Natalia's breath was warm. Up close, Logan caught a light fruity, floral scent on her and froze for a moment.
Thinking back, Logan knew he was able to join this elite-level Blood Cultivation Realm team expedition thanks to her.
If you turned all that into money, it was a number Logan could never afford.
At least with his current net worth—only tens of millions—it was probably just enough to buy one spatial fragment.
Compared to the resources and favors Natalia poured into him, that was nothing.
"City Lord, I'll remember your kindness. If you want me to repay you with money, I'm afraid I don't have enough. I'm just a poor student." Logan watched Natalia's eyes carefully. Seeing she wasn't upset, he finally made his request. "How about we work together again?"
Natalia saw that Logan didn't haggle and even wanted to keep working with her. The corner of her mouth lifted. "Interesting. I'd like to hear how you want to work together."
Hearing that, Logan stood and looked out the window. "City Lord, please recommend me for this year's Federation Genius Training Camp."
He turned back, eyes steady on Natalia. "You know my familiar space and the strength of my two familiars. I'm confident I can take first place in the camp and start the [Supernova] challenge."
"By then, with the resources the Federation puts into me, even what slips through my fingers will be enough to repay your kindness and investment."
"You can name any price now. I won't haggle."
Seeing Logan so confident, Natalia bent over, holding her stomach, and burst into giggles.
Logan watched her the whole time, his expression steady.
Realizing she'd gotten carried away, Natalia straightened up and coughed lightly. "You really are confident and bold. I'm liking you more and more."
Then she handed Logan a golden envelope stamped with the City Lord's Office seal.
"You want me to invest more in you? Fine," Natalia said as she walked around behind him. "But you have to prove your strength first."
She patted Logan's shoulder, her tone turning serious, no longer teasing. "Anyone I recommend must become this year's Federation Supernova."
"So you have to first take on the challenges of the entire Twilight City Guard. Only if you win at least a hundred matches in a row do you qualify for more investment."
"Come to the City Guard barracks in three days. I'll pick the challengers in advance." With that, Natalia left the City Lord's Office hall.
Logan watched her disappear and tightened his grip on the envelope.
He hadn't fully convinced her, but he'd earned a chance.
As for winning a hundred times in a row against the City Guard's elite soldiers—hard?
Natalia was still underestimating his real combat power.
With that thought, Logan smiled, left the City Lord's Office, and went home to rest.
Later that night.
Inside the Temple's main hall in Twilight City.
Nancy Priest's voice kept echoing.
"Natalia! Are you really not giving your own little sister even one chance?"
"As long as you recommend Evelynna for the Genius Training Camp, I can write off the Temple's losses from this Blood Cultivation Realm trip!"
Natalia sat at the head seat, legs crossed, sipping wine. With a playful look, she stared at Nancy.
It was the first time she'd seen Nancy lose her cool. She found it amusing, so she explained: "Nancy, you know my goal is [Supernova]. Unless Evelynna shows unbeatable talent among her peers, I won't recommend a Temple Saintess for the Genius Training Camp."
Then Natalia patiently told her about Logan's upcoming arena match.
Hearing that Natalia had invited Logan to the arena test herself, Nancy felt a rush of pressure. "Since Logan can take the ring defense test, Evelynna should get the same chance."
"Natalia, if you agree to let Evelynna join the ring defense test too, our Temple will cover all the losses from this Blood Cultivation Realm trip."
Seeing Nancy compromise, Natalia's lips curled in a pleased smile. "Deal!"
With that, Natalia left another golden envelope and turned to go.
But Nancy Priest moved first, stepping in to block her path.
"Wait!"
"I don't trust leaving the ring defense entirely to the City Guard!" Nancy's eyes flashed as she stared at Natalia. "Let the Temple Knights join the challenge. Mix them with the City Guard and assign challengers at random, so the City Guard won't hold back."
Hearing this, Natalia's playful look froze. "Is that necessary?"
"Of course it is!" Nancy locked her gaze on Natalia's face. "The City Guard always takes your orders. I'm not giving you a chance to rig the arena from behind the scenes."
Natalia burst out laughing. "Nancy, we've known each other so long—drop the act. When it comes to these sneaky tricks, you're better at them than I am."
With that, Natalia stood up and strode out of the Temple hall.
Just as her figure was about to disappear, her voice rang out again.
"Oh, right! Let me warn you—don't do anything that pisses me off. I won't hesitate to hit you in the face, even if you're a woman."
After seeing Natalia off, Nancy Priest narrowed her eyes and lifted her hand to strike the Temple's great bell.
In an instant, the whole Temple fell into an uproar.
Temple Knights and clergy poured into the main hall.
After the Blood Cultivation Realm incident, the Temple Knights had lost a battle. About half of the elite knights here were wounded.
Nancy Priest looked at the Temple's most loyal guardians, her face shining with holiness and mercy. "God bless the world. The divine will show mercy to their most loyal children."
She lightly tapped her staff on the floor.
The tiles cracked, and the statue of the god behind her began to shed golden tears.
Each drop glowed with sacred energy, leaving everyone in awe.
"A miracle!"
"The god has shown a sign!"
The Temple Knights and clergy stared, shocked and thrilled.
Under their expectant gazes, Nancy turned, knelt before the statue, gently removed her crown, and used it as a vessel to collect the god's tears.
When the last tear fell, Nancy slowly stood and faced the crowd again.
Seeing Nancy holding the holy crown, everyone bowed their heads and shouted, "God bless the world!"
Satisfied, Nancy nodded, then scattered the god's tears from the crown over the Temple Knights.
Bathed in holy light, their wounds healed before everyone's eyes.
The god's tears soaked into them, and a powerful surge of life filled their bodies.
"Accept the divine gift. The Holy Girl needs your help," Nancy's voice was still grand and pure. "In three days, at the City Guard's arena battle, use this power to clear the way for the Holy Girl!"
She raised her staff, and a faint image of a Divine Maiden shone behind her.
"Holy Light Seal!"
As one seal after another fell, the strong surge of life energy on the Temple Knights—caused by the god's tears—slowly faded.
In the end, there was no sign left that they had ever been blessed by the god's tears.
Seeing this, Nancy Priest nodded in satisfaction.
After she sent everyone away, her once holy, calm face turned pale. Her body swayed, and she could barely stand.
Just then, Raven, the commander of the Temple Knights, appeared. She hurried to Nancy's side and caught her before she fell, frowning. "You're only at the Master level—why push yourself? Just to rig things, you put seals on so many people at once!"
Raven turned to look at the statue's eyes and sighed. "Once someone is touched by the god's tears, their life potential is forced open, and for a short time they can fight at several times their normal strength.
"But after that, these Temple Knights will likely lose ten years of life, and they'll never be able to break through again."
...