Less than two hours later, Owen arrived in front of "Jace's Tech Den" as arranged. A short electronic melody chimed as he pushed the door open. The shop's unique scent, a mixture of hot soldering irons, the plastic of new equipment, and the faint smell of energy drinks greeted him immediately.

Jace's shop was unchanged, an organized chaos. Shelves were filled with the latest IT equipment, boxes of computer parts, cables coiled like multicolored snakes, and strange-looking high-tech prototypes scattered everywhere. The blue and purple neon light from computer cases and decorative bulbs shone throughout the shop, creating a modern and mysterious atmosphere, like the laboratory of a mad inventor.

Owen found the shop owner hunched over the counter. Jace was wearing a special magnifying headset and was intently soldering a tiny spot on a complex circuit board.

"Hey, Jace," Owen greeted him.

Jace looked up when he heard Owen's voice. He took off the magnifying headset and grinned widely. "What's up, my friend! You're here earlier than I thought."

"I just didn't want to waste time," Owen replied with a faint smile. "Let's continue our talk, about the equipment we discussed."

Jace’s expression turned both serious and excited at the same time. "Definitely! Let's get right to it." He leaned back in his chair. "First, I have to tell you, the off-the-shelf mana detectors are like kids' toys. They’re crude, can only detect at close range, and they're bulky. Everyone will know you're using one."

He leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with pride. "But you came to the right place… because a 'genius' like me can create a 'custom-made special' that's a hundred times better than anything on the market."

Jace began to explain enthusiastically. "I can build a small scanner that can record the unique 'mana waveform' of each Awakened. It doesn't just detect 'if' there's energy, but it can tell you 'whose' energy it is. It’s a high-level espionage device, my friend."

"Excellent," Owen said with satisfaction. "That's exactly what I need."

"But…" Jace drew out the word. "Something of this level has its conditions." His smile turned a little cunning. "To build it, I'm still missing some important 'materials'… a 'Nexus Crystal,' which is used to balance the sensors. It's something that can only be bought on the black market. And of course, it’s not just about money, but also 'connections' and trust. I definitely wouldn't build something of this level for just anyone."

Owen frowned. "So what do you want?"

"Easy, my friend," Jace raised his hands to calm him down. "I saw the potential in you from the first time we met, and I love a challenging project like this. But before we get to that…" he grinned widely. "I have a more interesting offer… I'll build this device for you, on the condition that you agree to 'test' a few of my prototype inventions in exchange…"

"But first… I have to ask you some important questions," Jace narrowed his eyes at Owen seriously. "Are you an Awakened, Owen?"

Owen paused for a moment before nodding frankly. "Yes, I am. I just recently became an Awakened."

The answer made Jace nod with satisfaction, as if the final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. He pointed to a pile of strange equipment in the corner of the shop. "That's perfect, my friend! I need you to ‘test’ those devices I built, to record real-world usage data from an Awakened. I’ll then use that data to improve my work. If you do this job for me, I’ll agree to build the 'Specter Scanner' for you… at a friendship price."

Owen, having no other choice and knowing this was his best chance, nodded in acceptance. "Deal. I accept the offer."

"Excellent!" Jace smiled, satisfied. He seemed even more excited than Owen. "Then wait right here for a second, my friend!"

He quickly ran and disappeared into the back of the shop, leaving Owen standing amidst the high-tech clutter. Not long after, Jace returned with the first "toy" in his arms.

It was a pair of ankle-high boots made of polished silver metal. But instead of a normal sole, it had a glowing blue energy panel. And importantly, it had several wires connected to a control panel that looked incomplete and was wrapped in electrical tape.

"And this is my first masterpiece!" Jace announced proudly. "Introducing… the 'Anti-Gravity Boots Mark I'!"

…..

Jace led Owen out of the shop through an employee-only door. It led to a service corridor hidden behind the various shops, a world completely different from the luxurious hallways of the shopping mall. The cold concrete floor, the loud whirring of ventilation fans, and the musty smell mixed with the faint scent of food from a nearby restaurant's back kitchen. It was the perfect testing ground for a device not yet ready for public eyes.

"Alright, my friend," Jace said excitedly, handing the Anti-Gravity Boots to Owen. "It's easy to use. Put them on, then press the green button on the right ankle to activate them. Then just think about the direction you want to go… its neural interface system will pick up your brainwaves."

Owen took the boots and put them on, not entirely convinced. When he pressed the activation button, the energy panel under his feet glowed a soft blue, accompanied by a low hum. He felt his body become strangely light.

He cautiously tried to step onto the concrete wall beside him… and it worked! His foot stuck to the wall as if held by a magnet. So he tried to take another step… until he was able to walk up the wall in an amazing fashion.

"Awesome! It really works!" Owen exclaimed with excitement.

"See! I told you I'm a genius!" Jace shouted back proudly, quickly jotting down data on his tablet.

But then… as Owen was walking upside down on the ceiling of the corridor…

Fzzt~ Zzzzt!

The energy panel under the boots began to flash red, accompanied by the soft sound of an electrical short. Suddenly, the adhesion force disappeared, but the anti-gravity function malfunctioned, forcefully pushing his body up against the ceiling, right into an air duct pipe!

"Hey! Jace! What’s happening!?" Owen yelled as he dangled upside down in mid-air.

At that moment, a stray orange cat that was digging for scraps looked up and saw the image of an upside-down human floating above its head. In its shock, it let out a loud "MEOW!" and leaped away in a panic, crashing into a delivery cart, which lost its balance and slid, slamming loudly into the back door of the adjacent restaurant.

CRASH!

The back door flew open. A chef in a grimy apron poked his head out, annoyed. "Hey! What was that noise! You scared the hell out of me while I was cooking!" he shouted, looking left and right.

Owen knew instantly he didn't have much time. He used his abs to swing his body and grab onto the large air duct, hiding in a dark corner just in time before the chef looked up. He manually shut down the boots' system and let his body fall to the floor, before rolling behind a large trash can in silence.

"Damn it! The gyroscope axis adjuster isn't responding!" Jace muttered to himself, not paying any attention to the surrounding chaos. He was busy noting down the error with technical terms Owen didn't understand. "I probably need to add another layer of backup capacitors…"

After that, the testing of the crazy devices continued. For example, Owen had to test "Grappling Gloves" that could shoot out to grab things from a distance, but when they grabbed, they wouldn't let go, until Owen had to use his B-Rank Awakened power to painstakingly pry the steel fingers open. This was followed by a "Tickle Baton" that Jace claimed used sonic waves to incapacitate an opponent with tickling instead of an electric shock. The result was that it only vibrated weakly, giving Owen a mild case of goosebumps.

Throughout the testing, Jace stood by muttering about the errors in his own work, but at the same time, he couldn't help but be amazed by Owen’s ability and quick wit. Every time a device malfunctioned, Owen was able to handle the situation and prevent any damage or danger to those around him, calmly and effectively.

When all the tests were over, Owen stood before Jace, slightly sweaty and tired.

Jace looked up from his tablet, his eyes sparkling with satisfaction. "Okay, my friend. You did great. The data I got is priceless! You handled the situations much better than I expected."

He said, fully acknowledging Owen's capabilities. "I will definitely build you the best 'Specter Scanner'… But first, let's talk about the 'price'."

…..

After returning to the shop, filled with the aura of technology, Jace invited Owen to sit in a customer chair in front of the counter. He handed Owen a cold can of an energy drink before sitting down opposite him and getting to the important matter.

"From the data I just got," Jace said, tapping his tablet screen. "I’ll tune the sensors of the 'Specter Scanner' to be specifically suited for your use. It will be discreet and maximally effective… You can come pick it up in three days."

"Great. And the price?" Owen asked.

Jace gave a proud smile. "For a normal customer, something of this level costs one hundred thousand dollars… but for you, as my excellent tester… I’ll give you a special discount, my friend… A friendship price of only 'sixty thousand dollars.'"

Jace's use of the word "only" was like a sledgehammer hitting Owen right in the face. His face went pale instantly. He quickly took out his phone to check his bank account balance again, and the harsh reality hit him… He had less than ten thousand dollars left after his splurge on luxury clothes and golf equipment.

He was completely cornered…

'Damn it… what do I do,' Owen thought in a panic. 'Should I call Alex for help? No… if I do that, I’ll be too indebted to him.'

Just as he was about to give up and tell Jace the truth, his instincts told him to call upon the last power he could rely on.

'Choice System… I have to count on you now!'

Ting!~

The translucent blue screen flashed to life before him, responding to his call in a time of crisis. The system analyzed the situation and offered possible solutions to this financial crisis.

…..

[You are facing an unexpected financial problem. What will you do?]

[1. Take a dangerous job from Jace's black market connections to earn money.]: (High risk | may create more enemies.)

[2. Beg and plead with Jace until he might soften up.]: (Low chance of success | and it will make you look pathetic.)

[3. Make him an offer he can't refuse. Offer to take 3 sexy photos of Sahara’s "buttocks" for him, in exchange for delaying the payment until next month.]: (Affection +10 | Jace agrees to delay the payment until next month.)

…..

Owen’s eyes widened when he saw the third option… 'This is… insane,' he thought. But considering the outcome and the risks, it was undoubtedly the best choice.

He made his decision in a split second…

Owen looked up from his phone, meeting Jace’s eyes with a serious expression. "Jace… I don't have enough cash to pay you right now," he admitted frankly. "But… I have an offer that you might be more interested in than money."

Jace raised an eyebrow, curious. "I'm listening…"

Owen gave a cunning smile. "I happened to see you and Sahara arguing in front of her shop the other day… It seems you have a special appreciation for her 'artwork'."

Hearing the name, Jace’s face immediately turned to one of despair and frustration. It was the despair of an artist whose work had been destroyed before his very eyes.

"Oh… Sahara? Don't even get me started on that, my friend!" he slumped down in his chair, miserable. "She doesn't understand my art at all! The camera angle that day was perfect, the lighting was like a Caravaggio! But she called me a pervert and made me delete the picture right in front of her!"

Owen held back a smile. "So… if I could get you a 'masterpiece' of Sahara’s sexy buttocks, a couple of pictures… would you be willing to delay the payment for the scanner until next month?"

Suddenly… Jace’s entire world stopped spinning…

His cool, genius persona shattered in an instant. His eyes widened until they almost popped out of their sockets. Both his ears turned as red as ripe tomatoes.

"S-Sahara's… ass!?" he repeated, his voice trembling.

Owen nodded seriously.

Silence fell for a moment before Jace leaped over the counter and grabbed Owen’s hand tightly with the utmost excitement.

"Deal! Deal, my friend! Deal! You can pay me next month! No! Two months!" he said enthusiastically. "But the pictures have to be in 4K resolution! An upward angle would be great! The kind where you can see the curves clearly, my friend!"

Owen could only nod, dazed by Jace's complete change in personality.

He walked out of the shop with mixed feelings. He had successfully solved his immediate problem, but now he had a new mission that was both insane and extremely dangerous… The mission to take pictures of the ass of the terrifying goddess of the fashion world, Sahara. Fortunately, they weren't nude photos, just sexy ones… He could probably think of a discreet way to do it… hopefully…

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