The following evening, after viewing apartments for the first time, a woman emerged from one of the skyscrapers with a satisfied smile. It was a real estate agent who had been assisting Adam and Silvana with their selection yesterday and today.

The skyscraper she had just left was located to the left of the other skyscrapers, but not at the very edge, and looked like a majestic monolith reaching for the heavens.

It was the Obsidian Tower, one of many skyscrapers in the very center of the First Ring.

A few minutes ago, the penthouse at the top of this skyscraper had a new owner, namely Adam Vinter.

All documents, keys, ID cards, and so on were now in his possession. Sure, it would take a few more days to complete some legal formalities, but the main documents had already been drawn up, and all parties had accepted each other's terms.

"Yay!" Silvana happily twirled around, while Adam held the main document of ownership with trembling hands.

His eyebrows twitched when his gaze fell on the price of this penthouse — 45,000,000 credits.

"Shit, 45 million. Silvana, where am I even going to get that kind of money?" Adam asked. "Will I have anything left after this purchase?"

"Hah, you're worried about that now? Weren't you the one who gave this penthouse a 95 out of 100? It was your choice!"

Adam snorted.

"Pffft, didn't you like this one better than all the others, too? It was a joint decision and nothing else."

Silvana nodded.

"Sure, this house isn't as big as the others, although... its size is still impressive. It's almost like a castle on top of a tower! Everything else is just top-notch: the best materials, design, electronics, security system, appliances, and so on."

She paused to glance at the document in Adam's trembling hands.

"Still, even all that doesn't fully justify the $45 million price tag. That's insane money."

"Well..." Silvana flopped down on the sofa. "Considering how many monsters you killed in the Dead Lands, you earned a lot of money. Moreover, don't forget the several duels you participated in. As a fighter, you always received a small percentage of the bets. I mean, when you fought against Reinz and the Alderran Family territory, just one Erik bet 700 million on your victory."

Adam's eyes widened in realization. He remembered that day well, and the battle at the end of it was when his family got their current home.

"Hah, and I complain that this luxury penthouse costs 45 million? Where did he get so much money?"

Silvana waved her hand dismissively.

"He's the strongest person in his family, the Wurhen Family. Don't forget that they're one of the Twelve Branches. Also, he's a Second Rank Phantom and has probably lived through several World Wipes. If you don't have a few billion in your account after all that time and under those conditions, then you're clearly doing something wrong."

Adam nodded as he sat down next to Silvana. He put the document aside and looked at their new home.

Everything was beautiful and stylish, but it was obvious that it would take them a long time before this luxury penthouse turned into a cozy home.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us, right?" Adam smiled bitterly.

Silvana rolled her eyes and hugged him from the side.

"Of course. I don't want our home to look like a typical property for sale. The next time you return from the Dead Lands, there will be a robot vacuum cleaner moving across the floor, a bunch of useless appliances in the kitchen that I'll use once a year, and an army of stuffed animals on the couches."

"Hah, sounds good, I'd even say great. By the way, since we now own such a cool house, would you mind if I invited my family over? I know you keep in touch with them, but it's not the same as having dinner together."

In a heartbeat, Silvana's gaze became more serious.

"Oh, that's a good idea. I don't mind, I even support it, but... don't you dare do it without warning! I have to think of what to serve. I mean, I have to impress them!"

Adam shrugged. He knew it wasn't necessary. Whether Silvana cooked something or not, would not affect how their evening went.

But he didn't try to talk her out of it either. She was a good cook, and he was always hungry.

Who would turn that down?

They were silent for a while, thinking about everything that had happened to them over the past few days and months. They had both changed a lot, not only as a Phantom and Operator, but as two youths trying to figure out how to navigate this chaotic world.

Of course, they had grown closer to each other. There was no doubt about that. Sooner or later, most Phantoms and Operators came to the same conclusion.

"We've done all the important things, haven't we?" Silvana murmured, pressing herself against his chest.

Adam nodded slowly.

"We have no reason to rush. I mean, we don't have much time, but overall, a few days or even weeks won't change anything if it doesn't prevent us from becoming stronger."

Silvana smiled bitterly. "Still, there's a lot of work ahead. Soon you'll be back at the Dead Lands, but before that, you have something to do, don't you?"

"Yeah, I wanted to do it a long time ago, right after the battle against Menax, but... Huh, that bastard impressed me. Especially his last request.

I don't know if I would have the courage to ask the person who killed me to burn my body..."

"Hah, knowing you? You wouldn't want weaker fighters to gain any advantage from your defeat. Watching you, I realized that it's better to lose to a worthy opponent than to defeat a weakling."

Adam scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I don't know how true that is, but I think that's pretty much how it is. Back then, many hunters came after me, but only Menax was able to give me a worthy fight."

After a few moments, Silvana bit her lip.

"It's time to move on and find out, right?"

Adam nodded confidently as his gaze deepened.

"Yes. I must see the next conditions, the conditions for the Third Grand Star."

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