*Name:Nine-Light Nine*
“Light Nine?!”
Upon hearing the name, everyone present was momentarily stunned, their expressions frozen for several seconds. Even Mike’s face was a mix of emotions. He slowly spoke, “I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”
Light Nine hesitated for a moment, “The bad news?”
“Your name is likely to cause misunderstandings, and you might get beaten up.”
Light Nine didn’t quite understand. What did a name have to do with getting beaten up? He pressed on, “And the good news?”
“The good news is, the person who might beat you up won’t be back for another three months.”
Mike rubbed his face with both hands, sighing, “If you’re lucky, Shadow Nine will come back in three months and give you a beating. If you’re unlucky…”
Light Nine interjected, “Master Dream, it’s fine. I’m not someone who fears death.”
Light Nine didn’t know who this ‘Shadow Nine’ was that Master Dream mentioned, but it sounded like someone very strong!
“Master Dream, I understand!” Light Nine said with determination, “On the path to catching up with Master Dream, I’ll first set Shadow Nine as my target. Once I surpass Shadow Nine, I’ll then pursue Master Dream’s footsteps!”
Mike: ???
The young ones are ambitious!
The Fool Master turned to Mike, seriously asking, “Your disciple seems quite courageous!” “Indeed!” Mike coughed twice, encouraging Light Nine, “It’s good for young people to have drive, but… don’t talk about surpassing Shadow Nine anymore.”
Mike thought for a moment about how to describe the terror of Shadow Nine to Light Nine. “Do you remember the nemesis Blade Carson faced in the second life, the man with the Flail?”
“I remember,” Light Nine nodded, slowly saying, “Looking back, that powerful figure… was incredibly fierce.”
How fierce was Maxen? Besides the swordsman from the first life, the butterfly from the third life, and Thor from the eighth life, Maxen was probably the fiercest.
“That man is called Maxen. You drank his wine, remember?” After receiving a nod, Mike continued, “Maxen is a top-tier nine-star Lord, and you know firsthand how powerful he is. Maxen can instantly kill a nine-star Lord.”
Pausing to let Light Nine fully grasp the information, Mike then said in a very serious tone, “Maxen can instantly kill a nine-star Lord. And Shadow Nine can instantly kill Maxen.”
Light Nine was silent for a moment, then a look of realization spread across his face, “Master Dream, I understand!”
Mike asked, “What do you understand now?”
“Master Dream, your words have given me much insight,” Light Nine said earnestly, without a hint of jest, “I shouldn’t aim too high, setting Shadow Nine as my target and thinking of surpassing him right away…”
Listening to Light Nine, Mike slowly nodded, showing approval. Isn’t that a good understanding?
Light Nine continued, “I should first set Maxen as my target. Once I surpass Maxen, then I’ll pursue Shadow Nine, and finally, Master Dream!”
Mike: …
Afterward, Mike took Light Nine on a tour of his private space. “This is Bilbo, a goblin who handles the money. The one roasting chicken legs is Vladimir, a vampire who’s currently the chef…”
After the tour, Mike let Light Nine have some free time while he took the opportunity to organize his thoughts on the challenge of the Tower of Truth.
During his free time, Light Nine approached Butler Bilbo and asked, “As Master Dream’s student, how much tuition do I need to pay each month?”
Bilbo: ???
This was the first time he’d encountered someone so proactive! Bilbo hesitated for a moment, explaining, “Well… your master is very… generous… There’s a monthly bonus, quarterly performance bonuses, and benefits better than the Mystic Market! No tuition fees, really!” Vladimir, who was roasting chicken legs, looked up silently at Bilbo.
Do you not feel guilty saying these things? Don’t you feel bad? Can you sleep at night?! Bilbo turned his head away, avoiding Vladimir’s gaze. As the butler, he couldn’t afford to offend the boss right after arriving in the private space, so he’d been living cautiously, making sure not to make any mistakes at work! What’s wrong with flattering the boss a bit and saying something insincere?!
After hearing Bilbo’s words, Light Nine nodded. As he thought, Master Dream was a generous person! This only strengthened Light Nine’s resolve to repay his kindness!
After a brief chat, “Disciple, come here, I want to show you something special!” Mike called out, standing under a golden tree, beckoning Light Nine over. He had just shaken the tree, causing a pile of Truth Gold Coins to fall.
The Fool Master, having learned from last time, didn’t plan to shake the tree again. While others got rich shaking the Money Tree, the Fool lost money! It was just too unlucky! Light Nine approached the Money Tree and, following Mike’s instructions, gave it a shake. Clatter- A pile of coins fell, not many, just sixty-seven.
Mike generously said, “This is your pay for the month, keep it.”
“Thank you, Master Dream!” Light Nine expressed his gratitude and pocketed the money.
“Click-“A flash went off, and before Mike knew it, Light Nine was standing in front of him, staff in hand, “Master Dream, watch out!”
Clearly, Light Nine thought it was some kind of hidden weapon. Vladimir, holding a digital camera, was developing the photo he had just taken.
“This is called a camera, and what they take are called photos.” After a brief explanation, Light Nine roughly understood. But there was one thing he still didn’t get: Was taking a photo really worth it just because he took money from the Money Tree?
In the corner, Vladimir, Bilbo, Dracula, and the Fool Master gathered, staring at a dynamic
photo.
After a moment of admiration, Vladimir slowly spoke, “I think this photo should be a world- famous painting.”
All the powerful beings present nodded in agreement. “Indeed, Light Nine is the first to walk away with coins from Thor’s hand.”
“This moment deserves to be remembered in history.”
As they were gossiping about Thor behind his back, a lazy voice drifted over from afar,
“That’s enough, guys!”
The group scattered in a hurry.
After thoroughly exploring the private space, Mike took Light Nine out again, “Let’s go to the
Core City of Truth, and show you another world.”
…
Core City of Truth, first stop, Wolf’s Den.
As they walked, Mike introduced, “This is where I usually hang out with friends. There’s often
free food and drinks available, very heartwarming. You should come often to stock up… I
mean, to eat.”
Light Nine didn’t fully understand, but it seemed impressive. Entering Wolf’s Den, Thor naturally drew most of the attention. Having just reclaimed the thirty-first floor, Thor was
back at Wolf’s Den to celebrate!
With a grand gesture, Mike announced, “Tonight’s expenses are on Thor!”
Cheers erupted-Wolf’s Den once again became a sea of celebration.
After seating Light Nine in a corner, Mike ordered two good drinks and went to the bar to
fetch them himself. Lowering his voice, Mike said, “Just like before, put it on Maxen’s tab.”
…
“Put it on Maxen’s tab.” As soon as these words were spoken, Nyx Valoria at the bar looked troubled, “Fourth Bro, you can’t keep using Maxen as a scapegoat.”
Today, as soon as Mike walked in, he wanted to put the bill on Maxen’s tab. But the problem was, Maxen’s tab was already maxed out!
Mike argued, “Last time, Maxen made me pay, so now I’m making him pay. Isn’t that fair?”
You have the nerve to bring up last time! Last time, when Thor treated, he barely spent any money. Wolf’s Den just fried him a bunch of free fries.
Nyx Valoria laid out the facts, trying to persuade Thor to give up the idea of “Thor treats, Maxen pays the bill.”
Mike thought for a moment and said, “Even if the drinks can’t be put on the tab, you can at
least fry me some fries, right?”
Nyx Valoria: …
“Fine.”
Having successfully scored free fries, Mike returned, satisfied, with a pot of fries. Sharing the
fries with his disciple, Mike said, “Come on, let’s take you to see some other places.”
For the rest of the time, Mike took Light Nine on a brief tour of the Core City of Truth. To be honest, many places were new even to Mike.
After the tour, Mike concluded, “When you’re working as a butler in the Tower of Truth, slack off whenever you can. There’s no need to work too hard.”
Even though Light Nine kept nodding, Mike wasn’t entirely reassured and reminded him, “If you run into trouble, call for backup. If there’s a life-threatening situation, head to my private space first. Even if I’m not home, you can shout the door open. In the Core City of Truth, Wolf’s Den, and Surtr’s place, just mention my name, and it’ll work. If all else fails,
take out the talisman I gave you!”
Mike’s survival philosophy was on full display at that moment, “As long as you’re alive,
everything’s fine!”
“Understood!” Light Nine nodded, “I won’t let Master Dream down!”
Although Master Dream had told him so much, Light Nine felt that as Master Dream’s
disciple, he should strive to be more self-reliant!
After bidding farewell to Master Dream, Light Nine made up his mind, “From now on, I won’t
rely on Master Dream’s name outside. I’ll carve out my own path!”
Light Nine decided to keep his status as Thor’s student (disciple) a secret. Only when he regained his peak strength and became famous would he reveal his identity!
With some time before work, Light Nine returned to Wolf’s Den, sitting quietly in a corner,
drinking. Before long, a burly man carrying a blood-red Flail walked in, laughing heartily, “Today, Thor’s treating, eat and drink as you please!”
The burly man glanced around, spotting Light Nine in the corner, and approached curiously,
“New face, are you new here?”
“Sort of.” Light Nine was indeed new. Since leaving the thirty-first floor of the Tower of
Truth, it had been less than an hour.
The burly man sat beside Light Nine, and after a few words, they hit it off. “You’re quite the
talent!” Maxen exclaimed, “Bring two bottles of good wine, and let’s drink heartily!”
After all, it was Thor’s treat, so why not drink?
“By the way, I haven’t asked, what’s your name?”
Light Nine introduced himself, “Light Nine.”
Maxen: …
After a moment, he gave Light Nine a thumbs-up, “You’ve got guts!”
…
After leaving the Tower of Truth, Mike returned to the Forest of Truth. Stretching, he began
to stroll through the Forest of Truth. There was no need to visit the Tower of Truth for now.
Chatting with Apollo couldn’t be too frequent.
With that in mind, Mike made a special trip to the Trade Secret Realm to find Foreskin. “Here
are seven SS-grade pieces of equipment, a gift to the Mystic Market!”
Foreskin: ???
“Fourth Bro, what got into you?”
Thor voluntarily bringing profits to the door was a rare occurrence! “I’m a fair businessman!” Mike explained, “Last time, I went to Apollo’s place empty- handed, didn’t bring anything, and… well, let’s not talk about it.”
Mike had visited the ninety-ninth floor, intending to bring out the Money Tree and offer
some small gifts. Instead, Apollo ended up helping him significantly. This time, Mike felt a rare sense of guilt.
“Keep these, but don’t sell them for now. Within a year, someone will come to buy them.” Mike handed the equipment to Foreskin, not forgetting to add, “I’ve arranged with others that from the thirty-first to the forty-ninth floor, the Tower Spirit’s profits will be split
seventy percent to your boss!”
Foreskin didn’t know what to say. Among the entire human race, if anyone was the wealthiest,
it was undoubtedly Apollo. The Mystic Market belonged to Apollo, and even Foreskin worked
for Apollo. “It’s different. Apollo’s wealth is Apollo’s!” Mike made it clear, “What I give to Apollo is what
I give. Just accept it, or over time, I might change my mind.”
Foreskin had no choice but to accept it for now. As for how these things would ultimately be handled, that would depend on his boss’s decision.
Mike came with a full load and left empty-handed, yet he was in high spirits. Starting from the first floor, climbing to the thirty-first, and leveling up from 1 to 499. Although it had only been a little over a month, Mike’s strength had skyrocketed, now matching a nine-star Lord, with the power to protect himself. He had never been this strong
before!
Even without top-tier bodyguards by his side, Mike felt a significant sense of security. This was the security that came from his own strength!
As Professor Gregory had analyzed before, Thor’s hoarding of wealth was, to some extent, an
outward manifestation of his fear of death. For the once-weak Thor, having money and resources was the fastest way to grow stronger!
Similarly, as Thor’s strength increased, his sense of security steadily rose, and at this point,
Thor’s interest in wealth diminished. Naturally, he would repay those who had helped him in the past. For example, Apollo.
Reaching this point was entirely due to Mike’s own efforts. Of course, there was also a little help from Apollo. He might still flexibly use his interest calculation method. However, with increased strength, he would have more things he wanted to do and more
things he could do within his capabilities. The equipment laid out before Foreskin was proof
of that.
