Unless Erin Summers was somehow stronger than him—
But that scenario was basically impossible. Elric had multiple Devil Fruit abilities, enhanced physical capabilities, and actual combat experience. A single-power influencer?
Not a threat. Just another acquisition target.
"Let me find her exact location first."
Elric activated his Clairvoyance ability, the enhanced vision extending outward to systematically scan Building 8 floor by floor.
Within just a few minutes of concentrated searching, he found her—4th floor, corner unit facing the courtyard.
Seeing Erin Summers through supernatural observation was genuinely different from watching her curated livestreams and edited videos.
Better. More real. More striking.
She stood approximately five-foot-eight with long black wavy hair cascading down her back, possessing striking almond-shaped eyes, a high elegant nose bridge, and flawless pale skin that looked almost luminescent. Her overall aura managed to be simultaneously elegant and vaguely intimidating—the presence of someone utterly confident in their own appeal.
No wonder the wealthiest heirs and business magnates throughout the entire state had aggressively pursued her before the apocalypse.
This level of beauty was absolutely the real deal—unfiltered, natural, devastating.
Tonight specifically, she was lounging lazily across a black leather couch, dressed in an outfit that screamed calculated coolness: black leather jacket with silver zippers, tight black leather mini-skirt, and knee-high black leather boots with substantial heels.
Her long legs were crossed casually, one boot-clad foot swaying in a lazy, almost hypnotic rhythm.
She looked effortlessly cool—dangerous in an aesthetic way, almost playfully predatory.
[DING! Suitable adopter detected.]
The familiar system panel materialized in Elric's mental vision:
Name: Erin Summers
Age: 29
Appearance: 93
Figure: 92
Purity: 100 (Same-gender romantic preference)
Overall System Score: 93
Monthly Exchange Count: 25 reward cycles
[Evaluation: Meets system adoption standards. Taking her in will significantly promote Devil Fruit Tree growth.]
Another 93 rating—exactly matching Rachel Rhodes' score. One point higher than Natasha's 92.
And 25 monthly reward cycles put her in the upper tier of value—only slightly below Rachel's exceptional 26.
Extremely high priority target, Elric assessed clinically. Must acquire.
Just as Elric was carefully evaluating her complete profile statistics...
His phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming message notification.
It was from Erin Summers—she had accepted his friend request.
"Hello there, beautiful~ 💕"
"Please send a photo first so I can verify you meet my aesthetic standards. If you don't, I'll delete you immediately without explanation."
Elric raised an eyebrow at the direct, almost aggressive approach.
The tone and phrasing sounded exactly like a stereotypical sleazy guy trying to flirt online—confident to the point of arrogance, demanding visual proof, treating the interaction like a transaction.
He opened Elsa's profile on her phone and selected one of her better selfies—a naturally lit photo showing her literary elegance and refined beauty—then sent it without comment.
The response came within seconds:
"OMG WOW, girl, is this REALLY you?? 😍"
"Damn—you're absolutely GORGEOUS. I LOVE this aesthetic. Perfect type. 🔥🔥🔥"
Her messaging style—the excessive enthusiasm, the emojis, the almost aggressive appreciation—sounded exactly like a horny guy sliding into DMs.
If Elric hadn't literally been watching her through Clairvoyance at this exact moment, he would have genuinely believed some man had stolen her account and was catfishing using her identity.
Another rapid message appeared:
"Haha don't misunderstand—I'm a girl too! 100% female, just with different preferences. 😘"
"But seriously, as long as you're really this pretty in person, you can come over ANYTIME. I'll protect you completely for free. My door is always open for beautiful women."
Elric's lips curved into a slight smirk of amusement.
She's definitely qualified for the system. And her personality is... interesting.
He turned toward Elsa, who was watching curiously.
"Record a quick video. Something natural—just you talking to the camera briefly."
Elsa nodded without question and filmed a simple thirty-second clip—introducing herself, mentioning she was scared of the thugs, asking if Erin could really protect her.
Elric reviewed it, approved, then sent the video to Erin along with several carefully crafted text messages that matched Elsa's established personality and situation:
"Sis, this is really me in the video. I promise I'm not fake."
"Are you serious about the protection offer? I really want to come to you... but I'm genuinely terrified of the violent thugs attacking downstairs."
"Sis, are you actually a supernatural ability user?"
"Can you deal with them first before I come over? Please?"
Elric wasn't concerned that Erin might somehow be stronger than him—that remained statistically unlikely bordering on impossible.
But he did want to observe her ability in actual combat before confronting her directly. Gathering intelligence was always tactically sound.
And the thugs rampaging downstairs provided perfect disposable test subjects for evaluation purposes.
Erin's reply came instantly, her confidence practically radiating through the text:
"Don't worry at all, sweetheart. I'll handle those disgusting losers RIGHT NOW. 💪"
"Just sit tight and watch the show. Your big sis is coming to clean house."
Through his Clairvoyance, Elric watched as Erin immediately stood from her couch, grabbed her leather jacket, and headed straight for the apartment door with purposeful strides.
Confident. Bold. Utterly fearless.
No hesitation, no second-guessing, no cautious planning. Just immediate action.
Interesting personality, Elric noted. Either genuinely powerful or dangerously overconfident.
Elric's eyes sharpened with analytical focus as he continued tracking her movement through supernatural vision.
He moved smoothly to the floor-to-ceiling window of the penthouse, positioning himself for optimal viewing angle while maintaining cover.
The colorful supernatural fog that perpetually blanketed the apocalyptic city wasn't actually constant in density. Its thickness fluctuated unpredictably based on unknown factors—sometimes obscuring everything beyond ten meters, other times thinning enough to allow visibility for hundreds of meters.
Right now, at this specific moment, the mist was experiencing a thinning phase—allowing clear sightlines to stretch far across the courtyards, pathways, and connecting streets between buildings.
Perfect timing for observation.
Elric smiled faintly, his expression carrying predatory satisfaction.
A superpowered influencer versus a mob of violent, ability-enhanced thugs led by Rick.
This was going to be genuinely entertaining.
"What's happening?" Natasha asked, moving to stand beside him at the window. "What did you find?"
"Competition," Elric answered simply. "Another ability user. Female. Very confident. About to engage Rick's gang."
Jenna immediately perked up with interest. "Ooh, a girl fight? Can we watch?"
"We're about to." Elric gestured toward Building 8's entrance, visible through the clearing mist. "She's heading down now."
The five women crowded around the windows, their earlier panic temporarily forgotten in favor of curiosity about this mysterious female ability user.
Through the thinning fog, they could now clearly see the courtyard area where Rick's thugs were gathered—at least thirty armed men, some carrying makeshift weapons, others showing signs of minor supernatural enhancements.
And descending the external staircase of Building 8 with casual confidence?
Erin Summers.
Even from this distance, her striking appearance and bold outfit made her instantly recognizable—black leather ensemble contrasting sharply against the gray apocalyptic atmosphere.
She walked like someone who owned every space she entered.
"She's gorgeous," Grace whispered with undisguised admiration.
"She's going to get herself killed," Jenna countered practically. "There are like thirty guys down there, and some of them have powers too."
"Maybe," Elric said quietly, his enhanced vision tracking every detail. "Or maybe she has something worth being confident about."
There is 50 chapter Advance, in my patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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