76 And Here Comes the End of Christmas Vacation

Waking up, Hayden's face remained to be buried on the twin peaks of Eun-ha's chest, his arms wrapping around Eun-ha's sexy body. To make it better, Eun-ha's embrace was incredibly warm and comfortable.

Hayden had to be honest that it was an amazing sensation to wake up to. 'What a relaxing hug…'

Squirming around lightly, Hayden managed to reverse the two's position, with Eun-ha now lying on Hayden's chest. Reaching for his phone on the nightstand, Hayden checked the time to see that it was 2:00 AM already.

'Huh, I slept longer than usual.' Hayden avoided talking as he was scared of waking Eun-ha up. 'Probably from the social exhaustion…'

Kissing Eun-ha's head, and gently stroking her hair, Hayden started to browse the internet for available land.

In 2058, the availability of land was scarce, especially in such a tiny country as the Philippines. This became worse when the country became revolutionized, with Metro Manila being jam-packed by towering buildings and skyscraper. (Reminder: NCR is another name for Metro Manila)

In fact, most of the huge stadiums in the Philippines for soccer, American football, and baseball were all deep underground, with the sole exception being designated sports complexes in each region, which had outdoor stadiums. The largest sports complex was the Philippine Sports Complex, which featured enormous outdoor stadiums located in Bulacan, with each sport stadium being able to hold 50,000 people.

With this in mind, there are indeed three underground training fields under Makati Scholar Academy, and all Scholar Academies in the country.

It was a good thing that Hayden's neighborhood, Comembo, and Pateros were left untouched, with Comembo being the only one left in Makati not filled with high-rise buildings and remaining a suburban neighborhood.

And even then, Hayden was hearing rumors of the abolishment of the remaining remnants of the suburban past in the Metro Manila area, with the government wanting to completely revolutionizing the region. Obviously, this included the neighborhood that Hayden was in.

'Not like I have that much attachments here…' Hayden thought with a sigh. 'If anything, this room is filled with bad memories instead of good ones…'

Glancing at Eun-ha, Hayden mulled, 'The only good memory that transpired in here was me losing my first time, and these moments with Eun-ha…'

Hayden wasn't one that hung on material attachments. If anything, he was a pragmatist when it comes to objects, simply treating objects as objects. 'However, if anybody can change how I think, it will be her…'

Smiling at the woman sleeping on his chest, Hayden had that one rare moment where he was brimming with elation. It was the first time that Hayden wanted a moment to last forever, a sentiment that Hayden suspected he'd never feel in his life.

There were certain pros and cons to each. If he's going to build luxurious apartment buildings within Metro Manila, in Quezon City no less, a popular city for settling in, the apartments in his building would sell like hotcakes with minimal advertising. Plus, the land can just appreciate as time passed as it was in the city.

Moreover, the location's absolutely desirable, not only was it fairly close with the Afterimage Rail Transit and subways, there was the renowned Grande Mall nearby.

'The downside to this is that my planning would be limited due to the land being in the city…' Hayden stared blankly towards the ceiling in contemplation. 'As I'm not planning on selling the land, the appreciation of the land can also be regarded as useless…'

Meanwhile, if he constructed luxurious apartment buildings in the provinces, the land would be cheaper in terms of price-area ratio. Furthermore, what he can do with the land would be more flexible. Additionally, he could enact a plan to establish an entire neighborhood surrounding his apartment complex.

'The problem is that all-out advertising would be 100% necessary.' Hayden pondered. 'On top of this, the progress of it would be mind-numbingly slow… And I'll basically be converting an otherwise semi-suburban neighborhood into a commercial area… I'd be no better than those greedy capitalizing bastards… Well, not like it matters as civilization progresses, cities will only become larger and more extensive…'

Considering things on every possible aspect, Hayden was inclined on buying a plot of land in the province instead of Metro Manila. In his opinion, freedom on designing was much more prized than convenience.

'Besides, it'll be fun to tailor my own little town. Yes, just like a city-building game.' This time, Hayden viewed things as a game. 'The only thing left is her opinion…'

Opportunely, at that juncture, Eun-ha woke up, groaning and rubbing her head on Hayden's chest. Positioning her head to face Hayden whilst still resting her head on his chest, she greeted, "Good morning, honey… What time is it?"

"2:10." Hayden's expression lightened up, noticeably invigorated. "Good morning to you too, Gonjunim. How was your sleep?"

"It was good cradling you in… My arms…" That was when Eun-ha realized that their positions has reversed. "How did…"

"You're too comfortable in my presence." Hayden chuckled, finding Eun-ha adorable. He found the right opportunity to tease Eun-ha for a bit. "You trust me to the point that you let me freely move you around in your sleep."

"Of course I do." Eun-ha pouted, her just-woke-up narrow eyes making her expression cuter. "Though I did notice that I'm laxer in your presence…"

"That's flattering…" Hayden smiled delightedly. "Anyhow, I need your opinion on a matter…"

"Wait, switch positions again." Eun-ha appeared to have gotten out of her just-woke-up state and requested something. "I like it when you're in my arms."

"Fine." Hayden agreed without much thought, allowing Eun-ha to do what she desired. "What do you think…"

Finally shifting positions, Hayden inquired her view regarding of what he's planning. He reminded her with a mixture of seriousness and buoyancy, "You can't reject me asking for your opinion for the reason that this should be my decision."

"Yeah, yeah," Eun-ha rolled her eyes, acting irked that she was read. "If I'm being honest? Do what you want, really. You're too serious at times. If you think that having fun in the province is the better choice, then go for it. I'll wholly support you in any decision."

"What if it's a stupid decision?" Hayden jokingly queried. "For example, when you can see that the singular way that my decision can go is downhill."

"You know how I said I understand you full well?" Eun-ha returned the question. Hearing a sound of acknowledgement from Hayden, she continued, "I can confidently say that you won't do anything that would result in disaster because your nature doesn't let you do so. Sure, you can do stupid and whimsical things, but things that will end terribly? Like hell you'll do it."

Hayden laughed. "Ahh, you really do know me."

"'course I do." Eun-ha kissed Hayden on the nose.

At that moment, Hayden recalled something. "Oh, yeah, I'd have to buy this plot of land… I almost forgot that I still have another older plan to enact."

"Oh, what is that plan you speak of?" Eun-ha's curiosity was piqued. Hayden always has these little plans in his mind that make him considerably more interesting than others.

"A music label." Hayden lackadaisically replied. "I plan on establishing my own music label in the far future. Being a celebrity is an effective way to earn money. Granted that I hate social interactions, except for you, I have a soft spot for you…"

Pausing, Hayden glanced at Eun-ha, who chuckled. Seeing that his little compliment did its job, he resumed, "I thought, 'Why not make the most of it?' If I'm doing something that I unduly abhor, I should squeeze every bit of juice from it, don't you think?"

"Huh…" Eun-ha made sense of Hayden's words. She countered, "But isn't that a little counterproductive, honey? Wouldn't being a world-renowned star in all these fields be a bit of a burden for you?"

"No, not really." Hayden shook his head. "If anything, I'm simply making the inevitable come faster. Why delay the inevitable, right?"

"If you say so." Eun-ha caressed Hayden's soft hair and kissed his head. "As I told you, I will wholly support you all the way. I'll stay by your side."

"Terrific." Hayden muttered with warmth spreading in his heart. "It's settled then. I'm going to endeavor to buy this plot of land."

Checking the price again, Hayden calculated and understood that the price of 40 million credits for a plot of 7.5 square kilometers, in Quezon City no less, was reasonable. Taking the account number, Hayden messaged the seller immediately on Chatbox.

'Oh yeah, Quezon City is also known as the City of Stars…' A passing thought came into Hayden's mind. 'I guess it's fated, huh?'

For the remainder of his Sunday, Hayden hung out with Eun-ha. She insisted on staying here for the reason that Sunday was their break prior to roaming around the Philippines tomorrow.

Needless to say, Hayden agreed. He couldn't possibly say no, eh? Why would he have qualms on hanging out with such a beautiful woman, who was his girlfriend to boot. It would be a stupid act if he rejected.

He also briefly opened his work e-mail, which was flooded by mails from sponsorship requests. As per usual, Hayden exclusively picked those that had high pay and products that had genuine practical use. Merely five companies got past Hayden's criterion. For the rest, Hayden deleted them.

Other than this, all day, Hayden was anxiously waiting for the response of the seller, to no avail. By the minute, he was losing hope as the seller hasn't replied to him at all.

…..

Earlier, back at Courtney's house. "Holy crap…"

Courtney was confounded of the mysterious pyramidal glowing white crystal embedded on her chest. Cautiously, she moved her hand to touch it.

The second Courtney's hands made contact with the crystal, wisps of information implanted itself within Courtney's mind, as if it was there since her birth.

"Wait…" 'Sifting' through the memories, Courtney was utterly disconcerted of what was pictured in her mind. "Wait�� Is this saying that I have a… power? And the name of that power is… Spectral Fantasy?"

Courtney frowned, deep in contemplation. A few seconds later, she laughed. "I get it… This is a dream! That's why I wasn't sleepy when I 'woke up.'"

Nodding her head in 'understanding,' Courtney pinched herself extremely hard. Pain pervaded her body the instant she pinched herself. That was when she realized…

"It's not a dream?" Courtney eyed her surroundings. "It is my room… I can read… I don't have extra fingers… So I'm not in a lucid dream…?"

This time, Courtney was really baffled of the events. "I actually possess… Superpowers?"

Looking down once again inside her shirt, she snuck her hand on it and bore the question in mind, 'What is my power?'

For another time, information imprinted itself within Courtney's brain. Closing her eyes, she digested this information. "Ability? Spectral Fantasy? Fascinating…"

Spectral Fantasy apparently granted Courtney the power to conjure up material illusions in her surroundings, therefore the name Spectral Fantasy. "It can be touched, it can be smelled, it can move, and it can be seen… Hence the name Spectral Fantasy."

It was quite a fitting name for what it does. Regardless, as a newbie to the world of wielders, Courtney remained confusticated. "How do I even use this?"

Closing her eyes, Courtney instinctively stretched her hands outwards, envisioning Z was standing in his room, half-naked. The instant she opened her eyes, the beautiful Z was in front of her. "Holy…"

She was star-struck. Especially when Z smiled at her sweetly. She stared at her hands speechlessly. "This must be a dream, right…?"

Like hell it is reality. Abilities? Spectral Fantasy? What kind of a joke was this? As much as she desired to believe that this was the real world, all these things were plainly impossible. She wouldn't be sane if she believed in this kind of crap.

"I'm stuck in a hyper-realistic dream?" Courtney laid back down on her bed, listlessly gazing at the black 'star-filled' ceiling. "There's really nothing that indicates that this is a dream… I didn't wake up when I experienced pain… Phones work… No evidence at all... Nevertheless…"

It can't be that she possessed true superpowers. Sitting up, she observed the Z in front of her. Slowly, she reached for his abs. "Holy shit… It's real…"

Rapidly blinking her eyes, she outspread her hands and squeezed the rock-hard abs. She held back a scream as she felt the realistic abs of Z. Standing up, she willed Z to kiss her on the cheeks… And he did!

"Wow…" Courtney was flustered at the unexpected turn of events. "If I have superpowers… Can I do this?"

Snapping, Z's pants jeans disappeared, his exposing a white brief. Scrutinizing every part of Z's body, to the point that she took a little peek behind the brief, she whispered in astonishment, "He's so dreamy…"

Closing her eyes, she willed Z to vanish… Low and behold, when she opened her eyes, Z was nonexistent. "I… Have… Superpowers!"

She nearly screamed at the ascertainment of this. This was reality, and she was given superpowers! Clasping her hands, she grinned with from ear to ear, "There's myriads of things that this power has uses… But first, let's experiment."

Activating her Ability, this time, she didn't close her eyes. The instant she activated her Ability, Z materialized in front of her. "It's instantaneous…"

Next, she commanded Z to talk. Courtney narrowed her eyes hearing Z's voice as he spoke Filipino… "I guess there are language barriers… Well, that's given as I commanded him to talk with Filipino words in mind…"

As she was a student from Scholar Academy, she quickly grasped a limitation of her Ability. She rapidly fathomed that Z would do anything what she had in mind down to the very detail that is inside her mind. "Interesting…"

For a few minutes, Courtney experimented with her Spectral Fantasy. "Okay… I can induce sound… I can induce smells… The illusions are solid and has texture…"

All the while observing, she was mumbling to herself, taking mental notes. Regardless of her not really being a total smart-ass, at the end of the day, she's still a student of Makati Scholar Academy. She can easily remember everything she told herself, more so as this subject interested her greatly.

According to her observations, it seemed that physics didn't apply to what she fabricates. She can control what she creates with her will, make it emit sound with a singular directive, manipulate what its temperature is, and literally control every property of what she wants to materialize.

"It seems that anything went as long as I can imagine it…" Courtney sat on her bed cross-legged. "Let's see…"

Shutting her eyes, she concentrated with all her power. Forming her hands to wrap around the air, she recalled the texture of a leather bag she owned and overlapped this texture to a knife handle.

Meanwhile, in her hands, a brown knife handle took shape. Following that, a black knife blade with an absurdly sharp edge gradually came to reality. Soon, the knife was complete.

Opening her eyes, Courtney was holding a beautiful black dagger with a brown handle. Exhaling deeply, she mumbled, "That was exhausting…"

Through this, she figured out straightaway that her Ability has a limitation in itself. It was that anything she materialized was 100% dependent on her imagination. It wasn't as simple as her previous notion of it using 'to the very detail' that she had in her mind.

To summarize it, if she imagines something, sure, it will materialize with what she envisioned. Nonetheless, if she wants it to be absolutely detailed, then she'll have to envisage every data that she wants to be inputted in her fabricated object or organism.

That also meant that the more extensive the specifics of the organism or object she's going to materialize, the more brain power and concentration it would take on her part. "However, what I want to test is…"

Looking around, she took a piece of paper on her desk and held it up. Putting the knife above it, she moved the piece of paper upwards with the knife slicing through it cleanly without sound.

"The illusion can affect real world objects… I see." Setting the piece of paper back on her table, she sat on her bed and deactivated her Ability. That was when she noticed that the piece of paper she set back became whole. "I see…"

With this, she understood the very limits of her Ability. As stated from the information she received from her… Origin Crystal…? Her Ability worked by setting up an 'illusion field' with her as the center, and when she deactivates her Ability, everything will return to its original state.

Basically, despite her Ability having little to no limitations, ultimately, it was all an illusion and was not reality. In short, it doesn't truly affect the real world, and if someone was good enough, they'd see through the illusions.

"Well… Even so, I can use it for so many things…" Courtney bit her lip, imagining the various possibilities that this Spectral Fantasy entails. "Wait… Let's check…"

Taking out the camera of her phone, she turned on her Ability and materialized a jet-black cube. Snapping a picture of the cube, she took a look and there was the cube. Disabling her Ability, she disappointed that the cube was nonexistent.

"I see, it worked that way, huh…" Courtney sighed. "Well, this Spectral Fantasy is still beneficial, seeing that its area of effect is limited merely to where I can actualize illusions, and doesn't dictate who will be affected by the illusions."

Touching her Origin Crystal, she inquired for the full powers of her Ability. "It appears that this is Spectral Fantasy's base form…"

Shrugging, she continued to do all kinds of fun with it, such as adjusting her own appearance, which can actually remove her 'fat' temporarily as long as her Ability was on.

A few hours of research later, she went out of her house and roamed around Makati with her Spectral Fantasy triggered, altering her appearance to become a sexily curvaceous and beautiful 16-year-old woman that was wearing a red scanty dress.

From the mall, to the coffee shop, to the department stores, many men couldn't take their eyes off of her. All of them had gazes full of desire. She has never experienced this in her life. She even had her first experience of a young man making the moves on her.

As she was entirely only having fun, she entertained the young man only for a short while prior to going away and returning home. It was already 5:00 when she went home.

On her bed, she was browsing on her phone as a recommended gaming video caught her eye in the Streamlink. "Hayden Emperador… What if I made him mine? Wouldn't the world be jealous of me?"

…..

RWL, Category – Pornography: The porn industry, in this time of the world, was a booming industry. Especially with the increased open-mindedness of people and the purging of objectification of women and men such that they admired adult video actresses and actors without demeaning them at all. On the contrary, all porn stars are of high social standings and some are even successful movie artists. There are even such actors and actresses in movies shown in the big screen where there are actual and openly-done sex acts, which is, believe it or not, legal. Though you'd need to be 16 years old to acquire a digital ticket for such movies, which is easily monitored with the Identity Number system and that tickets for such R-rated movies are non-transferrable.

On top of that, in this day and age, most pornographic material and websites aren't accessible to teenagers to prevent the resurgence of objectification of people, teaching kids at school the importance of gender equality and not being a pervert. Regardless, it wasn't forbidden to do sexual acts provided that both parties consent, with the age of consent in all countries being 14. When a person reaches 16, it is legal to do sexual acts with anybody older than you, provided that you give consent, of course.