BXBX NOVEL Chapter 105: Chapter105-The Bill
Everyone was aware of Victor\'s training condition for John: the training would only conclude once John managed to injure him.
Until now, John had essentially completed all his training, except for surpassing Victor, a milestone he hadn\'t yet achieved.
The others remained silent, unsure if it counted.
Shadowcloud looked at them as if they were fools, stating, "Of course, it counts. If we were waiting for John to actually cut Victor, he wouldn\'t even break through Victor\'s defense, let alone injure him."
Everyone suddenly understood.
Considering Victor was a cataclysmic-level awakener, even if he suppressed his own strength, his innate defensive capabilities couldn\'t be fully controlled.
For John to injure Victor was practically impossible, just as Shadowcloud had implied.
In the training room, Victor slowly sheathed his longsword.
Glancing at the strand of hair that had fallen to the ground, he nodded, "You have completed your training task."
Though it was a simple statement, to John, it felt as if he had lifted a tremendous burden off his shoulders.
He dropped his silver longsword and sat down on the ground without any regard for his image, his chest heaving as he gasped for air.
Heaven knows how many times Victor had tormented him these past few days! The man was unreasonably brutal.
Despite being a mere swordsman, John felt pressure from him stronger than that of an S-level, nearly pushing him to the brink of questioning his existence.
Victor placed his longsword back on the weapon rack and addressed John, who was sitting exhausted on the floor, "There\'s about ten days left until the Star Cluster Academy\'s entrance examination begins. I\'ve already registered you for it. Spend these next few days enhancing your level and get yourself prepared."
John, too weary to speak, his muscles twitching all over, managed only a weak gesture of acknowledgment.
Victor nodded, exited the training room, and motioned for Hidden Stars\' medical staff to carry John to the infirmary.
Later, Victor and Shadowcloud convened in the office.
Shadowcloud glanced at him, inquiring, "You\'re preparing to leave?"
Victor nodded, explaining, "It\'s almost certain now that the person lurking in the shadows has left Stellarburg. Someone detected a trace of the Dusk energy in a refuge not far from Stellarburg. That individual sacrificed tens of thousands from that refuge; the situation is quite grave. The Judicators are already on his trail, so it\'s out of our hands now."
He should have left earlier, but the lack of information on the mysterious individual had kept him here.
Training John was just a side task, a productive use of his downtime.
Hearing that the Judicators had intervened, Shadowcloud\'s furrowed brows relaxed slightly.
He chuckled, "Though those fellows from the Judicators can be unreliable, their strength is indeed unquestionable..."
The Federal doesn\'t just host Hidden Stars as its sole special division; the Judicators are another, boasting a reputation not inferior to Hidden Stars.
The distinction between them lies in their responsibilities: Hidden Stars deals with transcendent events across all Federal cities, whereas the Judicators specifically handle awakener-related issues that are beyond conventional means of resolution.
Consequently, although the Judicators have fewer members, each one is a formidable force, true monsters in terms of combat prowess.
Unlike Hidden Stars, which recruits lower-level awakeners and ordinary people, the Judicators consist solely of those capable of fighting and killing.
Victor, too, was once invited to join the Judicators but declined.
At that time, he had already joined Hidden Stars and had no intention of switching divisions.
Suddenly, Shadowcloud, recalling something, mentioned, "You plan to let John fend for himself? I\'ve heard he\'s made enemies with House Carter and even holds the complete inheritance class of House Carter. Although they haven\'t made a move yet, they certainly won\'t let him off easily."
Lighting a cigarette, Victor replied, "Students of the Star Cluster Academy aren\'t easily targeted, and I\'ll have Dark Fox and Silver Tear covertly go to the capital to protect him. If even with that protection John meets his end, it would mean his strength was lacking, and his demise would be deserved."
Shadowcloud was momentarily taken aback, "Didn\'t you initially say that Dark Fox and Silver Tear were to follow you?"
Victor calmly responded, "I lied to him. I didn\'t want him to feel too secure."
Shadowcloud was left speechless by Victor\'s tactics but understood his rationale.
Having a safety net at all times isn\'t conducive to the growth of a genius.
Moreover, John is no ordinary talent; Victor\'s elaborate efforts are aimed at fostering his rapid development.
In the infirmary, John remained unaware that his fate had already been meticulously arranged.
At this moment, John was lying in bed, counting his savings.
With his impending journey to the capital, it was essential to enhance his strength further.
The money he had saved over time was finally going to be put to good use.
From the equipment obtained in the Crimson Realm, John made a total of 8.3 million.
The card from Albertus held 15 million, while the card given by Seraphina contained 20 million, a whole 10 million more than he had anticipated.
Now, John\'s assets had reached a total of 43 million.
If he weren\'t an awakener, this sum could comfortably sustain him for a lifetime within the Federal.
Unfortunately, not only was he an awakener, but he was also one whose endeavors were particularly costly.
Calculating the expenses, John figured that a bronze-tier Breakthrough Stone would cost at least 12 million, while an intermediate-level skill scroll started at 5 million, with a slightly better skill likely requiring around 8 million.
After tallying these figures, John felt somewhat dizzy, realizing he hadn\'t even accounted for the transcendent food and transcendent-tier items he needed.
Glancing at the card from Seraphina, John seriously contemplated the idea of marrying into Theodore\'s wealth.
With her seemingly limitless funds, securing her hand in marriage could save him decades of hard work.
John couldn\'t help but sigh at the thought.
After indulging in his fantasies for a while, John suddenly remembered the 100000 merit points from Hidden Stars he had yet to use.
His spirits lifted at the thought.
These merit points could surely save him a significant amount of money, leaving him with extra to spend on other pursuits...
With this thought, a blissful smile spread across John\'s face.
Just then, a knocking sound interrupted his reverie.
"Please, come in," John called out, puzzled by the unexpected visitor.
The door swung open to reveal Henry, wearing his silver mask, stepping into the room.
Before John could speak, Henry beamed, "Congratulations, John, on passing Captain Victor\'s test. I\'ve heard you\'re heading to the Star Cluster Academy soon, so I came a bit early to wish you success in the entrance examination."
Despite the soreness in his muscles, John was in good spirits and exchanged a few pleasant words with him.
Noticing that Henry showed no signs of leaving, John asked with a hint of curiosity, "Henry, is there something else you need?"
Henry laughed awkwardly, "Actually, there is something I\'d like to discuss with you. It\'s about settling the expenses incurred at Hidden Stars during this period. Whenever you have time..."
Before Henry could finish, John leaped out of bed, his exhaustion forgotten.
He stared at Henry in disbelief, "Isn\'t... isn\'t Victor supposed to cover these costs?"
Henry chuckled nervously, "Captain Victor has already left Hidden Stars. He mentioned that since these expenses were incurred for you, it\'s naturally expected that you would settle them."
Saying this, Henry produced a stack of bills and unfolded them before John, "Here\'s the bill for your review."
The lengthy bill unfurled onto the floor, rolling towards the door of the infirmary before gradually coming to a halt.
John\'s eyes twitched, and he swallowed hard before asking tremulously, "How... how much is it?"
Henry respectfully replied, "The total comes to 1.1 billion federal coins."
John gasped, then laughed out of sheer frustration, "1.1 billion federal coins? Why don\'t you just rob me!"
Henry didn\'t seem offended at all.
With a smile, he said, "John, as per Captain Victor\'s instructions, we used the best medical equipment, transcendent food, and training facilities for you. Every expenditure is detailed here, and we\'ve even rounded down the total for you."
Skeptically, John took the bill from Henry\'s hands.
As his eyes scanned the numbers, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him.
[Item]: Life Essence *34 drops
[Price]: 5.3 million/1 drop
[Item]: Advanced Stamina Potion *79 bottles
[Price]: 900,000/1 bottle
[Item]: Crocolisk Meat *210 kilograms
[Price]: 600,000/1 kilogram
...
[Total]: 1.14 billion federal coins
[Amount Due]: 1.1 billion federal coins
...
The bill slipped from his grasp, fluttering to the floor.
Darkness seemed to encroach on the edges of John\'s vision.
1.1 billion indeed!
How was he supposed to repay such a sum?
Even selling himself wouldn\'t cover it!
Noticing John\'s distress, Henry cleared his throat and mentioned, "Actually, we can also accept merit points as payment."
A glimmer of hope ignited in John\'s dim eyes.
He asked urgently, "How many merit points would it require?"
Henry responded with a cheerful smile, "Approximately 110000 merit points. However, since merit points can\'t be purchased with money, I can make a decision on the spot and accept just 100000 merit points from you."
John paused, his suspicion evident.
"Wait, exactly 100,000 merit points? Are you and Victor in cahoots, plotting to scam me of my merit points?"