Sometime later, they arrived at a private chamber which was luxuriously decorated and perfectly silent.
An elegant chandelier-style light hung from the ceiling, casting a soft, warm glow across the room. Two walls had built-in air conditioners humming quietly, while the remaining walls displayed two large, exquisite paintings. A plush carpet stretched across the floor, and a low table surrounded by soft cushions sat on top of it.
Synthy smiled and pointed toward the cushions. "Please have a seat, Ethan and Alice. I'll arrange for the food to be served quickly."
Just as she was about to step out, Alice raised her hand. "Excuse me… is there a washroom here?"
"Yes, of course." Synthy walked to a side door, clicked it open, and gestured inside. "Right here."
Alice almost rushed in, barely holding herself back. After everything that had just happened, she hadn't even had a moment to answer nature's call.
Synthy turned, ready to leave again, but then paused.
Her eyes caught Ethan's gaze.
He was staring… completely dazed. And not at the paintings or the room. No, his eyes were locked onto her.... more specifically, her bountiful, bouncing bosom.
A flicker of embarrassment flashed through her. Almost reflexively, her eyes dropped to Ethan's lap..... and there, the slight bulge told the story all too clearly.
Her cheeks flushed a faint pink. "Does he... Does he like me?" She asked herself.
But without saying a word, she spun on her heels and hurried out, calling the staff to bring the food as quickly as possible. She tried to avoid the awkward moment.
Once she was gone, Ethan let out a long breath. "Phew… No wonder the other guys looked so pissed when she treated me nicely. With looks like that… her charm is something no man could ignore. But....."
He shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. "I need to control my thoughts and not be a pervert."
After a few seconds had passed, his mind was calm again. "Alright, now that I've got a moment to myself…"
He sat on the cushion and whispered, "Halo."
The familiar panel shimmered into existence.
[Yes.]
"I want to buy that cultivation skill now," Ethan said without hesitation. "Next time if someone dares to mess with me… I'll teach them a lesson they'll never forget."
[Sure]
[Are you sure you want to purchase the skill Cultivation for 100 EP?]
[No Yes]
"Yes."
[Skill purchase confirmed]
[Skill will now be embedded]
[Initializing embedding process…]
[10%…
20%…
40%…
60%…
85%…
100%]
[Embedding complete]
The moment the last notification flashed, that strange shiver like earlier when he had bought the skill 'stealth', ran through his body once again.
But this time… it was deeper.
His mind buzzed as a flood of knowledge surged in.... He now understood what cultivation truly meant, how to breathe in a special way to accumulate Qi, the unit of spiritual energy required to increase one's internal energy.
It was like unlocking a door to an entirely new world.
And then the panel updated again...
[Host: Ethan Wolfe]
[Balance: $9,999,779,899,995,160]
[Physique: Ordinary]
[Body: 0]
[Mind: 0]
[Skills:
Stealth – Lvl 1
Cultivation – Lvl 1]
[Realm: Qi Refinement
Stage: 00/09
Qi: 00/5000]
[Damage: 0]
[Defense: 0]
[EP: 1944]
Seeing the updated stats on the panel, Ethan's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
"I can't wait to try this out," he murmured. "Let's see what happens."
Saying that, Ethan folded his legs into a cross-legged posture while seated in the cushion. Just like the knowledge engraved in his brain, his body moved on instinct.
And then he began breathing in a rhythmic way.
It felt natural, as if it had been etched into his muscle memory.
The panel shimmered before him.
[Cultivation Activated]
[Current Skill Lvl: 1]
[Qi Absorption Rate: 5 Qi/sec]
The numbers began to climb.
[5 / 5000
10 / 5000
15 / 5000]
...
...
3000 / 5000]
Time passed quietly.
In just ten minutes, Ethan had already gathered more than half of the Qi required to reach the next level.
But then.... Click!
The sound of the washroom door opening broke the silence, and Alice stepped out.
"Brother? What are you doing?" she asked, surprised. "Why are you sitting like one of those sages from TV? All cross-legged and serious?"
Ethan instantly opened his eyes and broke the pose.
"Oh, nothing, nothing," he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just trying to meditate a little. You know… so I don't lose myself in all this money I suddenly have."
Alice narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "The way you're spending lately, it looks more like you're enjoying it, not losing yourself. I think you need to do more than just meditate," she said with a huff, plopping down on a cushion next to him.
Ethan chuckled awkwardly and shifted his legs, sitting like a proper, well-behaved gentleman again.
Just then, Synthy entered the room with a soft smile. "The food is here," she announced.
Right behind her, five staff members filed in one by one, each carrying a different dish. The aroma of freshly cooked delicacies filled the room in an instant... rich, flavorful, and enough to make any stomach grumble in protest.
And that's exactly what happened.
Both Ethan's and Alice's stomachs growled loudly at the same time.
Alice flushed with embarrassment. Ethan scratched his nose awkwardly, pretending not to notice.
Synthy couldn't help but giggle at their innocent reactions. Her laughter was soft and elegant, the kind that made the air feel lighter.
Soon, the food was neatly arranged on the table, steam rising from the dishes like an invitation from the heavens themselves.
At Ethan's insistence, Synthy also sat down to join them for lunch.
"I still can't believe I'm about to enjoy such a lavish meal with them," she thought.
Alice looked hesitant at first but clearly intrigued by the variety of dishes.
But Ethan didn't wait.
He picked up his chopsticks and dove right in, his eyes lighting up with each bite.
Seeing him eat like that, Alice and Synthy exchanged glances and then both burst into laughter.
Their voices rang warmly through the private chamber as they finally dug in and started enjoying the feast together.