Apollo stared at the number on the door before raising his hand and knocking. As the sound echoed, a woman's voice came from the other side.
"Ap—Can Deez," Apollo almost said his real name before remembering the alias he had given them. "May I come in?"
"Oh, of course, you can!" Bel shouted.
"Okay, sorry for the intrusion." The Beggar opened the door, and the scent of jasmine immediately wafted toward him. Looking around, he saw that the room was completely different from his. It had undergone a complete makeover; the previous furniture had disappeared and was replaced with new pieces. Where did she get all this? "I didn't know you had the time to decorate your room."
In the middle of the room was a comfortable-looking mat, and sitting cross-legged on it was Bel Helflick, her back to him.
"Gail and Filly helped," Bel explained. "You already know the two, right?"
"Of course," Apollo said, walking past her and standing on the viewing deck for a moment before walking back toward her. "I'm sorry for coming here unannounced."
"Don't worry about it," Bel waved her hand while slowly opening her eyes. "So, have you decided? To join the Great Serpent Cultivation School?"
"I'm still thinking about it," Apollo shook his head. "I'm here for a different matter."
Oh? Bel tilted her head in confusion. A different matter? She couldn't think of any other reason Mr. Can Deez would want to talk to her.
"It's about Arke," Apollo said.
Hearing that man's name, Bel's eyes widened for a moment. "What about him? Is he targeting you? Don't worry, I will beat him up!"
"I can take him on myself," Apollo chuckled. "But what about you? I've heard he can enter the Void."
"Like I said, I will b—Wait, did you just say Void?" A frown appeared on Bel's face.
"That's what I've heard," Apollo nodded. He had overheard this during the conversation between Arke and that butler named Holst. He didn't know exactly what the Void was, but it seemed to be something a Cultivator could enter.
"Where did you hear that?" Bel asked.
"It doesn't matter," Apollo shook his head. "What matters more is your chances of defeating him."
Bel stood up, walked toward the table, and took a mouthful of water. With a sigh, she turned to stare at the small masked man. "I am confident in defeating him—"
"That's a r—" Apollo couldn't finish his words as Bel continued.
"But it's hard, more so if he can already enter the Void," Bel said, her low and heavy tone indicating she was taking this matter seriously. "Before, when we fought, it was always neck and neck, and I only won because my Cultivation was more advanced than his, even though we are on the same Step. I could also enter the Void way before he could.
But if what you're saying is true, then he must have already reached the Half-Step Qi Condensation Stage."
Apollo was surprised. That guy has reached the Half-Step Qi Condensation Stage? But I didn't feel a thing when I saw him. Is he using an item to hide his stage?
"You said you can also enter the Void. May I ask what that is?" Apollo asked.
"You don't know?" Bel asked back. For a moment, the figure of her savior and the man in front of her merged together, though it immediately disappeared when she recalled this man was far stronger than her savior.
"No," Apollo admitted.
"I see. It's a state," Bel said. "A state where a Cultivator can enter, and once they do, their cultivation speed increases exponentially."
"What does it feel like?" Apollo asked, curious about this state as the information might be useful.
"Peaceful, that's the word I would use. The world turns dark with only you and the surrounding Qi around," Bel said, a smile forming on her lips. "But I can only make a few feet around me turn dark, and it's not complete darkness. The Qi is also not bright."
Hearing her description, Apollo couldn't help but feel that it was very familiar. And it only took him a second to realize that he'd been doing it since he started cultivating! Is that the state she's referring to, or is it an entirely different thing?
"Oh…" Apollo could only let out a long "Oh."
"Anyway, he is not the only one who has reached that stage," Bel said, a confident smile forming on her lips.
"You mean?" Apollo stared at her with slight amazement.
"Yup," Bel chuckled before her aura completely changed, and a strong pressure gripped the Beggar's neck.
Apollo frowned as the pressure disappeared immediately. He didn't frown because of the pressure itself, but because the Half-Step Qi Condensation Stage aura surrounding Bel had vanished, reverting to a 4th-Step Foundation Building Stage.
"How is it?" Bel chuckled.
"Your cultivation—it went back to the 4th-Step Foundation Building Stage," Apollo pointed out.
"Haha, it's because I have an item," Bel said, taking out a necklace from under her shirt before putting it back. "So, you are also at the 4th-Step."
"Yes," Apollo let out a sigh. "Anyway, back to that guy—be careful around him. I think he's a crazy dog."
"Crazy dog? That's an understatement. He is beyond that," Bel said, her voice filled with disgust.
"What? Did he do something besides being arrogant and treating people not on the same level as him like dogsh*t?" Apollo asked.
"How'd you know him so well? You describe him better than I do," Bel said.
"It's because I've met a lot of people just like him. They run rampant in this world," Apollo explained.
"Hahaha," Bel laughed before her face turned cold. "You are right. Anyway, Arke is so depraved that he kills innocent people on a whim. He even forces himself on women, especially those weaker than him and the commoners."
"The laws favor the strong," Apollo said. Arke not being punished for all of this just shows how f*cked up the culture of this world is.
"That's why I hate Klown," Bel said, her anger seeming to peak when she mentioned the Mayor.