The waitress welcomed them attentively, her demeanor reflecting fear. She accompanied him to a corner table in the room, her gaze filled with trepidation. This youth was undeniably terrifying.
"Young Master Ghost, what would you like to order?" she asked.
"Give me the green salad and hot water with lime," Michael replied.
Considering that he had already eaten and wasn't very hungry, he opted for the salad from the menu as a light meal before retiring for the night.
"Keep the change," he added, handing her the payment.
The waitress was taken aback by his act of payment, even after gaining a reputation as being super scary and famous. Typically, powerful cultivators and adventurers not only wouldn't pay but might demand free food and drink using their influence. The Ghost's reputation in Rivertown, after the events that had unfolded outside, was more than enough to make such demands and have them met. However, surprisingly, he paid for his meal and even gave her a generous tip.
Psst.
The bartender cast a quick glance at her and shook his head, silently indicating that she shouldn't charge him.
"Young Master, it's… It's on the house," she stammered.
"Wonderful," Gaya chimed in, happy to hear that their meal would be free.
However, Michael shook his head. He understood that these people were not wealthy, and their livelihoods depended on the earnings of this tavern. How could he use his power and reputation to avoid paying for a couple of meals?
Wouldn't that tarnish his reputation?
"No, I'm a customer in this tavern, just like everyone else here. A customer must pay for what he orders," he insisted.
With a warm smile, he placed the coins in the waitress's palm.
"Now, please go ahead and bring me the order," Michael said.
The waitress couldn't help but smile back and hurried off to fulfill his request, leaving the astonished adventurers in her wake.
"Is he really paying for his meals?"
"Isn't he the same person who roasted Ralphy alive on the stake?"
"He looks so friendly now."
'What the fuck, human? They should be paying US for not messing with them," Gaya growled.
As the adventurers continued to stare at him, Gaya voiced his frustration inside his mind.
"I don't know what kind of princess you used to be, but I don't like to be indebted. Besides, what would happen to my reputation if I didn't even pay for my meals?"
"It's a privilege of being powerful, human. What's the use of cultivation if we pay the commoners?"
"It's not a privilege; it's disgusting. I'm starting to understand why they chased your snakey ass away."
"Shut up, you know nothing. If you think I'm evil, just wait until you see the bitch sitting on the Nagaland throne."
While Gaya and Michael were engaged in their inner conversation, the waitress brought him the salad and hot water.
"Here's your green salad and hot water with lime, Young Master Ghost."
"Thank you."
"Oh? No need, Young Master," the waitress stuttered.
He seemed like a completely different person now. She had been present when he burned Ralphy alive, and at that time, he had exuded immense killing intent and appeared terrifying.
The more time they spent with him in the same room, the more they realized that he was only cruel to his enemies. Towards others, he seemed warm and friendlier.
"Miss, do you know where the Sunrise sect is?" he inquired, stopping the waitress as she was about to attend to another table.
"Young Master Ghost must be new to Bredia if you don't know the Sunrise sect. But, young master, if you're looking to join a sect, there are more fitting sects for you," she suggested.
Hearing this, Michael furrowed his brows.
"I just want to return something that belongs to them."
"Oh?" The waitress raised her eyebrows.
"How could a powerful youth like him join a declining sect like the Sunrise sect?" The waitress thought.
"Young Master Ghost, to get to the Sunrise Sect, you have to walk down the main road for about two hours until you see a small mountain by the river. The Sunrise Sect will be there," explained the waitress.
"Alright, then I'll go there tomorrow," replied Michael.
"Young Master Ghost," the waitress interjected as he was about to start eating.
"Young Master Ghost, none of them will be at their sect tomorrow. Tomorrow is the Bright Light Ceremony. They'll all be at the Heaven's Gate."
*******************
"Hey Gaya, what is this Bright Light Ceremony?" Michael inquired.
At the moment, he was lying in bed while Gaya was sitting by the window.
"That's just a silly event that humans participate in at the Heaven's Gate to prove their power," Gaya explained.
"Why's that?" asked Michael.
"So they can get accepted into their favorite sect if they perform well, or so they hope," replied Gaya.
The moonlight coming through the window reflected on her face, revealing an angered expression.
"What is this Heaven's Gate?" Michael's curiosity grew, and he was relieved that Gaya wasn't accompanying him in person to create trouble.
"I told you it's just a silly event. Why are you interested in that? Are you going to participate?" Gaya asked, furrowing her brows.
"Just explain everything to me," Michael insisted.
She sighed and turned her gaze away from the moon, focusing on explaining the event to him.
"The Heaven's Gate event has two rounds. In the first round," she began, raising her pointing finger to clarify the competition's workings, "the three major sects will each send a Level 5 Core Formation cultivator and position them at the top of the Heaven's Gate stairway. They will unleash their aura and soul pressure. Participants in the competition need to climb from the bottom to the top, but the higher they ascend, the more pressure they face. Ultimately, the first 24 disciples to reach the top qualify for the second round of the competition."
"Are there specific requirements to participate?" Michael inquired.
She nodded in response to his question.
"There are two, actually. First, you must be under thirty years old. Second, you cannot be more advanced than a level 10 Body Refining stage cultivator."
"So, it seems I meet the requirements to participate in the competition."
"Don't be hasty, human. Although the competition is meant for young participants, disciples from the sects will also join to display their strength and gain resources provided by the King of Bredia."
"Hmm..."
He remained uncertain about participating in the competition. However, as he listened to Gaya's explanation, it began to seem like an opportunity to showcase his abilities and earn more points before entering seclusion for a few days.
The system had informed him that he had accumulated enough experience points to reach level four of the Body Refining stage. Yet, the system required three days to facilitate this upgrade and strengthen his body. During these three days, he wouldn't be able to access the system. Any interruptions during this time could result in a failed breakthrough and the loss of all experience points.
The potential loss concerned him greatly, which was why he was hesitant to attempt a breakthrough at this moment.
"Continue," Michael urged Gaya to share more information.
"Where was I? Ah, yes. The second stage, the second round, is the most entertaining and the one most people look forward to. The first 24 disciples who reach the highest number of steps will compete one-on-one in twelve matches."
"Huh? Didn't you say the first 24 disciples to reach the top? Where does this 'highest number of steps' come from?"
Her expression turned gloomier.
"No one has ever reached the top, human. That's why they select the disciples who have climbed the most steps, rather than waiting for someone to reach the actual top."
"That makes sense. Now, tell me how they arrange the fights."
"They will provide 24 cards, each with a number from 1 to 12 on them. You will randomly choose one, and participants who draw the same number will face each other on the stage. The prizes for the winners vary each time, so we'll only know about that tomorrow."
He absentmindedly stroked his smooth face, deep in thought about whether he should participate or not.
"Hey, system, how many badass points do I have?"
[11,000 points.]
"Alright, system. Give me a recommendation for a strategy to excel in this competition. I'm not concerned about the second stage since I have my trusty shield. My main focus is on the first stage."
[Loading...]
He patiently waited for the system to provide a recommendation, preferring its guidance over manually searching the shop. The system had previously suggested some powerful skills, such as Responsive Shield and Lightning Dash, in critical situations like this.
After a few seconds, a golden sheet materialized before him.
Name: Energy Devourer.
Class: Legendary.
Function: Allows the host to convert Energy pressures into Experience points.
Upgradable: Yes.
Price: 9000 badass points.
Staring at the cost beside the skill, he let out a heavy sigh as his heart ached at the thought of spending such a substantial amount of points on a single skill.
"Hold onto it for now. I'll purchase the skill if I need it,"