Chapter 254: Just Ten Billion
For Sonia, learning wasn't an obstacle. Her plan was simple: figure out how to achieve short-distance spatial travel. Even if she could only teleport a single meter at first, mastering long-distance teleportation would just be a matter of time.
Seeing Sonia's bright smile, Harvey suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
"Did I make a mistake teaching her this?" Harvey thought to himself as he observed her.
However, after considering Sonia's gentle and thoughtful nature, he dismissed the worry. She had never made any unreasonable demands, and her only wish seemed to be to stay close to him. Plus, all he'd done was give her a basic understanding of the potential of Void energy—he hadn't directly taught her any advanced techniques.
Thinking about it more, Harvey realized there was no harm done. Relaxing, he pushed the thought from his mind.
"Oh, by the way, Kassadin, tomorrow is the day when the island will hold its ceremony to worship you," Sonia said as she looked out the window. Hearing the joyful chatter from the distance, she asked, "Will you show yourself again this year?"
"Of course not. Even if I were to make an appearance, it would be for a special occasion. It's only been three years—showing up once every ten years should be enough," Harvey replied without hesitation.
The only reason he had shown himself previously was to let the members of the Void Sect know that he was watching over them. By now, even the newer members had heard stories of his past appearances, so there was no need to perform such displays every year.
"I see," Sonia said with a smile, understanding that Kassadin was indirectly confirming that he would remain unseen during the upcoming ceremony.
Harvey noticed that Sonia seemed to be in an unusually good mood today. Although he found it odd, he decided not to ask her about it, thinking it would come across as him caring too much.
He moved to the balcony, enjoying the cool winter breeze while watching the Void Sect members on the island bustling around, hanging decorations. Many of them had just returned from other planets, swapping stories about their adventures over the past year while they worked.
The island was starting to feel more like home, and this sight pleased Harvey.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was midnight.
"Happy New Year! I look forward to your guidance again this year, Kassadin," Sonia said, bowing slightly and smiling as the clock struck twelve.
"Likewise. I'll be counting on you to take care of me this year as well," Harvey replied politely.
While staying on Xandar, it had been Sonia who took care of Harvey's every need with the utmost attention.
"It's no trouble. It's what I'm here for," Sonia said warmly, dismissing his thanks with a smile.
"Though I'm curious, why didn't you say this during the first year we spent together? Why now?" Harvey asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, everyone else on the island says it, so I thought I'd give it a try," Sonia replied, her face lighting up with a soft smile.
"You're getting more relaxed, aren't you?" Harvey teased with a chuckle.
"Does it bother you, Kassadin?" Sonia asked, her eyelashes fluttering as she spoke in a soft tone.
"Not at all. You've taken such good care of me—being a little relaxed sometimes is no issue," Harvey responded, shaking his head.
"I'm glad to hear that," Sonia said, breathing a quiet sigh of relief.
In truth, she had wanted to say something similar during their first year together, but Kassadin had been planning to return to Earth right after the New Year, so she hadn't gotten the chance.
Now that he seemed to be staying for a while longer, she finally had the opportunity to say what had been on her mind.
Although Kassadin's reaction wasn't entirely what she had hoped for—it was more polite than personal—she was still pleased that he responded at all. For Sonia, Kassadin acknowledging her was already enough.
"Let's eat," Harvey said after glancing outside.
"Alright," Sonia nodded and sat down at the table, her movements calm and graceful.
Meanwhile, on the rest of the island, everyone else was also wide awake, exchanging New Year's greetings with each other in high spirits. Sara and Lalatina, knowing they had the next day off, decided to stay up as well. The lively atmosphere on Void Island was infectious, and they clinked glasses, celebrating their first New Year on the island.
The peaceful and joyous life on Void Island was something they both enjoyed immensely. They planned to join the others in a pilgrimage to the Void Temple around four or five in the morning.
As time passed, Sara and Lalatina followed the crowd toward the temple. Instead of walking, they opted to drive—it was too far to walk.
When they arrived, they saw that the other members of the Void Sect were offering donations, with most starting at a minimum of three million.
Tony, wanting to make up for his blunder in the first year when he hadn't brought any offerings, had learned from Sonia that the island was currently in need of funds. So, Tony went all out this time, offering a staggering ten billion. A large amount of money rained down from above, forming two towering piles of cash.
Lalatina and Sara were both stunned by the sight.
"Holy crap, how much money is that?" Lalatina exclaimed.
"That's more than all of us combined!" Sara added in shock.
Tony, noticing the admiration from the others, waved his hand modestly. "It's not much—just ten billion."
"Tony, I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Your loyalty to the Void Sect is unquestionable," a booming, respectful voice echoed from above.
Tony looked up and saw a massive spaceship descending from the sky. The ship's doors opened, and Lix descended, bringing with him a massive amount of money that was also deposited onto the offering altar—a sum equal to Tony's ten billion.
"Wow, it looks like you brought your spaceship just to carry all that cash!" Tony remarked with a grin after JARVIS calculated the exact sum.
"Last time I came, I wasn't familiar with the offering tradition, so I felt ashamed for not giving enough," Lix replied. "This time, I've brought ten billion to show my devotion. I'm glad to see we're thinking alike, Tony."
"Looks like I wasn't wrong about you either," Lix added, nodding in approval.