Chapter Sixty-Nine: Plans for the Future

“Mr. Kassadin, weren’t you here on Xandar for tourism?” Sonya was pleased to hear he wished to extend his stay, but she still asked out of courtesy.

Generally, guests did not stay here long-term. After all, with the cost of a few months’ lodging, one could outright purchase a luxury home on Xandar. While the environment and service couldn’t quite match the Prestige Hotel, owning property meant one could live here permanently, without continuing to pay hotel rates.

“I never said I was here for tourism. I’m simply looking for a comfortable place to stay,” Harvey replied, unconcerned by the misunderstanding. “I heard Prestige Hotel was the best, so I thought I’d give it a try. Since the environment and your service have satisfied me, there’s no reason I shouldn’t stay a while longer.”

Sonya was intelligent and efficient. Even if he told her to rest, she would be ready to respond immediately, never shirking her duties, always prepared to serve at a moment’s notice.

Harvey was quite aware that Sonya must be curious about his frequent outings, her eyes revealing her interest in his affairs. Yet she never asked a single question, attending only to her responsibilities.

“Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Kassadin,” she replied, a genuine, delighted smile lighting her face. “To serve you is my honor.”

“How do I renew my stay?” Harvey asked casually, unfazed by her polite response. Normally, guests would be well informed about renewal procedures, as the staff would have introduced all the villa’s amenities to ensure the best experience.

After a month together, Sonya had come to understand Mr. Kassadin well. He was indifferent to minor details and only cared that things were handled as he requested. Without further explanation, Sonya tapped a few buttons on a smart device. With a flick of her slender fingers, a holographic renewal interface floated before Harvey.

He didn’t waste words, inputting 300,000, and pressed his right glove, which vanished as his palm confirmed the transaction.

“Respected Mr. Kassadin, for the next month, I will continue to serve you,” Sonya said sweetly, her pure and lovely face glowing with a smile as she saw him renew for another month.

“Mm.” Harvey waved his hand dismissively.

He had nearly completed all the level-three disaster missions. In the span of a single month, he had devoured many powerful creatures and evolved seventy-nine times. His total evolution count now stood at three hundred and eighty-one, and his reputation was beginning to spread throughout the galaxy.

His Void Skin had evolved one hundred and fifty times; Leap Strike, forty-six times. With these advancements, his strength had improved dramatically. He could now reach Mach 24 in flight with his physical body alone, and even the gales at such speeds could not pierce his skin. When activating Void Assault, his speed rose to Mach 36. The more his Void Skin evolved, the larger his true form became, unleashing power far beyond his untransformed state.

Harvey lacked neither means of attack nor the power to defend himself. With his Void Skin now at one hundred and fifty evolutions, his physical durability sufficed for the time being. As he had anticipated, opportunities and speed of evolution in the universe far outstripped those back on Blue Star.

He still had level-two disaster missions left, which would take about two more months. Once complete, he estimated he would surpass four hundred and twenty evolutions with ease.

He planned to focus on abilities other than Void Assault—Taste of Fear, Void Thrust, and Mental Resistance—waiting until he reached four hundred evolutions to assess the evolution point requirements. If the cost did not double to three million, he would prioritize boosting Mental Resistance, raising it to seventy or eighty, which, combined with Kassadin’s powers, would grant him immunity to most magic.

If the evolution point requirement did double, he would first upgrade all his other abilities to fifty evolutions before maximizing Void Assault, and only then focus on Mental Resistance. As for Kassadin’s hero template, he could always evolve it later, since evolution points were not shared between types.

As his physical strength grew, his rate of gain would accelerate, and advancing Kassadin’s abilities rapidly would be no challenge at all.

Having left Blue Star for a month, Harvey now had over a billion on hand and a modest reputation. It was time to buy some trinkets for Tony to study and to return home for a visit.

Sophia watched Mr. Kassadin quietly sipping his drink, offering no words, and instead continued cleaning the remaining furniture. After a month, Sonya knew Mr. Kassadin to be easy to get along with and never deliberately difficult. Yet he was not talkative, often lost in his own thoughts.

Truthfully, Sonya was deeply curious about what occupied Mr. Kassadin’s mind and the reasons for his frequent departures, but since he never shared, she would never ask.

Reflecting on why Mr. Kassadin spoke so highly of her, Sonya thought perhaps it was because she never pried, but simply performed her duties with diligence, earning his satisfaction.

She did not dwell on it further. Having a guest as undemanding as Mr. Kassadin was fortune enough; she would simply cherish these relatively relaxed days.

“Sonya, I’ll be away for three days,” Harvey said after finishing his drink, preparing to return to Blue Star. “While I’m gone, you’re free to rest.”

It was the first time Sonya had heard Mr. Kassadin specify his absence so clearly, surprising her. “Understood, Mr. Kassadin. Safe travels.”

Despite her surprise, Sonya responded instantly, without hesitation. Harvey nodded lightly, then took a step and vanished from the room.

When Sonya turned, she found Mr. Kassadin gone. Yet she did not rush off to rest, but continued tidying the villa. Serving Mr. Kassadin was an easy task, but she was still determined to fulfill her duties as always.