Lucius took in a natural deep breath as the owner zood the cara on him.
"I really didn’t ask to be here today," he said, his tone flat and perfectly honest. "In fact, all I wanted to do today was to sleep and laze around like I usually do."
He wasn’t lying either.
If it were up to him, he would have been sprawled out on the couch, eating leftovers and binging old racing docuntaries he didn’t even like that much.
Because honestly who would have the choice of peace and still choose violence? Certainly not him.
But sohow... he always kept getting dragged into sothing.
"But I got a call..." he continued, one hand resting loosely on the steering wheel. "And since I love cars, I ca to test it out."
He gave the cara a half-smile.
Then, out of nowhere, he maneuvered the wheel sharply to the left.
The tires hissed against the track, and the owner, who was filming from the passenger seat, let out a startled sound as her body shifted with the car.
Lucius chuckled, amused at her reaction.
"Since I’m poorer than poor too," he said with mock solemnity, "I’ve co to advertise a new car."
He tilted his head as if trying to recall sothing. "Her na is Tempest X... erm... I forgot."
His fingers ruffled through his hair in exaggerated embarrassnt.
The owner cleared her throat from behind the cara. "It’s the Tempest X7—"
"Ah yes!" Lucius said imdiately, pretending as if he had rembered it all along. "It’s the Tempest X7, and she’s an electric car — just like the many cars that exist nowadays. But for Tempest..."
He paused, looking toward the sleek, obsidian dashboard that glowed under the sunlight pouring through the glass roof. "There are a lot of things that make her unique. Especially... the fact that she can go fast... like really fast"
He pressed his foot on the gas, and the car lurched forward with a deep hum.
The electric engine was nearly silent, but the surge of speed was unmistakable.
The world around them was getting blurrier and the owner yelped, gripping her cara tighter.
"Hey, watch out!"
It was a turn... a sharp one.
If he didn’t make it, they would be decorating the wall with very expensive debris.
But Lucius didn’t even blink.
His hands moved smoothly; the car curved in a perfect arc, the rear sliding slightly before catching traction again.
Tires screeched and dust kicked up, and then there was silence, as the car realigned and sped straight ahead.
Lucius laughed lightly.
"See? She moves fast, and the controls respond properly," he said, like it was all part of the demonstration. "And she can go from 0 to 100 in just under 2.9 seconds."
He nodded to himself. "Might not sound like much, but trust ... that’s faster than my neighbor’s relationship lasted."
The owner snorted from behind the cara but quickly covered her mouth.
Lucius grinned.
"Anyway," he went on, leaning casually back into his seat, "I know most people think electric cars are quiet, stiff, and a bit too... well, polite. Like they’re made for the kind of people who wear white gloves just to drive to the grocery store."
He tapped the steering wheel. "But this one’s different. She’s got a personality... you can feel it. The mont you touch the accelerator, you realize this car wants to move. The feeling of driving is exhilarating."
The cara zood in on his profile as he leaned forward again.
"It’s not just the speed, either. You’ve got the dual-motor layout, front and rear drive with active torque vectoring. Translation for people that don’t understand: the car practically reads your mind before you turn."
He had seen the torque vectoring when he glanced through the script and decided to use it.
He swerved slightly as if to prove his point, feeling the way the car hugged the track.
"See? It’s like dancing with soone who actually knows how to lead."
Lucius flashed a quick grin toward the cara. "And before you ask... yes, it’s electric, but don’t think that ans you’re sacrificing anything. You’re getting horsepower worth of pure current-driven insanity. You hit the pedal, and you don’t hear noise. All you can hear is you and the road."
He let go of the wheel for a second and gestured at the seats. "The interior’s just as good. The chairs are so comfortable, honestly, I could fall asleep right here if I wasn’t being paid to talk."
The owner coughed. "You’re not supposed to say that on cara."
Lucius grinned. "Right, right. Scratch that. Totally awake and excited."
The car sped through another stretch of track, sunlight shining across the polished hood.
Lucius kept his voice easy, like he was talking to an old friend rather than making an ad.
"I get that not everyone’s a car enthusiast. So of you just want sothing that makes you feel good to drive. You know not too serious, not too loud, just comfortable but still a little wild when you need it. That’s this car."
He drumd his fingers on the wheel.
"The Tempest X7... the kind of car you buy when you’re broke but pretending you’re not."
The owner burst into laughter this ti. "You can’t say that!"
"Why not?" he said. "That’s how most of us buy cars anyway. Half the people watching this will take a loan, sell their kidney, and convince themselves it was worth it the mont they hit that first curve."
He tapped the wheel again, a small chuckle leaving him. "But I get it. Because honestly? If I had the money, I’d do the sa thing."
He slowed the car slightly, bringing it into a final smooth curve around the last turn of the track.
The light caught the silver emblem of the Tempest, giving it a halo-like gleam.
Lucius parked, shifting into neutral, and leaned back. "So, if you’re like ... broke, lazy, but sohow still have expensive taste, this might be your next best mistake."
The owner lowered the cara slowly. "...And cut."
...
Lucius exhaled as he climbed out of the car, stretching his arms with a lazy grin.
"Was that good enough, Miss Owner?" he asked, looking at the woman.
The dealership owner nodded.
She looked down at the script in her hand, then back at him.
"I never really looked at it from that perspective," she said, glancing at the printed dialogue she was supposed to follow.
Then she sighed and tossed it aside. "Making it relatable... as well as cracking so jokes... it’s nice. Not everything has to be perfect."
Lucius smiled faintly.
"I’m glad we’re on the sa wavelength."
He patted the car’s hood affectionately. "You’re giving her to , right?"
The woman sighed again, crossing her arms.
"Our people have only made twenty of them. She’s the most recent one we did."
Her gaze softened as she ran her hand along the car’s polished fra. "But as per the agreent, I’ll give her to you. Of course, I’d like to add sothing more... in exchange for you modeling with in the future."
Lucius blinked. "Modeling with you?"
She smiled slyly. "For my next ad campaign."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "You really don’t waste ti, do you? Alright what can you offer ."
[A Few Minutes later...]
"You really can be bought, can’t you?" Alexia asked, massaging her temple with one hand.
She sat across from Lucius in the limousine, watching him with mild disbelief.
Lucius reclined comfortably in the leather seat.
"What can I say?" he murmured, turning sothing over in his palm. "It was a good reward."
The item glead under the dim interior light — a golden orb shaped like an eye, intricate patterns etched across its surface.
Alexia eyed it skeptically. "That thing looks creepy. What even is it?"
Lucius tilted it toward her, the golden sheen reflecting against her eyes.
"An artifact," he said simply. "But not just any artifact. I didn’t think I’d ever see this here."
’It’s been a while since I used the system,’ he thought.
And right then, as if responding to the thought, a faint digital chi echoed in his head.
A translucent screen flickered into existence above the golden eye.
[Item Na: The Eye of Luck]
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