The city was packed with people of all kinds. Everyone seemed to live in perfect harmony—there weren't any visible problems.
That was mostly thanks to the many guards patrolling every street.
Jeremy and company were chatting idly as they walked, with Cambela explaining in detail some of the city's key locations.
"I'll take you to see the Guild Hall later. Did you know they have S-Rank Gates you can enter? Those worlds are amazing. I've been to a few of them myself in the past."
"And then there's the imperial shop, Mirage. You can literally buy anything there. Potions, elixirs, weapons, armor, magical tools—anything you can imagine. All it takes is credits… well, most of the time."
"Plus, you can sell anything directly to Mirage—monster remains, cores, or whatever else. As long as it has value, the shop will buy it."
Jeremy listened with a surprised expression. It was similar to how things worked in North Capital, but on a much, much larger scale.
The two places couldn't even be compared.
"All of this sounds amazing. Hopefully we can get our hands on some interesting trinkets," Jeremy said after a while.
He wasn't particularly interested in weapons or armor—after all, the robes he wore were part of Okoron's legacy, the other half of himself.
He still didn't quite understand what was so special about the robe and all the accessories that came with it, but it didn't matter. He'd figure it out eventually.
As for weapons, Jeremy had bought one in the past. It felt like ages ago… but it had only been yesterday?
His train of thought was interrupted as he recalled the weapon he owned—Racoon's Revenge.
Truth be told, he had nearly forgotten he even had the scepter. He hadn't needed it. He wasn't even sure if it would be useful… it was low-level, after all.
While Cambela kept chatting and pointing things out to Jeremy, the trio finally reached their destination.
A radiant sign stood before them, glowing with a peaceful aura. The moment Jeremy laid eyes on it, all his unnecessary thoughts, every stray emotion, simply vanished.
His mind cleared completely. And he wasn't the only one. Every person who passed by felt the same clarity.
The stronger someone was, the more deeply it affected them.
After all, the sign had been crafted by a master artisan of EX Rank.
"Wow…" Jeremy was speechless. Words couldn't describe what he was feeling.
"Told you it was a good place—"
"A good place?" Cambela's sentence was interrupted by a voice. "The Velvet Lotus is the only place where someone can truly understand what it means to relax."
Jeremy turned toward the voice, eyeing the girl who had interrupted them.
"I see it in your eyes—you're not convinced," she continued, resting one hand on her hip and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear with the other. "But trust me. Once you step inside, you won't regret it."
"So you work here? Doing some advertising?" Jeremy asked, raising a brow.
"Oh no, not at all. I don't work here… I wish," the girl said, looking down in frustration. "This place doesn't need advertising, anyway."
Cambela's expression twisted into something suspicious.
"Then why are you advertising it?"
"Well…" The girl's embarrassed look turned her face as red as a tomato. "You guys just… looked rich."
A strange silence followed.
After a moment of hesitation, the girl continued.
"I'd like to come with you, if that's okay… I feel like I'm close to an epiphany. Just one last time in there, and I'll break through. I'll finally understand my Law."
Her eyes shimmered with desperation. She had never imagined herself asking for help, but this was a special moment. She needed to reach S-Rank—urgently.
"Oh, so that's what it was," Cambela nodded thoughtfully. She had sensed something unusual about the girl. Now it all made sense.
Jeremy had no intention of helping her. Just as he raised his hand to wave her off, Cambela leaned in and whispered into his ear.
"Master, we should help her. Remember, we're in need of slaves—uh, I mean, researchers. She looks like an ideal candidate. The Law she's about to awaken sounds unique, and paired with my brilliance, we could gain an excellent slav—ally…"
The girl had seen the whole scene. The boy in front of her seemed to be the leader, while the woman and the other man followed behind him.
She noticed how he didn't want to help her, and she understood. Why should he? Being in here was expensive—very expensive. There were various types of treatments, but the truly effective one cost as much as an A-Rank Core.
And there were even more expensive ones.
Just as the girl was about to give up, Jeremy's voice echoed in her ears.
"Alright, but you'll need to take this." Jeremy tossed her a small vial. "As you can see for yourself, that Elixir won't harm you, but remember—"
Jeremy's voice grew cold. Very cold.
"If you accept our help, you'll owe us."
The girl's eyes shifted from overly excited to cautious. She was thrilled that the guy had agreed to help, but his words gave her pause.
She caught the vial. The liquid inside glowed with a vivid green hue.
---
Elixir of LawDrinking this Elixir aids in the realization of a Law, enhancing its power and effects. Additionally, it lays the foundation for the creation of a Super Concept.
---
When Jeremy first read the description, he had been speechless.
It was incredibly useful.
"Eheh—" Cambela's eyes were fixed on Jeremy. She knew just how absurdly valuable that Elixir was. "Master, I know what you're thinking. The answer is yes, I have more of those. But they're not infinite—I only have a few in stock."
Jeremy wanted to ask more, but a sudden outburst interrupted him.
"It's too valuable, I can't accept this!" The girl's movements betrayed her words. She held the vial close to her chest, like her life depended on that glowing liquid.
Cambela laughed softly.
"Don't worry, don't worry. But don't drink it yet. Let's go inside first. When you feel your Law taking shape—that's the moment to drink the Elixir."
"By the way—" Cambela added, stepping closer and placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "What's your name?"
"Oh, my bad. I'm sorry… I'm Amabel, Victoria Amabel," she said with pride.
"Ohh, so you're from the Amabel family, huh? Isn't your family disgustingly rich? Why don't you have the Credits to enter this place a second time?"
Cambela asked curiously. She wasn't doubting Victoria's words, but still, she didn't quite understand.
"Well…" The girl wore an embarrassed expression once again. "My family decided to cut me off. After all… this is my thirtieth visit here—"
Jeremy frowned. Was she messing with them?
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Victoria quickly continued.
"But this time it's different… I feel it—I've never been this close to a breakthrough. I… I can do it—no—I must do it! This time I'll succeed."
Her face hardened with determination.
After exchanging a few more words, the four of them stepped into the building.
"Good day, esteemed guests. Welcome to the Velvet Lotus. I am Giova." A man with a very high-pitched voice greeted them.
"Oh, Lady Victoria, you're here again." The smile on Giova's face grew even wider.
He knew this customer well. She came often, always choosing the most expensive treatment. She spent an absurd amount of Credits every time.
He thought it would be the same this time, but instead of Victoria, he heard a boy's voice speak up.
"Hi, we're new here. We'd like your best treatment. There's—" he glanced behind him "—three of us. We're three."
He turned back to Giova.
"He'll stay outside, act as our guard." He pointed to the man behind him—Aliken. In his human form, he looked strangely normal, totally inconspicuous.
"I see. That'll be a total of 1.5 Billion Credits."
At the mention of the price, Jeremy's heart nearly stopped—but he didn't let it show.
"Cambela," Jeremy said, nodding toward her.
"Cambela!" he repeated, raising his voice and giving her a light elbow jab.
"Oh—yes, Master."
Cambela had also been taken aback. How could it cost that much? That was the average price of an S-Rank beast.
But she didn't let it show.
"I'll pay by card," she said flatly.
After all, carrying that many Credits physically was impossible.
"Of course." Giova's smile turned even warmer. It was always pleasant dealing with the wealthy and dignified. They would never stoop so low as to ask for the price upfront.
But he wasn't worried—this wasn't a scam. They'd see the truth soon enough.
After the payment was confirmed, he pressed a button, and a few seconds later, a woman arrived to greet the group.
"Hello, I'm Isa," she said with a polite bow. "Please, follow me. Your room is ready."
And with that, the three of them—Aliken close behind—followed the woman inside.