Nexus wasted no time and headed straight for the Origin Tower as soon as he reached his room. Stepping onto the first floor, he called out for Jade.
"Hey Jade, where are you?" Nexus's voice echoed through the room.
"I'm over here," Jade's voice came from behind a bookshelf on his right.
Curious, Nexus turned to see Jade buried in a pile of books. With her oversized glasses, baggy clothes, and messy hair, she looked like a true nerd.
Approaching her, Nexus asked, "What are you doing with all these books?"
"I'm searching for something, and I think these books might have the answers," Jade replied without looking up.
"What are you searching for?" Nexus inquired.
"I'll tell you if I find it," Jade replied.
Nodding, Nexus changed the subject. "By the way, how did you know that Grandpa Kassius and Grandma Sora are Half Humans and Half Elves?"
"It's one of my abilities," Jade said proudly.
"You mean it's one of the Origin Tower's abilities," Nexus corrected.
" I thought since you are the spirit of the Origin Tower you might have already read all of the books or maybe knows what the other floors looked like " Nexus said as he looked at Jade who continued reading the books.
" I might be the spirit of the Origin Tower but it doesn't mean I can enter the floors as I want. Only when the floors are opened by the owner then I can enter them" Jade explained with a wave of her hands.
Rolling his eyes, Nexus continued, "Since you're already knee-deep in these books, can you help me find a suitable Cultivation technique for Grandpa Kassius and Grandma Sora?".
"Sure, I can help you with that.Now can you please leave me alone? I'm busy," Jade said, feeling annoyed.
Nexus shook his head and vanished from the Origin Tower with a simple thought.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Early the next morning, Nexus awoke from his cultivation state. Ever since Jade had advised him not to break through to the next realm, he had been suppressing his cultivation. This continuous tempering of his foundation had made it more stable and stronger.
As Nexus walked out of his room, he encountered Kassius in the yard, who appeared to have just emerged from his own room.
"Your Highness," Kassius immediately bowed and greeted respectfully.
Nexus nodded and inquired, "Are the others awake?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Sora has already prepared breakfast," Kassius reported.
Nodding, Nexus proceeded to the dining table with Kassius following closely behind.
"Good morning, Your Highness," Nyx greeted Nexus with a cheerful smile.
"Good morning, Your Highness," Sora also smiled and greeted. Nexus acknowledged them with a nod.
Seated at the table, Nexus began to eat, with Kassius and the others joining him.
After a while, Sora hesitated for a moment and mentioned, "Your Highness, we are running out of food and currently have no money."
Nexus fell silent for a moment before responding, "Do not worry about that. I will take care of it."
Sora nodded and resumed eating. Twenty minutes later, Nexus finished his breakfast and stood up from the table, turning to Kassius. "Okay, Grandpa Kassius, let's go."
Kassius, having also finished eating, quickly stood up and replied, "Yes, Your Highness."
The previous day, Nexus had informed Kassius that they would be going somewhere today.
"Okay, Grandma Sora, we are going out. We will be back shortly. Please be careful and look after yourselves," Nexus warned with a serious expression. He was aware of the dangers in the city, and it was better to be safe than sorry.
Turning to Nyx, Nexus instructed, " Nyx please behave yourself and don't run around, ok ".
Nyx pouted and replied, "Yes, Your Highness, I will behave." Nexus nodded and left the courtyard with Kassius. Sora and Nyx watched them go.
Sora turned to Nyx, who was still staring at the entrance. She shook her head, smiled, and said, "Okay, stop looking. They're already gone. Or do you already miss His Highness?" Sora said with a playful grin.
"Grandma Sora..." Nyx blushed and playfully yelled.
"Hehe, okay, let's go. I want to tell you something," Sora said, covering her mouth and chuckling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a dimly lit alley in the slums, a mysterious figure dressed in black paced nervously. "I hope this doesn't end badly for me," the figure muttered.
This figure was Lexx, who had been tailing Nexus yesterday. Unable to shake off the threat Nexus posed, Lexx had rushed to the alley early in the morning, fearing for his life. He had been waiting there for three hours, terrified of Nexus' methods.
As Lexx paced back and forth, his nerves on edge, he heard faint footsteps behind him. Whirling around, he saw two figures dressed in black approaching.
Anxious, he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Sir, is that you?" in a trembling voice.
The two figures reached Lexx, one of them glancing him up and down before chuckling, "You're quite punctual, Lexx."
Lexx breathed a sigh of relief upon recognizing the voice, grateful it wasn't someone else. The figures were none other than Nexus and Kassius.
"Sir, it's really you," Lexx said, pulling back his hood to reveal his young, ordinary face. He glanced behind Nexus and asked, "Sir, who is this?"
"Don't ask," Nexus replied with a quick glance.
"Sorry, sir," Lexx apologized.
"Alright, this isn't the place to talk. Do you know somewhere more secluded?" Nexus asked, waving his hand and scanning the alley.
" Sir,I know a place," Lexx nodded in response to Nexus. "Follow me, please." With a gesture, Lexx led the way, followed by Nexus and Kassius.
They left their original location and began navigating through dark alleyways, turning left and right every now and then. Lexx seemed to know this place like the back of his hand, guiding them through a series of alleys.
After about half an hour of walking, they arrived in front of a huge building that resembled a warehouse, with a small door. The building was well hidden, making it difficult for the average person to find. Nexus's eyes lit up with intelligence as he looked at the building.
Lexx cautiously scanned the area for anything suspicious before opening the door and motioning for Nexus and Kassius to enter.
Once they were inside, he locked the door behind them. Nexus quickly assessed the building and discovered that it was a two-story structure. The ground floor was quite spacious, with minimal furniture - just a table and a few broken chairs emitting a musty smell.
"This is where I live, sir. It's completely safe. Only a handful of people know about this place," Lexx explained.
Nexus nodded and removed his hood, with Kassius following suit.
Lexx couldn't help but be curious about Nexus's appearance as he revealed himself. He was taken aback by the divine being in front of him, especially those eyes - they were a striking red, like ruby gems, with intricate silver runes slowly revolving within them.
At the sight of those eyes, Lexx even entertained the thought of kneeling down and addressing Nexus as master.
Lexx was completely captivated by Nexus' appearance. He was certain that any woman who laid eyes on him wouldn't be able to resist. Quickly snapping out of his trance, Lexx finally turned his attention to the other figure dressed in black who was following behind Nexus.
He was also struck by this person's appearance - handsome, with a mustache and a refined demeanor. He looked to be in his forties.
"Lexx!" called out Nexus, bringing Lexx back to reality.
"Yes, sir," Lexx responded immediately.
"How old are you? And how long have you been in this city?" Nexus asked, glancing at him.
"I'm eighteen years old and I've pretty much spent my whole life here in the Capital City," Lexx replied.
"What's a kid like you doing here? Aren't you afraid of being killed?" Nexus inquired.
"I've been living on the streets since my parents were killed by those disgusting Nobles. I've learned how to protect myself from a young age. I know the outer areas of the Capital City like the back of my hand. I can easily lose someone in this city, and that's one of the reasons I've managed to stay alive all these years," Lexx explained.
Nexus raised an eyebrow at Lexx's disdain for the Nobles. With a faint smile, "Now that's interesting."
"How did you cultivate to your current level?" Nexus asked as he made his way to a chair and sat down, followed by Kassius and Lexx.
"I don't know how I reached my current level. When I was fifteen, I found a Cultivation technique on a corpse in this very building. I decided to give it a try, and to my surprise, I was able to cultivate," Lexx shared.
Nexus and Kassius looked at Lexx in shock, making him feel uneasy under their gaze. "Is something wrong?".
"So, you're telling me you reached the Eighth Layer of the Essence Meridian Realm in just three years?" Kassius inquired.
Lexx was surprised to hear Kassius speaking and quickly regained his composure before responding, "Yes, it seems that way."
"Did you use any pills or other resources to quickly increase your strength?" Kassius prodded.
"Nope," Lexx shook his head, "I cultivated all by myself and didn't take any pills or receive help from anyone." He was confused as to why Kassius was questioning him in this way.