John responded with a smile and a nod, making his way to the bar.
Victor, who was mixing drinks behind the counter, glanced up and remarked, "You've improved quickly, breaking through to the silver-tier in just a day."
While Victor was surprised at John's rapid advancent, it was not entirely beyond his expectations.
He knew John's strength and talent well, understanding that leveling up was hardly a challenge for him.
John took the strong drink Victor handed him, smiling.
"I plan to head to the capital tomorrow. I ca here today to say goodbye."
Victor placed the glassware he was holding back onto the shelf behind him and nodded slightly.
"It's good to leave earlier. After all, Stellarburg is rather small for you."
Even Victor had to admit, keeping John's talent within the confines of Stellarburg felt like a waste.
Now that he was heading to the capital to partake in the Star Cluster Academy's assessnts, it was indeed a positive move, both for John and the Federation.
John chuckled, then asked, "How about the old cripple... I an, General Shadowcloud?"
The others showed a mix of expressions at John's words.
In the whole Federation, probably only he dared to refer to that legendary awakener in such a manner.
Victor tilted his head slightly, indicating a dim corner of the bar.
Following his gaze, John then noticed Shadowcloud was indeed there.
In a corner of the bar, Shadowcloud lay sprawled on a couch, his wheelchair nowhere in sight.
His face was flushed red, a bottle clutched in his hand, snoring loudly in his sleep, evidently having drunk too much.
John couldn't help but smile wryly, surprised that after all these years, Shadowcloud's penchant for alcohol hadn't changed.
Shaking his head, John decided against approaching him.
He bid Victor farewell and headed upstairs to see Scarlett.
Not long after John left, Shadowcloud suddenly opened his eyes, bright and clear, showing no sign of drunkenness.
He grumbled discontentedly, "That kid really has his priorities mixed up, leaving without settling the tab. After all I've done for him..."
The others twitched their mouths but pretended not to hear, knowing better than to ddle with either party.
Victor lit a cigarette, his gaze neutral.
"I'm leaving tomorrow too. There's been so stir at the Southern Sea Fortress. A lot of factions are involved. Without soone to keep them in check, there's bound to be trouble."
Shadowcloud humd in response, "The new captain sent by Hidden Stars has already taken over your position. With the big incident that happened in Stellarburg recently, everyone's eyes are on this place. You can rest assured, nothing will happen here."
Victor nodded, then his brow furrowed slightly.
"That guy nad Alex has gone off the radar again recently. It seems he's attempting the path of ascension through sacrifice, gaining power rapidly. I've heard that even the Judicators couldn't stop him; he even killed two of them. As for the Dawn Sect, there hasn't been much noise from them lately. There were rumors a few years back about a Dawn Saintess erging from their ranks, and then nothing.
The quieter they are, the more I suspect they're plotting sothing big."
The Dawn Sect is one of the oldest and most nefarious cult organizations within the Federation, becoming increasingly elusive over the years, seldom making public appearances.
This behavior only serves to unsettle the people of the Federation even more.
It's akin to spotting a venomous spider in your ho.
While fearful of being hard, you at least know where it is.
But the mont you blink and find the spider has vanished, the real fear sets in.
You're left dreading where it might appear next, possibly delivering a sudden, painful bite.
The Dawn Sect has beco that lurking fear, a constant source of unease.
Shadowcloud took a sip of his beer and chuckled, "You don't need to worry about these things. Just make sure the folks at the Southern Sea stay in line, and you'll have done your job. As for the Dawn Sect, the Federation has plenty of powerful figures to deal with them."
Victor fell silent for a mont before letting out a sigh.
He murmured, "I hope so..."
anwhile, John had made his way to the third floor of the bar.
Approaching Scarlett's office door, he was about to knock but hesitated, his hand hovering in mid-air before he gently pushed the door open and entered.
The office was impeccably tidy, a stark contrast to the usually mountainous piles of docunts on the desk, which now lay bare.
At this mont, Scarlett was sprawled on the couch, engrossed in a television show that seed to be an animation from a bygone era.
It appeared to be… SpongeBob SquarePants?
John shook his head, closed the door behind him, and walked towards Scarlett.
She was clad in a thin black nightgown, one hand propping her head and the other clutching a beige pillow, her slender, fair legs crossed over one another.
From John's angle, he could clearly see the slightly compressed and voluptuously full chest and the deep cleavage in between.
Scarlett's fiery figure could set any man's desire ablaze, but John had long grown accustod to it.
He approached her with soft steps.
Scarlett showed no sign of awareness.
It wasn't until John stood right in front of her that he saw Scarlett had fallen asleep.
Her eyes were closed, her delicate features serene and beautiful, with her chest rising and falling rhythmically with each breath.
In fact, John, with his potent mind power, had sensed the situation inside the room before even opening the door, so he was not surprised.
He picked up the remote control, turning off the television, then adjusted the air conditioning to a more comfortable temperature.
Afterwards, John quietly grabbed a blanket nearby and gently draped it over Scarlett.
Seeing that she did not awaken, he breathed a sigh of relief and softly took a seat beside her.
Watching Scarlett asleep, John's gaze turned sowhat wistful.
In this world, Scarlett was essentially his only kin, even though they shared no blood relation and their relationship seed more akin to that of lovers or partners.
But this was indeed what John felt in his heart.
When John first arrived in this unfamiliar world, he felt no sense of belonging, as if he were an observer playing a first-person ga.
Although everything felt real, to John, reality still seed an illusion.
Thus, he initially lacked the will to live, which explained his reckless abandon in the underground fight rings.
To him, it was all just a ga; his life, no matter how wretched, held no value.
However, everything changed when he t Scarlett.
It was then he began to genuinely wish for a life well-lived in this world...
Lost in his mories, a smile unconsciously graced John's face.
Perhaps sensing sothing, Scarlett's long eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Their gazes locked in a mont of mutual surprise, followed quickly by shared laughter.
"When did you get here?"
Scarlett sat up, her ample chest heaving with the movent.
She seed unconcerned about what John might see, as she stretched out a hand to smooth her fiery red hair, all the while smiling at him.
Her smile was bright and captivating, making even the teardrop mole beneath her eye seem to lt away.
"Just a short while ago," John replied, standing to help her tie up her hair with a band.
His actions transford her allure, dialing down the seductiveness in favor of a softer, more intellectual charm, reminiscent of the girl next door.
Scarlett gave John a playful look, teasing, "I never knew this was your type."
John just smiled, offering no response.
After securing Scarlett's hair with a band, John took a seat beside her.
Scarlett found a comfortable position and nestled into John's embrace.
He gently adjusted a stray lock of hair from her forehead before speaking softly, "I'm leaving for the capital tomorrow."
John could feel Scarlett stiffen montarily in his arms, but she quickly regained her composure.
She looked up at him, managing a strained smile, "I didn't expect it to be so soon. I thought we had a few more days. It's a good thing..."
Her smile was sowhat forced, her tone slightly unnatural, clearly trying to maintain a brave front.
Just as she was about to say sothing to ease John's mind, a sourness in her nose caught her off guard, and her bright eyes suddenly misted over.
Scarlett quickly turned her head to wipe away the tears, laughing off, "Won and their tear ducts, I tell you. It's just a few years, right? Maybe by the ti we see each other again, you'll have made a na for yourself. Just don't forget to co back and see ..."
Despite her efforts to suppress it, the sadness inadvertently seeped through, halting her words midway.
The Star Cluster Academy operates on a composite academic year system, aning John's departure would keep him away for at least three to four years, and possibly longer if he didn't et graduation requirents.
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