Chapter 115: Chapter 115: New Look
SUNDAY AFTERNOON - LUXURY SALON
Orion sat in the styling chair at Eclipse Hair Studio, one of New Eden’s upscale salons. The kind of place where appointnts cost more than most people’s monthly groceries.
His mom had bought three luxury cars—two autocars and one manual sports car. Today was the first ti he’d driven the manual one. A sleek black vehicle with ridiculous acceleration and handling so responsive it felt like the car read his thoughts.
Now he was here. Getting a proper haircut for the first ti in months.
The stylist, a woman nad Yuki with impeccable fashion sense, circled him thoughtfully. "Your hair has good texture, but it’s been neglected. When was your last cut?"
"...six months ago?" Orion admitted.
"I can tell." She ran her fingers through his hair, examining it. "But there’s sothing else. Your hair is incredibly healthy. Shinier than it should be for soone who hasn’t had a trim in half a year. And your skin—it’s flawless. What products do you use?"
"Just... basic stuff."
Yuki didn’t look convinced but didn’t push. "Alright. Let
work my magic."
She started cutting.
Orion closed his eyes, letting her work. The cultivation had been changing him gradually. The breathing technique expelled impurities constantly. His skin had cleared completely. His hair had beco thicker and healthier. His features had sharpened.
But his overgrown, unkempt hair had hidden most of it. Made him look scruffy despite the improvents.
Forty minutes later, Yuki stepped back shock in her eyes.
"Done. Take a look."
Orion opened his eyes and looked in the mirror.
He froze.
The person staring back at him looked like a completely different human being.
His hair was styled in a modern, sophisticated cut—shorter on the sides, slightly longer on top with a textured, effortless look. The kind of hairstyle that probably cost more than his old monthly budget but looked natural.
But it wasn’t just the haircut.
With his hair properly styled, his face was fully visible now. Sharp jawline. High cheekbones. Clear, bright eyes. Symtrical features that seed almost sculpted.
He looked... god-tier handso.
Like soone who belonged on magazine covers or movie screens.
"Holy shit," Orion muttered.
Yuki stared at him, her professional composure cracking. "Did I... did I do that? Is that my cutting skill, or were you hiding this face the entire ti?"
"I think it was always there," Orion said, still processing. "Just buried under bad hair."
"That’s not just bad hair. That’s—" Yuki gestured at his face. "You look like a model. An extrely expensive model. Are you sure you’re not famous?"
"Pretty sure."
"You should be. With a face like that, you could be anything you wanted."
Orion paid—the haircut cost 1500 credits, which was absurd but apparently normal for this place—and left the salon.
The mont he stepped outside, people stopped walking.
A woman walking past literally stumbled. Her friend caught her arm, then looked at Orion and froze too.
A teenage girl pulled out her phone and started recording. Her hands were shaking.
An older businessman in a suit just stared, mouth slightly open.
Orion walked toward the parking garage. Behind him, he could hear whispers.
"Who is that?"
"Is he a celebrity?"
"I need to take a picture."
"Did you see his face? That’s not natural. That’s like... genetically perfect."
By the ti he reached his car, at least twenty people had taken photos or videos.
He got in the sports car and drove away.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON - CLOTHING STORE
Orion parked at a high-end shopping district. He needed new clothes. His wardrobe was mostly student casual—jeans, t-shirts, hoodies. Nothing appropriate for running a company.
He walked into an upscale n’s fashion store. The kind with minimalist displays and price tags that made normal people uncomfortable.
A sales associate approached imdiately. "Good afternoon, sir. How can I—"
She stopped mid-sentence. Stared at his face. Her professional smile beca slightly frozen.
"I need office wear," Orion said. "CEO-level stuff. Suits, dress shirts, the works."
"Of... of course. Right this way."
She led him through the store, occasionally glancing back at him like she couldn’t believe he was real.
They selected several outfits. Tailored suits in charcoal, navy, and black. Crisp dress shirts. Italian leather shoes. Accessories.
"Would you like to try them on?" the associate asked.
"Yeah. I’ll wear one out."
He went to the changing room with a charcoal gray suit, white dress shirt, and black shoes.
When he ca out, the entire store went quiet.
The suit fit perfectly. Tailored to emphasize his build—which had been improving with cultivation. Combined with his new haircut and already-handso face, the effect was devastating.
He looked like he’d stepped out of a luxury brand advertisent.
Orion walked to the mirror.
Damn, I’m a lady killer, he thought, examining himself. I guess the saying is correct—the hair and clothes make the man.
"Sir, that suit was made for you," the sales associate said. She was clearly trying to stay professional but failing. "You look absolutely incredible."
"I’ll take it. And these other five."
"Excellent choice."
He paid—18,000 credits for everything, which would’ve made him faint a month ago—and left wearing the charcoal suit.
The reaction outside was even worse than at the salon.
People stopped walking again. This ti, they didn’t even pretend to be subtle.
A group of young won literally gasped. One of them grabbed her friend’s arm. "Oh my god. Look at him. LOOK AT HIM."
An older woman took a photo, then looked at her phone, then looked back at Orion like she needed to confirm he was real.
A teenager filming muttered, "This is going straight to my feed. Nobody’s going to believe this."
Orion walked to his car, aware of at least thirty phones pointed at him.
He got in and drove away.
Behind him, the photos and videos were already being uploaded.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON - VIRAL (AGAIN)
By the ti Orion reached Innovatia headquarters, he was trending online.
Multiple hashtags:
#HandsoGod#EclipseSalon (people thought the salon was responsible) #MysteryMan#WhoIsHe
The videos from the salon and clothing store had combined views of over 40 million.
Comnts flooded in:
"I thought AI-generated n were unrealistic. Then I saw this guy."
"He walked out of that salon looking like a literal god. WHAT DID THEY DO TO HIM?"
"I’m booking an appointnt at Eclipse Salon imdiately. I don’t care if it’s expensive."
"The suit store in the background is about to get so much business."
"Who is this man and why isn’t he famous??"
And they were right—Eclipse Salon was already receiving hundreds of booking requests. Their phone lines were jamd. Their website crashed from traffic.
The clothing store was experiencing the sa thing. People wanted to buy from "the store that dressed the handso god."
Orion parked at Innovatia headquarters and walked inside.
The lobby receptionist did a double-take. "Mr. Starr?"
He had already inford them he was coming.
"Yeah."
"You... you look different."
"Got a haircut."
"That’s not just a haircut, sir."
He took the elevator to the tenth floor. Executive offices.
Cassia was in her office reviewing docunts when he walked in.
She looked up. Her eyes widened. "Orion?"
"Hey, Mom."
"What did you do?"
"Got a haircut. Bought new clothes."
Cassia stood up and walked around her desk, examining him. "You look like you belong on a magazine cover. When did you get this handso?"
"Apparently I always was. Just had bad hair."
"That’s not—" She shook her head. "Never mind. We have a eting in ten minutes. The executive team wants to discuss the product launch tiline. You should attend."
"Alright."
The eting room was already full when they arrived. Victoria, Thomas, Rachel, David, Lisa, and Jas all looked up.
Thomas choked on his coffee. "Holy shit."
"Language," Cassia said automatically.
"Sorry, but—" Thomas gestured at Orion. "Boss, you look like you should be modeling luxury watches, not running a tech company."
"Just a haircut," Orion said, sitting down.
"That is NOT just a haircut," Rachel said, staring. "That’s a complete transformation."
"Can we focus on the eting?" Cassia asked.
They tried. But everyone kept glancing at Orion like they couldn’t quite process what they were seeing.
The eting covered product launch details. Venue setup. dia coordination. Demo preparation. Orion answered questions about technical specifications and performance trics.
Afterward, Cassia pulled him aside. "We should do a proper introduction. Let you et all the employees. You’re the founder and chairman—they should know who you are."
"Now?"
"Why not? Everyone’s here."
INNOVATIA HEADQUARTERS - ALL-HANDS ETING - 4:00 PM
The entire company gathered in the main auditorium. Developers, designers, marketing staff, operations teams. Everyone.
Cassia took the stage. "Thank you all for coming. I know this was short notice, but we have soone important I’d like you to et. Our founder and chairman—Orion Starr."
Orion walked onto the stage.
The reaction was imdiate.
Whispers erupted. Phones ca out. People started recording.
"That’s him?"
"The guy from the viral videos?"
"He’s the one who made Aether OS?"
"Oh my god, he’s even more handso in person."
Orion spoke into the microphone. "Hi, everyone. I’m Orion Starr. I know most of you haven’t t
yet. I’ve been focused on developnt work while Cassia handles operations. But I wanted to introduce myself properly and thank you all for your work. Aether OS and everything we’re building—it only works because of talented people like you. So thank you."
The applause was enthusiastic. But it was mixed with continued staring and photo-taking.
He answered a few questions. Talked about company vision. ntioned upcoming products without revealing details.
By the ti he left the stage, at least two hundred employees had taken photos or videos.
Within an hour, those would be online.
And people would make the connection: the "handso god" who went viral at the salon and clothing store was the sa person who created Aether OS.
INNOVATIA ADVANCED RESEARCH DIVISION - 6:00 PM
Orion drove to the research facility. Ti to check on the fusion reactor progress.
Dr. Sofia Martinez t him at the entrance. She did a visible double-take when she saw him.
"Mr. Starr? I almost didn’t recognize you."
"New haircut."
"That’s... one way to put it." She recovered her professional composure. "Co in. The team is excited to show you our progress."
The facility was massive. Clean rooms, laboratories, assembly areas. Hundreds of researchers and technicians working on different reactor components.
Orion spent hours touring. Asking technical questions. Examining the thermoelectric materials, inspecting the superconductor coils, reviewing the laser ignition crystals.
He participated in so experints. Helped with complex calculations. Contributed to solving a magnetic field stability problem the fusion team was stuck on.
The researchers were impressed—not just by his appearance (though they noticed) but by his deep technical knowledge. He could discuss plasma physics at expert levels. Suggest improvents to manufacturing processes. Optimize system designs on the spot.
Dr. Amara Okafor pulled him aside after he solved a plasma containnt equation that had been bothering her team for days.
"Mr. Starr, how do you know this much about fusion engineering? Most of our team has PhDs and decades of experience."
"I study a lot," Orion said simply.
"That’s not just studying. You have intuitive understanding of systems that should take years to develop."
"I had good teachers."
She didn’t press further. But her expression said she knew there was more to the story.
Unlike the corporate office, nobody here took photos or videos. These were professionals working on highly confidential technology. They understood the rules. Their jobs—and possibly humanity’s future—depended on secrecy.
By 9:00 PM, Orion headed ho.
MANSION - ORION’S STUDY - 11:00 PM
Orion sat cross-legged on the floor of his study. Ti to cultivate.
Last night, he’d successfully visualized and solidified Earth’s core and outer core. Two massive structures now existed in his mindspace—solid inner core of crystallized iron-nickel, surrounded by swirling liquid outer core generating magnetic fields.
Each one had refined his mind substantially. Made him faster, sharper, more capable.
Tonight: the mantle.
He closed his eyes and turned his awareness inward. The mindspace appeared—infinite black void with two glowing spheres at the center.
Orion began visualizing.
The mantle was complex. Not a simple solid layer. It was semi-molten rock that flowed like an incredibly thick fluid over geological tiscales.
He visualized the lower mantle first. Dense rock under extre pressure. Temperatures around 2,500-4,000 Kelvin. Composed mainly of silicate minerals—bridgmanite and ferropericlase. The crystal structures deford under pressure, flowing slowly in massive convection currents.
Hours of intense focus. His brain processing billions of atomic interactions. His spiritual energy draining rapidly.
The lower mantle took shape. Semi-solid rock flowing in slow patterns. Heat rising from the core. Cool material sinking from above. Massive convection cells driving tectonic activity on the surface.
Then the upper mantle. Less pressure, slightly lower temperatures. Different mineral phases—olivine, pyroxene, garnet. Still semi-solid, still flowing, but faster than the lower mantle.
The transition zone between them. Where minerals changed crystal structures under pressure shifts. Where seismic velocities changed abruptly.
More hours. More ntal strain. His consciousness stretched to its limits trying to maintain the visualization with perfect accuracy.
Finally, complete.
Orion solidified the visualization. Forced it to materialize as a real object in his mindspace.
The mantle appeared—a thick shell of semi-molten rock surrounding the core. Convection currents flowing. Heat transferring. Everything functioning exactly like the real Earth’s mantle.
The mont it materialized, power flooded through him again.
His mind refined further. Comprehension speed increased. Energy control improved. His awareness of his own body sharpened even more.
He opened his eyes. Dawn was breaking outside.
He’d worked through the entire night again. But it was worth it.
Earth in his mindspace now had: core, outer core, and mantle. Three major layers complete.
Still needed: lithosphere, crust, atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere.
But progress was steady.
One layer at a ti.
Building power through understanding the universe itself.
Orion stood up and stretched. Went through a breathing cycle. The first ring around his heart pulsed at 8% completion.
Body cultivation and mind cultivation. Both paths advancing.
He was getting stronger.
And the world outside was changing too. Going viral. Companies noticing. The product launch approaching.
Everything was accelerating.
MONDAY
MORNING - BREAKFAST
Nyla ca downstairs and stopped at the kitchen doorway.
Orion was making breakfast. René the robot was helping, but Orion was doing most of the actual cooking.
"Morning," he said without turning around.
"Morning," Nyla said. Then, "Wait, what did you do to your hair?"
Orion turned around. Smiled.
Nyla’s mouth fell open. "Oh my god. ORION."
"Like it?"
"Like it? You look—" She walked closer, examining him. "You look like you belong in movies. When did you get so handso?"
"Always was, apparently. Just had bad hair."
She touched his face, then his hair. "This is not fair. How am I supposed to focus on anything when you look like this?"
"You’ll manage."
"I don’t think I will."
Cassia ca downstairs. "Are you two done being disgustingly cute? We have a mansion to finish unpacking today."
"Almost done," Orion said, plating breakfast.
They sat together and ate. Normal family morning. Except Nyla kept staring at him like she’d never seen him before.
"Stop it," Orion said.
"I can’t help it. You broke my brain."
"Your brain was already broken."
"Rude."
They finished breakfast. The day ahead was busy—moving in completely, unpacking, getting settled.
But Orion’s mind was already on tonight.
More cultivation. More visualization. More progress toward power.
The journey continued.
Reviews
All reviews (0)