Chapter 86: The Beginning of the Conquest of Sandar

Previously, Harvey had wondered why, after Sonya joined the Void and experienced the pleasure brought by delicious food, she was still able to remain resolute and in control of her actions. Now, he understood. For Sonya, the most important thing upon joining the Void was not to lose her reason. Thus, she regarded this as something she absolutely had to manage well.

Even though he told her that money was not an issue, Sonya seemed to have assumed the role of housekeeper and began to cut down on expenses for him.

“Mr. Kassadin, the key reason for the large funds required for this construction is that we need to complete the roads, villas, training grounds, harbors, and other facilities within a month. That means mobilizing a lot of personnel, and the workers’ wages will be high. If we could extend the timeframe to two or three months, we’d save at least twenty million on labor costs. Furthermore, according to your requirements, the materials alone for the training grounds will be quite expensive. Would you like more detailed information?”

Although Sonya couldn’t see Mr. Kassadin’s expression, she could feel his appreciation and felt somewhat delighted as she continued her explanation.

“That won’t be necessary. Just handle it,” he replied. “As for inscribing the monument, it’s indeed more suitable for me to do it. But there’s no need to extend the schedule—we’re not short on money. As long as they can finish the work quickly, that’s enough. Once everything is done to my satisfaction, I’ll reward you.”

Harvey shook his head when he heard this, took out the cosmic communicator, tapped a few times, and transferred one hundred and fifty-three million.

“Well then, I’ll look forward to seeing the results. Now I need to meet with the construction company representatives and show them the island. I probably won’t be back until dinner time to bring you your meal.”

Sonya’s face lit up with a confident smile at his words. “I can find something to tide me over this afternoon. Go ahead.”

Hearing this, Harvey replied offhandedly, then turned back to his game with peace of mind.

Receiving permission, Sonya tidied herself up and set off to take care of business.

In the hotel lobby on the first floor, the other women saw Sonya walk out with a radiant mood and drive away in her luxury car, leaving them even more perplexed. Their main question was whether Sonya had been rejected or lured in.

But even if they asked directly, they wouldn’t get an answer. After all, being kept as a mistress was not something people would blatantly admit, even if it were true.

Half of the villa managers working at the Elite Hotel were Xandarians, while the other half were from other planets, catering to the guests’ desire for both foreign allure and the warmth of home.

Regardless of race, however, only the most naive women would boast about being kept, acting proud and telling everyone. The clever ones would do everything possible to keep such matters hidden, preserving their reputation and keeping a way out for themselves.

Meanwhile, in her car, Sonya contacted the three construction companies. Since there were different projects to build and she needed to show them the plans, she had them each send representatives to discuss with her.

This was the first task Mr. Kassadin had assigned her, and she was determined to complete it to his satisfaction.

※※※※※※

While Harvey was playing his game, a system notification popped up: three people wished to learn about the Void. He immediately glanced down at Xandar City and saw Darm showing his powers to his three companions, all the while talking excitedly about something.

Without hesitation, Harvey granted permission.

Darm and his colleagues, who had the day off due to a shift change, were on a deserted mountain.

“Darm, we believe you’ve gained power,” one said. “But does constantly chanting ‘I wish to join the glorious Void’ really work?”

“Yeah, you’ve been repeating it for several minutes now,” another added. “Why don’t you apply for us? Maybe we can meet Lord Kassadin, the god of the Void, together.”

The three burly guards were all in casual clothes now, showing off their broad, muscular chests.

“Lord Kassadin’s words are always right,” Darm said seriously. “He said the glorious Void offers everyone a chance. As long as one is devout enough, the Void’s blessing will come. Don’t you want to change your life?”

“Of course we do, but we’ve been chanting for half an hour,” one replied helplessly. “And when we ask you what the Void really is, you can’t explain. We’re stuck.”

The three strong men had felt a surge of envy when they saw Darm leap five or six meters into the air. With that kind of strength, even if they couldn’t join the Nova Corps right away, they could at least earn a lot of extra cash working part-time while off-duty.

Improving their lives would be easy, and when their power grew, even greater possibilities would open up.

“Enough talk, let’s keep trying,” Darm said, a bit exasperated. “If it doesn’t work, I’ll just have to ask Lord Kassadin directly when I get the chance.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to explain—he simply couldn’t. After all, he had been guided directly into the Void by Lord Kassadin, so he honestly didn’t really understand what the Void was either.

He only knew that, in the vast cosmos, he had seen Lord Kassadin’s figure and other beings of immense terror.

Lord Kassadin was one of the many deities of the Void. Darm didn’t expect to reach his level; as long as he could change his own life, join the Nova Corps, make a name for himself, reach the peak of life, and have enough wealth and a beautiful wife, that would be enough.

Now, bringing in his colleagues was a way to fulfill his promise to them and see if he could take them along.

Lord Kassadin had tasked him with spreading the doctrine of the Void and expressed high expectations for his performance. It would be shameful to go back for help without even trying.

The three strong men understood that Darm was probably too embarrassed to bother Lord Kassadin with such a trivial matter. Still, they desperately longed for the same opportunity, to become more than ordinary security guards.

So, they continued to chant.

“O great Void, O great Lord Kassadin, please grant me strength…”

With sincere longing in their hearts, the three repeated the words a dozen times.

Suddenly, they felt the world around them shift dramatically—they found themselves in the midst of a starry sky.

“It really worked! Lord Kassadin didn’t lie to me!” Darm exclaimed as he saw his companions’ bodies levitate, tendrils of violet energy from the Void pouring into them.

Though he had never seen this with his own eyes, he was certain this was the blessing bestowed by Lord Kassadin, god of the Void.