The last light of day had vanished by the time Liam and Chrises stepped out of the Beast Trade Hall. The city had changed with the hour.

The sunlit chaos of Astrin's market streets had faded into a slower and quieter scene where shadows stretched long beneath the flickering oil lamps that lined the road.

Liam walked in silence, hands tucked casually in his pockets. His expression was unreadable, calm and focused. Behind him, Chrises followed half a step behind, her thoughts a whirlwind.

She had seen and met all kinds of men but this one was… different. She wants to know who Liam, to be able to spend 1,000 gold coins easily, an amount that would make a commoner family rich years if managed well.

She would had chalked it up to the fact that he was a noble but the truth is that he isn't dressed like one. And his attire looks foreign, as she had never seen any noble won something like that.

Also, as someone that has experienced all sort of things before, there was something about Liam that she couldn't quite place her fingers on.

He feels dangerous, she thought quietly. Not in the loud, brutish way adventurers do. No, his kind of danger was quiet. It was like a sin wrapped in silk. The sort that didn't need a sword to kill.

A shiver ran down her spine before she forced herself to steady her breath.

If someone else had seen him in the street, they might have thought he was harmless, maybe even a lost scholar. But Chrises's instincts—the instincts of someone who had fought, bled through countless battles—screamed otherwise.

That's not a man to underestimate.

Still, the thought that she was now bound to him by a slave contract left her unsettled. She tried to make sense of it, of him.

He said he didn't need a slave. That he needed someone to "help him achieve what he wants."

But what does that even mean?

If he didn't want a slave, why did he sign the contract? Why didn't he just buy her freedom outright? Why keep her bound?

She rubbed her wrist absentmindedly—where the mark was. It was a delicate reminder that no matter how calm he seemed, her fate now rested entirely in his hands.

Whatever his intentions were, she would find out soon enough. And if this new master of hers turned out to be like the rest… she would deal with it her way.

For now, survival came first.

Chrises sighed quietly and followed as Liam turned down a narrower street toward the inn district.

***

As they walked, Liam's mind wasn't on Chrises or the slave hall, but on the broader picture.

He was currently spread between three universes that now needed his attention. His schedule was becoming a problem.

Time flowed differently between worlds: a single day on Earth equaled nearly a week across these realms. It meant he could accomplish far more here—but it also meant he couldn't be in all places at once.

That was why he needed people like Chrises.

He hadn't bought her out of pity. He needed someone who understood this world—its guilds, its magic systems, its politics—and had the ability to survive it. Someone strong enough to act independently, all the while accomplishing the tasks he would assign to her.

She was ideal. Her file said "B-Rank Adventurer." And her eyes said "survivor. That was enough for him.

As for the bigger picture—Liam's would finally begin taking shape soon.

In both the magic and cultivation universes, he intended to build foundations—real ones. Not small factions or wandering titles, but empires of influence.

He would create organizations capable of operating across realms. Ones that could sustain themselves, expand, and one day… connect both universes and even with his home universe.

It would become a multiversal infrastructure.

But before all that, he needed bases.

Grand Xia would serve as his cultivation foothold. And this world—Astrin, with its archaic politics and exploitable systems—would become his foundation for the magic realm.

The alternate Earth was a good place but it wasn't ideal. It's a world still tethering on the brink of destruction. That would only serve to increase the workload on him. And the Liam at the moment doesn't have the resources or ambition to act as a hero or a saviour.

As for his lack of knowledge on the realm he's currently in, he intends to find out as he progresses.

He can't wait for the wonderful adventure that awaits him.

It's going to be interesting, he thought with a quiet smile.

Still, while his focus was here, he couldn't neglect home. Earth and Nova Technologies were the pillars that made all of this possible. The meeting with Whitlock at JP Morgan next week would set everything in motion for him.

He would subtly bring Earth under his control, while breaking the millenia old rotting systems that had been put in place.

Every piece was falling into place. He only needed time—and capable hands.

***

By the time they reached the White Daisy Inn, the streets had mostly emptied.

Liam led Chrises up the wooden steps. The inn's interior was warmly lit. The innkeeper greeted them briefly before turning to other guests.

Liam took her upstairs, down the hall, and stopped before the room he had rented earlier that day.

When he opened the door, the faint scent of lavender oil drifted from within. The room was lavish—at lest to the hotel standard of this world.

"You can rest here tonight," Liam said as he walked in. "Get comfortable."

Chrises hesitated at the threshold before stepping inside. Her movements were cautious but disciplined, like a soldier walking through unknown terrain.

Liam watched her for a moment before speaking again.

"You'll need to change," he said. "That uniform won't do."

She blinked, confused. "Uniform?"

"The one they put you in. It's not befitting someone that will work for me." He gestured toward her plain linen shirt.

Chrises opened her mouth to respond—but froze when Liam simply vanished.

One blink and he was gone.

Her eyes darted around the room. Her hand went instinctively to where her sword should have been before she remembered—she didn't have it anymore.

Her heart thudded once in shock and disbelief. Then, just as silently, Liam reappeared a few steps away, holding a small black duffel bag.

Chrises's eyes widened slightly, her mind scrambling to make sense of what she had just seen. She hadn't felt him use magic or spell circle, as there was no sound at all.

He had simply disappeared and returned.

Is this space magic? Impossible!, She thought.

She hadn't seen space magic but she understood that this wasn't magic. Neither was it soccery. It wasn't even the work of runes. Then what was it?

Liam held out the bag toward Chrises as if nothing unusual had happened.

"There's a set of clothes inside. You'll find a cloak, boots, and an undergarment suit. Change after you wash up tonight or tomorrow."

Chrises stared at the bag, then at him and she finally asked, "…What are you?"

"Your boss," Liam smiled.

Chrises didn't know whether to feel amused or wary at that answer.

Liam walked past her and sat by the table and spoke with a causal tone, "Tomorrow morning, you'll start working on a few things for me."

Chrises was trying to understand what she had just witnessed but she quickly composed herself when she heard what Liam said.

"Tasks?" She asked in curiosity.

"Yes. And the first of them is to gather information for me," Liam replied.

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