William called for Linen after ten more minutes of messing around with his coat. He carried all three of the coats he had gotten made in his arms.
Once they reached the surface once more, William headed back to his watchtower.
This time, he simply used the Chariot ability to traverse back to the watchtower, blending in with the last rays of sunlight of the day.
November 18th, 2025.
As he made it to the front of the watchtower, he noticed a couple of new faces with the worker group. He decided to approach and ask his two designated officers, who seemed to be having a pleasant chat together.
"Sang Pianyi and Sasha Necroma! How are you guys doing?"
Sang Pianyi, the wide-eyed young man, would speak out first, excitedly.
"Sir, we were able to recruit several individuals who were eager to assist us and be under our protection!"
William nodded before addressing Sasha.
"Wonderful. What about you, miss?"
"We scoured the nearby area and found a bunch of straggling survivors, so we brought them back here! There were a couple of battles out there, but we managed to persevere without any casualties."
"Good to hear."
A hand shot up suddenly; it was a young, short, and thin, black-haired girl, around a year younger than William, with purple streaks throughout her hair.
She would start yelling out.
"Mr.Truth-Seeker! May I speak to you privately?"
'Who is this weird woman? Eh, why not? If shes an assassin, I'll be close enough to call for backup.'
"Sure, just follow me to the inside of the watchtower real quick."
He'd gesture for the woman to follow.
After they reached the fourth floor, William dropped the coats on a table, then turned to the woman and said.
"What would you like to talk with me about miss?"
The woman took out a piece of paper.
It read:
I am the Reader of Gacha. I can summon random items through a gacha system. I can see the odds and a cool display through a tab in the Library. The current jobs you have available are a bit stale. I think my skills could potentially lead to a wave of people joining our business side. I used to study business before the world war, too.
William's eyebrows were raised.
[Author's Note has been activated]
[Name:Lian Jiangtian]
[Status: Reader of Gacha]
[Core Ability: Gacha]
[Extra Skills: Telekinesis, Persuasion.]
[Attributes: Lucky, Gremlin, Swindler, Entrepreneur, Strategist.]
'Hmm...She could still be a spy, just playing the long game, but if not, this could be very valuable.'
"Interesting. Care to show me an example of you using this ability?"
The woman left her hand outstretched in the air, and suddenly a colourful display of colors appeared in her hands as a small piece of cheese appeared in her hands, which she promptly scarfed down without hesitation.
"See? Totally legit, dude! Though only a common..."
'It's so weird hearing slang still...'
"Very intriguing. However, Ingenuity takes around a day to fully recover, so how will you make a business using this?"
She smirked smugly, with a greedy expression.
"Well, of course, that's by ripping people off!"
William stared down at her with a blank expression.
'She reminds me of someone, what a coincidence.'
[Mission: I am the one thing in life I can control.]
[Progress: 5.78%]
An image of a happy-looking family with two sons and a young daughter would flash in his mind. All laughing and smiling whilst trying to fit in the family photo. The parents looked rather annoyed yet joyful while pushing the rowdy children into the frame. The older son looked rather scholarly and intelligent, the younger one looked rather moody, and the youngest daughter was a chaotic ray of sunshine, contrasting her calm and dark brothers.
He then proceeded to karate chop her lightly on the head out of pure impulse. He smiled very slightly whilst doing it, as if recalling fond memories.
"I have standards, you know? Plus, if we were in any way, shape, or form going to scam people, come up with a decent plan first."
The young woman pouted slightly while crossing her arms.
"Hey! I haven't even finished explaining yet! I was going to say that I can use the items I get from my ability, and sell them for vast amounts of loreld! Even better, we can make it a gacha system! I'll even give you a cut if you help me out!"
William chuckled slightly.
"Oh? Right here, right now, I'll put the offer out. 40% of all earnings, in exchange for our protection and a spot as one of my top officers, which means you get to decide what you do every day and don't have to take orders from anyone but me, how about it?"
The little woman would angrily glare at William.
"T-ten percent..."
"Twenty."
"Fifteen."
William smiled slyly and extended a hand.
"You've got yourself a deal, what's your name again?"
The girl would grin sheepishly.
"Lian Jiangtian! You can just call me Lian, though!"
She'd high-five his hand with joy.
William then looked at the coats on the table and then at Lian. Then, he tossed a one at her, one that he used his eyes to check.
"Here ya go, this was expensive, so take good care of it. The downside should be less egregious because you weren't the one who ended them. I'm not usually this generous, so don't come looking for more funds later."
She tilted her head in confusion, eyes wide at the very sleek and fashionable coat being given to her for free.
"Wha? Thanks, b-boss!"
"Consider it an investment. I look forward to the business you bring."
She adorned the goat while giggling, admiring its beauty.
Once, Lan had put it on fully, a digital-looking eyepiece would appear over one of her eyes, like some type of holographic-futuristic monocle.
'The Reader of Strategy.'
"Whoa! This is sick! Thanks, dude! It's like augmented reality!"
"No problem. Put it to good use."
'This time, I hope you find an ending you like.'
William smiled, then departed for the highest floor of the watchtower, where Li Jiaojie and Fei Kangzhen happened to be waiting.
Fei Kangzhen was fidgeting with an imaginary smartphone as always while sitting on the couch, while Li Jiaojie sipped on some boiling water, seemingly calmed by its scalding heat. He stood on the other side of the couch.
William walked casually, took a place between them, and sat down. He tossed the final two coats he had picked up earlier at the two of them.
"Gentlemen, consider this a gift from me to you."
As the effects of the Reader of War and the Reader of Artillery took place on the two men, Fei Kangzhen would speak.
"I feel like my aim is sharper, like I'm more precise. I-I'm not sure what else for now."
"I think my coat can grant the effects of the domain ability on the wearer. Maybe Fei Kangzhen's has other uses."
"Hey boss, you seem happier than usual today, something happen when you were away?"
Zhang Jiewei gazed at the night sky with a hint of a smile on his face.
"Nothing, nothing at all."