Earth Glitch Cafe, rainy day.
A man in a trench coat pushed open the door, raindrops evaporating off his shoulders into purple arcs of electricity—the anti-surveillance steam of Universe Alpha-19. Chen Mo froze while wiping a coffee mug. Hanging at the newcomer's waist was not a gun, but a Recursive Sword covered in engraved anti-establishment slogans, though the graffiti reading "Good-for-Nothing" on the scabbard exuded a familiar warmth.
"I heard this place takes in obsolete glitches." The man removed his rain hood, revealing a face identical to Chen Mo's, except for a gear-shaped scar at the corner of his left eye. "They call me 'Good-for-Nothing' because nowadays I only use a sword to cut steak."
Chapter 30