A few hours later Noah found himself in front of his room. B-54 had done her job and gotten him there..
The hallway was sparsely decorated, a day-and-night difference from the plaza they had visited first. Only row after row of doors could be seen. The walls were adorned with a few paintings but there was not much else to comment about the whole atmosphere of the hallway.
Ignoring the boring decorations. Noah thought back to what happened back in the plaza.
He had to admit that he went on a little crazy during his shopping spree and the way B-54’s smile became brighter as he made more purchases practically confirmed his suspicion about her payroll being proportional to how much money he spent.
The current fashion trends were a disorienting mess for him, as different planets and systems would have different styles. So the choices were pretty wild, to say the least.
He even had the choice to appear entirely naked as long as he covered his intimate parts. On his way he had seen what he thought was an elf, walking with what appeared to be nothing but three flimsy patches of leaves covering her nipples and her secret garden.
Emphasis on the word appeared as B-54 mentioned that even though she looked like she was naked, she was wearing an extremely thin, completely see-through material that had the advantage of being extremely tough. It was used as the last layer of protection by a select few soldiers.
Basically a kinkier version of the body suit the pilots used for their Frame and Power Armor.
The universe is truly full of interesting things.
He was reminded once again that he needed to throw away all prejudice he might have and simply enjoy.
He also bought that see-through bodysuit… just in case. Not only was it extremely protective and durable, but it could also regulate the temperature if need be. Noah did not need that feature, but he found it pretty cool.
During the shopping spree, he obviously did not forget his guide. He offered to buy some clothes for her if she so wished, but she tactfully refused his gesture. The staff were not allowed to receive any gifts from the Super VIPs.
“We are here. Number 25,000. Your luggage and everything you bought were already sent to your room.” B-54 stopped and stepped aside to show him the room.
The implication that this ship could house more than 20 thousand people was not lost on him. But he was more curious about the interior appearance of his room.
“Thanks for your guidance.” He hesitated an instant, wondering if space people had a tipping culture or not, and if they did, then how much should he tip her?
But, remembering the no-gift policy he decided to wait. There would be other occasions.
“So, now what?” Noah asked, and B-54 simply bowed in response.
“For now… I need to make a report to the captain, then I will once again be available for your service. Unless I am under maintenance, in which case, A-54 my assistant will take charge.
“We will be available at all times for the duration of your trip. Do not hesitate to call for our service.”
“Maintenance?” Noah raised an eyebrow at this. “Do you mean?” He asked in realization.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“Android B-54 at your service.” She made a mock salute and giggled before leaving a very surprised Noah.
— Eyes up.
Noah cleared his throat slightly at Eve’s remonstrance. He had to admit that B-54 was a beautiful woman… or android, and her uniform or the way she swayed her hips as they left did not help.
Seems like I am either more backed up than I thought or she is just that attractive.
Discarding the horny thoughts that had momentarily clouded his mind. Noah looked at the door of his room.
Immediately, he saw that there was no handle. The only way to open it was through his biological print or a special card. Noah had refused the biological print, more out of principle than anything else.
Taking the card provided to him, he placed it against the door and immediately got a response.
The door started glowing and a small force field formed around him. This was a protection measure to avoid people forcing their way in while the VIP was entering his room.
“I wonder what my room looks like.” He mused out loud. He had been in many VIP suites when he was on Earth.
Each was more extravagant than the last, and soon he realized he had underestimated the scale those people were willing to go for.
“Well…”
Noah blinked as he entered the room. From the distance between each door outside, he estimated the room to only be between 20 to 40 square meters at best. However, what he was witnessing genuinely shocked him.
The main room alone seemed to cover nearly 100 square meters, and he could see a few more doors leading to other rooms.
Deciding to explore the suite, Noah understood what it felt like to truly be extravagant.
“Is that… an Olympic-sized pool with a waterfall?”
One room had a supermassive pool for some reason. One room had a dancing floor. A third room looked like a large office with all the necessary equipment.
There also was what he summarized to be a small gym. Most of the equipment was different from what he remembered, but those could be changed with one click.
The bathroom didn't have a bathtub but another pool, far smaller than the one he witnessed before, equipped with adjustable heat. The water was constantly changed, ensuring a steady stream of fresh water.
The bathroom could switch the different equipment depending on the preference of the client from what he could read in the catalog. There was even an option to switch the water to lava or increase the water pressure or even change it to sand for some reason.
There was a small theater and one could request to watch any of the most popular movies streamed in the galaxy or even listen to music if they wished.
Finally, If the TV was not to his taste, he could even request a musical group or a theater group to perform live and entertain him.
On the actual bedroom side, the options were relatively mundane from the rest. The shape, size and structure of the bed could be adjusted to accommodate most races. He also spotted a traditional communication console for room service or for contacting B-54 or her assistant, A-54. Additionally, he also noticed more shady options like contacting someone for some special room service or gambling and other such vices.
The more Noah explored the suite, the more he started to wonder if leaving Oz to work with Morgiana and her crew, the Dream Chaser, had actually been a good idea.
This was a level of luxury that was truly like no other, he had to admit. He would have most likely never stepped foot outside the room if it wasn’t for his mission and all the other problems he had.
— You know you don’t have to do anything, right? Why would it be a problem to settle for a life of leisure? We could have some snacks on the side from time to time.
You have been more forward about your desire lately.
Noah thought idly as he jumped on the bed and released a sigh. The bed made him feel like he had just died and went to heaven. It was so cozy he felt like sleeping instantly.
— I am simply exploring my own desires in a deeper way.
It's good. As long as this doesn't transform into a cliche situation of you wanting my body.
Noah readily accepted Eve's words. If this had happened at the start of his exile on the lonesome planet of ice and fire, he would have gone insane with panic. Well…crazier than he already was.
But now he knew that he didn't have to worry about her.
— A body, huh… A body is indeed one of the greatest expressions of individuality. Should I seize a body?
Oh? Do you plan to finally leave my head?
— That is impossible. The two of us are fused on a level beyond anything I could even start to comprehend. But I could separate a part of my consciousness and use another body to operate. And… it’s not limited to just one body.
In short, you mean a new hive mind?
— ...More or less? I need to think about this some more.
After those words. Eve fell silent. Leaving Noah to his own thoughts. He imagined an army of Eves at his beck and call. It would be ironic for the hero of earth to have his own army of Parasites.
Still, the Parasites had been a nightmare to fight and for that very reason, they would certainly be very effective allies.
Well. No need to think about this for now.
Status.
『 Name: Noah Ouroboros
Tier: 8
Main Class: Mecha Pilot
Growth Stage: Hatchling (99%)
Affiliation: N/A
Alias: 13th Constellation; The Serpent Bearer
Rank: Pawn
Race: Superior Human
Path: Voracity
Thema: Predation, Adaptation, Evolution
Speed: SS-120
Dexterity: S-99
Endurance: EX-160
Strength: SSS-150
Aether: A-80 』
He was only 1 percent away from the next stage of evolution but that 1% seemed like a gulf that he just had no way of crossing. No matter how much he ate or trained, nothing changed.
From what Tin said, Tier-7 was no different from becoming the equivalent of a mobile weapon.
The peak of Tier 7 had the equivalent firepower to decimate a whole ass mountain.
Noah understood why Tin despised this power system. It was extremely vague. After all, mountains on different planets or even on the same planet had different heights and areas they occupied.
Still, since this system was created by the Gaia Empire then— Earth should be the basis, right?
He decided to not overthink more about this. What mattered was that a new tier would make him stronger.
For the first time in a long, long time, it seemed that eating would not be enough for him.