The price for the Tier 8 cultivation room was a hundred Peak Mortal Qi Stones an hour, which ended up as 2400 a day. So, it was for good reason that the receptionist felt that Ryu was wasting good money. However, in Ryu's mind, such a price was far cheaper than what he had been expecting.
Paying Mortal Qi Stones for the cultivation room of a Path Extinction Realm expert? Something didn't seem quite right.
Ryu's gaze narrowed. "Why is it so cheap?"
The receptionist was shocked by Ryu's question. What was wrong with this young man?
"Listen, kid. If you've come here to stir up trouble, I don't have the patience for it. If you can't afford it, leave."
Ryu frowned, his cold expression stopping the receptionist from speaking anything harsher.
"You're selling a Path Extinction Realm level cultivation room for Mortal Qi Stones, and you don't see any problem with that?"
A sudden laughter came over Ryu's shoulder.
"This friend… A Tier 8 cultivation room hasn't represented such a thing in a long time, this receptionist is exaggerating. Clearly he doesn't know what he's talking about. At most, it's pretty good for Connecting Heaven Realm cultivators. The highest Tier 9 is passable for an Immortal Ring cultivator. If you really need something high quality, that's the best you will get here."
The receptionist blushed with embarrassment. Ryu's question to him had left him speechless because he really didn't have a good answer. He had only repeated the things his employers asked him to.
Ryu raised an eyebrow, looking back to see a young man wearing a half-mask. Ryu even recognized the insignia at its top corner, a flower blooming to reveal a cratered moon within. The Moonlight Blossom Sect.
Some half-masks were without affiliation like Ryu's current one. Though, that was mostly due to Hecate's methods being rejected by the broader Necromancer community. However, those who did have Clans or Sects they were tied to had their symbols engraved onto their masks.
There was no difference in substance between these kind of masks. They were still ultimately protected by the Necromancer Guild network. It was only a matter of pride in some instances.
The Moonlight Blossom Sect is the Sect Ryu had already chosen to join before he even stepped foot into the Awoken Moon Sect the very first time. In fact, this was even before he had decided to become a Necromancer as well. They just happened to have something that would be quite helpful to him should he be able to get it.
"I see, then. Thank you." Ryu replied plainly before turning back to the receptionist. "I'll take a Tier 9 cultivation room."
"… The price is one Lower Immortal Qi Stone a day…"
Ryu handed over ten of them without much of a fuss.
"Be careful during the trial. You can lose your life." He said to Guiot simply before following the attendant who appeared away.
"Senior Brother Niel, he was way too casual with you. Who cares if he has a little money?"
Seemingly unsatisfied with Ryu's attitude, another half-masked young man pursed his lips.
Niel waved a hand, silencing his junior brother as he watched Ryu's back disappeared.
"Who is he?" Niel's attention turned toward Guiot who was just about to leave with his own attendant.
Guiot blinked, not knowing how to answer. Ryu hadn't exactly drilled him in how to respond to such a question. However, he was certain that that day Ryu sent him into that world that something important had happened. He didn't know what, but he had a feeling that Ryu didn't want people knowing about it.
However, Guiot also knew that for him, lying to someone so much stronger than him, especially one with a powerful Mental Realm like a Necromancer would have, would be next to impossible. So… He could only tell the truth while remaining as vague as possible.
"I do not know much about him, I had to beg to get him to bring me here. I only know that he is powerful and that his name is Ryu. That is all."
Niel's junior brother snorted. "I'm sure many things are powerful to you."
"Ryu? Is that all you have of his name?"
"… I'm not sure of his family name. He doesn't usually tell people what it is."
"Is it that he doesn't tell people? Or that he doesn't have one?"
This time, Niel didn't correct his junior brother. He was curious about the answer.
In the end, Guiot could only answer with his humble opinion. He knew that the Pedestal Plane believed Ryu was nameless. But…
"I believe he simply doesn't tell people…"
Niel's gaze flashed. "… You believe, huh…"
**
"… This is your Tier 9 cultivation room. If you would like to ask for more time, please use the built-in small-scale teleportation array to send down more Qi Stones. If you fail to do so, and overstay your payment limit, there will be guards on standby to escort you out even if you are at a critical point in your cultivation. So, please be mindful of this."
Ryu nodded but didn't say much else. He could only be inwardly disappointed by the state this Martial Tower had fallen to. For a Tier 9 cultivation room to fall to barely within Tier 7 levels was unacceptable.
The only explanation had to be the war Ryu had fallen into when he got here. This 'peaceful' surface obviously wasn't as peaceful as it seemed. Turmoil had been boiling in this place for a long while already.
'This will be a good place for me to hone my skill as a Necromancer… Maybe I can find that missing piece I've been lacking…'
For months now, Ryu had already felt like he was on the brink of something in his control as a Necromancer. However, he didn't know what it was, and Ailsa was unable to help him. After all, she was a Cultus Faerie, not a Quibus Faerie…
But the Moon World provided the perfect opportunity to learn from true Necromancers and fill in what the Zu Clan was lacking.
'… But first, my Lightning Qilin Bloodline.'
It was quite ironic. Ryu's Qilin bloodline especially, made his path of Necromancy incredibly difficult. It constantly clashed with his attempts at diving toward the darker and more yin-based death qi.
However, he had never really gotten anything in return for that headache aside from a basic boost to his physical strength. It was about time his fourth bloodline started pulling some of its own weight.
A gentle click sounded behind Ryu, follow by the turning of complex gears and a gushing a powerful Immortal Qi.
Ryu took a deep breath then sat in a calm meditation as Ailsa entered her full form.