Chapter Sixty-Two: An Impossible Dream

Harvey waited less than ten minutes before Sonia brought up the food. The efficiency was several times faster than what he’d experienced on Blue Star, whether dining out or ordering delivery, which left Harvey thoroughly satisfied. Sonia once again arranged the dishes on the dining table. Harvey said little and began his meal; many of the foods were unfamiliar to him, promising a month ahead full of new pleasures.

Seeing Mr. Kassadin silently eating without comment, Sonia likewise remained quiet, clearing empty plates and replacing them with new ones. In just half an hour, the hundred and fifty servings of food disappeared into Mr. Kassadin’s stomach. His movements were graceful, so much so that Sonia found herself wondering about his true identity. Yet she knew her place as merely an employee and refrained from asking.

“All right, you may rest for today,” Harvey said, dabbing his mouth with a handkerchief. “Tomorrow morning at eight, prepare breakfast for me.”

“Of course, Mr. Kassadin. If you need anything, just let me know,” Sonia replied, her face breaking into a smile as she placed the empty plates back onto the cart and departed. She doubted she’d sleep soundly that night, as all guests at the Elite Hotel were prone to making demands. Still, Sonia had handled far more troublesome guests before; this was nothing she couldn’t manage.

After Sonia left, Harvey glanced at his evolution points, which had reached two million one hundred sixteen thousand. This meal alone had increased his tally by sixty-four thousand. Without hesitation, Harvey chose to evolve his Void Skin once more. A massive mantis shadow appeared behind him—the Void Skin had now undergone eighty-two evolutions.

He found that the stronger his physical body became, not only did his survivability improve, but the abilities he mastered also received certain enhancements. Evolution complete, Harvey stepped into the bathroom, soaking in the tub as he used the cosmic communicator to browse bounty missions.

Now, he could operate openly and accumulate wealth rapidly. As for reputation, if he acted swiftly enough, butterfly effects were bound to follow. First-level bounty missions weren’t worth much and wouldn’t boost his renown, so Harvey skipped them, focusing on second- and third-level tasks instead. There were no nearby second-level missions; those had all been completed. The Desert Calamity mission, in particular, had many eager applicants but no successful completions.

Harvey tapped a few times, filtering for disaster-clearing missions with a minimum reward of four hundred fifty thousand. Disaster removal not only paid well, some targets were edible, so Harvey planned to tackle these bounty missions first. After some consideration, he settled on a third-level bounty: the extermination of an alien queen insect, worth twenty million. There was also a long-term first-level task—supporting defenses against the insect hive, which paid ten thousand daily. Harvey glanced at it but didn’t linger, leaving the bathroom and heading straight to bed.

Ordinary people visiting another planet for the first time might feel excitement or unease, unable to sleep. Harvey, however, closed his eyes and drifted off immediately. Coming to the universe was part of his long-laid plans; anxiety had no place.

Early the next morning, at eight, Sonia arrived punctually with breakfast. She was surprised to find Mr. Kassadin already awake—her beautiful eyes briefly widened. Whether male or female, most guests at the Elite Hotel enjoyed vibrant nightlife; few maintained regular routines, often sleeping until noon or later.

“Good morning, Mr. Kassadin,” Sonia said, quickly masking her surprise with polite composure.

“Good morning, Sonia,” Harvey nodded slightly, acknowledging her timely arrival.

“Do you have any plans for today, Mr. Kassadin? If you’d like to learn about the Elite Hotel, I can give you a tour of the public floors and introduce their features,” Sonia offered, standing three meters away after arranging the elegant breakfast spread. If she could leave a good impression, her performance review would improve, and returning guests might request her by name.

“If I had no business, I’d stroll around. But I do have things to attend to,” Harvey replied, pausing his meal.

“No problem. If you ever wish to explore, just let me know,” Sonia answered with a smile, showing no embarrassment at his refusal. She had no intention of probing into Mr. Kassadin’s affairs; suggesting options was allowed, but prying into guests’ privacy was strictly forbidden at the Elite Hotel.

“After breakfast, I’ll be heading out. Until further instruction, feel free to rest,” Harvey said, his gaze showing approval at Sonia’s restraint.

“Understood. I’ll remain prepared and on standby,” Sonia replied, unfazed by the prospect of rest, and smiled politely.

Harvey took no notice of her formulaic answer, and, after spending an hour on his meal, vanished before Sonia’s eyes.

“Mr. Kassadin… Mr. Kassadin, are you still here?” Sonia called cautiously, seeing him disappear as if turning invisible. She received no response, as if he had left entirely.

“Invisibility, phasing, or teleportation—it must be one of those,” Sonia murmured, her eyes reflecting both shock and envy.

On Xandar, it was common to encounter beings and objects from other planets, and possessing superpowers was a coveted trait. Those with extraordinary abilities had more choices, even the chance to leave Xandar and seek fortune elsewhere. Yet for Xandarians, unless born as a chosen one with innate powers, the only way to gain abilities was to join the Nova Corps.

Sonia had often fantasized—if only she had superpowers. She wouldn’t have to toil day and night for thirty thousand credits a month, always on call, guessing at guests’ whims, and minding every word and gesture. But that was just a dream; she was neither born gifted nor had hope of joining the Nova Corps.

Sonia briskly cleaned the dining table and departed.