"Ahh… this is underwhelming."
Lukas commented while staring at the thick brown soup.
Although he himself wasn't sure what he was expecting, it was definitely not this simple bowl of soup. Still, as a true foodie, he couldn't say no to food.
With that thought in mind, he brought the bowl close to his mouth and took a small sip.
Immediately his taste buds exploded—a strong flavor of garlic mixed with asafoetida slid down his throat.
Lukas' eyes lit up in sheer ecstasy. This was beyond his expectations.
The soup tasted thousands of times better than he expected.
He finished the soup in no time. After finishing the meal, his thoughts couldn't help but stir up on their own.
Maybe the plating of the dish set my expectations too low. That's why it tasted so good…
After that he rested for an hour and headed out, a destination already in mind.
Although the Roaring Dragon Settlement was dominated by the Roaring Dragon Guild, they themselves did not directly take part in the economic activities within the settlement, instead choosing to simply take a cut from all the businesses operating inside. With this method, they could use most of their time to get stronger and maintain the peace and security of the region, while not worrying about a steady supply of resources.
His destination this time was Night Phantom Guild—a guild specialized in exploring the Star Dimension. They had information that he needed.
Moreover, not just information, I might even get my hands on some body‑refining method. Finally I could start refining my body…
Although he said this, his expectations were low. After all the expenses, he was just left with sixty Star Crystals. He couldn't even buy one proper technique with this much money.
But hey, he could at least check them out.
With that thought in mind, he locked the door to his room and placed the "key" close to his chest. He had no intention of losing it and paying that fine of a hundred Star Crystals.
…
Eva was still doing her job as usual, dealing with a bunch of customers. Lukas simply ignored her and continued walking; it wasn't like he had anything to say.
Just as he opened the main gate to walk out, a slightly middle‑aged man dressed in a white three‑piece suit happened to walk inside at the same time.
Noticing that Lukas had already kept the door open, the man nodded and smiled.
Just one look from the man and Lukas felt as if his head was hit by a hammer, leaving him stunned on the spot.
The man in white walked inside, smiling all the time. When Lukas came out of his dazed state, he suddenly realized that at some point the people behind him had fallen completely silent, then suddenly, chatter broke out.
"It's Mr. John Whitewood, the famous Blood Transfusion stage expert. According to rumors, he is completely invincible below the Blood Awakening stage…" a young man who seemed to be a fan of John muttered with stars in his eyes.
On the other hand, the faces of some experienced Awakeners turned slightly solemn.
"Last thing I heard, Mr. John went to check the situation of the horde along with the Roaring Dragon Guild leader. If he is back this fast, does that mean…?"
Before he even finished his words, the Awakeners around him already had their faces turn ugly.
If they were back so fast, that could only mean the Beast Horde was closer than expected.
Hearing the conversation behind him, Lukas' expression also chilled. It appeared he couldn't afford to idle around. If he wanted to survive the upcoming disaster, he had to use the remaining time to its fullest and get stronger.
With that thought in mind, his strides became wider, his steps quicker.
The world around him turned into nothing but a blur and without even realizing it Lukas found himself standing on the 8th street.
Night Phantom City—and all other guilds who dealt with information‑selling business—operated from the eighth street.
Ignoring every other guild that was trying to lure young Awakeners to try their "new products and services," Lukas directly headed to the Night Phantom Guild building, a tall four‑story structure.
Immediately he was greeted by a large hall made from white sandstone, with multiple Night Phantom Guild salesmen dealing with Awakeners, fake smiles on their faces.
It appeared Night Phantom took their business very seriously. Just as he was thinking where to go, a man dressed in black robes approached him.
"Hello, respected customer, this seems to be your first time here. Would you please tell me how the Night Phantom Guild can be of service to you? Please tell me whether you would like to buy or sell."
Without even blinking, Lukas simply ignored the word "sell" and said, "Buy."
He had nothing to sell.
Hearing his crisp response, the smile on the black‑robed salesman's face widened.
"Please tell me, what kind of information would you like to buy?"
Lukas' expression turned slightly serious. Now they were talking business.
He swallowed the urge to ask about body‑refining methods, as he really didn't have the money for it; asking about it now would be wasting both their time and ruining his first impression.
With that thought in mind, he looked into the eyes of the salesman and said, "I want the list of monsters with passive abilities, as well as a map of the regions where they reside."
The salesman's eyes lit up, realizing Lukas was a serious customer and not here to kill time.
"No problem. We at the Night Phantom Guild have dozens of such lists. Just wait for me a minute here while I bring the goodies…"
Lukas nodded and watched the guy leave. Just as he was looking around to kill time, he spotted someone familiar. In one corner of the guild hall, a girl with a head full of green hair sulked while looking at a piece of paper in her hand. From head to toe she was dressed in all sorts of magical equipment.
The genius girl from the Green Serpent Clan…
Lukas remembered her as one of the geniuses with five‑star potential.