Point card

Kaito walked away with Sirus.

Ash immediately leaped to Layen's side and grabbed his buff, meaty arm with a blush:

"I'll take him."

Zow walked toward Prime, swaying her hips with every step, her voluptuous figure drawing attention from every corner.

"Let's go," Prime said coolly, maintaining his aloof expression. Still, he didn't stop himself from enjoying the sight.

Zow pouted but followed behind. Eventually, she caught up, wrapping herself around Prime's arm, her ample chest pressed against him as she smiled sweetly and continued walking beside him.

They left Kai and Enopy alone.

Kai didn't let it get to him. "Let's go," he said plainly, walking in the opposite direction of Zow and Prime.

Enopy followed, letting his thoughts drift.

"Kaito said a month… So I've got a week and a half to two full weeks. I need something that can boost my power—or life-saving items. And what is HDTF? I know what the TF stands for, but what about the HD?"

His thoughts were interrupted by Kai's voice.

"This is the Point Center."

"Point Center?" Enopy repeated, his voice and expression laced with confusion.

Kai gave him a puzzled look, almost as if he was surprised Enopy didn't already know. That confused expression slowly faded, replaced by something else—something painfully familiar to Enopy.

Disgust.

That look... Enopy had seen it for most of his past life. It came from those who believed themselves above others, who looked down on people like him.

A surge of anger welled up inside him. He struggled to suppress it.

"I'll kill him before I leave this place," he thought darkly.

Meanwhile, Kai began explaining the Point Center's function.

"The Point Center is where you officially become part of a city. You get an identification card, which you'll use to access your home, pay for items, and purchase cultivation resources. You earn points by serving the city or by competing in battle stages."

He glanced at Enopy, who remained stone-faced.

"I guess you don't know about battle stages either."

"The stages range from one-on-one duels to team fights. Each win earns you more points. You can level up based on either your rank or strength."

One vs. One = 50 points

Two vs. Two = 200 points

Trio vs. Trio = 300 points

Four vs. Four = 500 points

"And in team battles, if your teammates die, each surviving member earns 100 points for every fallen comrade."

"It might sound like a lot, but compared to the cost of cultivation resources, these points are practically nothing."

He turned to a nearby door.

"Let's get your identification card. Oh, and some places—like the merchants—call it a 'Point Card' or 'PC.'"

Kai held the door open.

"Alright," Enopy replied as he stepped inside.

Instantly, heads turned. Dozens of eyes locked onto him, examining his very presence.

Then, slowly, their gazes shifted.

They weren't looking at him anymore—they were staring at Kai.

Whispers followed.

"Isn't that Kai? The undefeated Rank 2?"

"Yeah, I heard people stopped challenging him... so he was forced to serve the city."

"What a waste. Such power, used up so young..."

Enopy couldn't tell which rumors were true. He glanced at Kai, wondering just who he was following.

They arrived at a large front desk.

"What can I help you with?" a small girl asked. She had brown hair, striking green eyes, and a gentle voice.

"Hi, Luv. I need an ID card for our new resident, please," Kai said softly, his expression suddenly gentle.

Enopy stayed silent, simply observing the interaction.

"Okay," Luv replied, her shiny green eyes briefly lingering on Kai before turning dull and lifeless. She turned to Enopy and said, "Place your aura and fragrance into the card."

The card turned black.

Enopy walked out of the Point Center holding his newly formed black card.

"Can you show me the cultivators' market?" he asked.

Kai looked at him with open disdain. He turned and muttered loud enough for Enopy to hear:

"As expected of scum from a poor land city..."

He glanced back, expecting Enopy's face to twist in anger.

Instead, he was met with a blank expression.

"Okay," Kai said, seemingly irritated by the lack of reaction, as he led Enopy toward the market.

"Here it is. Your house is in the Third Circle," he added, handing Enopy a ring.

"This is a space ring. Coordinates to your house are inside. And don't overthink the ring—it's something we give all... important guests."

With that, Kai turned and walked away.

"Alright," Enopy said. He didn't spare Kai another thought.

"No need to think about a dead man," Enopy muttered to himself. He shrugged his shoulders and strolled down a path that split the vendors' carts and stands.

He knew he was weaker than Kai. But there were recordings of all the ranked fights. He just needed to study Kai's style, find a weakness, and face him in the tournament.

"Shit, he could've explained what half of this stuff is... but if I heard that condescending voice any longer, I might've gotten a headache," he grumbled as he scanned the stalls.

Vendors cried out, advertising their wares.

"Come, handsome men, ugly men, all men! This is a godly APHRODISIAC! Spray it once or twice a day and the ladies will fall all over you!" an old man shouted.

Enopy kept walking.

"APHRODISIACS!"

He turned briefly, only to shake his head and continue on.

"Hello! A once-in-a-lifetime offer! A gift from the deities—an invisibility cloak! Hide from all enemies, sneak attack with ease—all with this one item!" a middle-aged man yelled.

The cloak intrigued Enopy, but the price tag made him turn away.

"Get these aura cores now! Store your aura on the go and be ready for any situation!" said another vendor without much enthusiasm.

Still, a crowd swarmed his booth.

"Only aura?" Enopy asked, intrigued.

"Yes. These are too brittle to store fragrance. You want fragrance cores? Go to the Fourth Circle," the man answered, clearly annoyed.

"Thanks," Enopy said as he ran down the path, curious about what else the market had to offer.

He stopped suddenly when he heard something interesting.

"Energy restorers! Restore your energy in one to two hours! And it adds to your current reserves—perfect as a cultivation resource!" an old man exclaimed with a toothy grin.

Again, Enopy moved on—he lacked the points to afford any of it.

"To get everything I need—even just a starter set of items and resources—I'd need at least a million points. And that's not even including the fragrance cores..." he thought.

"Looks like I'll need to carve a pool of blood into this land over the next two weeks."