The Glorious Evolution

In the meantime, Bishop Va’ren had just received the same piece of information from his subordinates... he had also told them to keep an eye on any news related to people using the Aether Aspect in the future.

The moment the bounty was posted and gained attention, how could they miss it?

”I don’t know if it’s you or not... but causing so much trouble in such a short time does fit your motto.” Bishop Va’ren smirked.

He wasn’t as certain as Bishop Na’thir... however, he wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to hasten their meeting.

Especially now that he had a serious problem that needed to be addressed by Levi, and only he could tell him about it... This time, he didn’t need Wei-Lan to deliver the message.

***

Nocturn’s Heart City Main Hub...

Levi had remained inside the closed Zen Relic Store for a while now, still sorting through everything Brahmin had transferred to him.

”Warehouses... nice. I can use those to store my Leviathan materials and products... a few islands in the Boundless Void... might be useful as gifts to Arthur and the girls if they ever decide to join the Ring.”

Levi moved through the documents with a faint smile... widening a little each time he read something useful.

”Treasury reserves... easy to liquidate whenever I need quick credits.”

”Family coffers... artifacts, heirlooms, spiritual materials... I’ll have to sort through those personally.”

He continued scrolling through the documents before pausing.

”And six million, four hundred thousand credits sitting in their bank accounts...”

His lips curled into a grin.

”Targonians... I shall never forget your generosity.”

House Targon had been thoroughly stripped by the Court... quite a severe punishment, as the Court had rarely been this hard on a Noble House before.

After all, they were caught red-handed with not just one crime... but dozens committed across the years, which the Court never tolerated.

Now... everything they had lost was transferred to Levi... or at least, 70% of it after the Court took its fees and penalties.

”I believe, liquid-wise, the total should be around twenty million credits without counting the Barony.”

Levi leaned back slightly in the chair, staring at the ridiculous list of properties now carrying his name.

”Truly... the heist of the century.”

He chuckled, knowing it would be extremely challenging to repeat it... even if no one knew how he did it... yet.

Whether the Noble Houses figured out the method or not, they were bound to seal their borders tight and double-check their anti-spy systems.

The documents included the damning recording, which would lead anyone to assume it had been made inside a safe house without Silas and his family’s knowledge.

No one wanted to become another House Targon.

”It’s still a massive win and gave me everything I need, with more to spare.”

Levi had already decided what to do with a portion of it... One million credits had been transferred straight back to House Zen right away.

Brahmin had thanked him so profusely that Levi had eventually stopped responding to the messages altogether.

The old man had apparently considered the money enough to reopen parts of their business in other smaller cities, repair their damaged foundations, hire protection, and finally begin putting House Zen back on its feet.

Levi hadn’t asked for repayment, as there wasn’t some elaborate scheme hiding behind the gesture.

He simply wanted to help them.

Well... Mostly.

”Jojo is going to be staying with them, after all.”

Levi’s expression turned thoughtful... thinking about House Zen receiving Jojo as a guest and how, if it all went well, she might stay with them for a long period to learn more about the Zenith Constellation Aspect.

He would rather not leave her sleeping beneath the roof of a family that could barely protect itself.

”Now... removing the five million credits for the soul, what should I do with the...”

Before Levi could finish his sentence, he received a sudden notification... a dimensional screen showed him a message sent to his Black Slime Inbox.

-Levi... I think it’s about time we held that meeting, don’t you think?- Sent by... The Alchemist.

Levi’s expression turned stern instantly, his laid-back mood shattered... even Ash’Kral and the Titan lifted their heads to glance at the message with interest.

”Welp... that didn’t take long.” The Titan raised a thumbs-up. ”What a masterful disguise.”

As Ash’Kral chuckled mockingly, Levi stayed silent... although he knew that he hadn’t put much effort into his second identity; still... it shouldn’t have been this fast for Bishop Va’ren to find out.

”Barely a few days went by...” Levi murmured, brows knitting tightly. ”How? Did Silas leak the recordings during the attack on Zen’s estate? It’s the only time I used my powers.”

Levi didn’t know if Bishop Va’ren was testing him or not... he believed that he might have been egging him on to come clean using partial evidence.

Just as Levi planned on ignoring the message for now, another arrived... oozing with confidence.

Ting!

-I imagine you’re dying to know how I found out. Noon tomorrow. Location: **. Come alone. Trust me... you’ll want to hear what I have.- The Alchemist.

Levi returned to his seat and started tapping his finger on the counter thoughtfully... he understood that even if he spent the entire day brooding over this, he wouldn’t find the real answers.

”Genie... how fast can you grant me my wish for a new cloned soul?” Levi checked.

”Right away, Master.”

Levi nodded... his original plan was to start his business to earn the money necessary to cover the Soul’s price. However, everything changed when his focus switched to Targon’s assets.

Now, he had enough to do both... or so he thought.

”Let’s get it over with.” Levi’s brows tightened coldly. ”My soon-to-be partner is too impatient.”

***

The Next Day... at Nocturn’s Luxurious Dining District...

Levi climbed the narrow spiral staircase to the reserved dining room, following a waiter... his Harmonic Spine was in full use, painting every inch of the restaurant in his world of darkness.

The restaurant was quite small and intimate... however, its location was one of the best in the entire district, as it overlooked Nocturn’s Heart City’s bustling Main Hub while still maintaining a gentle, cultural atmosphere... Most importantly, it offered customers privacy.

Not even Levi’s Harmonic Spine was able to pierce through any of the private booths... making them appear like missing pieces in a jigsaw puzzle.

A couple more steps and Levi arrived at a wooden sliding door... resembling a Japanese door.

The waiter bowed her head and silently left him on his own. Levi knocked once and then slid the door to the side; immediately, his vision was invaded by new colors.

A round table occupied the center, already filled with untouched appetizer dishes. Beyond the wide window, soft orange lamps decorated the ceiling, casting a faint shadow over the one man already seated inside.

No greeting, no nothing... Levi stepped inside and slid the door shut behind him. Then, he sat by the window, resting his back comfortably against the chair... half of his face hidden under the darkness of a hoodie while the bottom half had been slightly modified.

Across from him sat Bishop Va’ren... his mutilated rabbit-like face displayed proudly, uncaring about anyone’s opinions on his appearance.

For two individuals who belonged on opposite sides of a war, their first meeting was strangely calm.

Not in his wildest dreams had Levi imagined his first meeting with one of the Bishops to be like this... He had always envisioned it either on a corpse-ridden battlefield or in a Death Game under the eyes of billions of viewers.

But this was life... and life was always strange.

Before a single word was exchanged, Levi glanced at the Nocturnal Contract resting on his side of the table... he read it silently for a few minutes, over and over again, until he was certain that no foul play was involved.

Although this was merely an NDA contract to keep their discussion private and offer protection, Levi took zero risks... only after he signed it did he lift his cup and take a small sip.

”Before we discuss your proposal, I want an answer.”

He started, his voice as serene as if he were speaking to a colleague instead of an ancient powerhouse who had been terrorizing planets for centuries, if not longer.

Bishop Va’ren raised his gaze from the dish before him, revealing a faint smile.

”Already making demands?”

Despite the smile, Levi could feel it... Bishop Va’ren’s oppressive aura lying dormant... an aura so strong that it could literally crush him to the ground with a mere glare.

Levi never allowed his battle against Alzhukar to affect his perception of what a Tier 8 powerhouse was truly like.

After all, he had fought him in the Shadow Dimension, near the Hungering Dark, while using the Divine Void Form... a form that turned the Shadow Dimension into his own Dominion, allowing him to become the embodiment of nothingness and making him immune to spiritual pressure and the rest of Alzhukar’s powers.

On the other hand, Alzhukar had been weakened to a mere 20% of his strength as a follower of the Radians, battling in the enemy’s realm... and without access to his Dominion.

Still... Levi couldn’t defeat him and was forced to use the Hungering Dark to his advantage.

Levi knew... in a one-on-one fight without any of those conditions... there wouldn’t even be a discussion on the table.

Regardless, he had no plans to show any sort of respect to Bishop Va’ren.

”Questions,” Levi corrected. ”Demands come afterward.”

Bishop Va’ren gave him a flat stare and stayed silent... he could tell that Levi wasn’t faking his attitude or reaction... he genuinely wasn’t frightened by him, giving Va’ren the impression of someone who had already brushed against a powerhouse like him and survived.

’How interesting... the proud and arrogant Radian bloodline runs thick in him.’

Levi placed his cup down and asked, ”How did you find out that I’m Mr. Problem?”

”Is it bothering you?”

”It caught my attention.”

”It should.” Va’ren leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. ”You’ve become rather famous within our organization.”

Levi’s heart skipped a beat.

”...What does that mean?”