Helena Weaver II

Helena walked through security without so much as being glanced at except for Rylan. Though the security guards did not stop him, they didn't give him a warning to not cause any trouble with their intense glares. Rylan smiled wryly in response to those glares.

The bodyguards were ordered to stay behind. When they tried to warn her of the dangers of going off with a stranger without them, she shut them down with a single glare. As far as she was concerned, her bodyguards were there to handle the minor affairs. When it truly came to her safety, she herself was more capable than the bodyguards she hired.

A massive grand hall received Rylan's sight and a cool breeze greeted him. There was a large chandelier hanging by the ceiling. Paintings of well-known masters decorated the walls. Every furnishing was either embroidered with silver or gold embellishments, or both. Anyone would have been impressed by the sight of such a luxurious grandeur of a hotel reception hall but not Rylan. In fact, he bore a look of indifference.

As if she owned the hotel and was designed specifically for her presence, Helena entered an elevator that just so happened to open up for her as she neared. Rylan followed her right inside with a single comment.

The elevator took them to the topmost floor of the hotel without stopping for even a single floor. When the doors were opened, they were led directly into the penthouse suite.

"Don't dawdle," Helena muttered and made a beeline for the living room.

Rylan followed right behind at the same pace as her.

As soon as the elevator doors closed right behind them, Helena turned around with her arm splayed and she clenched her fist.

Rylan saw it coming but he did not move to avoid it. He let her aura wrap itself around him like a python trying to suffocate its prey. It truly could suffocate someone if Helena wished to.

"Talk. Who sent you?" Helena demanded. "Before you answer, do know that I can tell if you're lying."

"No one," Rylan answered.

Helena arched her brows in surprise. "Then why are you following me?"

"I was not."

"Were you waiting for my arrival in front of the hotel?"

"Not at all."

She narrowed her eyes. "Then it's just a coincidence that our paths crossed?"

"As absurd as that might sound, yes, it is just a coincidence."

Her lips curled in dissatisfaction.

"However, getting your attention is certainly not a coincidence."

Hearing that, Helena tightened her grip, tightening the hold on Rylan in response. "What's your game here?"

"My game?"

Helena clenched her fist even tighter. "What are you scheming?"

"What am I scheming…? Well, for the grand scheme of things, I haven't really thought about it. But for now, I merely want a hot shower, a nice soft bed, and someone to warm the bed with."

Helena frowned at the words that she already knew coming.

"You," Rylan said.

Suddenly, she broke into a cackle.

"I'm being serious here."

"I am aware," she said after calming down from her laugh. "I know I have delusional and obsessive fans. I have even dealt with some of them personally but you… you take the cake."

"Correction, Miss Weaver. I'm not your fan or your admirer," Rylan said and spread his arms, breaking himself out of Helena's hold.

Astonishment swept over her face but she immediately regained her composure. She tried to put him into her hold again but Rylan sidestepped away from her grasp. She hid her incredulity and pressed the assault. With her palm splayed open, she pushed at the air.

Rylan saw her aura coming for him but again, he didn't dodge it but he didn't stand motionlessly either. He reached out and grabbed ahold of her aura and crushed it with his grip.

Helena widened her eyes. "W-who are you?" she asked with a hint of unease in her voice. She had fought countless powerful foes and battles that weren't in her favour, but this was the first time despair enveloped her with just a single move from her opponent. Naturally, she could see her own aura and aside from herself, only a handful of people could see her aura and only one of them wasn't her people. Now, there were two individuals not under her command that knew the truth behind her powers.

However, Rylan was the first person who was able to directly and physically interact with her aura and he was able to destroy it too. Even if one could see her aura, there was nothing they could do. They couldn't even dodge it as her aura moved as fast as she could think. But Rylan defied all those impossible expectations.

Helena did not give up yet. She spread her aura out, circling him, and attacked him from all sides. Before her aura could touch him, the room began to whirl and ripple as if reality was being stirred. When everything snapped back into place, Helena's aura was shattered and Rylan was right in front of her.

"Space manipulation?" she ventured a guess.

"Close but no," Rylan answered.

She clicked her tongue and thrust her hand with her fingers straightened. Rylan was just standing still and there were barely three feet between them. Yet, she somehow missed her thrust and Rylan wasn't even moving.

Helena suppressed the dread bubbling in her head and followed up her attack with a radial push. But it was also futile. Rylan copied her move by straightening his fingers and then slashed at her aura as if his hand was a blade. Her aura dissipated after it was slashed in half.

"Just who the hell are you?" she asked in a hollow tone. She backed away from Rylan slowly. She had yet to give up but for now, she didn't dare to attack him carelessly.

"My name's Rylan."

"I have no recollection of that name."

"I doubt you would have any at all."

"You are evidently an S-rank. How have I not heard about you before? A fake name?"

"That's my real name. I was just a nobody until… well, a few hours ago."

"You underwent an awakening?"

"No… but then again, I suppose awakening will be the most believable way I can explain my circumstances."

"So, you're just another greenhorn who's drunk over your newfound powers." Though greenhorn or not, it didn't change the fact that he was more powerful than her. In fact, it was even more worrying if he was truly a greenhorn. Greenhorns were known to be volatile as many tend to think they are on top of the world upon their awakening.

"Ouch. That hurts. To think I'm being grouped with those conceited punks. But… take it how you will." Rylan smiled and took a step forward.

"Wait," Helena uttered with her hands raised. An idea came to her mind.

"Oh, you're surrendering?"

"Is it true? About what you want, I mean."

"It's the truth."

Helena saw Rylan as an enemy moments ago but now, she was beginning to see him as a potential ally. "If that's all that you are asking of me, I can give them to you but in exchange, I want you to do something for me."

Rylan was amused. He could easily just force himself on her but there was no fun in that. He wanted to live a "peaceful" life now but that didn't mean he wanted to live a mundane life without any sort of conflict or challenge. That would be too boring. "Alright, I'll bite. I am not unreasonable. What is it that you want in return?"

Helena smirked inwardly but on the outside, she retained her intimidated expression. "Not here," she said and led Rylan to the living room. She sat down on the couch facing the entrance hall while Rylan sat across from her. There was a low table between them but no tea or any confectioneries were served.

Silence loomed between the two for a while. Rylan was simply staring at Helena, waiting for her to speak. Helena, on the other hand, was peering at Rylan. She had thought him to be a greenhorn but nothing about him screamed greenhorn the more she observed him and neither was she able to get anything out of him by studying his body language.

Rylan waved at her. "Miss Weaver?"

Helena withheld a huff and began. "Debt collection," she said.

"Debt collection?" Rylan sighed. "Really?"

"Really."

"Hmm, you're asking me to do something as simple as a debt collection. You're certainly not short on manpower which only leaves one plausible reason. This debt is off the books, isn't it?"

"You are correct, boy."

"And the creditor is someone in the underworld? A criminal organisation?"

"You are astute."

"Hardly a difficult deduction," Rylan scoffed. "I mean why else would one entrust a debt collection to an individual unaffiliated with them? Simple, because it will risk dirtying their hands if they collected the debt using their own assets. I reckon if you had not met me, you would have outsourced this debt collection."

"Hardly a difficult deduction, you say? That sure doesn't sound easy to me. Just who are you?"

"Don't worry. You'll come to know who I am. Isn't that why you're giving me this task?"

Helena simpered with a scoff. "You're not as dim as you look, boy."

"Good. That way, no one would be too wary of me."

"I sure as hell wasn't wary of you," Helena grumbled. She truly did not put him into mind until he stuck out his foot to trip that man. "So, will you do it?"

"I'm to collect a debt from some gangster. That's not much to work with. It's not enough for me to decide."

"I can send you the details later, boy. All I can say for now is that these gangsters would not be a challenge for you. You will be up against some superhumans but at worst, you will only be facing one or two B-ranks along with some dozens of C-ranks and below. With your abilities, I doubt it will be too difficult for you."

"It certainly won't be but aren't you putting too much faith in a greenhorn like me?"

"Like hell, you are a greenhorn," Helena scoffed. "I don't know your circumstances but I am convinced you are from being a greenhorn now that I have sat down and taken a good look at you. I have dealt with many greenhorns before and you are unlike any of them. Either you're a unique case or you're truly no greenhorn. I'm leaning more towards the latter. So, how about it? Do we have a deal?"

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"I should be the one saying that as I'm willing to pay you upfront."

Rylan raised an eyebrow. "That's too much trust for a stranger you just met."

Helena snickered. "Powerful individuals like you are hard to come by. I don't mind throwing a few million into the deal to sweeten it."

"That won't be necessary."

"You sure?"

"Very sure, Miss Weaver. But are you sure yourself?"

"Consider yourself a hefty investment that has a return of ten folds. If it pays off, even ten million is nothing. So, do we have a deal, boy?"

"Of course," Rylan said and held out his hand. "We have a deal."

"You won't regret this," Helena took his hand and shook it.

Right back at you, Helena. Unbeknownst to her, she had just made a deal with the Demon God, which was equivalent to making a deal with the devil. Should Helena break their deal, she would suffer unbearable consequences.

In addition, Rylan had copied and stealthily planted a piece of his soul into Helena. From now on, he would know if she was lying to him or trying to do him harm. He could also track her location twenty-four seven and gauge her health and condition. If he had planted more than just his consciousness, he could turn her into her thrall but that would just make things too easy.

"Say, don't you have a husband?"

"I do but I would appreciate it if you don't drag him into this."

"Just curious. Not very faithful, are you?"

"That's none of your concern, boy." Helena rose from her seat. "Now, allow me to prepare myself for the payment," she said and disappeared into the next room. "Come inside and make yourself at home. I'll be done in a moment." Her voice resounded from the room. Moments later, Rylan could hear the sound of running water but not even that could hide how hard Helena's heart was thumping.