Chapter 142 | Eccentric Old Lady Lucy
The next morning, Dexter sorted through his routine.
He woke early, cooked breakfast for the girls, took care of Mira’s morning needs, and served the meal at the dining table.
If it were another person, they would have gotten tired a long while ago. Even a good person would have definitely complained after a while.
But Dexter was happy to do these chores everyday. Who knows if he’s starting to develop something for the girls, or maybe it’s purely transactional and he looked forward to the investment returns from the system.
Halfway through breakfast, he suddenly asked, "How would you all feel about renovating the house?"
He leaned back in his chair. "I’ve saved up quite a bit of money. I think it’s about time we fixed this place up properly."
Lyra and Selene both looked up from their meals.
Mira, meanwhile, remained completely focused on her breakfast.
She calmly used her Spectral Arms to scoop food from her plate, eating without reacting as though Dexter hadn’t said anything.
Selene glanced around the house before speaking softly. "...I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it."
Lyra nodded in agreement. ’...Mm.’
Dexter pursed his lips. He understood their reluctance. The idea of strangers stomping and entering the house, disturbing their peace, they probably hated it.
Just like when those people came in to arrange the new beds, they hated it. Now if others came once more, especially since they would take more time during the repair, they might hate ie even more.
But the house needed work.
The wallpaper in several rooms had peeled away, exposing bare plaster.
The bathroom wall had cracked during Mira’s outbreak, and the mirror had shattered.
The front porch gate was rusted and the swing chair in the backyard was also rusty and its wooden slats splintering.
The kitchen roof had developed a slow leak that dripped into a bucket he had strategically placed during the last rainstorm.
And the exterior walls which had been originally painted a clean cream color had faded to a muddy, dull brown that made the bungalow look abandoned.
The Hero Association had repaired the structural damage from the monster outbreak, and hadn’t bothered with rest.
Dexter nodded slowly. "Okay. I won’t call anyone for renovations. I guess I’ll have to do it myself."
Selene slowly nodded. Lyra blinked her eyes glanced curiously at Dexter and then nodded before returning her attention to her food.
Still, Mira still hadn’t said anything.
Dexter shrugged, a faint smile tugging on his lips n at his lips as he recalled the events of the previous night.
After breakfast, the girls retreated to their bedroom to cultivate, arranging themselves in a loose circle around the ancient beast egg, which sat at the center like a shrine.
They cultivated in unison. The Grand Cosmos Scripture activated simultaneously in three bodies, each one drawing mana through their awakened Star Nodes rather than their shattered meridians.
Mana surged toward the bungalow from every direction, invisible currents of energy converging on the small house like rivers feeding into a lake.
The Mana Hurricane phenomenon began again.
The ancient beast egg absorbed its share of the mana, its surface glowing faintly with a warm, golden pulse that had grown steadily brighter over the past few days.
The three girls absorbed their own mana simultaneously, their Star Nodes drinking greedily from the hurricane they had created.
•••
Dexter stood in the kitchen, staring at the notification on his Type-3 Arcane phone. It was another message from the Hero Association—a reminder this time.
> ’[Reminder: Promotion Processing]’
>
> Hero Dexter Ashford, this is a second notification regarding your approved promotion. You are required to report to your nearest Hero Association branch within twenty-four hours to complete your promotion procedures.
>
> Failure to report may result in suspension of your hero license and associated benefits.
>
> Please confirm your intended arrival time.
’Suspension? Aren’t this guys ruthless?’
Dexter frowned and then pocketed the phone.
"Will go later."
For now, he needed to stay home, partly to keep an eye on the girls after yesterday’s near-disaster with Selene, and partly because he wasn’t ready to leave them again so soon after reconciling.
He finished washing the breakfast dishes, dried them, and placed them in the cabinet.
He wiped down the counter, swept the kitchen floor, and checked the leak in the kitchen ceiling and it was actually still dripping slowly into the bucket. He made a mental note to fix it as part of his renovation plan.
Then he gathered the trash, food scraps, packaging, the empty syringe from the empty serum he’d used on Selene—and carried the dustbin outside to the curb.
The morning air was cool and fresh. The street was quiet, most of the neighbors already at work.
A few birds chirped from the power lines.
The sunlight was pale but pleasant, casting long shadows from the houses across the street.
Dexter placed the dirt in the trash can ans as Dexter was about to turn back toward his gate, his eyes caught movement across the road.
Old Lady Lucy.
The old lady who lives in the house directly opposite his bungalow.
Her gate was open, and she was tending to her front yard, mowing the small patch of grass with a manual push mower.
Dexter had greeted her once before and she had responded with a curt nod and immediately returned to her gardening without a word.
She was eccentric—sometimes acknowledging him, other times pretending he didn’t exist. He had learned not to take it personally.
This morning, he decided not to greet her. Better to avoid the awkwardness of being ignored.
He turned toward his gate.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw movement. The old woman had stopped gardening.
She was looking directly at him.
Then, to his surprise...
She raised a hand and waved.
Dexter blinked.
"...Me?"
The old woman nodded gently before waving again.
Surprised, Dexter raised his own hand and waved back.
A faint smile spread across the old woman’s wrinkled face. She slowly lifted a finger and curled it twice, gesturing for him to come over.
Dexter paused.
His gaze lingered on the white-haired old woman standing quietly among the colorful flowers.
Should I go?