Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 924: Rebate [Spacecraft Bonus Chapter]

“It seems you’re having a bit of a hard time,” a voice drifted into Asher’s ears, a familiar one.

Asher turned around and saw her, the same average face, the same black hair, and the same black eyes; Kimberley Elox.

“It’s been a while, Tenth Sun. Or should I call you The Dominator?” Kimberley Elox joked with an amused expression as she walked towards Asher.

Asher smiled and rose to his feet. “Finally decided to show yourself?” he asked.

“Was I hiding?” Kimberley asked, a little confused as she tilted her head to the side.

“It seems your face is thicker than your bank balance,” Asher replied with a laugh. “Weren’t you the one who slipped away the moment Hilton Zarik confronted me?” he asked. “And since then, I never saw you again,” he added.

“Ah…” Kimberley exclaimed softly as she finally remembered that she had run away at the time. She sighed before explaining, “Forgive me, Tenth Sun, but I just didn’t want to get involved in any of that. And as I told you, I’m an Unawakener, so I don’t like involving myself in any type of conflict with Awakeners. But against other Unawakeners, I’m sort of confident I can hold my own ground,” she explained. “Besides, I’m sure the Wargraves would have resolved the matter if anything had happened to you back then.” Her tone was almost apologetic.

The two of them continued walking together, countless pairs of eyes trailing after them as people began wondering whether the Elox Family was planning to marry one of their heirs into the Wargrave Family.

“No need to apologize,” Asher replied with a gentle smile. “I was merely joking. It’s not as though I was expecting you to step in and throw your family name around.” His tone remained amused.

Kimberley simply sighed again before shaking her head.

“So… did you bet it all on me?” Asher asked, lowering his voice slightly.

Kimberley almost paused mid-step. She remembered Asher telling her to bet everything on him, but she had done the complete opposite and gone all in on… black.

Kimberley sighed before explaining, “I didn’t. Arianna simply had too much power, talent, and backing for me to believe what you said back then. Although I still placed a bet on you, it was nothing compared to the amount I staked on Arianna.” She paused, her black eyes turning towards him for a brief moment before adding, “I hope you aren’t angry or anything like that.”

Asher arched an eyebrow before replying, “Why would I be angry or anything of the sort? I’m not the one losing money.” Then he smiled. “Besides, with how rich your family is, your loss is probably just pocket change. And your father already said everyone can have their money back.” His tone remained calm.

Kimberley smiled before speaking. “Well… both statements are true.” She was simply far too wealthy to fuss over losing what amounted to spare change in her rich eyes.

“I can see why you bet on Arianna. She’s the most talented person I’ve ever met… not that I’ve met all that many people anyway. And if I were in your shoes, I probably would have done exactly what you did,” Asher replied as they continued walking.

One of the staff members carrying a tray of drinks walked past them. Asher’s hand immediately reached out as he casually took two glasses from the tray without stopping the staff member. He passed one to Kimberley while keeping the other for himself.

“Have you met yourself?” Kimberley replied to Asher’s words with a question. “Reaching your current level of strength in just two years is completely outrageous. You fought everyone before Arianna without receiving even a single scratch and without resting. Then you still managed to defeat her after all of that.” She sighed as she spoke, as those feats alone had given her more than a few sleepless nights. “I’m guessing only your family members were the ones who truly took advantage of the ridiculous betting odds they gave you at the beginning.”

Asher remained silent for a moment before shaking his head, fully aware that he was, in many ways, a cheater. Even so, he was a hardworking cheater. None of his abilities, not the Absolute Physique, Star Energy, Perfect Astra Control, nor any of his other gifts, would have granted him such overwhelming strength if he hadn’t worked himself to the bone every single day.

“Speaking of family members,” Asher said, expertly changing the topic, “who would’ve thought you had a genius brother hiding behind Acker Holloway?” he remarked, clearly intrigued by Theodore’s ability.

Kimberley sighed before replying, “As I told you before, my family’s bloodline abilities are linked to money in one way or another. My father always possessed a money-related ability, although it isn’t combat-oriented like my brother’s.” She paused for a moment, her expression turning somewhat melancholic. “I remember that after I failed my third Awakening, I paid my brother one billion platinum coins in hopes that he could forcefully awaken me. But it seems even his Wealth Manipulation ability has its limits, since he can’t directly influence another person’s Awakening through it,” she explained.

Asher remained silent, as he already knew such a thing was impossible. If it actually worked, Theodore would instantly become one of the most influential people on the planet. As long as someone could afford the price, he would theoretically be capable of awakening anyone, making his value immeasurable.

“What exactly is your father’s ability?” Asher asked, unable to suppress his curiosity.

Kimberley remained silent for a moment before finally answering.

“Any money my father spends that doesn’t immediately generate monetary value for the family is instantly rebated by a minimum of one hundred times and a maximum of one thousand times. That means every single coin he gave away during the Qualifier Round, and all the money he distributed after your fight with Arianna, will eventually return to him multiplied by at least one hundred times,” she explained.

Asher’s eyes widened in genuine shock as his thoughts nearly came to a standstill beneath the sheer absurdity of what he had just heard. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how much wealth the head of the Elox Family accumulated on a daily basis.

‘No wonder the man could afford to hand out money so generously. He wasn’t being charitable at all… he was only making himself even richer,’ Asher mused inwardly, finally understanding why Theodore’s father never seemed to hesitate whenever enormous sums of money were involved.

For a brief moment, Asher was genuinely tempted to abandon the Wargrave Bloodline altogether and jump ship to the Elox Family instead. With an ability like that backing an entire household, even cultivation suddenly seemed like the cheaper hobby.

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Bonus Chapter sponsored by Sluggish_Slug