"What do you mean you can't copy it?!" Manager Fu shouted, his eyes red with frustration.
One of the chefs took a piece of fried chicken from the basket on the table.
"This… it's something we've never seen before," the chef said, staring at the food as if it were gold. "The ingredients, the method… it's otherworldly! Just look at how shiny it is! And the smell alone tells you it's incredibly delicious."
"So what if you haven't seen it before?! Just do your job and copy it!" Manager Fu roared, his voice booming through the kitchen. "Or do you not want your jobs anymore?!"
Hearing this, the chefs finally sprang into action. They couldn't afford to lose their jobs, as they had mouths to feed.
Watching them work, Manager Fu scoffed. "Worthless," he muttered angrily as he walked toward the door. As he opened it, he found his assistant Alek waiting outside.
"Manager Fu," Alek greeted him with a bow.
"What is it? If it's not important, get out of my sight," Manager Fu snapped.
"It's very important," Alek replied, smiling mysteriously.
Intrigued by his assistant's expression, Manager Fu said, "Let's go upstairs."
They soon entered the manager's office, where Manager Fu took his seat while Alek stood before him.
"Speak," Manager Fu commanded.
"Here." Alek retrieved a scroll from his suit and spread it out on the desk. "This might help us."
"What's this?" Manager Fu muttered, but as he read the scroll's contents, his eyes widened in disbelief. "A Cultivation Technique? Where did you get this?"
"I can't say, but it's our ticket to bringing that restaurant down!" Alek said excitedly. "Someone gave it to me two weeks ago, telling me I could share it."
"This is illegal," Manager Fu said sternly. "If the authorities find out we have this, it'll ruin the restaurant, and not only will you lose your life, but I'll also lose my job!"
"Don't worry," Alek chuckled. "Haven't you heard?"
"Heard what?" Manager Fu asked.
"There are tons of people learning these techniques! Cultivation and Battle Techniques just appeared out of nowhere, and people are secretly practicing them."
"Really?" Manager Fu was stunned. "They didn't get caught?"
"No, and here's the best part: the authorities don't seem to care," Alek replied. "This means we can learn this technique and finally stand up to that restaurant!"
Hearing this, Manager Fu's eyes brightened. They'd tried everything to take down the Filly Restaurant, but it kept bouncing back, and now it had far surpassed them.
"That's a good idea. But even with this, we won't be able to beat them," Manager Fu said. "She has that woman who nearly won the last Advancement Examination."
"Then we'll hire more people and teach them this technique ourselves! Once we hit the Half-Step Foundation Building stage, we'll attack when Filly and the others aren't there!" Alek suggested. At this point, they didn't care what methods they used to stop Filly Restaurant's rise.
"Have you learned this?" Manager Fu asked, gesturing to the scroll.
"Hehe, of course," Alek grinned, punching the air. The force of his blow caused a gust that ruffled the manager's hair. "I thought I lacked the talent for Cultivation, but after practicing this every night, I reached the Half-Step Foundation Building Stage."
"In that case, you'll teach me now!" Manager Fu said, excitement lighting up his face as he stood up.
"What do you feel?" Mathias Helflick asked his daughter, who sat cross-legged on her bed.
"I feel great, Father," Bel answered, slowly opening her eyes after cultivating. Her body was still thin, but the aura she radiated was strong, as if she hadn't been on the brink of death three days prior.
"That's good to hear," Mathias smiled. "How's your cultivation progressing? You almost dropped a stage."
"Haha, I'll need three more days to reach my peak, and I think I can go beyond it," Bel said.
"You mean… you're ready to enter the Qi Condensation Stage?" Mathias asked, surprised.
"Yes, Father," Bel nodded.
"Then you'll be the youngest person to achieve that in this region," Mathias said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Haha," Bel laughed. "Is that really something to be proud of?"
"Of course, daughter," Mathias replied. "But remember, we must remain humble. No matter how strong you become, there are always those stronger than you."
"I won't forget your teachings, Father," Bel said, smiling warmly. "By the way, there's something I want to tell you."
"I think I've found my savior," Bel said, recalling the day she was saved from the poison.
"Really? Who? Tell me—I'll reward him handsomely," Mathias said, aware of how much she wished to meet her rescuer. Despite their search, they hadn't been able to find him.
"Yoma. He's my savior," Bel replied with a sigh. At first, she was skeptical, but the more she recalled that day in the forest, the more certain she became. She'd almost forgotten what her savior looked like, but when Yoma appeared, she noticed the similarities, realizing it only upon deeper reflection.
"Are you sure?" Mathias asked, surprised.
"I'm a hundred percent sure," Bel nodded. "Can I meet him?"
Mathias paused, then answered. "Yes, you can, but not right now. He and I are in the middle of something very important."
"Oh? Tell me, Father, I'm curious," Bel said, her eyes alight with curiosity.
"I can't. Just focus on yo—" Mathias stopped mid-sentence, a frown crossing his face.
"What's wrong?" Bel asked, concern evident in her voice.
"I need to go somewhere. Stay here," Mathias said as he left her room. As the door slammed shut, he blurred into motion, arriving swiftly in front of a small house outside their mansion meant for their maids and butlers.
But this house was on fire.
A man dressed in a tattered butler's suit was outside, desperately trying to put out the flames.
Mathias waved his hand, summoning a strong wind that immediately extinguished the fire.
The man turned, startled, and quickly knelt. "My apologies, Master!"
Mathias said nothing, instead scanning the area until he spotted a book lying nearby with visible burns on its cover. Then he turned to the butler. "You attempted to learn a fire battle technique without any cultivation?"
"Y-yes," the man stammered, bowing his head in shame. "But something went wrong."