"Selene, I need you to go to all the powerful Factions in the Eldoria Empire now. Send them a message that the Monarch Auction House will be holding its first auction next week."
"Yes, Master. I will do it," she replied, turning to leave—until she suddenly remembered something.
"Um, Master... will you be traveling this week?"
"Yes. I plan to visit villages and cities to gain some experience."
"Master, you must not go alone! Please wait for me. I will accompany you. You can't leave without me!"
Calyx was stunned when he heard this.
'What? Why is this girl telling me what to do? I'm the master, right?'
He looked at Selene's face. Her beautiful expression was filled with worry. Calyx chuckled.
"You don't need to worry about me. Even though I'm only at Peak Tier 1, I can defeat anyone in this world."
After saying that, Calyx opened his system shop and immediately purchased an item worth 50,000 points.
He reached out and gently took Selene's hand, then slowly slipped a ring onto her ring finger.
Afterward, Calyx placed a similar ring on his own hand.
Selene was frozen during the entire process. Her heart was in turmoil, and her cheeks were visibly red.
"This is a Heart Ring, a high-rank Divine Treasure. It can block any attack from Tier 9 and below. It also links our hearts—it sends a signal if either of us is in danger. The ring has teleportation capabilities. No matter how far apart we are, if one of us is in danger, we can use the ring to instantly teleport to the other. However, the teleportation has a cooldown of one year. It also allows for voice transmission, unlike spiritual energy transmissions that only work at close range. With the Heart Ring, we can talk no matter how far apart we are," Calyx explained.
"Alright, go now. Don't worry about me," Calyx said before she could say a word.
"Y-Yes, Master." She left immediately, still blushing and unable to meet his gaze.
'This ring... it's for couples! Master...' she thought to herself.
Selene, usually cold and aloof—much like her snow-white hair—was visibly shaken. But now she had a job to do. She needed to return quickly... to protect him... and served him.
The next day.
Calyx set off, descending from the Bamboo Mountains.
'Hmm... all the tamed demonic beasts in the auction house are only at Peak Tier 2. I need something faster.'
He had only 12,890 points left.
After a moment of thought, Calyx decided to buy a Mid-Stage Tier 4 demonic beast called the Lightning Falcon. While its combat ability was only on par with Peak Tier 3 beasts, its speed rivaled that of an Early stage Tier 5 beast.
He purchased it for 5,000 points.
Now, he had 7,890 points remaining.
He informed Dante of his departure. Dante, concerned, offered to accompany him, but Calyx firmly refused, stating that Dante's main priority should be protecting the Monarch Auction House.
And with that, Calyx and his Tier 4 Lightning Falcon soared into the sky like a bolt of lightning.
Calyx sat atop the beast, gazing below.
The peak of Bamboo Mountain was incredibly hidden, located on the outskirts of the Eldoria Empire. The nearest village or city was at least 10,000 kilometers away.
It was no wonder the auction house had remained undiscovered for ten years.
...
Above the clouds, a demonic beast streaked through the sky, glowing with lightning energy. Every cloud it passed shattered, leaving a clear path in its wake.
On its back sat a handsome young man clad in a simple robe. His long black hair flowed with the wind, and his eyes were deep as an abyss.
Of course, that man was Calyx. They had been flying for over an hour and were now nearing a city called Gerbur.
Gerbur City was considered medium-sized within the Eldoria Kingdom and was under the control of the Ice Domain Temple.
The Ice Domain Temple ranked 10th among hundreds of temples in the Eldoria Empire.
Calyx descended and allowed his demonic beast to return to his spiritual sea, where it could be summoned at will—an ability granted by a blood-bound beast contract.
He blended in with the crowd as he walked. Most of the people were mere mortals, though a few had reached Early Tier 1.
As he strolled through the city, he spotted a young beggar asking passersby for food.
The beggar appeared to be around twelve years old, emaciated and partially blind in his left eye.
"Kind sir, may I have some food? I haven't eaten in almost three days," the boy asked a merchant.
"Heh, get away from me and just die already," the merchant spat before walking off.
The boy sighed and slumped against a nearby wall.
"Hahaha, what trash. I heard his parents were elders of the Qirin Clan, both at Peak Tier 1. But they got killed by bandits, and the patriarch kicked their son out after they died," said a nearby vendor.
"The Qirin Clan? You mean the top clan in Gerbur City?" a customer asked.
Calyx heard everything and immediately understood the boy's situation.
'This world is truly cruel. Only strength matters... Well, I wrote it this way.'
He walked up to the boy.
"What is your name?" Calyx asked.
The boy slowly raised his head. "My name is Von..." he answered softly.
People nearby were shocked to see someone talking to that young beggar.
"Here, eat this. It'll restore your strength," Calyx said, handing him a bright red fruit.
Gasps erupted around them.
"That's a Rank 2 Red Fruit! It can help a mortal awaken!" someone exclaimed.
Even with the lowest F-Class awakening, it was a dream for mortals to have an ability to cultivate.
Von took a bite. Instantly, his hunger vanished. His frail body strengthened, his blind eye healed—and for the first time, he felt spiritual energy flowing through him.
He had awakened, even if it was with an F-Class talent. He could now cultivate.
Tears streamed down Von's face. "Thank you so much, kind sir..."
"Oh, and take this: a Rank 1 Fasting Pill. You won't need to eat for a month. Here's 100 of them. Also, this Rank 1 sword, Rank 1 armor, and several more Rank 1 pills."
Calyx handed him pouch after pouch.
"Sir, this is too much... I don't need all of this. Just being able to cultivate is enough."
Calyx shook his head. "These are just trash to me. Take them. Use them to shape your future."
With that, he walked away, leaving Von stunned, overflowing with gratitude and joy.
The onlookers were speechless.
Minutes later, Von snapped out of his daze. It wasn't a dream. He quickly became vigilant, took a swift pill, and left the area.
There were surely those who would covet his treasures. And there was also... the Qirin Clan.
Von gritted his teeth. His parents had sacrificed themselves for the clan. The patriarch had promised to care for him—but once they died, he was tossed aside like garbage.
He swore to create his own clan one day and destroy the Qirin Clan.
Just as Von was about to leave Gerbur City, a mysterious blue hologram appeared before him.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for acquiring the 'Weakest System—yet even so, it's still a System.']