The Price of a Meal

"I told you, this is our chance."

Kyle's face broke into a delighted grin as he exclaimed.

"Mmm, my strength has been stuck at a bottleneck for a long time now, and with age, it's likely to gradually weaken."

"I never imagined there'd come a day when I could improve again."

Renoli's face likewise broke into a smile upon hearing this.

"From the moment I could no longer see Lord Kassadin in my visions of the future,"

"I knew that Lord Kassadin's power was absolutely unfathomable."

"Never did I expect that my horizons were simply too narrow—it's no wonder I couldn't perceive even a fraction of such a magnificent existence."

The Precognizer, upon hearing their words, spoke with some emotion.

"Endless evolution, until one evolves the power to change one's very life."

Rexi clenched her fists, feeling that everything was still so surreal.

"Not to mention his abilities—just the mere fact that Lord Kassadin's body can rival an entire galaxy means his words can never be false."

"Congratulations, Rexi. You've received the blessing too. From now on, we all belong to the Void God Church. I hope you'll guide me as well."

Hearing this, Kyle looked at Rexi, smiled, and extended his hand with sincere blessing.

Among the four of them, Rexi was an ordinary person, so she was the most desperate for change and also the most devout.

The other three had learned that Dam and the others had joined the Void, which was why they'd lingered for a few days without any intention of leaving.

They had racked their brains daily trying to figure out how to prove their devotion, and unexpectedly, after four days had passed, they all received the Void's blessing simultaneously.

Together they witnessed the great existence, and then Miss Sonya appeared.

"Thank you all."

Rexi saw Kyle's extended hand, her eyes flickering slightly, and she too reached out her hand.

"Congratulations on joining the Void God Church as well—you are now one of us."

Just then, Dam and the others finished their shift and hurried back to the island. Overhearing their conversation, they no longer hid themselves and revealed honest, simple smiles.

"Dam, I knew it would be you lot."

"As senior members who joined before us, you should at least share some of your experience with us, right?"

"In exchange, I'll treat you all to a meal."

Seeing Dam and the others arrive again, Renoli declared boldly.

"You said it yourself—no backing out now."

Hearing that Renoli was going to treat them, Dam counted the number of people present, then looked at Renoli and spoke immediately, afraid Renoli might change his mind.

After they had joined the Void, their lives had improved but not entirely, because all their money went into food.

"Dam, it seems you don't know the worth of a Class Two bounty hunter."

"It's just the cost of a meal—it's not like I can't afford it. What would I have to regret?"

Hearing Dam's words, Renoli felt he was being underestimated, and with a grand wave of his hand, he spoke boldly.

"I know, I know—who hasn't heard of the worth of a Class Two bounty hunter?"

Seeing Renoli's demeanor, Dam naturally couldn't reveal the real reason and immediately chimed in agreement.

Chatting and laughing, the group made their way toward the island's kitchen.

Over the past few days, they'd learned that many chefs had been hired here.

But without permission, they hadn't dared to casually go near the chefs' area, and had simply fished for their own food all this time.

Now that they had Miss Sonya's permission, how could they not treat themselves to a proper feast?

Along the way, Dam also shared various experiences and sensations of evolution after joining.

Then, no more than two hours later—

After witnessing the appetites of Kyle, the Precognizer, Rexi, and Dam and his group, a sense of dread had already begun to creep into Renoli's heart.

When Renoli went to pay and saw a bill of a hundred and eighty thousand for a single meal, he barely managed to steady himself by grabbing the table—otherwise, he'd have fallen right off his chair.

He knew that eating at the island's restaurant was reasonably priced; it was basically just the cost of ingredients plus a small preparation fee. In terms of value, it was already more than fair.

But he couldn't withstand the fact that each of them, when opening their appetite, could eat enough to rival dozens or even hundreds of ordinary people. No wonder Dam had been so worried he'd regret his offer.

Fortunately, after finishing the meal, Renoli genuinely felt the vast amount of food transforming into a surge of energy that continuously nourished his body.

The most dramatic change was in Rexi—after merely this one grand meal, her appearance had become younger.

Moreover, because she could feel her physical strength increasing, her eyes were filled with confidence and anticipation for the future. It was precisely this confidence that made her look even more beautiful and radiant.

"Dam, you joined over a month ago—so does that mean you were the first?"

After everyone was satiated, they gathered beneath a large tree to cool off and chat.

"I joined before you all, but I wasn't the first."

"Miss Sonya likely joined before I did."

Hearing Renoli's question, Dam shook his head.

"I must say, Miss Sonya is truly beautiful."

Hearing Sonya mentioned, Kyle's face showed some admiration.

"Kyle, I know you like beautiful women, but don't say I didn't warn you—you need to know who you're dealing with."

Hearing Kyle's admiration, the Precognizer lowered his voice and cautioned.

"What do you take me for? Who's worth flirting with and who isn't—I don't need you to teach me."

"I was just offering a word of admiration, nothing more."

"Miss Sonya must have already been exceptional before she became Lord Kassadin's housekeeper."

"After all, that kind of bearing isn't something that can be cultivated overnight."

Hearing this, Kyle retorted with mild exasperation, then explained.

"Good that you understand. Think of anyone you please, but never set your sights on Miss Sonya—otherwise, be careful you don't lose your life without warning."

Seeing that Kyle looked like he understood, the Precognizer spoke up.

"If we're talking about her background, Miss Sonya previously worked at the Elite Hotel."

Hearing this, Dam spoke up.

"Miss Sonya worked at the Elite Hotel?"

"No wonder—only true beauties can get jobs at the Elite Hotel."

"Lord Kassadin is truly wise, going straight to the Elite Hotel to pick his people."

Hearing about Sonya's past identity, Kyle said in some surprise.

Anyone who'd spent any length of time on Sandar Star would have heard of the Elite Hotel, one way or another.

Not to mention a spendthrift Class Two bounty hunter like Kyle, who had been there himself.

He'd certainly entertained the thought of pursuing a woman from the Elite Hotel, but even as a Class Two bounty hunter, he could only afford to stay there occasionally for ten days or half a month.

It wasn't that he lacked money—it's just that staying there too long made one realize how fast money burns.

Ten thousand a day. Unless you were someone with assets exceeding a billion and money pouring in daily, you generally wouldn't stay at such a place for long.

"Let's not dig too deep into the matter of Miss Sonya's identity."

"Let's go adapt to our new powers together. Once other newcomers join in the future, we'll be the seniors."

"If we ourselves haven't grasped the essentials by then, how will we manage to impress them with our tales?"

Seeing that they were immersed in their conversation and looked ready to go deeper, the Precognizer proactively steered the topic away, lest excessive talk provoke Lord Kassadin's wrath and get them killed.

Hearing the Precognizer's words, the others wisely stopped discussing Miss Sonya.

One by one, they ran around the island, training and adapting to their newfound strength.