Advika's gaze swept across the opulent bedroom, a sigh escaping her lips. The sheer extravagance of the room seemed to amplify the weight of her impending decision.
"I need to tell him about my decision," She murmured, a sense of urgency settling within her. Reaching for her phone, she dialed Christopher's number.
__
Meanwhile, at a bustling restaurant, Christopher and Adonis were immersed in a discussion about the upcoming auction. The air was thick with the aroma of fine wine and the subtle hum of conversation.
"So, brother," Adonis began, swirling the ruby liquid in his glass, "are you truly bringing... what should I call her? Your secretary? Your disciple?"
Christopher took a measured sip of his wine, his expression composed. "Her name is Advika, and that will suffice."
Adonis raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Hmm... And what about those ladies?"
He gestured subtly towards a trio of women seated behind him, their eyes fixed on Christopher with undisguised interest.
Christopher didn't even bother to glance in their direction. "What about them?" he asked, his voice devoid of any inflection.
"Wow," Adonis exclaimed, feigning shock. "Are you truly my brother?"
Christopher frowned, his gaze shifting to Adonis. "Why do you ask?"
"Come on!" Adonis leaned back in his chair, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "My brother would have already approached those girls, invited them for dinner, perhaps even secured a few phone numbers."
"That was the old me," Christopher replied, placing his wine glass on the table with a decisive click. "My focus now lies in strengthening our family, solidifying our position as the preeminent force in Cordelia and beyond."
"Wow, brother! That's a grand ambition!" Adonis sat up, his enthusiasm palpable. "But still... those girls are quite beautiful. If you're not interested, I'll gladly take their numbers."
Christopher watched with a mixture of amusement and exasperation as Adonis rose from his seat and approached the women.
"Such a child," he muttered, shaking his head with a faint smile.
RING!!!
Just then, his phone rang, the screen displaying Advika's name.
"Why is she calling?" he wondered aloud, answering the call.
"What happened?" he asked.
__
Back in her room, Advika sat on the edge of the plush queen-size bed, her heart pounding in her chest. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation.
"I want to begin my training," she stated, her voice firm.
"Alright," Christopher replied, his tone calm. "We'll commence after the auction."
"I want to conquer the goddess in one month," Advika declared, her voice unwavering.
PUFF!!
The sound of Christopher sputtering wine echoed through the phone. "What did you say?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
"I want to conquer her in a month," Advika repeated, her determination unwavering.
"Hmm... You understand that this will be far from easy," Christopher said, his voice regaining its composure. "The goddess is significantly more powerful than you. It would typically require at least three months of consistent, daily attacks to weaken her sufficiently. Why the sudden urgency for a one-month timeframe?"
"I promised my mother I would cure my father within a month," Advika explained, her voice thick with emotion. "I cannot break that promise."
"Hmm..." Christopher paused, considering the implications. "Alright. I had originally planned for twice-weekly sessions, but we'll adjust the schedule. We'll train daily, spending five hours or more each day. From 8 AM to 3 PM, we'll focus on academic studies at the academy, and from 5 PM to 10 PM, we'll train in the mountains. Is that acceptable?"
Advika's eyes widened.
"10 PM? In the mountains? That's..." she trailed off, her mind reeling.
The late hours, the isolation, the proximity to Christopher – a wave of apprehension washed over her.
'What if he has ulterior motives?' she wondered, then quickly banished the thought, remembering her father's pale face and her mother's tear-filled eyes.
'No,' she resolved, 'I must do this. It's only a few nights. Nothing will happen, and if he tries anything, I can defend myself.' she added inwardly.
"Okay," she replied, her voice steady.
"Just to be clear," Christopher continued, "some sessions might extend past 10 PM, requiring us to return the following day. Are you comfortable with that?"
Advika froze, her breath catching in her throat.
'A whole night? We'll be spending the entire night together?' she thought, her anxiety mounting. She sighed softly, her resolve wavering momentarily.
"Do you believe this schedule will enable me to conquer her within a month?" she asked, her voice laced with doubt.
"That depends entirely on your determination," Christopher replied, his voice firm.
"Alright! I accept!" Advika declared, her resolve renewed.
"Excellent. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. By the way, do you have suitable attire for the auction?" Christopher asked.
"Suitable attire?" Advika glanced at Vicki, then at her own worn clothing. "Why do you ask?"
"The auction tomorrow is no ordinary event," Christopher explained. "It's a gathering of the most influential figures in Cordelia and beyond, accessible only by invitation. The Valhalla family received five invitations, one for each member, plus one guest each. You'll be accompanying me, so you understand the importance of appropriate attire, correct?"
Advika gripped the phone tightly. Every woman desired beautiful clothes, jewelry, and makeup, but those luxuries were foreign to her, a stark reminder of her humble origins. She disliked ostentation, fearing it attracted unwanted attention, but Christopher's words made her hesitate.
'Will my clothes embarrass him?' she wondered, a pang of insecurity piercing her.
"I understand," she replied, her voice subdued.
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow morning," Christopher said, disconnecting the call.
Advika exhaled, turning to Vicki, who was staring at her with wide, feline eyes. "What should I do, Vicki?" she asked, collapsing onto the bed.
Vicki leaped onto the bed and nudged Advika's face with her soft head. Advika chuckled, stroking the cat's fur. "Thank you, Vicki. That's all I needed," she murmured. "You're coming with me, right?"
Vicki nodded, settling onto the bed beside her.
"Taking Vicki to the auction shouldn't be a problem," Advika mused.
"She's a perfect stage beast, and Christopher's training has boosted her combat strength to Lv3. I'll feel more at ease with her by my side."
___
Christopher placed his phone on the table and summoned a waiter. "Waiter!"
"Wow! I got their numbers! I can't believe those girls are students in our academy... all in the beasts' anatomy class," Adonis announced, settling into his seat.
"Okay," Christopher replied, his voice indifferent. "That's good."
"Don't be like that," Adonis protested. "I easily got their numbers by mentioning your name."
"Uh?" Christopher looked up, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"I said I'd give them your number," Adonis clarified.
"I hope you didn't," Christopher said, his brow furrowing.
"Come on, why would I? I just said I would, but I won't! You can trust me!"
Christopher nodded, turning to the waiter who had approached their table.
"Sir, your total is 5,000 dollars."
"5,000 dollars for a glass of wine? That's rather inexpensive. If I'd known, we would have gone to Divine Sky... wait," Adonis paused, his eyes widening. "Brother, are you the owner of Divine Sky C+?"
'If Adonis called 5,000 dollars cheap, how much did the previous owner of this body use to spend? Or maybe because Adonis was a Tamer while he was not?' Christopher thought, and answered:
"As I've mentioned before, anything with C+ is mine,"
Christopher handed his card to the waiter.
The waiter nodded, swiping the golden-black card through the POS device.
"Thank you, sir," she said, returning the card.
"Let's go," Christopher said, rising from his seat and walking away. Adonis quickly followed.
"Was that a supreme card?" one of the girls asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
"It seems so, but how did Master Christopher obtain one?" another wondered.
"We can confirm it by contacting Adonis," the third girl, with long red hair and purple eyes, said with a sly smile. "This mission will be easier than we anticipated."
The other two nodded, their expressions mirroring her confidence.