Harry dressed in an extremely well-off manner. His well-decorated suit with golden ornaments made him stand out very much. He had to act like someone important after all. Along with his golden hair that shined like the morning sun and eyes that sparkled like the shiniest emerald, it made him seem quite fit to be a noble. His mannerisms further created an aura of disparity between him and everyone else around him.
He was locked down by Nue’s antics stopping him from acting out how he usually did. Now that he was free to do as he wished, there was no need to hide how he normally was.
“This place seems awfully grim to set up a casino, isn’t it?” Harry held his hands behind his back. He was more interested in the casino than the possible dangers that might lie ahead.
The place was starting to look less and less admirable as people who had tattered clothes and empty eyes start to fill the area. Haphazardly created shelter from byproducts of waste and provided the warmth that those people needed to survive. This was the result of people who had no ability to fend for themselves in such a dangerous world. The kind of people who decided to live freely without heeding the warning that they should become stronger.
“This is just a shortcut. Don’t worry, with me around, you don’t need to be scared at all.” The man flexed his biceps and immediately sent out his aura, revealing himself to be a Rank 7 combatant. The surrounding people who were minding their own business were suppressed, unable to do a single thing against him.
“Is that so? Well, carry on then.” Harry kept walking behind the man while wandering about what Nue was up to.
I gave her a bit of cash, around 10 Medium Mana Stones. Then again, I don’t think she even knows how to use that money. Eh, that’s someone else’s problem, not mine. The only thing I’m hoping for is that she doesn’t go too overboard. Yeah, ten minutes is more than enough time for me to clean up the entire casino.
Contrary to Harry’s very dismissive and very correct assumption of Nue, she… Who was he kidding? It’s Nue, of course, there’s going to be trouble.
No one needed to guide her at all as all she needed was the smell of meat. She wasted no time running through the streets, bumping against anyone on her path. Fortunately, Nue had the common decency to rein in her strength otherwise mists of blood would already be occupying the streets.
Traveling the streets of the Dominion headquarters, a young master of the very prominent guild, Epitome, was having a small trip before his grand meeting with the chiefs of Dominion. Life was nothing but a complete joke for him. Anything he desired, he bought. Anything he couldn’t buy, he conquered. His life in the otherworld was easier than most. Now that he was appointed as a leading figure in Epitome, he was granted with even more power and authority than he could ever dream of.
“Life gets really boring without someone to spend it with.” Ethos, the young master of Epitome, solemnly said as he was surrounded by 5 Rank 8 and 1 Rank 9 guard. It was clear just how valued he was in Epitome.
“Young master, there would be countless ladies that would immediately seek you out if given the chance. Surely, there must be a girl that would catch your fancy. You are a man that has it all, especially strength.” Quinton, a Rank 9 mage, said with firm belief. “In fact, I don’t even see the point of having guards since you are clearly enough to handle yourself here.”
“It’s just Rank 10, that’s nothing in the grand scheme of things. I’ve come from a Phase 3 world so my standards are much higher than what you would expect.” Ethos stretched his limbs and directed his attention towards Dominion’s grand castle on the horizon. He placed his hand in front of himself and grasped the castle in the distance. “That’s the problem, I can get anything I want too easily. If I wanted, with a single word, Dominion would be mine. Never mind, I’m rambling on. Let’s go.”
It was supposed to be nothing more than something to pass the time when a force of nature suddenly rushed passed him. A girl so graceful and elegant that it immediately caught his attention. It had only been but a brief moment but he was immediately star-struck. Never before had Ethos seen someone so desirable.
“Quinton, scratch that, did you see that girl?” Ethos started giggling as if he had finally found another toy to play with.
“Yes…” Quinton sighed. “I understand. I’ll see what I can do.”
Ethos stretched his limbs and yawned, walking back to Dominion’s castle as he wished. “Remember to meet me at the castle. Catching my eye will be the greatest thing that will ever happen to her.”
“If she doesn’t comply?”
“I always get what I want.”
This statement was all Quinton needed to hear. He quickly followed up right behind Nue. With a girl barely radiating any mana at all, Quinton actually felt sorry for her. This young girl just seemed to have attracted the wrong type of attention.
Quinton quickly analyzed Nue’s clothes. She had a basic plain dress that an adventurer would wear. It was the standard dress that offered no defensive capabilities at all. Seeing her silk gloves, it was clear that she someone that couldn’t handle the grip of their weapons. She was a frail girl through and through. This only made Quinton feel even worse.
The child-like joy of this girl running through the streets sparked some kind of pity towards her.
“It’s truly unfortunate, young lady.” Quinton sighed as he tried to approach Nue.
Sensing someone following her, Nue looked behind her. Quinton felt that taking this approach would seem threatening so he immediately hid in the shadows.
Ew, stalker. Better run ahead. Compared to her, Quinton was nothing more than a little toddler playing with a small ball while she was already taking over darkness itself.
Nue increased her speed. And by increase, it meant that she disappeared. She didn’t want to trouble herself when she could be stuffing her face.
Quinton who was still hiding within the shadows felt a small tug grasping his leg. He immediately sensed danger and escaped the shadows. By the time he regained his senses, Nue had already disappeared. He wasted no time and started tracking her.
“This girl, she looks more capable than she lets on. Maybe the young master knows something more?” Quinton expected there to be a grand chase where he would have to go all out to even find her but… no. It wasn’t that complicated at all. He literally turned over to the next street and he saw Nue standing there… drooling.
Quinton felt a little embarrassed that he was getting worked up for nothing. He walked up beside her and asked. “What are you doing?”
“Hungry. But no money.” Nue reached out to her pockets and realized that she had eaten the Medium Mana Stones that Harry had given her. It didn’t even stimulate her mana at all. What a complete waste.
Nue touched the glass door and longingly looked ahead. The devilish temptation of an all-you-can-eat was… extremely tempting. Nue almost lost control of herself if not for Quinton suddenly offering his help.
“Do you want in? I can lend you some cash and all you have to do is follow me. How about it?” Quinton kindly smiled. An old man reaching his hand out and telling a girl to follow her. What an extremely normal occurrence.
“But Cain said to not trust anyone just because they said so.” Nue was trying her best to reason herself out of this offer. If Cain saw this then he would be extremely proud but unfortunately, it was Helena who was watching and she was laughing so hard that she spilled her drink on herself.
Unfortunately, food won over reasoning. Nue gave in. “But I can trust you if you feed me.”
“Very well. Let’s enter.” Quinton felt like Nue was like a little puppy. She was surprisingly obedient when she really shouldn’t be. Throw a snack at her and she’ll act along.
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She’s too gullible. If the young master ever wants to be with her seriously then I would have to warn him.
It didn’t take long for both of them to find their table. Nue was jumping in her seat with excitement while Quinton was calmly waiting for their food to arrive. With such a scene, one would see nothing more than a heartwarming scene of a grandfather treating his granddaughter to a meal.
The first set of dishes arrived and Nue quickly gobbled up everything on the table. Quinton couldn’t even get a bite in before Nue finished everything. “More, more, more!”
“She’s quite a glutton, isn’t she? Hahaha.” The waiter brought them another meal with a hearty smile. “I didn’t expect both of you to actually try the most expensive service at our humble store. I thought it was a joke when the owner said to price it at 10 High-Quality Mana Stones but there’s actually someone who ordered it. Wow, spending 20 High-Quality Mana Stones on a single meal. I just can’t believe it.”
Quinton’s heart fell. “Come again?” He must have not heard it correctly.
“Yeah, you really are rich. Judging from your clothes, you’re from Epitome, right? Damn, that guild’s really wealthy if you can afford such an absurd price tag, hahaha.”
Quinton smiled and laughed it off. “Of course-”
Not! You absolute lunatic! Don’t you understand how valuable a High-Quality Mana Stone is?! It’s so valuable that it’s still considered a national treasure! 20 High-Quality Mana Stones?! You might as well rob us in broad daylight! Quinton’s heart was furiously quaking. His personal wealth was accumulatively 13 High-Quality Mana Stones. He had been saving up as well, if he spent more for himself then that number would be lower.
This was even considered extremely wealthy. He was so wealthy that he was actually richer than some mid-sized guilds. Now someone was telling him that a single meal out was nearly twice more expensive than his entire wealth. This was completely absurd.
“Say, young lady, how about we get to know each other?” Quinton tried to calm himself as he still had a guarantor, Ethos. It was pricey but he was sure that Ethos would have enough wealth to pay him back and more. All he needed to do now was bring this beautiful girl to him.
“Nue. Back to eating.” Nue introduced herself, like Cain did, more or less. It was proper manners after all. She then immediately went back to eating.
As for Quinton, it was quite safe to say that he was… lacking his appetite but with the price tag that he landed himself in, he had no choice but to stuff his face. Grabbing a chicken leg from a Rank 9 Hydra Chicken, he immediately bit in. The flavor and juiciness was incomparable to anything he ever had in his life. He might be going broke but this was definitely delicious.
Nue finished the second batch and laid back, patting her tummy. “It’s ok. Cain cooks better.”
Quinton felt his blood pressure rise. He wanted nothing more than to scream at Nue but he still needed to get in her good graces.
You little… don’t you know what kind of luxury you are eating? Even I don’t get to eat this good! I can feel mana surging through my body! If I eat even more then I’ll breakthrough from Low Rank 9 to Medium Rank 9!
“Wow, I’m surprised you can still keep going! Hahaha, I’m amazed! The owner once said that the record back in the otherworld was 12 batches! Can you believe it? It’s wild!” The waiter wasn’t surprised at all. From his perspective, for someone to be insane enough to spend 10 High-Quality Mana Stones per entry then they should definitely have the strength to back it up.
Just who was insane enough to spend money on something they cannot even consume?
“Here you all are! This time, the quality and technique prepared for this batch were a notch higher than before. The ingredients may still be only Low Rank 9 but I assure you, the mana contained within this will be extremely beneficial for you!”
“This… haha.” Quinton was going to go insane but since he was already here, he might as well already see where this takes him. For reference, to go from Low Rank 9 to Medium Rank 9 was absorbing the full mana contained within a High-Quality Mana Stone. The unfortunate current state is that Mana Cultivation Techniques are still quite a new concept for the lower-Phase words. The price-to-reward ratio was terrible. As such, using a High-Quality Mana Stone for cultivation was a complete waste.
Now that there was a way for him to get stronger without any special circumstance but to eat, he finally understood just why this was so expensive. Quinton could actually become stronger just by eating. What an insane concept this was.
Understanding his current state, Quinton wasted no time and immediately dug in on the very first thing he saw. It was a boiled crab slathered in some kind of golden sauce. The smell alone was enough to stir his mana within his body. Impurities were constantly being removed as his body felt something start to awaken within himself.
“Ouhhhh! Power is rising within me! One bite is enough to let me break through to the next realm!” Quinton felt the shackles binding him become undone as he easily became a Medium Rank 9 mage. It was terrifyingly easy.
From within the restaurant, a chef was busy preparing the next dish when one of his waiters immediately slammed the door wide open. “Owner, someone just broke to Medium Rank 9 after eating your dish! Just what kind of ungodly technique is that?!”
The chef ignored the waiter’s statements and continued on perfectly slicing apart the monster meat in front of him. His body and limbs may be fat but it didn’t matter at all to him as every single action he took was done with perfection. The extremely tough bone of a Medium Rank 9 beast was immediately cut apart as a mellow red elixir flowed out and began to delicately present the next batch. The chef took out the plate that he had just recently finished and gave it to the waiter.
“Here’s the next batch. Give it to them, they’re not done yet.”
“B-But… that old man had just finished his breakthrough. I don’t think he can break through any sooner than this.”
The fat man didn’t say anything and just narrowed his eyes towards his waiter. “Do you want me to do your job for you?”
The waiter was immediately terrified of the consequences of leaving this place. He meekly laughed and brought the next set of meals towards Quinton and Nue. By the time he reached their table, Nue was smiling and tilting her head from side to side. Meanwhile, Quinton was on the verge of breaking apart. He had consumed far too much mana and had to settle down otherwise his body would immediately burst.
The waiter saw this and warned Quinton. “Sir, I suggest that you stop. It’s no good to push it any further.”
When Quinton heard this he felt defeated. He silently glanced at Nue’s stuffed face and felt… terribly odd. He had only eaten a handful of things and he had already broken through meanwhile Nue was eating everything the restaurant had to offer and didn’t seem to be affected at all.
At this point, a crowd had already formed all around them. News quickly spread out at this really odd scenario. The previous concept of a simple meal had turned into quite the spectacle. What made it even more scandalous was the fact that there was a Rank 9 Epitome member dining down here.
It quickly became known that he was Quinton, an extremely talented person that was considered as an elder within the guild. His status was not low at all. He was someone even the guild master of Dominion, Sval, had to meet during official consultations. Now came what people would come to realize as the weirdest part of the story.
“Have you ever seen that girl? She’s so pretty.”
“Girl? Oh her… what the hell. Is she his granddaughter? If that’s what my granddaughter would look like then I’ll treat her to this place every day! What a treat!” A man confidently proclaimed.
“She’s… not even that pretty. Hmph.” A girl puffed out her chest and crossed her arms but no one even batted an eye towards her. She tried catching everyone’s attention but she lost. Her enemy, Nue, didn’t even try and she was already defeated. This was the start of an arc of sorts for her.
After getting over just how alluring she was, people finally started asking the important questions.
“That’s… her 10th meal, is it not? That’s meat coming from a Peak Rank 10 monster. There’s no way she can eat that all by herself. That just doesn’t make sense.”
“Peak Rank 10?” A spectator’s eyes started confusing reality with fiction. “I thought she was just hungry. How can her body handle that much mana?”
“Perhaps… is she Epitome’s rising talent?” The moment a person voiced his thoughts, the air in the room turned stagnant. The atmosphere became overwhelmingly cold as the thought of such a monster was coming to light.
“Can anyone tell what Rank she is? I can’t figure it out.”
People tried all sorts of methods to figure out where her strength lies but despite their best efforts, they were unable to. People tried pushing their luck and using more and more drastic methods.
“Strength Check. Failed.” It was a simple method that checked the amount of mana someone had. It couldn’t even penetrate Nue’s skin.
“History of the Past.” It was a simple skill that revealed information about someone’s past. The greater the disparity, the less would be unfolded. “Really? Empty?”
“Eyes of Truth.” A much more powerful version of Strength Check but it was still unable to bypass Nue’s natural defenses.
“God of Truth, please enlighten me.” This was not a skill, someone was just begging on their hands and knees out of sheer desperation. They were really desperate to know who Nue was.
With no better way of figuring it out, they might as well ask the person whom Nue was dining with. “Sir Quinton, is this some kind of publicity stunt? If so, please let us know who this girl is. Everyone’s dying to know. Is she Epitome’s top talent?”
Everything was just getting weirder and weirder, nothing was making sense at all.
“Oh wow, the 12th batch. You’re… really unique, girl.” The waiter no longer had the smile on his face like he did before. It was just… pure shock and awe. He was already getting flooded with mana just by smelling the dishes but Nue was actually able to eat everything without showing any signs of being full. She was insatiable.
Quinton looked back at this golden-eyed girl that was smiling and humming a little tune to herself. “Hmm~ Hmm~ Lalala.”
I wish I knew who the hell this girl is as well! A simple guilt-filled trip turned into… whatever this was. Quinton did not like it one bit. I might as well contact the young master, he’ll know what to do.
Back in the castle in the middle of the city, Ethos was having a great day, phenomenal day even. Everything was just working out as he felt like it. He had just finished the deal with Dominion in Epitome’s favor and he was just about to receive his next prize.
“Hmm? Quinton, did you get her?”
“It’s a long story…”
Ethos sensed some oddity in Quinton’s voice but since dealing with official matters, he was more lenient. “Tell me on the way.”