As Seraphina walked away, John's lips twitched slightly.
Did she really come over just to tell him that?
"Do all rich girls have this much free time?" John muttered, then hailed a taxi and headed towards the outer city district.
Stellarburg was a city rebuilt over a century ago, divided into three areas: the Noble District, the Inner City, and the Outer City.
The Noble District was where the wealthy resided, the Inner City was populated by commoners, and those without money or citizenship, the undocumented, naturally had to live in the Outer City.
John had managed to acquire Stellarburg citizenship.
But after living in the Inner City for a while, he found he preferred the Outer City.
Despite its dirt, disorder, and chaos, rife with crime, vice, and drugs,
John found he could only relax in this kind of environment, perhaps also due to his dislike of being constrained.
Actually, it was mainly because he was broke...
During his journey home, John also took some time to check his skills.
[Spring of Soul lv10 (MAX)]
[Type]: class skill (passive)
[Description]: The mind is the wellspring of magic; your maximum MP is enhanced by 200%, MP recovery speed increased by 100%, and magical attack power strengthened by 50%.
...
[Mana Recovery lv10 (MAX)]
[Type]: class skill (active)
[Description]: Upon activation of this skill, recover 20 MP per minute.
...
[Pyrokinesis lv10 (MAX)]
[Type]: basic skill (active)
[Description]: Upon activation, this skill inflicts 200 points of fire-based damage on the target, with a 30% chance of setting the target ablaze. In this burning state, the target suffers 20 points of burn damage per second for 30 seconds. The cooldown period is 60 seconds, with an MP cost of 40.
...
[Aquakinesis lv10 (MAX)]
[Type]: basic skill (active)
[Description]: Upon activation, this skill deals 200 points of water-based damage to the target, with a 30% chance of freezing the opponent. In this frozen state, the target's speed is reduced by 50% for 30 seconds. The cooldown period is 60 seconds, with an MP cost of 40.
...
Looking at the skills on his skill panel, John felt a surge of excitement.
The power of the "Divine Favor Tome" was beyond question!
While others struggled and fought tooth and nail to level up their skills, he was born with max-level skills!
This not only greatly enhanced his early-stage combat strength but also saved him a tremendous amount of time, and more importantly, all without any cost!
It was truly worthy of an SSS-level talent, unbelievably defying the heavens!
However, what excited John even more was his class skill.
[All-Class Magus (god-tier)]
[Type]: Exclusive Skill (passive)
[Description]: You can transcend class barriers and learn skills from other magi without any cost.
...
At the Awakening Temple, John had focused all his attention on his "Divine Favor Tome" talent, thinking he had awakened as just a regular magus class.
Only now did he realize that he had also awakened a god-tier class!
Had John's temperament not been far beyond ordinary, he might have burst into ecstatic laughter at this moment.
Professions were divided into four ranks: common, rare, hidden, and god-tier.
In the Federal, those who awakened a rare class were considered geniuses.
Hidden classes were so scarce in Stellarburg's population of millions that there were only a few, and god-tier classes were the stuff of legends!
Since virtual reality merged with reality over a century ago, god-tier awakeners could be counted on one's fingers.
Moreover, most of them became god-tier classes through the use of god-tier class scrolls.
Someone like John, born with a god-tier class, would cause a frenzy among countless powers in the Federal if word got out!
At this moment, John was incredibly grateful that he had chosen to keep it hidden.
Otherwise, whether he would still be alive at this moment was an uncertainty!
In this world, there surely were many who would not wish a person who had awakened both an SSS-level talent and a god-tier class to live well.
John had already made up his mind.
Until he had sufficient power to protect himself, he must not reveal his secret!
The taxi drove on, the scenery outside the window rapidly receding.
City skyscrapers gradually turned into dilapidated residential houses, and then slowly into low shanty towns.
John's emotions gradually calmed as he got out of the taxi a few kilometers from Wallfort, in a corner of the city.
Although he was still some distance from his destination, the taxi driver flatly refused to go any further.
The chaos of the Outer City was well-known; murder and robbery were common occurrences.
Compared to earning a few more federal coins, the taxi driver clearly valued his life more.
The sky had darkened by now.
The uneven road was lined with dimly lit street lamps, and the dilapidated vending machines, long since out of operation, had been emptied by looters.
Garbage littered the streets, while inebriated vagrants, clutching their bottles, slept on benches, with drying stains of urine still evident on nearby lampposts.
John lit a cigarette, taking a deep, contented drag, utterly indifferent to the malicious gazes from the alley corners.
Having lived here for years, he was well accustomed to the environment.
John, cigarette in mouth, navigated through the dimly lit alleys.
Some vagrants and petty thugs initially thought to make an easy score but consciously cleared a path upon recognizing John's face.
This was the respect he had earned with his fists.
After about a twenty-minute walk, John arrived at a neon-lit bar named "Dark Forest".
Pushing open the soundproof door, the vibrant rock music instantly filled his ears, and the mix of smoke, alcohol, perfume, and sweat assaulted his nostrils, causing John to sneeze involuntarily.
It was peak hour in the bar, crowded with patrons.
In the dance floor, scantily clad men and women gyrated to the music, rubbing against each other's sensitive parts, unconcerned with their unfamiliarity, with some even making love in the corners of the bar.
John, unfazed, pushed past several clingy women and pickpockets, making his way to the second floor.
Contrasting the raucous first floor, the second was much quieter, with softer music and only a few people drinking and chatting.
On seeing John, they greeted him warmly.
After sharing a few drinks, John approached the bar, where the bartender was wiping down glasses.
"Where's the boss?" he asked.
The young bartender shrugged and gestured behind John.
Just as John was about to turn around, a pair of slender hands with red nail polish was already placed on his chest.
Following that, John felt a softness pressing against his back, and a faint jasmine-like fragrance tickled his nose.
"Little brother, what brings you to see me?" The woman behind him wrapped her arms around John, pulling his head tightly against her ample bosom.
Her voice was lazy and seductive, the mere sound of it was enough to set one ablaze.
John turned his head to look at the face that could bring disaster to a nation.
The woman's features were stunning, her skin as white as jade, with a teardrop mole at the corner of her eye, and a natural seductiveness in every move that was captivating.
She was Scarlett Monroe, the owner of the Dark Forest bar, the ruler of this dark territory, and a level 56 stellarsummoner.
They were so close, their noses almost touching, even feeling each other's breaths.
Their posture was intimate, but neither seemed to mind.
Their relationship was close; if not for Scarlett's frequent care, John might not have survived till now.
His visit this time was mainly to borrow something from Scarlett.
"You want to borrow a low-level staff?" Scarlett looked at John in surprise, pressing on, "You've awakened as a magus class? What's your talent? A-level? Or S-level?"
John, troubled by her questioning and unable to disclose his situation, deflected, "I have indeed awakened as a magus class. I'm heading to the Phantom Ruins for a trial tomorrow and wanted a handy weapon to use for now. I'll return it in a couple of days."
Scarlett was even more astonished, "Didn't you earn quite a sum from underground boxing before? A level 1 staff wouldn't cost much!"
John, an orphan with no parents, had to struggle to stand his ground in Stellarburg.
Not just underground boxing, he had also worked as a hitman, detective, and psychologist, among other professions, indeed earning a fair amount of money, but he had spent it all.
As for where it went…
Scarlett frowned, "You didn't spend all your money on women, did you?"