Chapter 51: His identity was exposed, but Ethan still put away the note...

Ethan put the note away, thinking he might need it later—though that wasn't Jessica's opinion.

Turner, who had witnessed everything: "...Ethan, do you also think I would?"

Upon seeing this, Ethan knew that Turner had misunderstood, so he quickly shook his head in denial and explained that it was just a possibility for the future, not what Jessica and the others thought.

Whether Turner believed Ethan or not, Turner didn't ask any further, his expression complicated.

Turner then took Ethan to ride other amusement park attractions, such as roller coasters and drop towers.

It wasn't as exciting as flying during their battles, because there was also an attack involved, although it was indeed a novel experience.

Inside the drop tower, Ethan was calmly lost in thought, standing out conspicuously among the screaming crowd. Turner, who was idly admiring the scenery next to him, noticed Ethan's absent-mindedness.

"Is it boring?" Turner asked, though he also found it boring. He was used to far more exciting things than this. This was the city he grew up in, and he knew it all too well, so he was a little uninterested.

Ethan shook his head in denial, but Turner wasn't fooled. Having spent more time with Ethan, Turner had gradually figured out Ethan's personality and could distinguish between parts of Ethan's bluffing and parts of his deception, so he keenly noticed Ethan's perfunctory attitude.

Turner is a person with high emotional intelligence and a considerate personality, so he didn't point out Ethan's perfunctory attitude. Instead, he chose to take Ethan shopping after seeing that Ethan seemed uninterested in several different amusement rides.

Turner first took Ethan to a shop with a large clock face next to the shop's name, intending to buy it for Ethan.

Ethan quickly pulled Turner back, and through the glass window, he saw the watch shop with its British-style decor.

Ethan didn't need a watch. He didn't like carrying anything unnecessary, as it would cumbersome in his daily life. Besides, wouldn't wearing a watch inside his cloak be too conspicuous? It would be very noticeable.

He has a cell phone and magic to display things, so he doesn't need a watch. If he liked to show off, Ethan wouldn't have missed out on the treasures of Starfall; each one is a priceless gem. Ethan thought it was too ostentatious, and he didn't have a particularly strong desire to shop, so he never touched them.

Seeing Ethan's resolute expression, it was clear he really didn't want it, so Turner reluctantly gave up—and then took Ethan to the boutique to look at bags.

Ethan: "..."

Does he need a bag too? What he really wants right now is a rare medicinal herb he saw at the magician's market a few days ago, but he can't even message the seller privately because Ethan's reputation points were depleted because of Tenas.

Ethan still feels resentful when he thinks about it. He worked for three months for nothing, and it wasn't just him; Cassie and the others were also affected. It makes him feel bad, and his social energy has decreased a lot because of his bad mood.

After Ethan expressed his strong refusal, Turner took him to the women's clothing section.

Ethan: "..."

Despite Ethan's efforts, Turner took him shopping all morning but they didn't buy much, only a few unisex clothes and some sneakers that Turner insisted on buying for Ethan. Turner noticed that Ethan only had two pairs of shoes in the apartment, questioning why other girls had walk-in closets and shoe cabinets, and why Ethan only had two pairs for changing.

In fact, Ethan, who does have a walk-in closet and a huge pile of shoes in the Starfall alternate dimension, was speechless.

Ethan's eyes darted away, but then he remembered that he had made his own clothes and shoes in his Starfall craft class. He had to rush to make his combat suit and carve magic circles to help him fight, so he used other clothes to practice first.

Therefore, his desire to buy in this area has decreased even further.

Of course, the craft class wasn't just about making clothes. Starfall also asked Ethan to make magical tools and some intricate creations to test the waters. After the course ended, Ethan didn't do much crafting anymore because he was really busy.

Turner is like a spendthrift; everyone who sees him wants to buy him, regardless of whether they need him or whether Ethan wants him.

So despite Ethan's best efforts to stop him, he still bought several bags of things, which were all carried by Turner because of his gentlemanly manners.

No wonder Ternes is a friend to women. Gentlemanly manners are his instinct. He even notices and surprises people with his meticulous attention to seemingly insignificant things. He is so romantic that people wonder if he has French or Italian blood. He is so romantic and considerate, and his sweet words are like drinking honey.

Ethan thought that if he really was the wayward girl that Turner had inadvertently saved, a girl as soft yet resilient as a flower growing from the mud, it would be hard not to be attracted to such a handsome and wealthy man.

But he is not.

Fortunately, Ethan was neither a girl nor a gay man. When he saw Turner, he felt guilty and embarrassed that Turner knew his true identity. He even used his wits to skip class, not daring to reveal his true identity.

Just imagining the disbelief or anger that Turner would feel upon learning his true identity, because he had been deceived by this sinister and strange man, gave Ethan goosebumps. He dared not think about it any longer and just hoped that day would come later. Today, while he was with Turner, his eyelids kept twitching, as if something unexpected was about to happen.

Perhaps feeling it was time for a break, Turner and Ethan went to the restaurant they had booked earlier for dinner.

Here it comes, the time when Ethan has to take things more seriously—because he's a corpse and can't eat. He can only vomit up indigestible food with potions, which makes him look pathetic.

Turner let Ethan order first, then ordered his usual dishes and a drink for Ethan, thinking that Ethan must be thirsty after shopping all morning.

Ethan, who doesn't need water: Bro, I'm the one who thinks you're thirsty. Don't you need water?

Then Ethan gave Turner another glass of ice water.

The food arrived quickly, and Ternas and Ethan began to eat. Ethan ate slowly, but because he couldn't digest it, he soon felt full.

Ethan still couldn't finish all the food. Turner had already finished eating and was patiently waiting for Ethan to finish. The more Turner watched Ethan eat, the more flustered he became. Towards the end, he was already a bit clumsy.

Ethan finally said he couldn't eat anymore, so Turner went to pay the bill. Ethan excused himself to go to the restroom to take care of himself, and then, in a stall, he pinched his nose and gulped down a bottle of potion.

It wasn't some indescribable smell; the restroom was clearly well-maintained, with only a faint fragrance in the air. Ethan just felt it was strange to eat or drink in the restroom.

Ethan's communicator vibrated, and a bad feeling suddenly arose in him. He picked it up and saw that it was a call for assembly from Rena.

"Rena: @Everyone, warning of monster sightings in Kagerou City."

Ethan stared at the potion bottle he had just finished using, then closed his eyes in pain.

How could this be... Why did it have to be at this time of year?

He understood that monsters don't wait for anyone and can appear anytime, anywhere.

You might get interrupted while using the restroom, while sleeping, while eating, while taking care of a child, or even in the most awkward situations, while doing something intimate...

But Ethan just drank a whole bottle of his special emetic and was about to throw up like a baby. You mean, you want a socially awkward person like him to fight monsters while vomiting?

If he can't control himself during combat and might accidentally hurt his teammates? That's disgusting. Ethan can't accept it. He'd rather the monster just kill him outright; he can't bear that kind of horrible death.

Ethan thought to himself that he'd mostly just coasted along in the past, so going a little later shouldn't cause any trouble, right? The Guardians had managed all these years without him, hadn't they? Surely... nothing would happen?

Ethan could clearly feel his nausea gradually becoming more pronounced. Before he could vomit, he sent a message in the group chat saying that he was tied up and wouldn't be able to get there for a while, asking his Guardian colleagues to make the call first, and that he would be there soon.

Then, unable to suppress the effects of the potion, he vomited.

Ethan didn't eat much, but he still vomited for a full two minutes.

Don't underestimate the power of just two minutes. Two minutes is enough to completely change the battlefield. Even a moment's lapse in concentration can turn a favorable situation into a one-sided one, leaving no room for further development.

Ethan washed his face, removing the vomit residue. The cold water jolted him awake from his groggy state.

Ethan looked at himself in the mirror, as disheveled as ever. He had just shed tears from nausea, and his eyes were now red, as if he had been crying.

It really is... something Ethan doesn't like.

Ethan disliked his vulnerable appearance, as it not only wouldn't make people let him off the hook but would also provoke more violent behavior. He had known since childhood that crying was useless and being weak was useless.

Tears cannot protect a mother, and vulnerability will not soften the heart of a scumbag father and let him go; only great strength can.

Without further delay, Ethan opened a portal and went to the area where the power was most complex.

The coordinates Reina initially provided may differ slightly after the battle begins. It would be better to directly open the portal to the areas where the forces are most complexly intertwined, which would prove that a battle has taken place.

Ethan opened the portal in a relatively remote location, where there were no cameras. This was one of the prerequisites for Ethan to open the portal—he couldn't be filmed.

But to his surprise, he arrived too late. There was no one in the ruins, only a huge, unknown breed of dog wreaking havoc.

Ethan was heartbroken for Turner. Last time, the monsters had wreaked havoc on Turner's Kagerou City again. Last time, Turner had to take time out of his busy schedule to catch him skipping class while overseeing city maintenance. This time, who knows how long it will take to get back to the way things were before.

Ethan felt a pang of sympathy for Tenas, who was also a miserable office worker, and then began searching for his fellow Guardians, but couldn't find them.

Strangely enough, Ethan could only see a few scattered animals lying in the ruins, mostly dogs, looking listless. But the golden retriever closest to him suddenly perked up after glancing at him.

The golden retriever looked injured. It struggled to crawl to his side, circled him, as if checking something. It sniffed him closely for a while, then nibbled at his pants, seemingly signaling him to leave quickly because it was dangerous. It whimpered anxiously, making the poor golden retriever seem almost talkative.

Poor dog! Ethan couldn't help but force the golden retriever in front of him to drink the healing medicine he had prepared for his colleagues from his storage space. Drinking potions was useless for his injuries, and he could only rely on Lord Starfall to repair them.

...Why is this golden retriever frozen in place?

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Author's Note: I'm not into writing this kind of domineering CEO novel that I've read before [ ].

For some reason, all the comments I gave to Teacher Wan didn't pass the review, so I'm reposting the gist: If Xingyun were to reorganize the city, he would indeed lose some power. However, at the same time, he would arrange for his people to use underhanded tactics in other cities to make the willpower of others weaker than his own, maintaining a balance where everyone combined couldn't defeat him. Xingyun seems to have delegated a lot of power to Ethan, but he hasn't given him the most crucial decision-making authority. He's tolerant enough, but he can't touch Ethan's abilities. Because he was weak before, he's afraid of losing his power, feels insecure, and fears Yangyan's resurgence.

Ethan didn't know, and even if he did, he would understand, because once someone possesses immense power, it's rare for them to choose to remain unchanged.

Then I forgot about the rest (≧？≦*). It seems like I retain some of the chaos to prevent myself from completely losing my abilities.