Divine Celebrity 163

 I identified my target, but I didn’t move forward. I could have … but it would be too obvious, which was a problem even under the best of the situation. The subtle magic field that covered the center told me to slow down. 

I was tempted to just turn and leave, but I was afraid that it would show that I noticed the effect that was at the center of the dance floor, which wouldn’t be a good idea. After all, it was subtle, enough for me to assume that an ordinary hero wouldn’t be able to detect it. Leaving the club prematurely would have revealed my hand. 

I went to the bar and asked for half a dozen shots. “Hard night?” the bartender asked. 

I just shrugged. “Just trying to catch up with the crowd,” I said even as I rapidly went through them, gesturing toward the dance floor. 

“Yeah, wait until midnight. You can’t believe the things that happen on the dance floor,” he said with an amused shrug, though I didn’t miss the tone of disbelief in his tone, which suggested that he didn’t know the reason for it, which confirmed not all employees were unaware of the nature of the place. 

“Interesting,” I said, but didn’t ask another question. I couldn’t just stay and watch the dance floor without it getting too suspicious. Instead, I started looking around at the bar, as if I were looking for a target for a one-night stand. “Any interesting groups tonight?” I asked even as I passed him a large tip. “Maybe a bachelorette party or something that might be interested in an adventure.” 

“A whole party?” he asked with a chuckle, the dismissal in his tone showing that he didn’t recognize the only superhero in town, my identity paper-thin at this point. Not too surprising, considering just how dark the place was, and the blinding background lights didn’t exactly help. “Someone’s feeling confident.” 

“Shoot for the stars, and you might just land on the moon and find yourself in a low-gravity orgy,” I said. 

“Alright, I like your confidence,” the bartender said. “How about those —” he started, before he got interrupted. 

“Hey, the boss asks you for some questions about the inventory,” a woman spoke, interrupting him. 

“Really, Peyten? Are you sure?” he asked, his worry clear, which was understandable. Every bartender skimped on alcohol, either to give some extra to their best customers to fish for tips, or to pocket some of the cash payments without registering the sale. 

“Yes, I’m sure,” Peyten answered. However, this time, it was just an excuse. The reason was simple. Peyten was not an ordinary woman — unless the definition of ordinary changed during my absence, and currently included people with magic fields around them, disguising their looks.  

I didn’t dare to probe what was around her, but I could feel that it was similar to what was going on around the dance floor, once again echoing in my Lust Domain, like they had similar sources. Similar, but not entirely the same. 

I ignored the temptation to poke it with my Intent, and just observed passively, particularly focusing on her disguise. I wasn’t an expert when it came to magic, nowhere near close, but the similarity with my Lust Domain allowed me to get a general idea of the function. 

And the function was interesting. The disguise was actually concealing her beauty rather than enhancing it, which was an interesting use. Yet, understandable, as even with it, she was clearly the most beautiful woman at the bar, several drunk men already looking at me jealously. She was a busty blonde, her beauty shining despite wearing a practical shirt and jean combo, neither particularly tight. 

I was willing to bet that her beauty had some supernatural roots. “So, Peyten, why don’t you take over and help me find a few lady friends while I enjoy another half a dozen shots,” I said, but even as I used her name, it felt wrong … diminished. Just like her looks, her name was disguised. 

My instinctual realization about the name was interesting. It was the first time I felt a name having an actual power. The moment I spoke, I felt like touching a statue. One that was behind a curtain … somehow, letting me know that her real name was similar to Peyten, but not the same.  

“Oh, you think you can handle that much?” she said, and I abandoned those thoughts for the moment. If her name had power, exploring the truth might not be the best of ideas. 

Instead, I focused on her taunt. Her voice was seductive and challenging, leaving ambiguous whether she talked about the girls or the drinks. I recognized the method. It was the exact way I taunted people to make them commit some terrible mistakes. 

“I can handle it,” I said, my smile smug and wide, doing my best impression of Kevin, like I deserved everything just by existing. 

I had no doubt that she recognized me as the new hero of the town, and that was a way to test me. 

A test that I managed to fail if I managed to read her diminishing interest accurately. 

Just as I wanted. She might be the hottest woman here even with the disguise, but that didn’t mean I would just throw myself to seduce her … no matter how tempting was the idea of seeing her true beauty. I rather stay concealed. 

“Here, your drinks,” she said, but I noticed she poured them from another bottle, carrying a strong hint of empowerment. I could sense that the moment I drank them, it would challenge my supernatural endurance — once again able to read the function thanks to the similarity in domain. 

It was a good way to get an arrogant superhero drunk. I decided to take the risk of concealing my role and took the first one, analyzing the impact. It was strong … strong enough that, the six of them would make me properly drunk and reckless if I was still relying on Heroic Traits … though with the combination of Recovery and Endurance, it would have barely lasted an hour. 

With the Divine Body, it was far easier to ignore. 

“E-excellent drink,” I said, easily faking being drunk. 

“Very good, mister hero,” she said, her voice getting even more dismissive, my success making her dismiss me even more. 

“Thanks, do you want to have fun with the hero—” I said with a smirk before freezing. “I m-mean, what do you mean by hero. I’m just a man who just woke up from a coma,” I said. “I have papers to prove it.” 

Using that as an excuse was a good way to further convince her about the situation. 

“Sorry, I must have been mistaken. Now, why don’t you seduce that lady, she’s more to your taste,” she said, her voice once again using a suggestion, though this time in an even heavier manner. She was truly an expert in persuasion, I realized. She didn’t use as much power as I did, but the impact was impressive. Without the Divine Mind, I would have followed her order immediately. 

Luckily, she was targeting the exact same table I wanted to aim for, one with the business mogul. She clearly had a reason for it. 

“Would you be i-interested in a three-way if I can get her,” I asked even as I stood up, making a show of poor balance. 

“Unfortunately no. That man has some gang connections, and it’s a bit dangerous for me,” she said, which was the most blatant lie she ever told. I could feel that she treated him as a mosquito, annoying but small. “But you’re a big brave hero, I’m sure you can deal with him and save that poor woman,” she said, once again magically persuasive. 

Just by listening to her, I could come up with better ways of using my Intimidation and Taunt abilities, which was a surprising reward. 

Of course, that ‘poor’ woman was certainly not in distress as she magically tried to convince me, and was looking mostly bored. 

“Pity, you won’t join us,” I said, doing my best to fake a drunk confidence as I stumbled toward the table. 

“Don’t forget to bring her to the dance floor. It’s rude to bring a lady away without dancing,” she said. I didn’t want to the clearly magical floor, but unfortunately, I had to, because her persuasion magic was even thicker.

Not enough to affect me … but strong enough that, if I ignored it, it would ruin the whole point of my earlier acting. So, even as I walked toward my destination, I used the slow pace of a dizzy drunk to examine the dance floor more carefully, particularly the way the dancers interacted with it. 

There was another lust field integrated, though surprisingly, it didn’t actually make people act differently. It just gathered and focused the resulting energy. Like the chess set that the German professor used against me … but several times better. It not only collected and cleaned the energy, but it focused. 

Still Intent, but a focused, purified kind, but causing a lot of loss in the process. 

Interesting process, but I was reasonably sure that I could fake it. 

Excellent.