: the Aegis M-22 Cyclone (Pistol), the Havoc M-300 Cerberus (Shotgun), and the Aegis MK-IV Striker (Rifle). And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Their cyberware made them even deadlier, such as the Subcutaneous Ballistics Mesh for enhanced durability, NeuroOptix for real-time tactical overlays, and the infamous Veloxistan, which was the ultimate reflex-enhancement system!

How the hell was he supposed to fight against that kind of busted combination?

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple. He shook his head and placed that thought at the back of his head.

By the time, the two reached their destination, the place seemed almost desserted.

The building was nothing more than a stereotypical one-room housing block, the kind reserved for the city's forgotten. Across the street, its counterpart feigned respectability—cleaner walls, better lighting—but here, there was no pretense. The rusted metal railings lacked even the cheap plastic coverings that might have softened the decay.

The entrance was auto-locking, though that hardly mattered. The gap between buildings was a mere two meters, close enough for anyone desperate (or foolish) to attempt a jump. One misstep, though, and the only thing waiting below was a fast, free ticket to hell.

Klaus swiped his keycard, and the door hissed open. He stepped inside, passing by the so-called dorm manager's room, which was a glorified storage closet, before heading up the stairs with Briar in front of him. She moved quickly and impatiently. Perhaps her magic was running out or she was simply exhausted. That was understandable and he had no room to complain either. Especially when he had such a precious view of her backside. Those dump trucks bounced so abruptly with each step she took, and was quite better because Briar was so enthusiastically walking ahead of him that her ass shook sensually much better than ever.

It was impossible to look away. The rhythmic motion was enough to make even the most devout man question his vows.

For someone so strict, she was surprisingly easy to be around. She didn't seem to resent humans either, not like most demons. Given our bitter history, I expected bitterness or even, hatred. But there was no malice in her. Just curiosity. She's a strange succubus.

Klaus thought inwardly without missing a single wobble of her butt.

It was rather enjoyable. He caught himself before his thoughts drifted too far. The last thing he needed was to get caught staring. Or worse, acting on impulse like he did that time.

Soon, they both exited out of stairs and entered the passageway. They were on the third floor, but there was no wind and seemed even hotter and stuffier than before while they were downstairs. It was because of the structure of the apartment complex, unfortunately.

Without missing a beat, he unlocked his door with his key and pushed it wide open. But he did not step inside.

At that moment, his smartphone rang, the familiar ringtone cutting through the silence. He pulled it out as it vibrated in his pocket.

However, his pleasant expression crumbled in an instant as he saw the name displayed on the advanced transparent screen.

There was no need to explain why.

"Is something the matter?"

Facing Briar's raised eyebrow, he shook his head and answered that it was nothing. Carefully, he maneuvered to avoid being found out and sighed. It was because they lived together. On top of that, it was a secret arrangement.

Several days had passed since he had (accidentally) summoned the succubus. And every night since, she slept beside him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Worse yet, her sleeping habits were atrocious. Maybe it was her aversion to the heat, but she always ended up revealing her feet or bellybutton from her newly purchased pajamas. All said and done, his only solution was to lock himself in the bathroom to escape the aphrodisiac effect of the sweet scent she subconsciously emitted. Because of it, Klaus was now chronically sleep-deprived.

"...It's getting worse by the day. At this rate, won't I commit a crime and get arrested?" he muttered feverishly.

As if his problems weren't enough, he just had to be called by this person.

Briar stepped inside, and the moment she did, her appearance began to shift.

Her light pink skin gradually became more pronounced, overtaking the pale human disguise. Moments later, her bat-like ears emerged, followed by small wings sprouting from her back, tearing through the fabric as they burst forth, accompanyed by a tail which emerged out of her skirt.

In an instant, she had returned to her original form.

With a weary sigh, Briar collapsed onto his bed, looking completely drained. Apparently, exploring a foreign land was exhausting, especially when said land's technology made her homeland seem like a tribe of cavemen.

Of course, that was an exaggeration, but compared to humanity's advancements, the demon race was practically prehistoric.

Klaus tilted his head at the succubus, watching her blank stare. Was she taking a moment to process everything, or was her brain just... rebooting?

Her expression was so strange that he couldn't help but wonder what kind of character was she trying to portray.

Shaking off the silly thought, Klaus turned toward the door, intending to leave.

Briar, snapping out of her daze, slowly raised her head.

"Huh? Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah. I have something to do."

"But we just got back."

"Don't think too much about it. I just wanted to make sure you found your way here safely. After all, you don't have a key, and it'd be a pain if you couldn't figure out how to use the door."

"... Wh-what...? Are you saying I can't use a simple key?!"

Her wings flapped rapidly as if she was offended.

"I might not know everything about human technology, but I'm not that clueless!"

A vein twitched on Klaus' forehead. He could feel it.

To prevent her from following him, or maybe because he was just that annoyed, he unleashed a barrage of verbal assaults.

"OH? IS THAT SO? DID I HEAR YOU RIGHT? AREN'T YOU THE SAME PERSON WHO THOUGHT A CLEANING ROBOT WAS AN AGATHION?! THE SAME PERSON WHO GREETED A TRAIN STATION VENDING MACHINE LIKE IT WAS A HOTEL CONCIERGE?! AND LET'S NOT FORGET, YOU STUFFED A SAUCE PACKET, A HALF-BOILED EGG, AND A FORK INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE MICROWAVE AND NEARLY BURNED THE PLACE DOWN! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I HAD TO PAY FOR THAT?! ARE YOU TRYING TO PUT BOTH OF US ON A T-SHIRT?!"

"T-That... T-That..."

Briar's face turned a deep crimson, steam practically hissing from her ears. It was clear she was trying to come up with an excuse, only to fail halfway, which only deepened her embarrassment.

It was expected.

For a demon, her knowledge of the modern world was practically nonexistent. And much to Klaus' misfortune, her curiosity seemed limitless.

It made him seriously question what the hell was going on in the demon realm. Could it really be that far behind?

With a sigh, Klaus steadied his breathing, forcing his racing heart and scattered thoughts back under control.

"Either way, I'll let you know before I go. Dinner's in the fridge, just microwave it and eat. And for the love of God, do not put the spoon in the microwave, or you'll start a fire. Also, don't even think about opening the freezer to cool yourself. I won't be gone long, so please, please don't burn this place down before I get back."

Briar pouted. "Hmph. If you're so worried, why not just let me come with you?"

"And do what exactly?"

"I don't know. It wouldn't hurt to explore the city a bit more. Plus, the food here is really good. Maybe... we can stop somewhere on the way?"

"W-what? Ah... I see. So the food is what you're after, huh?"

"... Can't I?"

"Hell no! Do you think money just falls from the sky? Do you have any idea how expensive everything is? Listen up, princess. On Earth, if you want something, you have to pay for it. With money! Do you even know what money is? It's not just paper or numbers on a screen that determines your entire way of life and future! Do you get it?"

Briar narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you talking like you're broke? Weren't you the one bragging about getting ten million dollars? I don't know much about this world's currency, but I do know that's a lot of zeroes!"

Klaus let out a dry chuckle. "Oh, that? Yeah... about that... I have already spent it all."

"...Eh?"

Having him say those words so nonchalantly must have short-circuited her brain because Briar stopped moving altogether.

For exactly 666 seconds, she remained in this state before the full gravity of the situation finally crashed down on her.

If Klaus had spent all of his money, then didn't that mean they were broke?

The demoness, who had lived a rather sheltered life, simply couldn't comprehend the reality of being poor!

It was already bad enough that she was living in a crappy apartment with no air-conditioning, but what would happen if they entered a state of complete brokenness?

"...!!"

It was already bad enough that she was living in a crappy apartment with no air-conditioning, but what would happen if they entered a state of complete brokenness?

"...!!"

Realizing this, horror flashed in Briar's eyes. In the next instant, she shot off the bed at the speed of sound, grabbed Klaus' shirt, and began shaking him frantically.

"You spent it all? What do you mean you spent it all?! You're joking. You're joking, right? Please tell me this is some kind of joke! Because if it is, then it's not funny at all!"

"..."

"Why aren't you saying anything? You really spent all of your money?! How is it even possible to burn through ten million just like that? It has only been two weeks!!"

"Well, that's the Imperial City for you. One moment you have money, then the next you're completely broke. I suppose that's just the way of life. So please stop shaking this old man so much. It's a tremendous blow even for me, but it simply couldn't be helped."

"That's complete bullshit! Who the hell spends ten million in just two weeks?!"

"Ha ha. As I said, it's all gone. Did you perhaps put all your faith in that money? I'm sorry, but there's no salvation here. Right now, it's useless to depend on me. We're completely broke."

"IDIOT! IDIOT! I GOT SUMMONED BY AN IDIOT!"

"...Hey, aren't you a little too energetic? If I remember correctly, I'm the only one bringing in money while you just lounge around. Are you really a good servant? Do you need to be punished?"

"Actually, the situation isn't that bad. I just said 'idiot' out of frustration! I don't really think you're an idiot!"

"...Hello? Are you the same Briar I know?"

Klaus blinked at how quickly the succubus' attitude did a complete 180. Naturally, she wouldn't want to activate the curse and suffer 'punishment' under their Master-Servant Contract.

If he gave an order, she would have no choice but to follow.

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Wouldn't this technically count... as a form of misfortune?

Klaus sighed. It would be nice if Briar could work somewhere and earn some pocket money, but with her incredible features, she'd only attract unwanted attention.

That meant he was the only breadwinner in this household.

...Looks like she isn't suspicious. Klaus analysed.

Even as he thought of something, he couldn't say his thoughts.