Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Island Completed

A little over a minute later, the group landed heavily on the ground, falling face-first into the dirt. None of them paid any attention to whether they were bruised or scraped; their eyes were all filled with shock and awe.

“Could it be that what we saw at first was only Lord Kassadin’s avatar?”

“So that was Lord Kassadin’s true form?”

“Darm, you were actually able to meet such a magnificent being.”

All three guards were filled with reverence. Everything they had just witnessed was far beyond their comprehension.

“The greatness of Lord Kassadin goes without saying,” Darm said, folding his arms and adopting a serious expression. “As someone who joined the Void ahead of you, I need to explain the precepts and doctrines of the Void Church.”

To believe in the Void was, first and foremost, not about making contributions to Lord Kassadin, but at the very least, not bringing shame or trouble to him. There needed to be a clear plan: first, to strengthen themselves in secret, and then to consider spreading the teachings of the Void, so that the blessings of the Void could descend upon Xandar.

Barnett, Primo, and Philip saw Darm’s demeanor as a senior member and had no objections. This was not only because of the blessings bestowed upon them by Lord Kassadin, but also due to Darm’s effort. After gaining powers beyond those of ordinary men, Darm had not forgotten his brothers who had worked alongside him for years. They, too, were eager to understand the Void Church and to offer their strength to Lord Kassadin.

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Inside the Celebrity Hotel.

Harvey watched from above as they rejoiced, lost in thought. He had now completed the disaster missions listed in the bounty tasks. The other tasks weren’t without profit, but none could yield him both money and evolution points at the same time—so although he could do them, the rewards were less enticing.

He began to consider other ways to make money. For long-term operation, he needed to find a suitable industry chain—something profitable and sustainable.

But this required enough people to join the Void before it could operate smoothly. For now, he still had about 2.8 billion in savings, which would suffice for the time being.

He hoped that, once the Void Church was established, it would attract a variety of talents. It was a pity that Tony’s heart was set on Blue Star, focused solely on getting stronger to face future crises. Otherwise, if Tony could be brought here to study Xandar’s advanced technologies, with his talent, he would soon invent even more advanced tech for sale and amass a fortune rapidly.

But Harvey knew that this couldn’t be rushed—Tony was not yet at the stage of venturing into the universe. The Void Church lacked personnel, let alone rare talent; everything would have to progress slowly. As long as the initial stage was overcome, everything would improve.

As for the idea of prioritizing wealthy donors to the Void in exchange for faith, Harvey refused to do so. That would require constant personal effort from him, and more importantly, it would bring countless problems.

The first tenet of the Void’s doctrine was that everyone should have the chance to believe in the Void. The weaker and more desperate for change someone was, the more they would cherish the power granted by the Void. Their faith would be all the more devout.

As long as they were devout enough, they would not act against the interests of the Void Church. The initial goal was certainly to recruit more devout followers. With enough believers, Harvey could continually draw upon the Void’s energy—a win-win situation.

Thinking of the many matters awaiting him, Harvey set aside his worries for now and started playing games to relax his mind. If he didn’t take this opportunity to rest, he feared that once the Void Church was established, he would have no time for leisure for quite a while.

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For the next month, Harvey spent his days eating and playing, while Sonya busied herself rushing about, overseeing work on the island to keep the workers from slacking off after being paid. As the designer, she also had to check the layout of every building for any mistakes and discuss opening sea routes with the Maritime Planning Bureau.

Despite her daily errands, Sonya did not find it burdensome. On the contrary, she was immersed in the joy of these varied tasks. This was what she had longed for—not just managing the villa, but stepping beyond the Celebrity Hotel to experience new things.

Though she did not eat much each day, after nearly a month, Sonya felt she had evolved three times. Her strength, stamina, and recovery were now far greater than before.

Even if she ran around all day, a half-hour rest would fully restore her energy. If others knew that joining the Void brought such transformations, they would likely pay any price to beg for a chance.

Yet Lord Kassadin had not demanded vast sums of money from her; after a few simple tests, he had granted her this life-changing opportunity. Such a gift was more precious than anything else.

A month passed quietly.

“Lord Kassadin, we can leave now.”

That morning, Sonya had already taken off her work uniform, having completed her resignation. Yesterday was her last day on the job; as of today, she was officially no longer the villa manager.

She wore a white blouse and white shorts; her long, snowy legs glistened in the air, making her look youthful, energetic, and full of hope for the future. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Lord Kassadin, we can go now. I’ve completed everything you asked of me. Please come with me to have a look,” Sonya said, holding a small bag and smiling brightly at Harvey.

“That’s all your belongings?” Harvey asked, noting how carefree and unburdened Sonya seemed, as if she had just cast off heavy chains.

“Yes. The rest has already been sent straight to the island. I know you, Lord Kassadin, don’t need any form of transport and can go to the island directly. But this time, please come with me and take the regular route. That way, I can show you more along the way,” Sonya replied with a smile and a nod.

“All right,” Harvey agreed. He had originally intended to take Sonya straight to his private island, but her suggestion would indeed give him a better understanding of the situation, so he had no reason to refuse.