Chapter 112: Not Even Stealing in Secret Is Allowed?

“Renoli, Kyle, and the Seer, huh.”
“I’ve got that down.”
“How long have you been with the Void Cult?”

Yet, Tony did not feel fear; rather, a subtle happiness stirred within him. These were, after all, his kindred spirits.

He need not fear that displaying his formidable power would draw strange stares or moral judgments from them.

“Counting today, it’s been just twenty-three days since we joined.”

Renoli noticed that Tony was a new face, yet he had joined the Void Cult. He roughly guessed that Tony was a senior who had joined long before them.

“You’ve only been here less than a month?”

“I’ve been here about nine months,” Tony replied.

“Though my physical body’s strength still can’t match yours. Superpowered individuals are truly impressive.”

Hearing Renoli’s words, Tony sighed softly. He had anticipated that Harvey wouldn’t just grant ordinary people entry into the Void, but that there would also be newcomers whose strength was terrifyingly exceptional from the start.

He still didn’t fully understand the Seer’s power, so he couldn’t comment.

But the strength Renoli and Kyle displayed was undeniably monstrous—capable of holding their own against a thousand foes.

“So, you’re a senior, but your combat experience seems somewhat lacking.”

“And your battle armor—though it can fly—unless it’s extremely durable, constantly flying on the battlefield isn’t wise. It could suddenly lead to your demise.”

Renoli spoke with a hint of respect upon learning Tony had been with the Void Cult for about a year, though his words carried a warning.

Renoli, Kyle, and the Seer had fought countless battles; from the moment they engaged Tony, it was clear his combat experience was quite limited.

“Hmm, I haven’t really fought much before,” Tony admitted plainly.

Though he had battled terrorists on Blue Star, the disparity in strength was vast—more of a one-sided beating than genuine combat experience.

“Senior Tony, you’ve been here so long—do you have any tips on evolution you could share with us?”

Seeing Tony unperturbed, Renoli’s guard fully dropped as he casually asked.

“Evolution tips, huh? There are two paths: one is through consuming food, the other through adapting to harsh environments.”

“But adapting to harsh environments is brutal, so I evolved by eating massive amounts of food.”

“From my research, I think the direction of evolution depends on what your heart most desires to improve.”

“If you feel your stamina is insufficient, the next evolution will likely boost it. Other strengths improve too, but more subtly.”

“At the start, evolution happens rapidly, but as you evolve more times, the speed slows.”

“No need to worry, though—we all have long lifespans.”

Tony, far from withholding his experience, was eager to find kindred souls to exchange thoughts on evolution.

“I see. That explains why my speed’s increased so much, yet my strength hasn’t grown as much.”

“Adapting to harsh environments can also cause evolution? What qualifies as a harsh environment?”

“Can evolution happen in any direction?”

Compared to Tony, Renoli, Kyle, and the Seer were novices, fresh recruits learning the ropes of evolution within the Void Cult.

Having a senior around was naturally an opportunity to absorb knowledge.

Watching their eager expressions, Tony felt the joy of imparting wisdom.

They chatted for hours. Learning Tony had just arrived in the universe and carried no money, the others insisted on treating him.

Tony had wanted to host them as a senior, but this wasn’t Blue Star.

Still, despite his lack of funds, Tony promised to treat them to a grand feast in a month.

A month would be enough for him to acclimate to the universe. Even if he didn’t earn money by then, using official funds for meals seemed only fair.

In just a few hours, Tony made acquaintances with the Void Cult members on the island without invoking Harvey’s name to ingratiate himself.

This openness, with no need to hide his identity, gave Tony a rare sense of enjoyment.

After the meal, Tony bid them farewell and left. Although he still flew, this time he kept closer to the ground, settling into a villa at random.

Less than half an hour after Tony moved in, Sonia arrived.

“Mr. Tony, Mr. Kassadin requested that we arrange a secretary to assist with your daily affairs and handle some trivial matters.”

“I’ve prepared a list for your review.”

Sonia projected a hologram.

The projection detailed ages and work experiences of the candidates.

“I acknowledge their capabilities... but I have one question—aren’t there any prettier ones?”

“Perhaps someone who resembles you?”

“Or at least someone like Lacey would do.”

Tony sat on a sofa, carefully scrutinizing the list of secretaries. Each had solid work experience, having been capable of working since their teens, so there was no doubt about their competence.

Yet, among the women on the list, their appearances were merely passable—none stirred a genuine, heartfelt admiration in him.

“Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Tony,” Sonia said, maintaining her smile.

“But Mr. Kassadin said, for the harmony between you and your wife, the secretary assigned shouldn’t be too beautiful.”

“Please understand, Mr. Tony.”

Hearing Tony’s praise, Sonia’s smile remained unchanged.

“...?”

Tony wanted to respond but found himself at a loss for words.

“Mr. Kassadin anticipated your reaction,” she continued.

“He instructed me that if you wish for a prettier secretary, I can arrange one—provided you can persuade your wife.”

Noticing Tony’s hesitation, Sonia smiled softly.

If anything, finding extremely beautiful secretaries was easy. The real challenge was filtering for those whose looks were only moderately attractive.

“Can’t I just keep it a secret?”

“As long as my wife doesn’t find out, it should be fine, right?”

Tony whispered, knowing persuading Pepper would be impossible, yet still harboring hope.

“Please don’t put me in a difficult position,” Sonia replied politely, her expression troubled.

“This decision came from Mr. Kassadin. If I fail to comply, I might face his reprimand.”

Seeing Sonia’s predicament, Tony realized he couldn’t guarantee Harvey would spare her if he complained. Resigned, he accepted the situation.

After careful consideration, Tony chose the secretary who was the most pleasing to his eye and had an excellent figure.

—End of aside—
Fourth update.