Here's an expanded version with enriched descriptions and wording:
"What about you?" Ali's gaze shifted to the general of the nature guild, his voice calm yet carrying a subtle challenge. The general met his look but shook his head, his expression solemn.
"It seems I am lacking in information," the nature guild general replied. "I cannot offer you anything of such high value until I consult with my superiors. Good luck, young man." With a respectful nod, he turned and walked out of the restaurant, surrendering in the silent battle for Ali's allegiance.
As the man departed, Claire stepped forward from behind the fire guild general, her expression pleading. "Ali, join us. The fire guild would help you reach even greater heights, with all the knowledge you need about how Paradise works," she urged, her intensity mirrored by Mark, who nodded in agreement. Recruiting Ali would be an unprecedented win for the fire guild, especially here in the Slums.
Ali tilted his head, a trace of amusement in his dark eyes as he finally responded. "My answer is… no." The single word dropped with a casual finality that made veins bulge on the fire general's forehead, his face twisting in restrained fury, while the water general's fists clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms.
"So now you can all get lost and let me eat in peace," Ali added with a dismissive wave, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he motioned them away like a group of pests.
"Do you even know what you're doing?" the fire general snarled, leaning in close enough that Ali could feel the intense heat radiating from him, as if an inner fire was waiting to burst free. The temperature around them seemed to rise, beads of sweat forming on nearby patrons as the air grew stifling.
"STOP! There will be no fighting in my establishment. Do you want the supervisors involved?" Catherine's voice cut through the tension as she stood at the edge of the dining area, balancing a large tray in her hands, her sharp gaze enough to command silence.
The fire general's eyes narrowed, but he stepped back reluctantly. "Think about my offer. It would be in your best interest not to reject me…" he warned, his voice low and seething as he turned and stalked away, Claire and Mark trailing behind him like loyal shadows. The water general followed with quiet, simmering anger, and Natalya, casting one last resentful look at Ali, left him to his table.
Ali's hand, concealed beneath the table, relaxed. Black veins had pulsed across his skin, ready to release a powerful strike if necessary.
"You must have stirred up quite a reputation if they came out personally to recruit you," Catherine said, setting a heavy plate on the table before him. She watched him with a curious, appreciative smile as he prepared to dig in.
"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Ali replied with a shrug as he picked up his fork and knife, cutting into the tender, perfectly seasoned steak. The rich aroma rose with each bite, and a look of contentment settled over his face as he savoured the flavours.
Catherine lingered a moment, smiling at the young man clearly enjoying her food, then turned and returned to the kitchen to prepare orders for other tables.
Ali continued eating, savouring every bite as he observed the bustling market streets outside. 'They actually thought those pathetic offers would be enough to sway me,' he mused. 'I'd bet anything the resources on the second or third levels make what they offered look like scraps. It's like presenting garbage as treasure to those who don't know any better. If they had anyone who could see the future, they'd be sending everything they had to kill me now. The pain I'll bring them in the future… they have no idea.'
Half an hour passed as he slowly finished his meal, each bite a moment of quiet pleasure while he watched the ceaseless, chaotic movements of players surging through the streets below like an endless ocean. When he finally set down his fork and knife, Catherine returned, sliding gracefully into the seat across from him, a spark of excitement in her eyes.
"Want to hear something interesting?" she asked, her voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper.
Ali's eyebrows rose with intrigue. "Hit me."
"When are you leaving again?" she asked.
"I chose the 24-hour option, so tomorrow morning," he replied.
"Well, here's the thing," she continued, leaning closer. "Tomorrow night, there's an auction happening. Not just any auction, though—this one's special. It only happens when a large collection of high-quality, highly sought-after items have been gathered. They're presenting them to the wealthiest buyers in the Slums. It's the kind of event that only takes place once every two years because it takes that long to gather items worth the wait." Her tone was hushed, as if the information itself were a precious secret.
Ali's interest sharpened. "Who's organising this? The five guilds?"
Catherine shook her head, a knowing smile on her lips. "Nope. That's another reason why it's so special. This auction is organised by a hidden network of traders, not the guilds. Rumour has it they have connections with the merchants' guild on the higher levels—an ancient guild that only allows the most elite traders."
Ali smirked, his eyes gleaming. "And I'm guessing you have a way to get me in there?"
"Exactly," she said, her voice dropping to a low, teasing tone.
"So, Ali, would you like to be my plus-one tomorrow?"
"Of course," he replied with a grin, pushing back from the table.
"It just so happens I've got some extra credits." He stood, and together they worked out the finer details before he made his way out of the restaurant, moving through the centre of the Slums and heading back toward his apartment.
As he walked, he felt the same eyes watching him, tracking his every move. 'These people just don't give up, do they?' he thought, irritated by the persistent spies. At the next corner, he turned sharply, moving faster to catch his shadows off guard.
He slipped into an alleyway, his movements smooth and silent. When his trackers reached the corner and entered the alley, they found only empty shadows and silence.
Two hundred meters away, Ali was already strolling away with a smirk on his face. 'It was so easy to shake them, I almost feel embarrassed for leaving them alive,' he thought, a hint of regret flickering through him.
A grandmaster assassin shouldn't have to deal with such amateurs, but with his hands tied under the rules of paradise Ali could just remember their faces.
When he reached his apartment, he opened the door and found everything just as he'd left it. His weapons—his quinque handle and two new guns—lay neatly on the bed.
His clothes were still damp in the bathroom, which he ignored, sprawling out on the bed and moving his weapons aside as he allowed himself a rare moment of relaxation.
Time slipped by as Ali lay there, occasionally practicing with his quinque, feeling the weight and balance of the weapon in the small, confined space. The hours ticked along steadily, and his next teleportation loomed closer and closer.
Eventually, the next morning Ali got up, checking the countdown on his interface.
An hour before his next teleportation, Ali went to the bathroom and took a quick, refreshing shower. He changed into his fresh grey clothes, as his black outfit was still damp. The grey clothes had appeared mysteriously when he wasn't looking, another strange provision of the room's magical design, and he took advantage of them to make a makeshift bag for his rations.
After securing his new belt across his chest with the black quinque handle at the ready, he holstered both desert eagles on his waist, hidden beneath the loose, comfortable sweater.
With a final glance around the room, he ensured everything was in place, his mind focused, his body equipped, and his resolve steady. Ali was ready for his third world in Paradise.
He sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes fixed on the interface's countdown as it neared its final seconds.
"Teleportation to next world in… 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…"
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Author here, as usual before a new world, let's who can guess who it is, comment here your guesses.
Please donate some of your power stones, it would help my ff massively.
Five chapters ahead of webnovel on patreon.com/Rondo312